<p>Hi! I'm starting to think about what kind of laptop I want to buy for school next year, but I need advice on what to choose. I want something on the cheaper side (don't we all?), but that is still very reliable. I want a laptop that can play cd's, has alot of memory, it'd be cool if it had a photo program on it, and no matter if I get a Mac or a PC, I want to install Microsoft Word. Would a Mac or PC be better? I've had a PC my whole life, so would it be too difficult to switch to a Mac? Are there any benefits to getting a Mac over a PC? Are they alot more expensive? Any advice anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!! :)</p>
<p>MACs are more expensive. Check with your school on what they support (PCs tend to be more ubiquitous so the local computer support may be more able to help). Most PCs have the same components so I think costs tend to come down to what capabilities you want (one processor or two, how much memory, etc).</p>
<p>Macs (it's an abbreviation, not an acronym) can be expensive. However, the Macbook (not the Pro) can be competitively priced with other top-shelf notebook computers like Lenovo.</p>
<p>Mac OS is very easy to switch to and learn. I did it in about a week, and now I find that I prefer it quite a bit.</p>
<p>I was a lifetime PC user (it's just what my parents happened to have), and I got a Macbook when I came to school. My parents are purchasing a Mac this fall to replace their PC at home. I love my Mac and when I use PC laptops at work, it throws me off because I'm no longer used to their system. </p>
<p>Either is a good computer, but I personally prefer a Mac.</p>
<p>They just announced Parallels 3, which offers a complete Windows environment inside of Mac OS X, no emulation. So you really get the best of both worlds on a mac.</p>