[flashollie]

Daughter is starting college in September.
I'm throughly embedded in Windows and Android due to work reasons and cost.
My windows and android hardware is all provided by work so I never have to keep things current or worry about security and addressing any faults or updates.
The kids love apple. Daughter is all iPhone and iPad. I've said she can have a laptop for good work on GCSEs and college suggest use of laptop in classes is recommended.
So needs to be portable and I hope get her to end of uni so a five year life span.
As a non apple user even in these days of cross platform compatibility is windows going to work well with her iPhone obsession? Crucially I don't want to be trying to unify different platforms and keep it running for 5 years.
Is this an unfounded concern by me?

Or should I stump up the extra £££ for a "buy and forget solution" and get her a Mac book?
Will a Mac book run a hp screen, mouse and keyboard I can get from work to allow her to work at home with a decent sized screen and workstation?

Thanks in advance

[AndyMD]

What's she studying? The only industry that is still full on Mac is music. All others have slowly migrated back to Windows.

For cost and longevity it's windows all the way. Where I work we have had 2 Mac suites go in the bin due to not supporting upgrades and not working with windows based networks. PC's we just chucked in more ram and they are still going

[Sasquartch]

You can buy a nice big-name Windows laptop suitable for college for under £500

Mac stuff is nice but way more expensive and the choice of software is very limited compared to Windows

Personally I bought a Windows laptop for each of my kids as they're cheap and I wouldn't be totally surprised if they got stolen, broken, lost or whatever so if I did have to replace one it wouldn't be the end of the world

Just prioritise what's most important, my eldest son wanted CPU performance above all else so got him a HP250 i7 processor, 15 inch. My daughter prioritised light weight and good battery life so she got a 14 inch HP, cant remember what model.

[Eddamoo]

I would stick with Windows, provided she's not so fashion conscious that she's going to get jealous of all the other Mac users in uni and start bending your ear in 12 months time (happened to my little cousin, sigh).

There are rumours that Apple is planning to ditch the x86/64 CPU architecture and go back to RISC CPU's for their MAC's (https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-silicon/) - presumably so their OS (and all the software on it) can be shared across all devices. I dont know how far this is gonna go, but knowing apple they may start deprecating support for current hardware in as little as 3-5 years.

As said above, the course/industry is important for software support.

[flashollie]

Originally Posted by AndyMD

What's she studying? The only industry that is still full on Mac is music. All others have slowly migrated back to Windows.

For cost and longevity it's windows all the way. Where I work we have had 2 Mac suites go in the bin due to not supporting upgrades and not working with windows based networks. PC's we just chucked in more ram and they are still going

Psychology, PE and Biology.

Interesting, I thought the longevity would be more with Apple.

[Craig-SM]

Ask your daughter what she’d prefer to use. I use both, I love the way Apple integrates with other Apple devices and is way ahead of Windows for this. However, Windows is the better operating system.
If she wants it for study using MS Office, internet as well as for entertainment then I suspect she’ll prefer a MacBook, probably Air, over a PC but Windows has the greater range of software but she can use BootCamp or Parallels to run that as well.
Unless she needs the help of MacBook Pro the Air is a good compromise for portability and power. The smaller MacBook is great for occasional use but full time you soon start to resent how compact it is.
Otherwise if she wants a PC laptop get something of similar quality like an XPS.

[Wolverine]

Originally Posted by flashollie

Psychology, PE and Biology.

Interesting, I thought the longevity would be more with Apple.

I kept my 1st Gen Intel Macbook going for 7 years. It is possible but support is limited from Apple (2 years and its obsolete kind of stuff).

I upgraded the RAM.
I upgraded the HDD.
I kept on top of the OS updates up to the end of OS support (about 4 years in)
I replaced the power lead. Twice.
I replaced the battery.

That was about all I could upgrade. The newer ones, as I understand it are even less upgrade-able.

It was great to use and run, residual value was good after 7 years (sold for 50%of purchase price).

However...

It was too much of a compromise in terms of compatibility with my open-source, university provided and mandated software and other programs. office didn't like to maintain formatting across platforms, for example.

While I am sure the integration and compatibility with Windows is much more streamlined, for the extra cash outlay, I don't think it would be a better experience day to day.

My Brother is a Graphic Designer and uses Macs for his work and get a lot out of it but even admits a Windows machine would do the same for less £££.

I would have a Mac again if I felt the need to have one, but because I can and I am somewhat of a pretentious git. An ipad/ipad pro would do me just fine and, actually, the Surface Pro I use for work is more than enough for 99% of my use.

[Watsey]

Familiarity and enjoyment are big factors for many people.

I'm Apple end-to-end; rightly or wrongly. The entire family uses iPhones, iPads, MacBook Pros, iMac. Integration is excellent; OS leaves Windows for dead IMO.

