<p>I already bought a netbook for college and will most likely buy a desktop for my room for late night gaming, haha :).</p>
<p>“Does anyone know if the engineering program allows you to use a Macbook”</p>
<p>We asked the engineering school this question this year & they said either one. The computer labs at engineering have both. I was told that it’s about 50/50. I would call the mech eng people & ask what they recommend.</p>
<p>D had a nice 17" Mac her first year at college, but it was so difficult to carry around that she just left it in her dorm room. The following year she got a 13" Mac and was MUCH happier… could easily take it to the library for group sessions, etc. (Altho the 17" was great for watching movies!!)</p>
<p>Guys… 13 vs 15??</p>
<p>If money is not an issue I would go with the 15-inch. The 13-inch Macbook pros are still using Core 2 Duo. Plus the larger screen size will boost productivity. I guess it’ll be slightly more difficult to carry around than the 13inch, but if you buy a laptop bag this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. </p>
<p>If you want a more powerful 13’‘-14’’ laptop, check out the Sony VAIO series, the HP Envy series, or even the Dell XPS series.</p>
<p>I guess you could make the argument that the 13’’ is powerful enough for the needs of a college student, but I just think paying $1,100 on a Core 2 Duo laptop is akin to highway robbery. </p>
<p>Bare in mind that, I’m sure Apple is going to refresh their lineup sometime and the update might include a i3 or i5 13" MBP.</p>
<p>Have you guys heard of “Bootcamp” for macs? That seems like an ideal solution for the issues that have been addressed. I’m not sure if it’s a free download or not. But if it is, and you have a copy of windows laying around, I think it can be as easy as just installing it on your mac. Then, at startup, you are given the choice of starting your mac on windows or leopard. </p>
<p>I was just wondering if it lowers performance when having both systems on your mac. If not, you guys should check it out. Please advise though, I know very little about it. I’m looking to get educated myself.</p>
<p>Bootcamp works pretty well for most things. I’ve heard reports that it doesn’t run windows as fast as Mac OS, but that is probably because Macs are optimized to run OS X. It’s a good solution if you like OS X and have many applications for it, but if you still need windows for some random program. </p>
<p>If most of the programs you are using are on windows, and if you don’t care that much about OS X, than getting a laptop from another manufacturer would a good idea. They’ll be around $400-$600 cheaper for getting the same specs as a Mac. Plus some manufactures have a build quality that can rival Apple’s (such as the HP Envy). </p>
<p>I was actually thinking of getting a Mac, and using bootcamp for stuff like games and other random programs that don’t work, but I found that Microsoft Office for OS X is different than the Windows version. Since I figured that Office was one the programs I’d use the most, it’d be a smart idea to just buy a Windows-based machine. If you know enough to take care your computer (just 10-15 of reading) , they’ll last you as long as mac. </p>
<p>The most important thing in deciding if bootcamp is for you, is which operating system you prefer.</p>
<p>My notes that you should all understand:</p>
<p>1) If you are considering OS X because of ease of use, check out Windows 7 still (note that if you already use windows 7 you are probably comfortable with it anyways) to see which OS works for you
2) Windows based computers will be less expensive in almost every case (other cases being custom manufacturers like Falcon northwest), and it really isn’t reflective of quality/reliably/etc.
3) Unless you know you’re going to be pushing your computers specifications to the maximum, you probably won’t.
4) Consider HDD speeds. 5400rpm vs 7200rpm is going to make a notable difference in starting applications and bootup. Comparison is even more noticeable with SSDs.
5) Different PC manufacturers have different reliability and qualities. Most macs are more reliable than PC arguments typically rely on referring to widely known/poor reputation manufacturers. However some make more reliable laptops than apple.
6) For people who are considering macs yet want to use windows 7 pretty much exclusively, there are still computers with specifications/size/weight very similar with similar reliability/battery life/etc. as well (such as the U30JC)</p>
<p>For example Asus is above Apple in reliability, and also has a free 1-year accidental damage warranty for laptops not purchased by certain vendors that do not include it.</p>
<p>So, if you have any questions about the non-apple side of things, just ask me because I’ll be more than happy to answer questions.</p>
<p>don’t get a mac, apple is not a nice company, everything is wayyyy over price. </p>
<p>for example: I was going to be charged $120 to replace my ipod mini battery … I did it myself for $7…</p>
<p>go hp or dell their products are just as powerful.</p>
<p>@pacers31 - if your username is referring to reggie miller, you’re my favorite person on CC</p>
<p>I doubt this will influence your decisions, but perhaps you want to consider what happens if your computer malfunctions or breaks. </p>
<p>Computer Showcase does maintenance on most computer brands, according to their website, but the only do warranty stuff for Apples and Dells. Also, there’s an Apple store in Briarwood, so if you need something else, it’s there. </p>
<p>I’ve heard that there is a computer repair shop in one of the science buildings, but I don’t know what they charge.</p>
<p>Anyway, in terms of which would be better for campus, it’s a matter of personal preference since campus is both PC and Mac friendly. Computer Showcase sells Mac and PC software, for the same price (I think…). The only thing I would suggest for Mac users is to download a secondary web browser because occasionally - by occasionally I mean VERY rarely - something won’t work in Safari. </p>
<p>I’m an Apple person (a very new one at that - I bought my first Macbook over the Summer) and I love it because I have no problems with it, while many of my friends who have PCs have had issues already.</p>
<p>In terms of widespread use, I’d say it’s about 70% Mac, 30% PC on campus.</p>
<p>Happy browsing!</p>