Not looking to start a huge debate, please read my situation before commenting. I got accepted to a private Dental School and as part of our tuition they buy us all laptops. We can choose between a PC or a MAC, it makes no difference in terms of cost to us or our cost of tuition. I have never had a MAC before and have always been a PC guy, but am tempted on opting for the MAC considering it would be the same price. The only real con I have heard about MACs is cost and that factor doesn't even matter in this case. Any thoughts or other things I should consider? Thanks in advance!
Im a PC guy and not a huge apple fan, but go mac. Mac computers are built well but pricey. However since cost does matter, go get the mac.
I don't really know the specs. Honestly, I don't even know what type of PC it will be... I am sure I will get more information as it gets closer, I am just trying to get ahead of the game right now. As far as using my computer, I know they will download a ton of programs and dental books/graphics and stuff on the MACs/PCs. Personally, I will probably just use it to view the stuff they put on it, surf the internet, watch movies/tv shows online, write papers. Nothing too special, just typical use I suppose. Do I have to list view porn too? lol
between work and home, I have 2 PCs and 2 MACs. MAC is just a better laptop, IMO. but I prefer to use my crappy PC laptop. little easier to use for my work programs. for everyday use and normal office documents, I'd suggest the MAC
So if all the programs they download on the MAC work fine, then it sounds like MAC is the way to go. Thanks
I have no experience with a Mac (at least not in the past 10 years), but if I were in your situation I think I'd stick with the PC simply due to familiarity. Class material can be hard enough to learn on its own, I'd rather not add stuff on top of it if I could help it. Note: That's on the assumption that the specs of the laptops are similar. Note2: Congrats on the dental school acceptance.
You do most things thru a browser these days anyway. So it's really not as big a decision as it used to be. All things being equal, the Mac is more expensive. So I'd get that. There will be a learning curve though.
I have a PC desktop and a MAC laptop. I use my MAC for mostly regular stuff like browsing the internet, listening to music, watching movies, with a little bit of school stuff. Looks like you'll be doing the same so I'd go with the MAC if I were you. It's different than the PC obviously, but easy to use so you should be able to get used to it quick. It also really helps that you're not paying. I really only prefer PC for gaming. Much more compatibility. Edit - Forgot to mention, Microsoft Office is available on the MAC. A must get if you go with the MAC imo.
You should find out specs for the PC and possibly what kind of Mac you'd be getting if possible. I use PCs for pretty much everything I do... video editing, graphic design, you name it. I can honestly say that I haven't had much issues with most things that people complain about. As long as you're smart with what you download, what you click, and what not... it really shouldn't make much of a difference what you choose. However if you can let us know any specs (Processor Speed, RAM, Hard Drive Size, etc.), it would be easier to find out what would be the better value. Pete mentioned Open Office and I think you should definitely look into that as well. It's free and you can export the files to Microsoft files (.doc, .xls, etc.). I use Open Office and I think it's great software for people who want to save a few bucks.
Never used it, but yes it does. Forgot about that. I've always used MS Office, and since I've always had to use it a lot I've stuck with it. But open office is free, so go with that if money is an issue.
I found out that it would be a Mac Book Pro and the PC would be a Dell. I probably will find out more on the specs towards the end of April or towards the beginning of May. Hopefully they MS Office will be one of the things they download for us...
I have a Mac now and have had it for 5 years. The thing has never had any problems and runs smoothly. I even have Windows installed on my mac. Since cost isn't an issue, get the Mac. You know that since the school is offering you the choice, any programs you may need to use will be compatible with mac. If not, well, you can always put windows on your Mac. All of this being said, I am switching to PC this summer because of the cost of a new laptop.
MS Office should be cheap since it would probably be on an educational license. So go ahead and get that too.
Find out if you get the Mac, if you can use all of your software on just the Mac side. Here at my work, we allow the Macs but we also require VMware Fusion to run Windows because of our applications. I'm not a fan of Mac, but I'm also not a Dell fan. Tough decision there.
It was quite awhile ago, but I had TERRIBLE experience with Dell customer service. Based on that alone I'd go with Mac. That aside, I'd still go Mac. The learning curve, IMO, isn't that significant. Macs, for me anyway, are much more intuitive. I used PCs at work Mac at home. Both have their strong points, but if I had to choose one, I'd go Mac.
Joke's on you, I'm at work and don't have the time to answer this. I'll say this, though: all the "Mac is more expensive" posts? Not true. Not anymore, at least. The more niche products like the 17'' MacBook Pro are absolutely expensive, but good luck finding an ultrabook that's equal to or better than the MacBook Air at the same price.
Bigger, heavier, lesser battery life despite larger battery size, inferior screen. Ultimately a corner-cutting product. Fun fact about ultrabooks: because Apple has prepaid for such huge supplies of aluminum for their products, ultrabook makers either have to go cheap with plastic (thus losing on build quality) or go expensive with materials like carbon fiber (thus losing on price).
The Folio's battery life is 9 hours, Macbook Air is 7. http://www.ultrabooksworld.com/hp-folio-13-vs-macbook-air-13-inch/
All they did was copy-paste the specs from each notebook's official page on Apple.com and HP.com. Real world testing reveals a different story. Like I said, the HP's battery is larger, but winds up having lesser battery life.
Here's real world testing. http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptop/hp-folio-13.aspx Regardless, he doesn't have an option of the Folio so the discussion is moot. If I were him, I'd take the Mac only because I dislike Dell more.
If you're going to any medical school, dental or otherwise, you want an iPad so you can annotate all the PDF's from your professors with a stylus. Plus, you'll be able to take notes with the millions of different apps out there. I'm a 3rd year and I can tell you I use my iPad as much as my MacBook at this point from personal experience. Note Taker HD app, Evernote App, and Rdio for listening to music while you study, and you've covered 99% of all your needs. If you need to reed .pptx files, you can get keynote app or QuickOffice. Sync everything with a Dropbox acct or even iCloud, and you're completely covered @ 1/10 the weight you'll have to carry. Be sure if you get an iPad, get one with Verizon's 3G service. Essential.
If it's a Dell, forget about it, unless they are willing to give you a new one every 2-3 years. I've had 5 Dell laptops through my various jobs and none of them have lasted longer than 3-4 years. typically, they start having issues in 2-3 year range.
The only thing apple products are less expensive, are other apple products lol. That said, you can't go wrong with a mac.