<p>What are the advantages and disadvantages (if any) of getting a MacBook if youre going to wharton?</p>
<p>And if you do get a MacBook, the only additional software to get is:
1. Office for Mac
2. VMWare Fusion
correct? or is there more to purchase for compatibility with the PC/Windows based system at Wharton?</p>
<p>You can look at OpenOffice as a replacement for Office for Mac and VirtualBox instead of VMWare. Both of these are free alternatives. OpenOffice works perfectly, and version 3 runs natively on a mac. I’ve been wanting to try out VirtualBox but have not yet had the need to, so I can’t say how useful it might be.</p>
<p>VMware fusion also requires you to get Windows. If you have a previous Windows PC, it is possible to use VMware to suck the Windows off the PC and use it as a virtual machine on the Mac (or you can get fresh Windows for a very low cost from the Computer Connection…$70 compared to $300 or so retail).</p>
<p>Same goes for Windows Office. You’ll need it (only for advanced excel stuff, really), but it is available cheap from the Computer Connection</p>
<p>Ilovebagels, i saw that the $70 windows version youre talking about on the Computer Connection website is an Upgrade. Would that work on my macbook? Also, would I need “Windows for Mac” or can i install one of those Upgrades?</p>
<p>For an upgrade to work, you must already have another version of windows installed. Say I have a XP and want Vista, I can buy the upgrade. However if I don’t have Windows at all, I can’t use the Upgrade.</p>
<p>yup cdz512, thats what I thought. But ilovebagels said you can get a copy of windows for $70 from Computer Connection. The only copies ive found are the Upgrades, the full versions are over $200. I have heard other people say that you can get windows for 70-80 dollars from Computer Connection, but I have yet to find those. How can i get Windows at that price ilovebagels?</p>
<p>what school are you in?</p>
<p>if you’re in engineering, or have a friend who is, you can get a copy for freeeeee</p>
<p>through our msdn alliance (your account is automatically generated and sent to you each semester)</p>
<p>Im going to Wharton. Do they have free/cheap copies? Do i have to be in engineering to get those free copies?</p>
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<p>They don’t advertise it but they DO have full versions for $70. They just don’t (probably prohibited from) advertising them. You just get a CD/DVD in a little plastic sleeve; not the whole fancy box (but who needs that)</p>
<p>What’s really curious is that they offered XP Pro, Vista Business and Vista Ultimate for the same price…$70.</p>
<p>I wanted XP (obvi) but they were out of it so I got Vista Ultimate (hey if it’s the same price then why not?)</p>
<p>no wharton doesn’t give access to free copies, just befriend an engineer (or take an engineering class)</p>
<p>ilovebagels, thats pretty cool…so do we just get that from computer connection at the bookstore?</p>
<p>Well from what I see, Computer Connections doesn’t have any Vista full installment for $70.</p>
<p>Computer Connection. It’s not on the shelves (those are the grossly overpriced retail copies). You go to the counter and ask for a “site license” if memory serves me correctly</p>