HP Store Online - for college, mac or windows?

for college, mac or windows?

so i know the basic pros and cons of mac and windows...mac doesn't get viruses, but it is more expensive...windows may be harder to operate, but programs are more compatible with windows than mac... right now i use a dell, with windows xp...it's a desktop btw, so of course it's going to be different than the laptop i get...but i've also used vista, which i know is what most laptops today have...so vista wouldn't be a problem i'm looking into the hp pavilion right now...the model i want has 250 gb and 3 ram, with intel core duo...at about $700, i found it on sale then again, i could get a macbook, about $600 more, but not prone to viruses, or any other hassles that come with windows... i'll be using this laptop for the next 4 years, in college, so i just want it to be convenient and easy to use...so mac or windows? any other pros/cons of each would be greatly appreciated also...i'm going into college undecided, but i won't be majoring in math or science...meaning no engineering, biology, etc... possibly business, though

Public Comments

There are lot of seen or unseen things which you might require while working with a personal computer. I am a power user of MacG5 and Lenove Vista based machine. On requirement basis i use them both. You are right that mac is not prone to virus. But look at the other part which is a fact that you are not a power user and if you are stuck with something technical you will find less support for mac as compare to vista. There are various free tools and techniques available to tweek or troubleshoot Vista yet less for Mac. I use Mac for graphics or movie editing yet i find the usage limited. Thing is Mac is troublesome, its just the navigation part in Mac which is handy which now is much improved in vista. You just need to click upon start menu and type in what you want and it gets wherever it is. Upgrade to vista machine and versatality in terms of support / tools and tech. help shall make vista an ideal choice for you. Yet that is my opinion. You can decide on your own.
i would say pc. i know people that have macs that have problems with them in college (unless the go into a music major) because sometimes documents and certain programs that you will need to be using don't work on macs. as far as viruses, as long as you do a virus check on your pc regularly, be smart about the content you download from the internet, and don't look at porn then you should be fine. besides, save your money for when you graduate...you might find that during college you'll be completely broke and that extra 600 will come in handy.
Wrong. Mac can get virus too, but rarely. Because most users are using Windows, so the hackers like to write virus for windows and not for Mac....because this can create more wild spread damage. Honestly, Mac isn't for student. Unless you want to show off your expensive toy in college. And, the hardware upgrading is much more expensive. It is a toy for those affordable. Laptop's price can drop very fast, maybe faster than desktop. And after 4 years, it is just a junk. Therefore, you don't have to invest much on this. As long as it works well for your homework, it is ok. Since you have a windows-based Dell desktop now, you should buy a windows-based laptop. For the benefit of sharing file (networking), storage, software licenses, etc. I'm a linux user. But I use Windows and Mac too. Mac has the best graphic/multimedia presentation. If you are studying a course related to design and multimedia, you should get a Mac. If you just need to use the Microsoft Words and Excel for your homework, then you should buy a windows' laptop. Just my little opinion. :)
I am going for PC... A.K.A "Windows"
I just want to say that every software or hardware has its merits and demerits. I use Ubuntu linux on my PC with XP Professional. I am addicted to Linux. I just Don't wanna go to XP for any of my work. This is just an example! XP has more softwares available and all that stuff! But that doesn't mean that there's nothing for Mac. Its just that your options are limited. The basic thing is to get adjusted to your Laptop functioning. As long as your work is done, you don't care if its a PC or Mac! Atleast I don't!
Get the MacBook. The " ... a Mac will cost about twice as much as a comparable PC ... " argument is bogus. For equivalent platforms, Dell is actually a touch more expensive. See: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20080612161846AAOEI1U The "compatibility" argument is bogus. iWorks is a lot less money than "Office", and does Office compatible files. As for other software, the argument reduces to this, "There are 15,000 pieces of software a knowledgeable Windows user wouldn't put on a PC, there are only 1,500 a knowledgeable Mac user wouldn't put on a Mac, but for "needed" software, what's available to Windows users is available to Mac users. And, if you're a "Gamer", using Boot Camp and what you save over buying a Dell & Office, you can be running Windows on what Consumer Reports names as the "Best Windows Computer of 2008", the Mac. The "Because most users are using Windows, so the hackers like to write virus for windows and not for Mac... " argument is bogus. See: http://nz.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080515065421AA4MF7k The "Customer Service" argument is bogus. Mac & OS X continually outrates the best of Wintel & Windows in "Customer Satisfaction" by 8 to 10 %age points. The " ... how much an hour will you be paying when the machine craps it self ... " argument is bogus. AppleCare for three years is $249, and it covers everything. Try getting that with a Wintel machine. One other answer you can take advice from is, "Try also going to consumerreports.org for some great advice." Consumer Reports named the iMacs and MacBooks "Best Windows Computers of 2008". Even the "right click" argument is bogus. The "Mighty Mouse" which comes with all Macs but the Mini and MacBooks does "right click", and even single button Mac mice have been doing right clicks for teens of years, by holding down the "Control" key while clicking, or simply holding down the mouse button for about a second. With the Mac, you can save money, get the best Windows computer there is, and get the Mac side for free with it's attendant Security, Quality, Ease of Use, stellar Customer Service, Customer Satisfaction, and yes, coolness factor ... "Drink upstream of the herd." http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTE3MjA Hope this helps. •