<p>yes, the password thing is an aspect of the operating system and not the actual hardware, therefore, windows on a mac would be just as vulnerable as windows on a pc for the simple fact that the mac allows the user to partition the hard drive to put windows on the system and it is like there are two computers in one.</p>
<p>the benefit of this is that windows runs natively on the mac and works at full power just as it would any pc, so the user can take full advantage of the hardware for windows, but viruses on the windows part of the hard drive won't affect anything on the mac side of the system since the hard drive is, in a sense, split in two and it is like having two different computers</p>
<p>I'd like to real quickly address the issue that has been brought up about price. I personally own several macs and, believe me, I know how much they cost to begin with, but in the ten years or so that I've had them I've never once had to pay for repairs or security software. My dad, on the other hand, has had to pay for parts and anti-virus software several times since he's bought his Dell. My point is that even though the Mac has a slightly higher purchase cost, over the course of four years, I think it would be much cheaper to own a mac than a PC. </p>
<p>And as for security, there was a great article on The Register that I saw the other day explaining why Macs and other Unix machines are more secure than windows. I'll try to find it.</p>
<p>-Jeffwun thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't aware of that.</p>
<p>Regarding idude's statement:</p>
<p>Regardless, you should be getting insurance for a laptop for damages and for being stolen. If you have a mac, you will be paying for that insurance as well. I can't confirm that apple laptops would last longer, but its certainly believeable. Regardless of the computer, it should last you through college as long as it is not an old laptop.</p>
<p>erxt, I had forgotten about insurance. And I don't know if my experiences with Macs and Dells are the same for everyone, but as I said, I've never had an issue with my macs and the amount of money my dad has spent on his dell has made the prices about the same. And keep in mind that I've been using my iBook since 2001.</p>
<p>I would wait for a mac just a little longer (may to june). Mac is scheduled to release an intel version of the ibook which would be anywhere from three to five times faster than a current ibook. They will also have dual boot so you can use windows. The price is expected to be the same.</p>
<p>Another interesting device to consider is the tablet pc. Think of it as a large palm pilot. You no longer need multiple notebooks, and it still functions as a full computer. The main con is that their price resembles a mac.</p>
<p>Are there specific computers with specific specifications that Wash U recommends? My dad seems to think they'll be sending something out with exact specifications for both Macs and Dells.</p>
<p>Cardboardbear - They most likely will not send out anything with suggested specifications, as pretty much any system on the market will be adequate for use. What school are you going into at WashU, and are you looking for a laptop or desktop? My only major recommendation is to hold off on purchasing Microsoft Office until you get here, as the bookstore has an inexpensive student copy. Or, you could just use OpenOffice.org and have an office suite for free.</p>
<p>oncampus - I'm going to Olin and I'm looking for a laptop. Do you have any idea on what percentage of Olin students have Macs and what percentage have PCs?</p>