Mac vs PC

Comments

• jennilynn89 Alum Member

  April 2016 822 karma

  Hey Omar!
  
  I'm not a law student (yet), but have several friends in law school, or that are lawyers. Most of them swore on their Macs throughout law school. A friend of mine said that he felt that with the durability and quality of his Mac, he never had to worry about buying a new one or that it would crash on him. He said it was reliable throughout all three years. I took his advice and bought myself a new Mac which I will eventually use in law school as well.
  Honestly I think it comes down to personal preference though. If you are a PC guy, and know that your PC has great durability and you are most familiar with its functions, that might be the way to go for you.
• LSATKingsman Alum Member

  April 2016 1024 karma

  Mac air x10000. Personally I think convertibles, touch screens, and everything else is fluff. My Mac Air allows me to work at 100% whether it be 10 hours of studying all day or 24 hour work days. I've had it for 3 years and I swear it runs the exact same as the day I bought it. I came from PC's but I won't ever go back to one. I would however give a chromebook a chance. I should probably mention that I did upgrade my ram from 4 to 8gb.
• MrSamIam Inactive ⭐

  April 2016 edited April 2016 2086 karma

  When it comes to laptops for academic use, I look for quality, reliability, and speed. Since I do pretty much everything on my laptop, I can't afford to have it crash on me a week before finals. This almost happened with my Mac once - freaked me out, as I had all of my final assignments saved on it.
  Anyhow, I prefer Mac over PC. They're simply to use, versatile, and if you treat them well, reliable.
  
  If you decide to go the PC route, be sure to purchase a reliable one. Dell comes to mind.
• jdawg113 Alum Inactive ⭐

  April 2016 2654 karma

  I'd say personal pref, if you have a desktop too you can take that into consideration but most schools are compatible with both mac & windows so it doesnt make too much of a difference but I would just check take a quick look. most schools have it posted somewhere about their tech stuff. Laptop wise im a big mac fan, like it way more than my previous 2 laptops (Asus and HP) but I also have a desktop my buddies built which is great. So if you want to shell out the $ on a Mac but are hesitant I probably wouldnt worry about it too much
• 5 Likes

  Jonathan Wang Yearly Sage ⭐

  April 2016 edited April 2016 6866 karma

  This thread shows that Apple's done a really fantastic job of marketing. I'd love to see non-anecdotal evidence that Macbooks are more reliable than Windows machines, because I don't think it exists.
  
  Outside of actual slopfest bargain-basement computer companies who do things like not using thermal paste correctly or design their computers to blow heat directly over all of the internal components, parts failure is largely a numbers game. Apple doesn't manufacture its own parts - it gets its processors from somewhere, its motherboards from somewhere, its RAM from somewhere, same as every other computer company on the planet. They make their bones on design, not component quality. Even the most reputable parts companies have non-negligible fail rates, because that's how computer parts are. Apple laptops use all the same stuff Windows computers use nowadays; they're basically midrange Windows laptops. It's their software that sets them apart.
  
  You also can't forget that Apple computers barely make up a quarter of the total market, so even if you hear 3 times as many failure stories on Windows computers, that's entirely expected. And, anecdotal evidence is subject to confirmation bias, selection bias, etc...this is a big LSAT flaw question just staring you in the face.
  
  There's literally no difference if you're looking at law school requirements - all you need is a word processor, a web browser, and SofTest (which has both Windows and iOS versions). The rest of this is just the ancient Mac vs. PC debate that goes around in circles because of pure tribalism. If you're a Windows guy, there's no reason to switch unless you're just looking for an excuse to switch anyway. Within my group of friends in law school, the guys all used Windows and the girls all had Macs. We all did just fine. Mine was the only computer that died out of maybe eight or nine of us, and that was because my building was literally struck by lightning and the resulting surge fried an entire power strip's worth of electronics, including my computer, three days before my family law final.
  
  tl;dr - completely irrelevant.
• zurajanai Member

  April 2016 51 karma

  I choose Mac for quietness. Plus, I've used mine since 2013 and never had a problem.
  
• Mookittyy Member

  April 2016 167 karma

  @"Jonathan Wang" said:
  This thread shows that Apple's done a really fantastic job of marketing
  

  This. Well said overall.
  
  +1 for PC from me. I've had a Toshiba laptop that I used through 4 years of university, never once failed me.
  
