Help me choose a laptop!

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I know I want a laptop for college, and I don't quite know which I want to get. I'm a long time PC user, but I'm thinking of getting a Mac. With both, I plan to wait until the new OS's are out--no way am I getting Vista. Here's what I use my laptop for:</p>

<p>Writing: I write fiction for fun, and some of my writing gets big. I've been using yWriter 5 on my PC, and if I were to get a Mac, I'd switch to Scrivener, which costs $35 but has features that I consider worth the price (yWriter's free, I haven't had any issues, and I recommend it to anyone who writes long pieces on a PC, but it lacks some features I want that Scrivener has)</p>

<p>Internet Surfing: I tend to multitask with my internet surfing, having lots of tabs plus my writing and music in the background, and so I want a computer that can multitask.</p>

<p>I don't really play games, but I'll want to watch movies/you-tube videos, etc.</p>

<p>I really, really want a laptop that will last and won't give me much trouble--I'm not really a computer person. I also want a laptop between 13 and 15 inches, and the lighter the better. My planned major is in biology, which can be math-heavy, and I want a laptop with the kind of power/OS that will work for the kinds of biology-specific programs I'm likely to need.</p>

<p>All my colleges are platform-agnostic, but I'll probably be going to Pomona.</p>

<p>I don't want to pay more than 1,500 for a good setup. Is the macbook (the upper level, with the lighted keyboard) worth it? What are some good, reliable PC choices? What are the minimum specs I should look for?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for all the help!</p>

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<p>I’d absolutely recommend the MacBook. I’ve had one for two years and love it. It’s a pleasure to use, and I’ve never had any software issues or viruses; that said, I’d recommend investing in the extended warranty, because it can be prone to hardware problems (if you have the warranty, all repairs are free). </p>

<p>Of course, if a crucially important program for your major is only available for PC, it probably makes more sense to get one of those. I don’t know enough about biology-specific software to say, though.</p>

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<p>Decide on your college first. See what recomended configurations they have, and student specials. Then post again with a reduced set of choices.</p>

<p>I like recommended configurations because the school’s IT people can help you with it. BTW: Get at least 2 GB of main memory.</p>

<p>For your uses, a basic computer with a decent graphics card will do just fine. Shouldn’t have to break $1,000 if you buy a PC. I have no idea about MAC’s.</p>