School Computer: Mac or Windows (a very much non-exhaustive post)
So you need to buy a computer for school and need to decide: Mac or PC? Well, I’m not going to tell you what to get, but I will give you some things to think about.
Currently I go back and forth between a (early?) 2011 MacBook Pro and a Toshiba Satellite C855-S5350. I can’t use the Mac as much as I’d like because of a (probably) bad logic board discovered after my warranty expired (about three and a half years after the computer was purchased) this is likely what caused my hard drive to have a fatal error and the whole thing is running off a 64gb flash drive in the one usb port that still works. So now I’m long-term borrowing my dad’s Toshiba while he uses my mom’s old one that she didn’t need anymore, because hers won’t run photoshop well (despite being never than my mac, which if it had a bigger hard drive would run photoshop quite well even at it’s age).
I have been using computers since approximately 1991 (I was born in 90). Most of those have been Mac. I have used Macintosh system 7, OS 8, OS 9, and every release of OS X since 10.5 In middle school my parents purchased their first Windows, an XP, and that was my primary computer from 2004 until 2008, because kids didn’t have their own laptops back then as often as now. The Toshiba I now use came with Windows 8 and I’ve upgraded to 10. I also used 7 at school quite a bit.
why i have a macbook pro and what i’ll get next
I bought a mbp in 2008 when I started art school. It died after a disastrous incident involving an angry phone call, a shattered screen, and a diy repair attempt. learn from my mistakes. pay someone. When it finally went, I’d just gotten back my security deposit, which was just enough to cover a new one. plus the airs weren’t too great back then, not compared to now at least. I’d buy an air now because of the portability if i could afford it, but i can’t so i’m saving up for an iPad in a few years and hoping my current mac and the toshiba hold out.
I personally prefer mac. They just work better with my brain and my learning disabilities. the design is cleaner (though i feel windows is improving) and it’s easier for me to read without get lost.
this is for most students the biggest issue. you need to be able to collaborate digitally with others. the good news is that so long as you get the right programs, they’re pretty cross-compatible. this wasn’t always true. the 90s were dark days. your office suite
While Macs come with their own suite of office programs (Pages, etc) they use a proprietary (owned by apple) format and won’t work on windows computers. The good news is most colleges can get you free or discounted MS Office (Word, etc). Use that. If not, and you can’t afford Office, LibreOffice is free and good alternative. I actually prefer Word (only office program i need to use much) on Windows, because Microsoft doesn’t seem to understand how Macs flow and Mac version of Word, while entirely usable, is to me very un-intuitive. “Intuitive” is my #1 word for why I like Macs better, so that to me is a problem, and one reason why I’m glad i can flip to windows if i need to. Which brings me to:
So you like Mac, want to get one, but there’s that one (or a few) program that’s Windows-only. Or maybe it’s games. Good news! You have options! For either of these you’ll need a copy of Windows, and it can’t be one that came packaged with a computer (as I found out the hard way). First option is to use Boot Camp to set up a dual boot so you can start up in Mac OR in Windows. You will need to restart every time you switch operating system, so this is bad for multitasking. The second option is to make a virtual machine using a program such as Parallels or VMWare or similar. These are paid programs, but I know there’s a free program that does it as well, but the name is slipping my mind right now. These programs don’t require a restart and you can share files, and more cool things. I ran the Windows 8 preview edition on Parallels before Windows 8 was released and it actually ran better for me that 8 did on my Toshiba. This is because Macs have excellent trackpads, and all the windows ones i’ve used suck. The trackpad on my Toshiba shuts itself off at random times.
You can’t. That’s not entirely true. Hackintoshes are possible, but they’re hard to set up and are generally quite buggy. They also are only possible on specific hardware. I can’t do it n mine, for instance, because of the processor. Hackintoshes can be great fun to build, and I’d love to do one someday, but IMO they aren’t reliable enough for school.
Windows computers may cost less, but Macs weigh less, and that can be a big factor for students, especially those like me who have physical disabilities. The less bulky your windows, the more you can expect to pay for it. And sadly many windows tablets I’ve seen that are viable computer replacements cost in the range of, or even more, than a Macbook.
This is what it comes down to in the end. I know I have a strong Mac bias here, but Windows genuinely is not bad, just bad for me. Go to some computers stores and talk to the techs (ideally not salesmen) if you can. Use the computers there and get a feel for both operating systems. Ask your friends to let you try out their computer, and what they like and dislike about it. A computer is, even these days, still a big investment and you don’t want to rush your choice and end up unhappy, or worse, with a computer that feels like the design is working against you.
