Best Answer: mac can run osx and windows, and you can run both at the same time, depends on the programs you download. I'm a computer science major and I would recommend Windows but also definitely get to know Linux. Most professors think of Macs as an afterthought. I am going to uni next year for a computer science degree. Other less major things would be their reliance on some frameworks that are built for windows, such as.
Tom Brant John Burek The Best Laptops for College Students in 2019 You've chosen the college or university you'll be attending. Here's the next most important decision you need to make: which notebook you'll carry around campus for the next four years.
Start your 'best laptops' short list with these top-rated, value-focused models. How to Choose a Laptop to Last Through School If you're a student, a is as essential as your textbooks and school ID—and not just because of your school work.
It should also be able to handle your big extracurricular activities: keeping up with your social networks, streaming movies, listening to music, posting photos, gaming, video chatting with the 'rents back home. And of course, the best laptops for college students need to last for the long haul, preferably through four years of undergrad and maybe a year of grad work. Lucky for you, we have a bunch below that fit that description perfectly—and they won't drain your savings account. Here are the basics you should keep in mind while looking for a laptop for college.
First Off: Research Your College The first, and most important, thing to do is check with your school for specific system requirements. They may have hard-and-fast hardware recommendations.
(Or not.) Some colleges and universities want their students equipped with -based laptops, to cut down on software incompatibility issues or to keep technical support concentrated on one platform. Others don't care which operating system you use, whether it's Windows, or even Linux if you're a hard-core type.
Some institutions have on-site computer repair centers that service only laptops purchased from the university or an affiliated computer store on campus; using one of these facilities, the turn-around time will be much quicker than if you were to send it overnight to the original manufacturer. Also note that most schools offer price breaks for particular vendors and include extensive software bundles, which can shave off a good amount from your laptop purchase. So you might want to look into the campus store as a first shopping destination, before you hit your local superstore or favorite online seller.
Keeping It Light: Why Weight Matters Not every student will agree, but depending on how far you'll haul it every day, a big-screen notebook may not be such a good idea. It's nice to have a mini home theater in your dorm room or play the latest games in big-screen 1080p glory, but a 6-pound-plus laptop with a 15-inch or 17-inch screen will be a chore to haul across campus while you're running from class to class. You're better off with something that's light: If screen size matters less to you than convenience, a super-thin might be the way to go. Essays, research papers, and chatting online with your classmates will take up most of your computing time, so a full-size keyboard and a comfortable touchpad are crucial. Also know: When you venture smaller than a 13-inch-class laptop, you run the risk of not getting the same typing experience. The easiest way to ensure that you have the best keyboard is to stop by a brick-and-mortar store and spend some time typing on prospective choices of different size classes. If you do decide to buy a smaller, less expensive laptop, it's probably worth investing in a standalone you can keep at home or in the dorm for when you need to do a lot of typing.
A desktop monitor you attach via HDMI could be a nice complement, too. How Much Power Do You Need? Laptops offer a wide selection of processors across both budgets and usage cases—you can choose one that maximizes performance, or one that favors battery life. Or you can select one that plays to both strengths: Intel's latest 'Kaby Lake' and 'Coffee Lake' Core CPUs (also known as 7th and 8th Generation Intel processors) confer the benefits of both power and battery efficiency.
If you desire all-day battery life, and spend almost all of your time in a web browser, you might want to consider going with a Chromebook. These typically run on low-powered processors (Intel Celeron and Pentium chips, in most cases), but these CPUs suffice for the kinds of workaday online tasks that Chromebooks excel at. (More about Chromebooks in a bit, below.) If performance, on the other hand, ranks high on the list, a Windows 10 or macOS machine with an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 CPU gives you the most oomph.
Note that not all Core i5 and i7 chips are created equal. The ones ending in 'H' or 'HQ' are the highest-performance chips, typically found in larger gaming-focused and power-user laptops, while the ones ending in 'U' are efficient, low-power CPUs meant for use in thinner, more portable machines. More performance means more heat generated, which generally means the more substantial the chassis and supporting gear needed to cool the chip.
If you like playing games in your downtime, you might want to splurge on a more expensive. Most general-purpose machines, especially at under-$800 prices, won't have the kind of discrete graphics chip (GPU) necessary to make the hottest AAA game titles look good and play smoothly.
