<p>I'm going to be a senior this year and I've been saving my money for a new computer that I would like to keep through at least my first 2 or 3 years in college. I've heard a lot of back and forth about which type I should get but am truly on the fence.</p>
<p>I understand that Macs are more expensive, but I'm not considering cost at all in this situation; this is all purely based off of user experience.</p>
<p>I would prefer if people who posted have had experience with both that way we don't get posts like "I've had a Mac all my life and would never change to a PC." <---- Not very helpful.</p>
<p>I've had a PC all my life but would be prepared to introduce myself to OSx if it came to buying that (I'd have a year to prepare for it before college at least!).</p>
<p>Thanks for your help :)</p>
<p>ew macs are gross
/shot</p>
<p>jk they’re both great – i prefer windows 10000% though
although tbh if you’re getting windows, try to get 7 because win8 PMSes 24/7</p>
<p>honestly there are a lot of programs (esp older games study aids) that don’t work on mac (and don’t work on win8 either atm Q___Q), and some that do work on macs but only if you spend like 20+ hours rigging them lol. also even when you can access certain sites/downloads/etc that you can access, certain functions of those sites/etc are all broken when you use a mac, which you have to learn to work around.</p>
<p>also i’ve always found the mac system frustrating to work with, but that’s probably just a matter of personal preference. </p>
<p>Thanks for your insight!!</p>
<p>What is your intended major? What will you be using the computer for? What matters to you in a computer? Functionality? Design? Etc.?</p>
<p>Different computers are right for different people. I use a Mac because I am a design aficionado who prefers Unix. If you are a hardcore gamer who needs all the newest software, you might prefer Windows. If you want to develop your own operating system, then Linux is your friend.</p>
<p>A big emphasis on what @DiscipulusBonus said. It’s all about what you are planning to use it for. Here’s my comparisons by a few areas.</p>
<p>Graphics / Gaming: Custom PC >>> Average PC > Mac
Ease of Use / Operating System: Mac >> Linux > Windows 7 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows 8*
Reliability: Mac >>> PC</p>
<p>A few major exceptions and advice pieces:</p>
<p>No matter what computer you get, get lots of RAM if you want it to run fast. Always.</p>
<ol>
<li>If you have an iPhone, I would swing towards Mac.</li>
<li>*The only exception that would make me ever consider a Windows 8 laptop is if I had a windows phone/tablet.</li>
<li>If you go PC, I would recommend Linux / Windows 7 unless you are used to 8 already or see above.</li>
</ol>
<p>Background: CS Major with a Macbook, previously owned Windows all my life and work on Mac/Linux at school extensively.</p>
<p>Personal Opinion: Mac’s OX and the way they tie together the software, hardware, and phones/tablets is very nice. Mac is in no way the better value, but is the overall better computer if you aren’t a gamer or CAD designer or something special like that. As a CS major, coding on Windows is a pain, and I prefer the comfort of Mac to Linux. I have a Virtual Machine linux flavor if I need it, and the RAM to handle it.</p>
<p>If you get a mac, you probably will have to install office on it due to presentations and papers</p>
<p>I totally agree with @PengsPhils. That said, we are both computer science people, so unless you are interested in CS, you probably should get a layperson’s opinion as well. Also, beware of Linux: <a href=“xkcd: Cautionary”>http://xkcd.com/456/</a></p>
<p>@DiscipulusBonus lol i love xkcd</p>
<p>as for layman’s opinion: win7 = pro. i be layman / your average joette.</p>
<p>win 8 is gross, but i use a win7 emulator thing (just for the layout, to get rid of the annoying boxes & to have the dock thing again), which is a slight slight slight improvement. now if only my old 90s games still worked on win8… /shot.</p>
<p>seriously though i miss win7 like a mother.
@op if you can get win7, go for it lol.
if you can only get win8, consider a mac.</p>
<p>Get a PC</p>
<p>And I agree with @shinchang Get windows 7 if you can. When I bought my laptop, I went out of my way to avoid 8.</p>
<p>@tigerman333: In my experience, Pages and Keynote are sufficient for most papers/presentations.</p>
<p>Windows 8 isn’t that bad. If you can find a PC with an SSD within your budget, pick it up. SSDs are great for load times.</p>
<p>Personally, I prefer PCs. I don’t find them that much harder to use (especially if you’re used to them), unless you get Windows 8 (don’t, if you can avoid it). There are more programs compatible with PCs, I think, and if you get a nice one, they’re pretty reliable. I’ve been using a ThinkPad for 5 years now, and it’s still great.</p>
<p>PC > Mac. I personally hate Macs. I disagree with @OrchidBloom, I have Windows 8 on my laptop and I like it a lot. Also, if I can recommend a specific device, it would be the Samsung ATIV. It’s a tablet and a laptop, comes with a stylus, and is at a decent price. The Surfaces are nice, but they’re too expensive for me, so if you have the money to spend, go for that if you want. But the Samsung ATIV doesn’t disappoint. </p>
<p>Don’t get a Mac… They’re overpriced and don’t last as long as PC’s</p>
<p>RAM isn’t everything. After 8 GB of RAM you wont get much out of the extra RAM. 6 RAM is a great amount. A good processor, on the other hand, is critical. Try to get a 4th gen Intel i5 or i7, depending on your budget. Also look for a graphics card if you’re looking to play video games and stuff like that NVIDIA GeForce hasn’t disappointed me. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your help. I’d primarily be using it for school work, social media, web browsing, and light gaming (probably only TF2 and Gmod and stuff like that). I also use Skype a lot and would probably be on that 24/7.</p>
<p>@DaneBrick You say Macs don’t last as long as PCs yet everyone I’ve heard from (in person at least) has said Macs last longer… Can anyone else provide any life spans on them?? Thanks!</p>