  That is all.
• Alejandro Member Inactive ⭐

  April 2016 2424 karma

  @"Jonathan Wang" said:
  We all did just fine. Mine was the only computer that died out of maybe eight or nine of us, and that was because my building was literally struck by lightning and the resulting surge fried an entire power strip's worth of electronics, including my computer, three days before my family law final.
  

  loooooool. Anywho, I'm completely biased towards Mac. Everything else can suck it.
• 1 Like

  Mookittyy Member

  April 2016 167 karma

  @Alejandro said:
  I'm completely biased towards Mac
  

  That's fair, and I'm completely biased towards iPhones. But when it comes to laptops, if all it comes down to is document management and word processing (ie. law school stuff), then it really doesn't matter.
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  April 2016 27821 karma

  Yeah, when you're talking mac vs pc, it's important to acknowledge that the primary difference is the software which is really just a matter of preference. I had an android before iPhone and the iPhone was definitely a huge upgrade for me. Apple's goal for software is to create an intuitive experience, no user manual required. With the iPhone anyway, my experience is that they really nailed it. The android phone was a few gens back though, so I'm sure they've improved. I also appreciate the free upgrades when new versions of software and OS are released. Does Windows still charge for that? That was a big factor for me way back when I switched to Mac.
• 1 Like

  runiggyrun Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  April 2016 2481 karma

  I have to use both a PC and a Mac for work, and I've been using both for a couple of decades (academia seems to have been heavily drinking the Apple Koolaid, and workplaces with a lot of highly credentialed bosses followed suit). I would NEVER spend my own money on a Mac even if it cost a quarter of what they do.
  In my opinion (one datapoint, one opinion, don't kill me), the Macs always have much worse specs than PC's that cost half the price. They are also incredibly difficult, nearly impossible to upgrade even with basic things like new memory sticks and new hard drives, which allows them to charge an arm and a leg for machines that have sufficient power and storage for all but the most basic needs.
  I also find the OS very unintuitive, controlling and restrictive (Apple's philosophy that they know better what the consumer needs). I cannot for the life of me understand how Apple got this "intuitive" reputation, cause I've used them for ages and still can't figure out how to do anything but the most basic things like e-mail, web, movie watching and word processing. Granted, as a student you wouldn't need to do much more, but occasionally you might want to troubleshoot an incompatibility and seems like even the IT people have a lot of trouble doing that on Macs.
  
  The 3-4 machines I've personally used, and the Airbooks my bosses get seem to also freeze constantly and crash whenever certain programs are used.
  They do have lovely screens - I believe they might be the only major manufacturer that still uses IPSC screens. Not an issue for law school, though - you're likely to use the computer for word processing.
  
  I've never had a PC get infected with a virus, and they are protected with a program that cost less than $50. The only PC's that have been unreliable hardware-wise were consumer cheapo ones from Toshiba and one low end Dell, but I've had great experience with Dell's professional line for home (bought refurbished and upgraded with memory and storage) and Lenovo at work in terms of reliability and capacity to take abuse.
  
  If you're used to a Mac and found one you can get along with, go ahead and use it in school. But don't feel like you need to because "everybody else does it ".
• 1 Like

  Accounts Playable Live Sage ⭐

  April 2016 3107 karma

  Microsoft Surface>>>>>Mac. I hated using a Mac, but that was due to the fact that Excel is garbage on a Mac (which I needed to use a lot for work/undergrad). I'll definitely be using my Surface for law school unless I'm convinced otherwise.
• runiggyrun Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  April 2016 2481 karma

  @"Accounts Playable" said:
  I'll definitely be using my Surface for law school unless I'm convinced otherwise.
  

  I'm intrigued by the Surface. My 6th grader has one and loves it, and it's beautiful and light, so I might be tempted to get one for school. That would mean a radical departure from my usual pro-grade 17 inch 7-pound desktop replacements, but I can't log those things around all day. Do you find the keyboard big enough to type comfortably? That's my main worry going with anything less than a 15in screen.
• Jonathan Wang Yearly Sage ⭐

  April 2016 edited April 2016 6866 karma

  I'm a huge fan of 13.3" and 14" form factors. Obviously, if you have a car it's not nearly as big an issue, but living in New York City and lugging around a 15" laptop got old real quick. I switched to a 13.3" after law school, and now I'm on a 14". Never going back to 15"+ again. Don't really notice a difference between my desktop keyboard and the one on my laptop; some peripheral buttons like tilde get smaller but those rarely get used anyway.
  
  Remember also that your charger's weight will factor into the equation. My current laptop is really an engineering marvel: 14", ~3.5 pounds, fully loaded - i7 processor, GeForce 965M graphics, full HD IPS screen, SSD + HDD. It's super light for the components it carries. But the charger. The CHARGER! I wouldn't be surprised if that damn thing weighs more than the laptop it's charging.
  
