- Should I Buy A Mac Or Pc For College
- Mac Or Pc For College Computer Science Major
- Apple
- Mac Or Pc For College Student
- Mac Vs Pc For College
- Mac Or Pc For College Business Student
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Feature
You're going back to school this fall, and you need a new computer. If you've chosen Apple, you've got a few options for what to buy: You can get a Mac, or an iPad. AppleInsider discusses which is the right device for you.All of those choices have advantages and disadvantages, but with either one, you'll have the advantage of portability, as well as not needing to depend on a large, bulky desktop computer, as previous generations were.
Apple has attempted to dominate the education market for computers for most of its existence, and deals it made with elementary and secondary schools were a big part of the company's growth in the early 1980s. When the Macintosh arrived, Apple reached agreements with numerous universities to get that product into college classrooms.
Apple, however, began losing its education advantage as time passed, and by 2017, had fallen to third place in the education marketplace behind Google and Microsoft, who offer cheaper devices.
The company, as of earlier this year, has begun a push to get back its mojo in that regard, starting with a March 'Field Trip' event in Chicago, where it both emphasized its education efforts and introduced a new, $329 iPad aimed at the educational market.
'For 40 years, Apple has helped teachers unleash the creative potential in every student,' Apple's education website states. 'And today, we do that in more ways than ever. Not only with powerful products, but also with tools, inspiration, and curricula to help you create magical learning experiences.'
This is the first full school year since Apple's renewed education push, so let's take a look at the pros and cons of each option.
The case for iPad
The advantages of an iPad for educational use begin with portability, and cost.
You can, of course, carry an iPad with you everywhere you want, with relative ease, whether home or to class. The iPad, no matter what size, is light and doesn't take up a lot of space.
The iPad starts at $329, for the new 2018 version, with Wi-Fi only and 32GB of storage. The iPad mini starts at $399 for the 128GB Wi-Fi version, while the least expensive, 10.5-inch iPad Pro starts at $649 for the 64GB Wi-Fi edition. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, also for 64GB.
However, with Apple's student discounts, the iPad starts at $309, the iPad mini 4 at $379 and the iPad Pro at $629. The greatest savings, though, can be found at Apple authorized resellers thanks to cash discounts and tax incentives, regardless of whether you're a student, teacher or staff member.
Apple's latest 2018 iPad is periodically on sale for as low as $299, while the iPad Pro is routinely discounted by up to $250 off. Many resellers do not collect sales tax on most orders with free shipping as well. For a large number of students and parents, this can equate to an additional $25 to $100 in savings compared to buying from Apple.
If you're using the iPad as your primary device, a keyboard is a must. All of the latest models work with Bluetooth keyboards, most of which run around $100, while both iPad Pro models are compatible with smart keyboards ($159 and $169, for the two sizes). Additionally, the new 2018 iPad is compatible with the Apple Pencil ($99), as well as with all apps that support that accessory.
Brydge Bluetooth Keyboard for Apple's 10.5' iPad Pro
But beyond that, as time goes on, there are more and more things that students can do with iPads. At the March event, Apple unveiled an updated iWork suite, a new version of Garage Band and debuted the new Digital Books app.
It's very clear that Apple is highly committed to pushing the iPad for education. On Apple's education homepage, nearly every photo contains an iPad, and there are no photos included of any other Apple device. So if you're going by Apple's priorities, that's a clue.
As demonstrated by this AppleInsider video from last August, the latest iPad Pro can be had for $1,167, if you choose the $799 256GB edition and toss in a $99 Apple Pencil and $169 Smart Keyboard — less than a 12-inch MacBook. It also marked the first iPad to ever beat out a MacBook in Geekbench benchmark performance:
The Case for Mac
When it comes to the Mac, the advantage starts with power, and features. Macs, in most cases, offer a better processor, a bigger and higher-resolution screen, considerably more RAM and storage, and more ports.
For all that, though, you'll be paying a lot more. The least expensive MacBook is the 13-inch MacBook Air, which starts at $999 MSRP, but can be found on sale for as low as $799. The standard MacBook starts at $1,299, as does the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the latter which offers a beefier dual-core 7th-generation processor and multiple USB-C ports. Both the MacBook and the MacBook Pro are on sale now, with the 13-inch Pro priced as low as $1,149 for a limited time. For most users, this makes it a better buy than the 12-inch MacBook at this point in the back-to-school shopping season.
As for desktop iMacs, the 21.5-inch model starts at $1,099, with the 27-inch model beginning at $1,799. The 27-inch version offers, in addition to the larger screen, a Retina 5K display, better processors and a Fusion Drive of up to 3TB. With back-to-school discounts in effect at Apple authorized resellers, students can get into a 2017 iMac for as low as $999.
The more expensive iMac Pro retails for much higher than the iMac HD and 5K, with a starting price of $4,999. Overall, iMacs sacrifice portability, but add a great deal of computing power in exchange. If you're not going into a computationally demanding curriculum, it's hard to recommend the iMac Pro for back to school. It is a lot of power, but it is also total overkill for 99 percent of Mac users. However, if you do need more than four cores, AppleInsider partner Adorama is offering AI readers up to $500 off every single iMac Pro with no interest financing when paid in full within 12 months.
Apple's Mac Pro and Mac mini are also still available, but unless something changes dramatically, we can't really recommend them to anybody for educational purposes. Neither the Mac mini nor the Mac Pro are current, and both haven't seen an update in years.
How to save money as a student
With Apple's student discounts, the cheapest MacBook Air begins at $849, with the MacBook and MacBook Pro at $1,249, the iMac at $1,049 and iMac Pro at $4,599.
According to Apple, student discounts are 'available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels.'
However, as mentioned above, additional savings can be found at Apple authorized resellers —and the discounts are valid for everyone, not just college students and faculty. These retailers, which sell the same factory sealed systems as Apple, offer a variety of incentives from instant rebates to sales tax that's collected in only a handful of states. It pays to shop around and compare prices in the AppleInsider Price Guide for deals on every current Mac and a variety of closeout configs. Supplies are growing increasingly limited on 2015 iMacs and 2016 MacBook Pros, but many configs still remain with discounts of up to $1,600 off. For students on a budget, this can free up cash for textbooks, tuition and more.
Conclusion
When it comes to deciding which is better for you, iPad or Mac, a lot of depends on what you most value. If you prefer power and features, the Mac is your best choice. If portability, and affordability is more important, than you're better off choosing the iPad.
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You can almost certainly do more with a Mac, but Apple's latest iPad and iPad Pro are great for annotating and note-taking, especially when paired with the Apple Pencil.
Where to buy
If you're shopping for a new Mac or iPad for high school or college, be sure to check out our Price Guides linked below to find the best deals and lowest prices on Apple hardware. Updated throughout the day, shoppers can redeem exclusive coupon discounts, as well as instant rebates on current and closeout models at Apple authorized resellers. Many retailers also only collect sales tax in a handful of states and tack on free expedited shipping to a number of products, further adding to the benefits of shopping online.
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iPad Price Guides
- 2017 iPad
- 2018 iPad with Apple Pencil support
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
MacBook Price Guides
- 2017 12-inch MacBook
- 2017 13-inch MacBook Air
- 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro
- 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro with legacy ports
- 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro - Greatest savings!
iMac Price Guides
- 2017 21.5-inch iMac HD
- 2015 21.5-inch iMac 4K - Closeout deals!
- 2017 21.5-inch iMac 4K
- 2015 27-inch iMac 5K - Clearance offers!
- 2017 27-inch iMac 5K
Can’t decide if you should buy a Mac or PC? It’s a tough decision because both platforms have different advantages and disadvantages. It really also depends a lot on external factors like what other devices you own and what kind of software you use.
For example, if you own an Xbox One, a Windows Phone, a Surface tablet and all the other computers in your home are Windows PCs, then it might be more convenient to stick with a PC. On the other hand, if you own an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple TV, and an AirPrint enabled printer, then a Mac would fit in really well with those other devices. https://specialistssupernal.weebly.com/rootind-android-software-for-mac.html.
Additionally, even if you end up with a mixed environment with Windows and Mac devices, it’s pretty easy to share data across devices. It’s also fairly easy to access Mac files from a Windows PC and vice versa. You can even connect a Mac-formatted drive to a Windows PC and view the files directly. Flight sims for mac. If you’re new to Mac, you’ll be happy to know that OS X has an equivalent for pretty much every feature in Windows.
So, without further ado, let’s go into the pros and cons for each platform, which includes the hardware and software. Obviously, this is a very biased and opinionated article, so feel free to share your thoughts if they are different.
Mac Pros and Windows Cons
- Macs have a built-in program called BootCamp, which allows you to install Windows, Linux or other operating systems in addition to OS X. Setting up a dual boot system in OS X is infinitely easier than it is in Windows. It’s also super easy to switch between the two operating systems.
Should I Buy A Mac Or Pc For College
- Macs work better with other Apple products in terms of software. This includes features like Handoff, iMessage, iCloud, iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Keychain, Find My iPhone, etc. Microsoft has tried to copy this, but only partially.
