Apple Macbook Pro vs PC for Engineering

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

<p>I will be attending UMD this fall and majoring in Material Science and Engineering. I will also be purchasing a laptop for school and would like to hear some opinions and/or experiences from students/parents. If I got a mac, I would get a mid-2012 model and upgrade the RAM and harddrive to an SSD. I used to build/repair computers as a job. Here is what I am thinking:</p>

<p>Macbook Pro:
-Light/portable
-Great hardware specs (after I upgrade)
-Can dual boot Windows and OS X
-Durable
-Great Battery Life
-Great fit and finish
-Holds value very well</p>

<p>PC:
-Cheaper
-Easier to repair
-More compatible with engineering software right out of the box
-More user friendly (for me)</p>

<p>I am leaning towards a mac simply because of the versatility and unmatched hardware specs after i upgrade it. many people say to go with a PC for engineering, but I can always dual-boot Windows 7 so that is not a problem. I would be using the OS X partition for normal use to avoid viruses and because of the efficiency. My budget is about $1000 which i can get a refurbished 2012 macbook pro and upgrade it within that budget or get a higher end PC that sort of matches the specs. I would like to hear some unbiased opinions from you guys. Thanks </p>

2

<p>Son is going into junior year of MechE and has Mac. Had the same question about the ease of software compatability for engineering software, but it really has been a complete non-issue. He grew up on PC’s but converted to Mac for college and never looked back. Really loves it. To add to your list of pros, the ability to sync devices is also extremely helpful if you have an iPhone. For what it’s worth, my son graduated high school in 2012 so likely has the model you are referring to but does not have any upgrades like you are planning on.</p>

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<p>Glad to hear this from a currently student’s point of view. I think I will be purchasing a mac. Thank you</p>