MacBook or Windows in USA?

[hello_kitty]

Hi, I have been accepted to grad school in States...I'm wondering whether most American grad students use Mac laptops or windows laptops? I have a regular Windows laptop because that is what is generally used in my country..But when coming to States, I would like to have the type of computer generally used by most grad students in States so as to avoid compatibility issues...I know this is not a major question but I really would appreciate any help you guys could give me!

[PoliticalOrder]

It really doesn't matter.

[Neist]

Yup, it doesn't really matter. There's probably a slighter higher proportion of Apple users in academic compared to the normal population, but there isn't any institutional preference one way or another, especially with an English PhD; I assume that's your degree based on your account.

Hope that helps!  

[TakeruK]

The general answer is that it really doesn't matter. For a few specific cases, it might matter depending on your subfield. Some (sub)-fields have important software that only run on certain machines. For example, in planetary science & astronomy in general, most students have Macbooks or other Apple products (I am typing this on an iMac that my supervisor bought for me to work on). However, there are some software to fit asteroid orbits that only run on Windows. And in geology, there is a very important/popular geological mapping software that only runs on Windows. That said, if these things exist for your field, you would probably know about them by now.

Maybe compatibility was an issue a decade ago, but now, most software exist for both operating systems. For example, my school provides free version of MS Office for both Windows and Mac computers. So, when the profs send out class notes in powerpoint format, or a collaborator wants to use the "Track changes" in a word document, I can easily do this on my iMac/Macbook (I used to use Windows before grad school and I see very little differences between using MS Office on Mac and Windows). 

So, I think you should get whatever you prefer yourself. Generally, Mac OS seems to be more expensive. For a given budget, e.g. $1000, you can probably buy a more powerful Windows laptop than a Macbook. However, if computing power isn't an important thing for you, then I think it's justified to spend the extra money if you prefer the look and feel of Mac etc.

(Note: In my field, computing power is really important so our group has a couple Linux computers dedicated to this. We use our iMacs as workstations to connect to and send computing work to these Linux computers instead of doing a lot of the heavy duty computing work on our iMacs. Instead, the iMacs is used for things like writing papers, making presentations, reading papers, etc. that are easier and more fun in the Mac OS).

[hello_kitty]

PoliticalOrder, Neist and TakerUk, thank you soo much for your prompt replies! You guys are nice! I do like the look of Macbooks but its bit expensive...so I think I'll save my money since I already have a perfectly good, bought-only-last-year Windows laptop!

[GradSchoolTruther]

MacBooks are expensive, but worth it. I've had a few Mac laptops that each lasted four years before I sold them. They don't break after a year or two like a Dell or HP.

[fuzzylogician]

5 hours ago, hello_kitty said:

I do like the look of Macbooks but its bit expensive...so I think I'll save my money since I already have a perfectly good, bought-only-last-year Windows laptop!

In that case you definitely don't need a new laptop. I think it makes a lot more sense for you to start your program with the laptop you have, and if, after a while, you discover that your needs are not met by the laptop you currently own, then you can get yourself a newer one. By that point you should also know if there is a particular brand that people prefer. Sometimes there is software in certain fields that dictates that everyone uses Windows or Mac computers, so that's something to find out about before you make any decisions. I personally came with a then about-two-year-old Lenovo laptop and had it for the first three years of my program, then friends convinced me to get a Macbook Air, which is what most people in my field seem to have. I like it fine, but I haven't become a convert like many people I know. It's nice, but honestly I don't know if it's worth that extra money and hype. But in any event, that's something you can figure out later, probably a few years from now, when you actually have a reason to buy a newer laptop.

[TenaciousBushLeaper]

If you're OK on the cost of getting a new computer, I'd suggest a mac for one simple reason: it's unix in a pretty apple wrapper. What this means is, if you ever want to start using something like the shell (a terminal you open on the computer to type commands into) to make your research life 1000x easier, save a ton of time, and easily organize files, then you have the option of doing it right out of the box, no special plugins/ programs you'll need to download. Some might argue that this is really overkill, in regards to using this argument for getting a mac but on the plus side you get to learn some new cool tricks on your computer, and you  vastly improve your research productivity.

[hello_kitty]

Thanks guys! Appreciate your help!