- Macs are less complicated and more intuitive to use. This is a very debatable point and the reason why I also list it as a con in the section below. If you’ve always been a Windows user, it can initially be counter-intuitive to use, however, I’ve found that it’s more logical once you get used to it.
- Even though Macs can get viruses or malware, the number of threats is still significantly less than for Windows just because the Windows base is so much larger.
- Almost all new PCs come installed with loads of bloatware from PC manufacturers, which requires manual removal. Mac computers have pre-installed software, but only from Apple and they don’t slow down your system. If you’re technically savvy, this is a non-issue, otherwise it can be a major nuisance.
- Apple has excellent customer support, AppleCare warranty programs, and exclusive Apple Stores where you can take your Mac or other Apple products for repairs, training or other issues.
- Macs are sleek and visually appealing. To get something close from PC manufacturers usually ends up negating the higher cost factor for Apple products.
- Speaking of cost, Macs are more expensive than PCs, but they also hold their resale value far better than PCs.
- Apple computers have some of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the industry. When you purchase a Mac, you are getting a high-quality machine. This can be true for PCs also, but with so many manufacturers and configurations, getting the best quality can be more difficult.
- Macs tend to be a bit more innovative in design and features. For example, Macs include Thunderbolt, USB Type C ports, multi-touch trackpads, force touch, keyboard backlighting and more.
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- Macs can read NTFS or FAT formatted hard drives. Windows cannot read Mac formatted drives unless you install a third-party program.
- The iMac, the only Mac desktop other than the Mac Pro, is an all-in-one computer that you can get with a 4K or 5K display, something that really doesn’t exist in the Windows market at all unless you get an ultra-expensive custom rig. There is the HP Envy, but it isn’t as good as the iMac.
PC Pros and Mac Cons
Apple
- PCs are manufactured by many different companies, resulting in a huge selection of devices with a wide variation in prices. With Apple, you have only a few choices with set prices. In terms of desktops, Apple has only one geared towards consumers, so if the cost is prohibitive, a Windows desktop will be a much better choice.
- PCs are more up-gradable and configurable. On Macs, you can usually only upgrade the RAM or hard drive and that’s it. Pretty much every component on a desktop PC can be switched out. When purchasing PCs, you also have a lot more options that you can configure including processors, cases, memory, hard drives, ports, displays, etc.
- Overall, there is a lot more software available for Windows than for PC. The opposite is true when you look at smartphones, but we’re talking about computers here. There is usually an equivalent Mac program for every Windows app, but they are not always as good.
- Windows based PCs may have greater backwards compatibility. A five year old PC can easily run Windows 10 without any issue. A five year old Mac can run the latest version of OS X, but half the features will be missing and things don’t run as smoothly. For some reason, you always need the latest Mac in order to utilize all the new features in OS X.
- PCs are the absolute best option when it comes to gaming. Macs simply do not come with as powerful graphics cards, even high-end machines like the Mac Pro.
- Worldwide, most computers are PCs and Windows is the most popular operating system by far. This means the community is much larger and you can get more support for software and hardware.
- In terms of accessories, PCs have a lot more options and those options are usually cheaper.
- Though OS X is simpler, that’s not always the best for some people. Windows is more complex and powerful than OS X.
- PCs can be configured with hardware that Apple considers obsolete. Some newer Apple machines don’t even come with CD/DVD drives. It also seems Apple keeps reducing the number of ports on each newer machine. The new Macbook has one USB port and one headphone jack and that’s it.
- PCs work great with a whole slew of other products too. For example, you can stream your Xbox or PlayStation games to Windows.
Mac Or Pc For College Student
These are some of the major pros and cons when it comes to Mac and PCs. There are a ton of other smaller pluses and minuses, but I don’t think those warrant that much attention when discussing this topic in general terms. Obviously, if you’re a professional graphics designer, then looking at specific compatible hardware and software would make more sense. Ultravnc viewer download for mac. Skype apps for mac.
Mac Vs Pc For College
The point of this article is not to say one platform is better than the other, because that is simply not true. If you are a college student and the only thing that matters to you is your budget, then a Mac will probably not be best choice, regardless of the other benefits. In my opinion, if you have never tried a Mac, you should ask a friend or family member to loan you a device to see how you feel about it. Manga studio 5 ex mac download. Just about everyone has used Windows, so you pretty much know what you are getting in terms of software.
Mac Or Pc For College Business Student
Let us know your opinions about why Mac or PC is better for you in the comments. Enjoy!