  Finally, consider your usage profile. If you're not a gamer, you don't need dedicated graphics. If you don't do processor-intensive work like Photoshop, huge Excel spreadsheets, or video processing, you don't need an i7 or even an i5, really. If you don't need to keep more than like 2 things on your screen at once, you can probably get away with 1600x900 resolution (or even 1366x768...though really, yuck). Point is, a lot of people waste a LOT of money on computing power that they barely even utilize. If all you do is browse Facebook, watch Youtube/Netflix, and take notes in class, you'd be just as well served with a $600 Ultrabook as you would with a $1800 Macbook Pro.
• Accounts Playable Live Sage ⭐

  April 2016 3107 karma

  @runiggyrun
  
  I love my surface, and it's easily one of the best pieces of tech that I've ever purchased. I don't have a problem with the keyboard.
• runiggyrun Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  April 2016 2481 karma

  @"Jonathan Wang" said:
  If you're not a gamer, you don't need dedicated graphics. If you don't do processor-intensive work like Photoshop, huge Excel spreadsheets, or video processing, you don't need an i7 or even an i5, really.
  

  Look at you being all reasonable and economical! I wholeheartedly agree on buying as much of a computer as you need, maybe a tiny bit more for future proofing.
  I do processor intensive Photoshop and video processing/rendering on my home computer, which is why I have a 17in beast with all the goodies, but I don't need (or want) that for a school computer that will be used to type notes and check e-mail.
  
  @"Accounts Playable" thanks for the feedback, that's good to hear. Maybe I'll practice answering forum questions on the Surface and see if there's any difference in comfort.
• twssmith Alum ⭐

  April 2016 5120 karma

  @runiggyrun I love my Surface Pro!! The fact that MacBooks do not have touch-screen capability is beyond comprehension. Surface is a fully operational laptop that I also use in tablet mode but it does have limited external connection options. Mine is an older generation - the newest version has a great stylus that I wish I had. (I bought the new Surface Book Pro mainly for LSAT study b/c you can use stylus overlaid on top of web pages - being able to markup questions during the curriculum was amazing let alone saving paper - BUT the thing was so buggy that I returned it) The newest Surface Pro has the same capability and the bugs have been worked out. I do not have any issues typing on the keyboard either.
• 3 Likes

  odebs2797 Alum Member

  April 2016 136 karma

  Thanks everyone! I guess I should have mentioned that I am fairly knowledgeable about computers to save you all from the Mac spec vs. PC spec debate. I have a Dell PC myself which I have upgraded and moved to a Cougar tower and built a PC for my gf a year and a half ago. I didn't have a Mac in undergrad because I couldn't afford it, but I had a completely awful Toshiba which is what gives me pause with PC. I currently have HP's version of the chromebook as a spare laptop I rarely use, but the thing is awful for running anything more than one program at a time so it's definitely not going to cut it with its unexpandable 1gb of RAM. Really I was just looking for some firsthand experience, which you all offered, so thank you, but as @"Jonathan Wang" mentioned, it is purely anecdotal. I am a gamer, but on my desktop, gave up gaming on laptops when I got into the real world and didn't need to play WoW on a crappy Toshiba lol.
  
  Anyway, it sounds like from a reliability standpoint, the results are about the same. I am an iPhone user and I do love the great support Apple has versus other companies. However, like someone else mentioned, Excel on a Mac is literally the worst thing ever (especially if you studied accounting in undergrad and had groupmates with Macs). I guess my main reason for thinking Mac was reliability and customer support, but seeing a lot of your responses kind of makes me think it really doesn't matter. The school I'll be attending has support for both. From personal experience and from Apple's great marketing, PCs do have the unreliable, virus infested stigma attached to them. I guess I'll just have to see what deals I can find and go from there. Really I just want the peace of mind that a lot of Mac users seem to get. Last thing I need a laptop crashing during finals. Thanks again for everyone's input, this was very helpful!
  
  Side note: I used 7sage from July to October for the October LSAT and ended up getting a full scholarship to several schools, but picked Seton Hall. I'll be moving there sometime between now and July from Las Vegas. For any noobs in here, 7sage and LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim (I used it for LR only) are literally ALL you need to nail this exam. I scored a 162 working a full-time job and recovering from post concussion syndrome symptoms, so imagine if you're a student or just graduated with all kinds of time, 165+ is easily attainable (I was PTing in the 165 range with several 170+ scores).
  
  Good luck and thanks again!