The MacBooks are 7 years old and going strong. I've upgraded mine to a 500Gb SSD and it runs Boot Camp + Win10 with no issues if I need to use Windows-only software. iMac is 8 years old and was highly specced at purchase. I won't need to replace it for several years yet. None of them have any hardware damage/wear.

All the Macs can run the latest OS; nothing has become obsolete yet from that perspective.

Yes they are more expensive than a Windows equivalent, but they do have a long service life.

[sspade]

Lenovo ThinkPad (windows) would be a fine choice. Plenty of models to choose from. Very robust machines meant for work... not just play.

[ZedsRedBaby]

As a user of both, I'm surprised at some of the comments. Windows is a pain in the backside - slow to start up, constantly loading and installing updates, programmes hanging. The Surface Pro I use for work is awful - the detachable keyboard is like typing on a sponge and when the device gets warm the screen flickers so much it's unusable until it cools down.

My 2015 MacBook Pro is still as good as the day I bought it. It's fast to start up, fast to load apps and pretty much rock solid.

I also don't get the point about office formatting cross-platform. I frequently work on spreadsheets, word documents and powerpoint presentations on both OSs and I've never had formatting issues.

I think really the decision comes down to what software will be required for the course. If it's mostly Windows only, I wouldn't recommend a Mac with Parallels. You'd have to pay for Parallels and Windows on top of the price of the device and your daughter would soon get bored of effectively having to boot twice (even though it would probably get to the desktop quicker than most Windows laptops).

Also, to connect the peripherals you mentioned, you'd probably need a couple of adaptors or a Thunderbolt dock, as MacBooks don't have USB or HDMI anymore.

If the software is cross-platform (e.g. mostly Office) and you can cope with adaptors for the peripherals, I would say definitely go Apple.

[flashollie]

If I ask her she'll go apple. But she's not paying.
most of the world is pc and the college don't give any guidance other than laptop. I can't imagine that for A levels she won't need to use any software that is apple only. That's just too restrictive for the college and the students.

I think from what folks have said the performance of the two platforms is similar enough for a 16 to not really notice other than the kudos of apple.
Theft and breakage are both realistic and since I can get 2 pcs for one Mac book, pc seems the way to go and no additional cost for peripheral connections.
if I can find a 13 inch classy looking pc from a decent brand for 500 to 600 I reckon that's the way to go?
Any thoughts on suppliers and specs?

[JNW1]

We're pretty much all Apple in our household and generally I'd say it's very good quality equipment (as indeed it should be given the price premium you pay!).

However, although you can get packages like Microsoft Office for a Mac, the functionality of things like Excel and Word can be a bit different from the Windows version (and at times I did find that a bit irritating when I was switching from one to the other between work and home). There are also some packages that won't run on the Apple operating system in which case you need something like Parallels installed on the Mac to get them to work.

If I was starting with a clean sheet of paper would I buy Apple again? Not sure I would to be honest; even though they're good quality you could probably buy two Windows machines for the same money and with those you'd have much less concern with things like compatibility with available software packages. As others have said, it really depends how the machine's going to be used and what software you want to run.

[Techno 9000]

My daughter, just going into her second year at college had this decision to make a few weeks ago. New 'laptop' wanted (rightly so, the old one has been on its last legs for ages) and she had money of her own to spend on it.
Initially a MacBook was high on her agenda, but the one she was looking at was around £900, when I knew a Windows basic laptop could be had for a third of that. I asked questions of needs, which boiled down into size and portability plus a desire to use some note taking apps for lectures.
Looking again at MacBook vs Windows laptops, it could be seen that the portability could be matched in a Windows form for less, but an interesting side note developed, an iPad plus Logitech combo touch keyboard plus Apple pencil. This beat everything for the size and portability hands down and was between the Windows and MacBook price wise. It's what she bought herself in the end.
One connection can link to a full size keyboard, monitor and mouse when at your desktop if that's what you want.
One point, from my perspective, is that the gestures required to accomplish things in iOS are not intuitive, being a Windows person myself it would take some getting used to.

[saltyamigo]

My iMac is probably the only real regret of buying several Apple products, but I admit mostly because I've used Windows for years it has become second nature and I found the Mac a bit of a pain to use and slow. Also several of the software programs we use daily have no Mac version.

[TaranF32]

I can speak from experience here, a few years ago I was in need of a new laptop; second year of college and about to start Uni. Never used a Macbook but always wanted one, as I had an iPhone and iPad.
It was a tough decision, a fairly competent Windows laptop can be had for £500 and the equivalent Macbook is around £1000.
I'd always wanted one, and had saved up, so decided to buy it as a gift to myself on my 18th Birthday.