But if you hunt around a little, you can find gaming laptops these days starting at around $700 with a decent Nvidia GeForce GTX or (less commonly) AMD Radeon GPU for playing games at 1080p and moderate or better settings. (We've recommended one here at the moment, but similar models abound from Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, MSI, and others. See our guide to the for lots more about budget GPUs and buying just enough gaming machine for your needs.) A powerful GPU can also help in certain high-end and scientific applications that can benefit from GPU acceleration, but, like a high-powered processor, they also feast on the battery. The good news is that, in most other cases (unless, say, you're an architecture major with a heavy reliance on CAD software), most integrated graphics solutions should be more than enough for the day-to-day tasks you'll face. This is the graphics silicon built into the processors of most budget laptops. Today, that overwhelmingly means some form of Intel integrated graphics: Intel HD Graphics, Intel UHD Graphics, or Intel Iris or Iris Plus graphics. Our reviews will detail their comparative performance levels, but none is a match for even a moderate dedicated GPU.
Storage Solutions: SSDs Are Tops With the increasing prevalence of cloud storage and web applications, having plentiful local storage space is somewhat less vital now than it used to be, but you should still make sure that your laptop meets your needs. If you plan to install a lot of programs or want to hang on to lots of large media files, you'll need 500GB of space or more. If you don't foresee needing all that local storage, or are content with leaving a lot of your work online, you can get by with a laptop with less space. Whichever way you go, remember that storage affects speed, too. If you go with a hard drive because you get more storage for less money, know that it will be noticeably slower than a snappy-feeling solid-state drive (SSD). The higher cost and lower capacity of a faster SSD may be a trade-off that some people are willing to make.
The good news is that by plugging an into your laptop's USB port, you can add more space whenever you need it. Although you probably won't have to do this unless you're a video junkie or an aspiring filmmaker, it's a good option to have.
Gamers may want to take an altogether different view. With many AAA game installations topping 40GB or 50GB each, a small SSD can get eaten up fast. You'll want to think about that before you buy a machine, say, with a 256GB SSD alone, or at least be prepared to swap games on and off the drive as you complete them. Battery Life: How Long Must It Hold Out? A sizable can be your biggest ally on a day filled with classes and extracurricular activities. A few school-oriented laptops come with multiple battery options.
Others have only one—and it's non-removable. In this case, figure out where battery life ranks in the grand scheme of things. If removable batteries are an option (increasingly they are not, alas), it might be a good idea to get a second one, or a larger 'extended' one if available, at the time of purchase. The more 'cells' the battery contains within a given model line, the better the battery life. What About Chromebooks?
In the past several years, there has been a strong push by Chromebook manufacturers into the education market. Chromebooks themselves have gone from being glorified netbooks running the Chrome OS to laptops that are still web-centric but have a relatively full feature set. If, like many schools, the one you're attending puts its coursework in the cloud, a Chromebook can offer you much of the functionality of a regular laptop, and it may deliver longer battery life. It will also likely cost you a lot less than other types of notebooks, as Chromebook prices typically run between $200 and $300 (although higher-end models can go for as much as $1,000). Just be sure you have easy access to constant Wi-Fi access, as there is scant local storage on these systems, and you have to plan ahead to use them effectively offline. PC gamers, of course, won't find much use for one of these laptops; they only run Chrome OS apps and (in the case of most recent Chromebooks) Android apps from the Google Play store. But a Chromebook can also be a good, inexpensive second laptop you carry around campus to take notes, while your beastly gaming rig (or desktop gaming PC, for that matter) hangs back at the dorm or at home.
(In the market for a Chrome OS laptop? We've also rounded up today's.) Consider a Hybrid In recent years, a new category of laptop has emerged.
Hybrids, also known as 2-in-1s, are capable of functioning as traditional clamshell-style laptops when you need them to, but can transform into tablets when that's a more convenient form for what you're doing. Some (generally called ) sport a folding design that flips the keyboard out of the way, usually by rotating all the way around its hinge, while others (detachables) allow you to dock a tablet/screen portion of the PC with an accessory keyboard for laptop-like functionality. A budget 2-in-1 might be just what you need to fill a number of roles. One thing to be mindful of: If you are considering a detachable 2-in-1 design, make sure the keyboard base is included in the price. In some cases, it is; in others, it is an added-cost accessory that will bump up the price, sometimes by more than you'd expect.
What About Windows 10 S? You probably won't run across Windows 10 S in your shopping travels, but it's good to know what it is. Microsoft's new student-centric version of its operating system is a locked-down version of Windows, aimed at preventing malware from being inadvertently downloaded. It's compatible with any app in the Windows Store, but it doesn't allow third-party Windows programs unless you convert your laptop to full Windows 10 Home or Pro. You can easily switch to the full version using the Microsoft Store app, but a fee may apply depending on your device, and you won't be able to go back to Windows 10 S once you convert. Also, this version of the OS supports only the Edge browser.
Windows 10 S comes preloaded on portables like the (a $999 ultraportable model with a target placed firmly on the backs of Apple's line of; the newer Surface Laptop 2 ships with straight-up Windows 10) and the consumer versions of the new-for-summer-'18. A Word on Warranties. Almost every laptop you might buy today is backed by at least a one-year warranty on parts and labor. Extended warranties are also available, but whether they're worth it depends on who you are as a user.
