Which laptop for engineering major?

So i just recently got accepted for the fall semester at Rutgers for mechanical engineering and i'm probably going to need a new laptop. I currently have a 13" macbook which i love but after using it at community college i think a pc is going to be a better option. Running all the nessecary programs on a mac for an engineering major seems like it's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

So if a pc is the better route which one?

I have tons of music and would like to get something with a large high quality screen for movies. As well as be able to run various programs at once. I'm not a huge computer person but i will be doing my research...just wanted to see what your guys opinions are.

I'm not positive where i'm at price wise since i would love to keep the mac for music/iphoto/garageband...however if need be i could sell it and put the money towards the new one.

If i can make due with a mac i will be picking up a newer one with preferably a larger screen



SOOO what do you think??

 

I think many engineering firms are going over to Macs because of the capabilities it has. So either or. Velocity Micros are supposed to be the top of the line PCs.

 

I went Mac and I am never going back!!!

 

x2, im a mech-e at New Mexico Tech and it has been fine so far. I just use the labs for solid works because I don't want to buy it lol.

I have 2.4 gHz macbook by the way

 

Well thats some good news, my only concerns with the mac are compatibility with my professors computers as well as some programs may be setup for microsoft only.

 

If you must have Mac I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work... worth the trouble? That's for you to decide.

However, PCs are super cheap right now. You can get a pretty good PC for about $400 at Staples... nothing special but will be more than OK if you are not planning on heavy gaming.

Staples has 15 day no-hassle return policy too if you decide you don't like it. I just bought one for my girlfriend and she loves it. Windows 7 has a lot of similarities with Mac also.

I don't want to turn this into a Mac vs. PC debate, just letting you know that investing in a Windows laptop is not going to cost you too much at all.

 

I would hate to have to go back to a pc after being fully adjusted to a mac, do they offer cad programs like solid works for macs, just in case you should have to purchase it?

 

I believe they do but don't quote me on that.

 

Im a Civil Engineering tech major at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and i have an ol dell pc, but if i need to run AutoCAD or someother program like that i might have a better one, but when i need to use autocad i just go to the labs.

 

You could run Parallels with Windows 7 on your Mac

http://store.apple.com/us/product/TY009LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mw&mco=MTM3NjgxMzU

this might be a good suggestion if you are on a limited budget

 

Or use boot camp.

 

Would that kill the speed?

 

Im not an engineer bu t i used to play with CAD alot and i did it on my current dell and a old one and would never use anything else my laptop runs circles around most and its nothing special

 

It depends on the amount of RAM you have on your computer, it might make it a little slower though

 

If, after you graduate, you work for an entrepreneurial mom & pop engineering firm, the Mac will serve you well. If you work for a large Fortune 500+ firm designing world class stuff, you will need to know MS Office tools (VBA is a must) and UNIX. In the engineering world, Macs aren't much more than multi-media toys.

 

Thanks alot guys i'm happy that sticking with a mac should be ok, now here comes the big question. I'm looking at the 15" macbook pro but i can't afford to spend 2 grand on a computer. Any ideas on where to get a good refurbished one or where to sell my current one?

 

IMO, pc's are cheap because they suck, windows is horse shit. I have had my mac almost 3 years and it literally runs like new, second best purchase I ever made was getting my mac.

 

Dont get a fucking mac... thats horriable get a http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...p/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/Business/dv7tqe_series
[/URL] its 1k butt its a great computer. you have 3 gbs or ddr3 and a I7 proccessor

 

Macs suck. Pc's are cheap. but if you find a good deal theres nothin wrong with it... just people dont clean there computers... they let them sit. Most people don't even know what disk cleanup is or Defrag


o and comparing my find to a mac. You save about a grand

 

have you ever owned a mac? if so why do you hate them and which model did you have?