I have to say, by far in a way it was a worthwhile purchase. The battery life is incredible, it will literally last me all day, this is pretty important now that I'm in Uni, if I've got lectures from 9am to 4pm and then need to hit the library it's so useful not to have to lug around a charger and find a plug socket.
The software is brilliant, you forget how accustom you get to using all the little shortcuts and multi-tasking gestures until you go back to windows which feels comparatively clunky and slow. It's just a breeze to flick over to different pages and applications when writing an essay.

It is definitely one of those luxury good purchases. A Ford Mondeo will do the job, but you'd much rather have a BMW 5 series. Simmilar thing with Windows vs Mac imo. I always thought they were a total ripoff until I bought mine.

Always best to wait around until August/September, they do the student deal on them then, usually around 10% off, a 3 year warranty is included and a pair of beats headphones, makes the deal a bit sweeter.

Would definitely recommend paying the extra and going for the Mac, mines 3 years old now and is just as fast and responsive as the day I got it. They're not like iPhones where you need to buy a new one every 2 years hahaha.

[Lincoln61]

In terms of longevity a mac will win any day and last many years more than a windows machine.

[thescouselander]

I was a Mac user for years until I went back to windows a few years ago. IMO Apple have let their computer OS stagnate for years because they've been focusing on their more portable OS - it makes sense for them to converge everything into their mobile OS but they've some way to go yet. That combined with the limited range of software available made me jump ship and to be honest PC manufacturers have caught up with Apple on the hardware front with many high end machines arguably being better than the Apple equivalent - in fact they can be very difficult to maintain with Apples tendancy to do things like glue batteries in instead of using screws.

If it's a fashion statement she's after though Apple might be the only way.

[Pobsey]

Having gone through windows machines at about one every 18months I bought a Mac book pro, that’s still going 11 years later, yes I’ve replaced the HDD with a ssd and maxed out the ram but it still loads quicker than my all singing intel i7 work laptop!

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by ZedsRedBaby

As a user of both, I'm surprised at some of the comments. Windows is a pain in the backside - slow to start up, constantly loading and installing updates, programmes hanging. The Surface Pro I use for work is awful - the detachable keyboard is like typing on a sponge and when the device gets warm the screen flickers so much it's unusable until it cools down.

My 2015 MacBook Pro is still as good as the day I bought it. It's fast to start up, fast to load apps and pretty much rock solid.

I also don't get the point about office formatting cross-platform. I frequently work on spreadsheets, word documents and powerpoint presentations on both OSs and I've never had formatting issues.

I think really the decision comes down to what software will be required for the course. If it's mostly Windows only, I wouldn't recommend a Mac with Parallels. You'd have to pay for Parallels and Windows on top of the price of the device and your daughter would soon get bored of effectively having to boot twice (even though it would probably get to the desktop quicker than most Windows laptops).

Also, to connect the peripherals you mentioned, you'd probably need a couple of adaptors or a Thunderbolt dock, as MacBooks don't have USB or HDMI anymore.

If the software is cross-platform (e.g. mostly Office) and you can cope with adaptors for the peripherals, I would say definitely go Apple.

I don't think that's a fair comparison of the Surface Pro. Sounds like work have provided you with the wrong piece of kit. It's a highly portable device and, with the right specs, pretty performant. I use mine as my main home machine, but connected to the same wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and monitor as everything else. Out and about, it fits in far smaller carrying cases than my laptop - and is far better for using on a plane or on a small coffee shop table etc.

The MacBook Pro is more a competitor with the Surface laptop.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by sspade

Lenovo ThinkPad (windows) would be a fine choice. Plenty of models to choose from. Very robust machines meant for work... not just play.

I will counter the robustness. My personal tally of killed Lenovos is four over 9 years. Doing nothing more than office apps. Plus all had pretty average screens. I wouldn't spend my own money there.

ETA- (Off the top of my head and it's been at least two years since my last new one, they were T-series, T430S/T440S and T460S).

Currently have a HP, it's a big step up from the Lenovos in terms of screen, design, trackpad and general quality feel. But it runs the fan a ridiculous amount.

My own money would always go on a Surface device of some sort [Pro/Book/Laptop] or an Apple device.

[AndyMD]

Originally Posted by flashollie

Psychology, PE and Biology.

Interesting, I thought the longevity would be more with Apple.

I would go for something like this - All the right connectivity USB b/c HDMI out (for example linking to a projector at college - You would need a thunderbolt to hdmi converter with a mac)

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/asus...7t/version.asp

Similar spec Mac without adaptors etc (CPU is a little faster, but storage is less as they want you to subscribe to their cloud storage service and screen is smaller)

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-ma...-3.9ghz-512gb#

Might also be worth looking though the many different YouTube videos of people taking Macs back after the warranty has expired with simple faults. Shocking some of them.

[Craig-SM]

The storage is the same on both machines so the story about cloud storage isn't really part of your argument and the PC laptop you link to is very average and would be better matched against a lesser MacBook such Air than a Pro

https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews...laptop-15-x509