<p>Hey guys, I'm going to be a Stern freshman this year and i'm shopping for laptops. Would you recommend a PC or Mac for Stern? I've always been a PC user but I heard Macs get less viruses.</p>
<p>If you feel like you want to, I would go mac. In my experiences, macs have held up much better to physical wear and tear over time and you usually get a longer usable life out of them.</p>
<p>The only potential issue would be that business schools are usually heavily pro-PC, but you can run windows on a mac very easily through either Boot Camp or programs like Parallels. Boot camp will literally turn your mac into a pc whenever you need maximum performance under windows, and parallels is more than adequate for everyday tasks, so I don’t honestly see this as a negative for macs.</p>
<p>The other thing is cost. A lot of people say that macs are too expensive. I’d agree that they’re not for everyone. In my opinion, they are definitely worth the price for a multitude of reasons.</p>
<p>If you want to stick with a PC, thinkpads are probably your best bet.</p>
<p>I’m in Stern and I got the $1399 mac off the computer store website, which is about $190 off the regular student discount plus you get a free ipod touch worth like $200. My family has owned both PC’s and macs and while there’s no noticeable performance difference, the macs definitely hold up better. I also prefer the looks of the macs, but that’s entirely subjective.</p>
<p>If you go on the NYU computer/bookstore you can get the recommended system for the different schools.</p>
<p>Also, danw316 is correct, getting the free ipod is worth it, you can also defer the payments for the computer, peripherals and accessories over 2 years, interest free thru the store. It goes on your bursars bill. A really good deal.</p>
<p>If you do decide to get a PC (though I will always advocate on behalf of Macs), do yourself a favor and get an IBM.</p>
<p>^ IBM doesn’t make laptops anymore, they sold their computer division to Lenovo.</p>
<p>Also, stay away from IdeaPads. From what I’ve heard, they’re no better than an inexpensive Dell in terms of quality, and that’s saying something.</p>
<p>I would go with the Macbook Pro 15".</p>
<p>The 17" just looks too large and cumbersome to carry to class.</p>
<p>macs are okay, a bit too expensive in my opinion. unless you are used to the Mac OS, you will need to learn how to use it (not hard but annoying). I prefer PCs largely because some programs dont work with Macs. I dont think Macs will be safe from viruses, especially as they get more popular. you better off with Linux but who uses it anyway except business users. i use a Thinkpad X series and also a Macbook Pro. i suggest you buy a small 12-14 inch computer. bigger screens aren’t necessary for school. i actually dont bring the Macbook to school because it’s too big and lil bit heavier than my thinkpad.</p>