<p>Hi everyone. I'm planning on purchasing a laptop for college and as I am severely lacking in technology knowledge, I need some help picking one (Mac VS PC)</p>
<p>I'm 96.2% sure I'm going to major in nursing; otherwise education, journalism, or social work. Either way, I'm not doing anything business or engineering related so I don't need all that high tech software or programs. Basically it will be used for writing papers, research, social networking, and of course Netflix. </p>
<p>The following is what I am looking for in a computer:
- Easy to use (I'm technologically challenged and I probably won't be able to fix it if something goes wrong or it gets a virus)
-Lasts a long time ( at least throughout college with no issues )
-MUST HAVE A LONG BATTERY LIFE
- I'm very comfortable with Microsoft Office, so if I got a Mac I'd need to add that
- Not heavy or bulky, but needs to have a decent size screen and good quality graphics
- Must have good sound/ speakers for music and movies.</p>
<p>So with the above qualities, am I looking at a Mac or a PC, and which model? I know a lot of people love Macs but I also know they are very pricey. For my needs, is one worth the money? Thanks a million!</p>
<p>Sounds like a 13 inch MacBook Air is perfect for you. Light, 13 hours of battery life, easy to use, and there’s Office for Mac. It’s a good investment and if you take care of it it will not only last you for years but you can resell it for a good price even after four years. It just got a price drop as well.</p>
<p>
I am going to need a bit of clarification here. The Air has an average screen quality which is why it gets 13 hours of batter life. However, for 90% of people out there it’s fine. The Retina screen is amazing, but reduces the battery life to 9 hours in the 13’’ model and adds a (little) bit of weight. I suggest you go to an Apple store and compare the two or try to look at comparisons online. I personally think the Retina is worth the hit in battery life.</p>
<p>
Again, what is good? No laptop has “good” speakers out of the box. They are laptops, not home theaters or media computers. However, for most people they are completely fine. I don’t mind my MacBook’s speakers at all. If you want better sound you can get expensive external speakers or headphones.</p>
<p>Yes, I personally like Macs more and I just wanted to give you a comparison between both of the MacBook models so you could choose the best one for you. I think the best thing you can do is go to an Apple store and compare them in real life, but simply put: MacBook Air is battery life over screen quality and Retina MacBook Pro is the reverse, but it still gets really good battery life as well. So unless you really need those extra 3-4 hours of battery life you’d get with the Air, I think a Retina Pro is a smarter purchase. Of course, it depends on you budget as well. The Air is the cheaper of the two.</p>
<p>I’m in the same situation except I know a lot technology wise. I have to agree with Matachines. The MacBook Air seems like it would be the best fit for you!</p>
<p>I, too, want to major in nursing. I’ll start applying to colleges this coming up fall. </p>
<p>I’ve been planning on getting a MacBook Air, but they are really expensive! I was actually contemplating if I wanted to go with a Mac or a laptop from Samsung, but after talking to a few people I’ve decided to go with the Mac.</p>
<p>One thing you should do is see if your college/university has any recommendations as to what our should have for your major.</p>
<p>The cheapest place I’ve found to buy Apple stuff is B&H Photo Video. Free shipping, no taxes, and the prices are usually lower. For example, the basic 13’’ MacBook Air model is $900. In Apple.com it’s $999 and that’s before taxes.</p>