Using a Mac as an engineer at UCLA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
1

<p>I will be a freshman bioengineer major next year and I'm looking into what kind of laptop I should get for college. Right now, I'm leaning towards getting a Macbook Pro.</p>

<p>However, I've heard that depending on the school, sometimes engineers are required/recommended to have PC's because of the wider range of available programs. I haven't been able to find out what UCLA's stance on this issue is.</p>

<p>So my question is, does it matter as a UCLA engineer whether I use a Mac or a PC? Will I be able to get by on a Mac? If so, will it still be a big hassle?</p>

2

<p>All the computer science classes use Microsoft Visual Studio to grade the projects and then later you’ll use Ubuntu (from a LiveCD). Some people do have Macs in the engineering department though; PCs aren’t required, just recommended.</p>

3

<p>So does anyone know how much computer science I’ll be taking as a bioengineer?</p>

4

<p>It doesn’t make a difference, because you can install Windows (and/or Linux) on a Mac. You can get Windows for free from the engineering school.</p>

5

<p>You will be taking one introductory CS class as a bioengineering (CS31). You will be fine with a Mac. You can also use VMware/bootcamp to use Windows software.</p>

6

<p>Wait and buy it from the UCLA store, it’s cheaper than everywhere else.</p>

7

<p>Get a PC!!! Don’t let Steve Jobs control your life.</p>

<p>(That’s ignoring that PCs are always the better value and that the graphics cards in Macs are utter crap.)</p>

8

<p>I’ve actually never owned a single Apple product in my life. I’m considering the Macbook simply because I’ve had some issues with the reliability of the PC’s I’ve had and I’ve gotten a little fed up with some problems with Windows. I’ve had multiple friends make the transition to a Mac and they’ve been raving about how much more user-friendly and reliable they are. I’m not your standard Apple fanboy.</p>

9

<p>Oops I meant to say “…as a bioengineering major”. Also, the price of Apple products are the same price on their website (for students with the academic discount). Plus, you’re able to customize the specs of your laptop online. However, I believe there’s a back-to-school deal where they throw in a free iPod touch when you purchase a MB/MBP. You should wait for that deal if you’re not in a rush.</p>

<p>Oh and the graphics cards in the newer models of the MBP are not “utter crap”. At least they can run SC2 just fine on high settings :)</p>

10

<p>Yeah, I’ve heard about those summer deals with the Ipods and the education discounts. I’ll definitely wait for that, thanks for the advice.</p>

11

<p>Definitely invest in a MacBook Pro for college. It should last for the whole 4 years with minimal problems while you are in college. Other laptops from other manufactures besides Lenovo will typically last about 2 years until they become infested with problems. Windows 7 has never frozen on my 2.5 year old Core 2 Duo MacBook while my buddy’s Core i5 Vaio froze on him while working on a CS project. But then again, I rarely boot into Windows because I prefer using Xcode over Visual C++ for CS31.</p>

12

<p>What about for majors with more computer related courses, like electrical or computer engineering? Will running Windows on a Mac make much of a difference or is it still just better to buy a PC overall?</p>

13

<p>I’m a computer science major (first year) and I have a penultimate-generation MBP 13". It has suited me quite nicely for work and play. It’s very portable and the battery life lasts me an entire day and then some. For my CS classes, most of the work can be done right on my computer in Mac OS X; if not, then I just remotely access the Windows server (using a Remote Desktop client) or the Linux servers (using SSH) available for use by engineering students. I also run Windows using VMware Fusion (Windows is free from school, and VMware Fusion is usually $80 but is half price at the UCLA store), but that’s definitely not something you have to do to get your work done.</p>

<p>TL;DR: It’s not better to get a PC overall. Get a Mac and you’ll love the speed and ease-of-use; if there comes a time when you really need Windows or Linux, remote computing resources are easily available.</p>

14

<p>

Who cares that a Mac will last you 4 years when at its price you can purchase 2 premium PCs? Use one for 2 years and then throw it in the dumpster. Then upgrade to a computer with even better specs. </p>

<p>I live in a throwaway economy. :smiley: </p>

<p>(But let’s not pretend the Mac fanboys actually keep their laptops for 4 years either. Everyone is constantly upgrading…)</p>

<p>

The top notch Mac comes with a NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB. The Mac will set you back ~$2300. </p>

<p>The 15 in. for $2000 has only 256MB.</p>

<p>The 13 in. have no dedicated memory.</p>

<p>Most are running on i5 processors except the top notch 15 in. which is on an i7. Their 13in. are on obsolete Core 2 Duos.</p>

<p>I will reserve my further opinion but those who know their stuff will at least agree this is not impressive. -.-</p>

<p>

I always have difficulty connecting to the UCLA VPN remote servers.</p>

15

<p>

That doesn’t mean the graphics cards are “utter crap”. It just means that they’re overpriced.</p>

16

<p>i once made eye contact with Steve Jobs.</p>

<p>i shat brix</p>

17

<p>I like how this discussion has devolved into a Mac vs. PC flame war.</p>

<p>:D</p>

18

<p>Pc ftw </p>

<p>.</p>

19

<p>I simple enjoy MBs from an aesthetic point of view =)</p>

<p>My $300 Toshiba laptop will be able to last up to 4 years. I’m basing this from my other siblings college experience with Toshiba products. By then I too would like to toss it out since it will definitely be obsolete by then, just like apple products.</p>

20

<p>PCs and Macs both have their pros and cons.</p>

<p>What sucks are those netbooks. I cringe everytime I see my friends with one.</p>