1 of 10

PC

Write now Article Tools

As a freshman, my computer was the single most expensive item that I owned, apart from my saxophone and my car. As a graduation present for getting all A's my senior year, I was given the option of getting either a laptop costing up to $2,000, or a modest configuration of a 15" Macbook Pro. So why not get the Mac? After all, aren't they supposed to be the best made computer, with the most advanced operating system to boot? After weighing my options, I ended up buying a Dell Studio XPS 16 with a three year warranty for roughly $2000. However, that was my decision, not yours. Let me tell you why a PC is almost always the best choice for a student.

Price

This generally proves to be Apple's Achilles heel, so I'll get it out of the way to begin with. As a student, we generally don't have a ton of mula to throw around on anything. With this in mind, I went and looked at the current Apple website and found the cheapest laptop that they offer. It turned out to cost $999, and had the smallest screen and most mediocre hardware. If that seems expensive to you, you haven't mislead yourself into thinking computers can be relatively cheap. If I compare that 13" computer to a relatively priced HP computer, I end up with 2 more GB of ram, as well as 250GB more hard drive space. If I want 4GB of ram and 500GB of hard drive space, my Macbook now costs me $1,250.

If we look at the larger models, the price difference widens even more. This time, I went to Dell's page and picked out a Studio XPS 16 and customized it so that it would be fairly expensive, but not absolutely ridiculous like some gaming rigs can get. I ended up with these specifics for a whopping $2,449.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Full HD Widescreen 15.6 inch WLED LCD (1920x1080)

Intel Core i7 820QM 1.73GHz (3.06GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)

8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz

500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

Slot Load Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)

I initially thought, 'well maybe Apple has something comparable.' But, to my surprise, I wasn't even offered the same options! I tried to get as close as possible and ended up with the almost exact hardware (though not as advanced) for a mere $3,249.

MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

SuperDrive 8x (DVDR DL/DVDRW/CD-RW)

I couldn't get a 1080p resolution on the screen even if I wanted to, but I guess there isn't much of a point. Apple doesn't even offer Blu-ray on their systems.

Compatibility

Apple has touted their operating system as being virus free, unlike their PC counterparts. The reason for this boils down to simply, no one makes anything that runs on OS X. If you are a student going into college, you don't want to go into your engineering class and realize that your shiny new Macintosh can't run the software required for your projects. Now, you either have to return your Mac and buy a Windows PC, or you have to go spend $200 for a copy of Windows 7.

But what if my classes don't require specific software? Should I get a Mac? Only if you want to spend higher prices on things you'll need, like Microsoft Office. Students can right now buy Microsoft Office Ultimate for $60, which includes every single Microsoft Office application for Windows. The cheapest Mac version is $150, and it only includes Word, Excel and Power Point.

However, you don't need to spend money on every program that you run. There are many free programs offered on the internet, like openoffice.org, or GIMP. These accomplish the same tasks as their costlier brethren. However, there is a ton more freeware available for PCs than for Macs, which makes it even cheaper to get things done with a PC.

Portability

I'll give the guys at Apple one thing regarding their computers. They are pretty looking and pretty thin. Because of this thinness, it makes it easy to slip in a backpack and carry to class until you realize the weight of thing. The biggest Mac laptop weighs close to 7 pounds! That's like having to carry a baby to class with you. Even the 13 Macbook pro weighs 4.5 pounds. If you don't need a bunch of power in your laptop, you might as well go with a netbook. With some netbooks selling for $200, and weighing less than 3 pounds, you can easily grab it as you head out the door to your next class. They fit on the desks better, and offer an extremely easy way to write notes or do some web surfing.

Operating System

This is the main reason people either buy a Macintosh, or don't buy a Macintosh. If you have grown up with OS X, you might want to stick with it just to avoid running into a problem you don't know how to fix the night before a paper is due. If you've always used Windows, stick with that. Windows 7 is the best operating system that Microsoft has ever made. I haven't extensively used Snow Leopard, but here's a comparison from Computerworld.com.

http://www.computerworld.com/s /article/9137182/OS_deathmatch _Snow_Leopard_vs._Windows_7

Conclusion

I've outlined the major reasons why I personally bought my computer, as well as the other reasons I could think of for avoiding over priced hardware. I'm not saying that Macs are bad for everyone; many artsy-fartsy types will prefer OS X because of its built in programs and ease of use regarding such things. However, for the average student, a PC is the way to go.

Learn more about this author, Ryan Bartlett.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Best computer for students: Mac or PC??
We want to hear your view. Write now!