<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Which system is better for computer engineering? We were going to get a window based but someone said to get a Mac. </p>
<p>Appreciate your advice!!</p>
<p>Get whichever OS you prefer, it doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>Check with folks in the engineering department where your child’s attending. They may have specific requirements.</p>
<p>It generally does make a difference. You should check with the engineering department regarding what they recommend for their program (if they recommend anything). I’d say generally a PC would be preferred over a Mac since you’re liable to end up needing to run different PC based compilers like Microsoft Visual Studio. There almost certainly wouldn’t be a departmental preference of a Mac over a PC but there could be the other way around - a PC over a Mac. And while you cold boot Windows on a Mac that’d mean buying the Windows OS on top of the already expensive Mac. If someone says ‘get a Mac’ ask them why they say that - it generally just boils down to a personal preference rather than what’s most appropriate for a CE major.</p>
<p>If there aren’t any specific requirements I’d get whichever one you prefer but if it were me I’d get a PC unless the department recommends the Mac which is highly unlikely.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter what OS, at least from my D’s (EECS) standpoint. Most of the times she uses her laptop as a terminal, logging into the school’s computer any way.</p>
<p>She was about to get a laptop with Windows, but ended up with a (costly) Apple because she liked the display.</p>
<p>One thing you may consider, however: UCB students get some software programs (e.g. Words, Photoshop, …) at no cost. Adobe in particular as of 6 months ago (I haven’t checked lately) treated Mac OS and Windows license separately. For example, you can install a license of Photoshop on two separate computers, but they have to be running the same OS. You can’t install a license on a Mac OC computer and on a Window computer.</p>
<p>Whatever laptop you end up buying, make sure to get an SSD for it.</p>
<p>It really doesn’t matter on which computer like what the others have said before me.</p>
<p>The OS is really up to the user’s preference. Having a Mac OS doesn’t mean it’s better than a Windows, or vice versa.</p>
<p>The obvious thing is how they look. I personally like the way Macbook looks/feels over the other Windows Laptop (also the wanna-be mac looks, yuck). Macbook is very pricey and shouldn’t really be considered if you don’t have money to spare. You can buy a Windows’ computer for a lot cheaper with the same specs as a Mac.</p>
<p>But there may be a Windows-only program needed for engineering. An example in the social sciences is the ArcGIS program. Yes, you can put Windows on a Mac but for large programs, it’s just not the same. As one who supports both Mac and Windows platforms (and I like them both) I think it’s best to check with folks in the engineering department. That way you’ll know.</p>
<p>^^ That was my point as well - for the typical major it doesn’t matter but it can matter for a CS/CE student but it depends on the particular recommendations/requirements at the particular college. Posters with no experience with a CS/CE major you might not know this. </p>
<p>OP - Don’t go by the advice of random posters here who don’t know your situation - check with the CE department of the college you’ll be attending.</p>
<p>^^^ Exactly!</p>
<p>Check with the college, but generally people dont use macs for software development unless they are developing for that platform. Dont buy a mac. </p>
<p>Having a PC also gives you the option of running Linux.</p>
<p>Or … show them how big of a geek you are and get both!</p>
<p>They probably accomodate Apple but, simply based on market share, you have better odds with a Windows machine. Personally, I think Apple is too expensive. I wouldn’t buy one unless I had to.</p>
<p>If you really don’t know, wait until school starts. Many schools have on-campus deals.</p>
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<p>Nonsense. Both my sons are/were CS majors and have never had trouble doing what they needed to do on a Mac. Java and Python come pre-installed on a Mac and it’s possible to run a linux-based virtual web server on your Mac, too. Below the graphical user interface of the Mac OS is UNIX, which can always be run via terminal’s command-line interface.</p>
<p>I agree with previous posters - get whatever you’re most comfortable with, but check with the department. My daughter is a computer engineering major and she has a windows laptop. She installed linux on it as well, so it’s a dual boot machine. I don’t think you will run into any problems choosing a windows machine. Some people have a preference for one operating system over the other, especially if you’ve used one a lot more than the others. I personally prefer windows and linux operating systems - Apples are too “intuitive” for me - I can’t figure out what they are thinking! But I also never worked on one long enough to get used to it. If your child is used to one or the other, you may just want to stick with that.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if there is a “windows only program” because you can dual boot windows on a Mac using bootcamp, or even run windows and OSX at the same time using Parallels/Virtual Box. Using Parallels/Virtual Box even allows you to run Linux, Windows, and OSX all at the same time. So get whatever you are more comfortable with.</p>
<p>Most top CS programs use Linux servers to host all their files and class data, and interacting with them through the UNIX Terminal on a Mac is much, MUCH easier than with a PC. </p>
<p>In my CS program the majority of kids have PCs, and upon taking their first CS class they realize they should’ve gotten a mac. </p>
<p>Any PC-only software can run in Parallels on OS X or will be available in on-campus labs. </p>
<p>The only time I could see a PC being absolutely necessary is for Upper Div EE courses, but I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be lab machines available for that purpose.</p>
<p>It’s not a big deal. If an issue comes up, there should be lab computers available.
In this scenario one might as well just use Linux, no?</p>
<p>Check with your school. The engineering department at my son’s school has multiple pages dedicated to computing, software, etc. etc. I purchased a beefed up gaming PC for my soon to be engineering student for the graphics card and processing speed, but I know his college has a computer lab for kids who need something different from what they brought to school or can’t run the necessary software.</p>