<p>I haven't checked old threads, but this must be an annual question. Does Kelley have a preference whether students should have a PC or an Apple Mac? Does the IT department support both platforms? What do the majority of current Kelley students use? Any info from current students or parents would be appreciated.Thanks. </p>
<p>your life will be a lot easier with a PC, your going to be on excel/power point a lot</p>
<p>If you are a Mac lover (like my daughter) you can get by with a Mac at Kelley without too much trouble. You will just need to install bootcamp (I think that’s what it is called) which will give you a dual-boot ability on your Mac - boot into the Mac OS or Windows. If you are tech-savvy, you can probably do it yourself or get some free help from IU tech services. Or you can have IU tech services set it up for you. My daughter did that, and it costed about $90. It was well worth it! She would have switched majors before giving up her Mac! She was able to run all MS apps on her Mac, and finished K204, X202 and C104 without any trouble.</p>
<p>My son had IU tech install bootcamp and it worked like a charm. My only advice would be to set an appointment for the installation as soon as you get to Bloomington for move-in day to avoid having to start classes without the installation being done.</p>
<p>Can you get through Kelley with Mac and limited hassle? Absolutely. Many students do. My advice is that if you already have a Mac, you definitely don’t need a PC. If you’re looking for a new computer though, your life in Kelley will be slightly easier with PC. You won’t be that person who can’t hook up his/her laptop to the video monitors in Kelley. You’ll be more comfortable when working in group and are required to use PC applications. Like I said, Macs only add a small hassle, but they will be a hassle at times throughout your Kelley career. </p>
<p>Mac. Only really need windows for K201 and it is easier using a desktop computer anyway because that is how you are going to take all the tests. The more comfortable you are with using a desktop and mouse with Access and Excel the better.</p>
<p>My daughter is a current senior. She started with a PC and after orientation, downloaded the free IUware - full Microsoft Office, photoshop, etc. She started K201 and found out her Office version was more recent than what the class taught. She ended up having to use the desktops in her dorm to do all her K201 work anyway and she said it was perfectly fine - there were plenty of computers available. She saw many students bringing their macs to class to take notes and she wishes now she would have had a mac. Personally, I’m leery about putting windows on my younger daughter’s mac. She is an incoming freshman. Part of the appeal of the mac is that it is less vulnerable to viruses than windows, not completely immune, but generally considered safer. So I would hate to open her up to anything by installing Windows on it. (My oldest got a virus on her computer during her first semester, despite having protection on it, and that was a bit of a pain.) She’s just going to have to use the dorm or library desktop computers for her computer classes. Like the poster above says, it is how she will be tested anyway, so it’s good to be used to it.</p>
<p>We did both. A nice Mac laptop, and a very inexpensive PC laptop. My concern was that if the bootcamp or virtual machine install on the Mac got screwed up somehow, the techs on campus might not be able to get it to work.</p>
<p>Didn’t end up being an issue though. The PC laptop ran fine.</p>
<p>In case you didn’t know, Office Suite for Mac (and PCs) is available for a free download for current and future students. My son, a computer science major, also did his own bootcamp installation–also free through IU. IUware and free downloads is a great perk for IU students. </p>
<p><a href=“https://iuware.iu.edu/Windows”>https://iuware.iu.edu/Windows</a></p>