For starters, know that the standard warranty doesn't cover accidents that stem from a spilled drink or a drop on a hard surface. Most manufacturers sell accident coverage as a separate plan, on top of extended warranties that work on top of a standard one, so you might end up spending close to $300 for three years of coverage. Apple offers a maximum three-year extended warranty ($250), while most Windows-based laptop vendors will offer up to four years. In our opinion, if the warranty costs more than 15 percent of the total laptop price, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or services that minimize downtime in case something does go awry. Of course, you can't put a price on peace of mind. In rare instances, the logic board or the display—the most expensive pieces of a laptop—can fail and cost you in repairs half of what the laptop is worth.
Faulty components usually break down during the first year; anything after that is probably more about regular wear and tear. Ready for Our Recommendations?
So, what's the best laptop to get for school? True, there are ever more choices on the market today, and slogging through them can be daunting. No worries, though: We did the work for you. Scroll or swipe down to check out the hottest laptops to grace the dorm room, college classroom, and campus quad for this school year. (We specifically kept the pricing below $1,000, with the exception of the spanking-new, which we consider the best value in the current MacBook Pro line for most Apple-loyal students who don't need heavy processing power.) For more general factors to look for when shopping, check out our, as well as our favorite. And for more shopping advice for school, visit our.
Pros: Retina Display offers vivid colors. Very comfortable Force Touch trackpad. Secure boot capability. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Excellent battery life.
Cons: No CPU configuration options. Y-series, not U-series, CPU. No touch screen. No USB Type-A ports or dedicated video output. Shallow key travel. Expensive as configured.
Occasional fan noise. Bottom Line: Though no speedster, the refreshed MacBook Air finally gets a Retina Display and updated components, making it a sleek ultraportable laptop worthy of its pioneering predecessor's name.
Pros: Speedy new 8th Generation Intel processor. Good battery life. Premium feel. Sleek all-black color option. Brilliant display.
Well-implemented kickstand. Cons: Minimal changes from previous model. As ever, keyboard sold separately.
Not ideal for in-lap use. Somewhat restrictive configuration combinations.
Limited ports. Bottom Line: With a modest speed boost and a new color choice, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 may not have changed much from the previous iteration, but what we loved about this 2-in-1 convertible then, we still love now.
Pros: Low price. Satisfactory screen.
SSD boot drive in a budget gaming laptop. Easy to add a second SSD or hard drive. Right on the edge of playable 1080p performance at high detail settings. Cons: 256GB SSD won't hold many games.
Hard-to-read keyboard legends. Balky touchpad. Marginal battery life. Bottom Line: If you think making an under-$1,000 gaming laptop is tough, try an under-$700 one: The AMD-based Acer Nitro 5 grabs the bottom rung of the 1080p gaming ladder and delivers decent value.
For a computer science major I would go with the 15' non-Retine unit since you can upgrade the memory yourself, have reasonable priced options for storage (I would go for the 7200 rpm HD instead of the 5400 rpm), and more options for external connections. The higher spped processor may be of benefit depending on the compilers you are going to be using. I would also quickly join the Apple developers, I believe it only costs $99 to do so, and download XCode so you can smoothly use compilers. I use that with FORTRAN compilers and works great. The new Retina units are extremely expensive and non-upgradable, so if you decide to go that route, make sure you get the max memory you can and any thing else you feel you must have. It depends on your budget. You are going to be carrying it around in a relatively extreme environment.
That means you want it to be a lighter 13' with AppleCare. For computer science, it is important to test your projects in the environment where the professor will mark them. That means you need a virtual machine to run Windows and Linux. You can run almost all Linux software on your Mac, but most of it is junk that you don't want.
It is best to avoid that if possible and concentrate on what you need to do. That means you should get Parallels instaed of an the open source VirtualBox. The same logic goes with papers. Get Microsoft Office. Don't waste time with open source clones. When doing your computer science assignments, it is important to do them on the Mac first and then port them to whatever environment the professor requires.
This will give you a distinct advantage. You will have an easier time developing and you will have fewer bugs - guaranteed. Apple's clang has much better error message than GCC. It is very unlikely that you will be able to do any true Mac or iOS software in school. Your university may have a university iOS developer program that you can join for free. If not, don't bother joining the developer program unless you really intend to release some apps. Sadly, even today, many college professors are card-carrying Communists and that means they will be more like to assign Android and Linux projects.
You can still learn from that, just know that doing the same code on the Mac would be much more fun and easier. Apple Footer. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums. Apple disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions and conduct of any third parties in connection with or related to your use of the site. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the.