Computer Science; Is this a good laptop?

Student Lounge College Life
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Im going to study conputer science (c/o 2017) I really want a MacBook buy idk if it’s good for CS.
This is the conputer that I would buy:
MacBook Pro
13"
8GB Ram
256GB
Intel i5 (i think)
Its the latest model and i really want an apple laptop but like i said. Idk if they’re good for CS. I was also thinking about getting a 2 in 1.
There’s a 2-1 with:
16GB Ram
1TB
15"
Intel i7 or i5
Dell

I have no problem with buying the macbook (my budget would be $1800) the macbook is $1500

Thanks!

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Bump

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Bump

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Your laptop is bad, and you should feel bad :stuck_out_tongue:

Seriously, though, a macbook’s fine for CS unless otherwise stated by the school. I’d personally prefer a larger hard drive, though.

The Dell would also work fine.

5

My buddy is a CS major and uses a Macbook. He has Parallels installed in case a Windows environment is needed.

6

I have a 2015 MacBook Pro Retina 13 with 2.9ghz i5, 512gb ssd, and 16gb of ram. It’s been fine in my CS classes and looking around the classroom almost everyone had a mac. Also the professor and 12/13 TAs had Macs. Great battery life and performance.

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My daughter is also interested in studying computer science and has done a lot of research on this issue recently. This is what she says…

  • it depends on the school. Most seem ok with Macs (except her first choice…lol)
    Check your top few choices and see what each school prefers (Mac vs PC)
  • i7 gen if possible (spec-wise) and make sure it’s a recent version of it
  • at least 8GB ram
    -Solid State Drive (SSD)
    She has had a MacBook Pro during middle school/prep school, but may be buying a PC for college, depending on where she ends up.
    Good luck!
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@Carlos57 That all sounds good. I would think about spending on the 16GB of RAM - consider installing it yourself if you know what you’re doing, as its cheaper that way.

One thing to consider with the new Macbook is the pack of ports - You’re going to need adapters for everything, and the model has been quite a flop in the CS community. I would consider getting a “refurbished” Mac from Apple that is a generation back. It will be cheaper, basically brand new, and will not need a bunch of adapters.

@cameo43 Curious, what CS program is not okay with Mac’s? I’ve never heard of that before - perhaps a Windows preference, but never against a Mac fully.

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Yea, ik i wouldnt get the new macbook because of the adapters and all that stuff. I would get the previous model/version and i would install a program so i can use windows on my mac like another guys said ¨in case its needed¨ and i would also upgrade the ram and other things

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@Carlos57

Trust me. You don’t need 16GB of RAM unless you’re running 5 HD games at a time and 1TB is quite a lot.

Go with the mac. You should get SSD storage for your 256GB storage. It can handle more shock than traditional HDD, they are a whole lot faster at finding/editing information and sending it to the RAM pretty quickly.

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Many programs these days hog RAM, simply because they can in the modern age. Chrome can take 3-4GB if allowed. Slack, a chat application, can take 2GB. An adobe program or two (see wireframes in InDesign/Illustrator, for example) can take up a lot as well. Having 16GB does make a tangible difference, though not absolutely needed.

I agree on the 1TB being too much. External drive if you need that much, as your day to day won’t even max out 256GB in my experience. My 3 year old Mac is sitting at 200GB after heavy use in CS and plenty of files stored, including all my pictures (and backed up to said suggested external!) :slight_smile: