Hello, I would like to know if the Surface pro 3 or the Macbook pro 12 would be better for an engineering student.
I do a lot of hand notes, however I don’t know if I would be able to really use One Note that much.
Check with your engineering program (or programs of colleges you are considering). Some times they give specific recommendations.
Both Systems will work fine, i am just trying to figure out my preference.
I’d go with the Mac – though I don’t believe there is a 12" Macbook Pro – or another Windows laptop (Dell XPS / Asus). But if you really want to take paperless notes, go to a Microsoft store and try out the surface before making a decision.
I’d find somewhere to test them both out and see how they feel. The surface seems like a good fit because it has a built in digitizer and stylus, but you may or may not like the feel of it.
For the Mac, do you mean the 13" MacBook pro or the 12" MacBook? The non-pro version is the one with just usb c, and I think it’s got a few kinks to work out since it’s the first generation of that setup.
Another couple of Windows options to look into air the Dell xps 13 and the Lenovo yoga (which is touchscreen and flexible but doesn’t use a digitizer).
If you’re married to the idea of paperless, digital notes for engineering the surface would be the way to go. However I would definitely recommend that you go the Microsoft store and check it out to make sure you’re comfortable using it. In terms of processing power and RAM both machines should serve you well enough unless you plan on doing really intense programming or rendering on your personal machine.
Personally, as an engineering major, while I understand the utility of a small, portable laptop I’ve found anything less than 14" to be less than ideal for hard engineering work - programming, CAD, circuit design (LTSpice), etc. You may want to consider getting a desktop, larger laptop, or docking station + monitor if you’re going to go for the surface or 12" macbook.