PC or Mac: which laptop for university? Lots of students want advice on choosing laptops for their courses. This week, Temitope is a Windows user who is attracted by the MacBook Air while Kate. Aug 20, 2018 I used a Mac back in middle-high school (one of those old PowerBooks, and then a Power Macintosh). Both were barely adequate for word processing, crashed frequently, and hung even more. Schooling the competition 5 reasons why Surface Go is better than iPad for students (and 3 reasons it's not) Microsoft's 10-inch Surface Go and Apple's 7.9- and 9.7-inch iPads have students in.
BestMacBook for StudentsiMore2020
Whether you're still in high school or racing across your college campus, a laptop is an essential piece of equipment for every student. Apple makes some of the best laptops around with its MacBook lineup. Whether it's a powerful MacBook Pro, or a light and portable MacBook Air, Apple's laptops will power you through any task you'll meet. For most students, the 2020 MacBook Air is the best choice. It has enough power to face most any academic challenge you come up against, while still offering up to 12 hours of battery life.
Best Overall: MacBook Air (2020)
Most students looking for a new MacBook should pick up the MacBook Air. It's less expensive than other MacBooks, as well as lighter. And though it might not be as powerful as the MacBook Pro, it offers enough power for the average student to get through their daily scholastic workload, especially when outfitted with the optional quad-core Intel Core i7 processor.
The 2020 MacBook Air should also have enough battery to take you from class to class. Like previous versions, the latest iteration of the MacBook Air features up to 12 hours of battery life. This version also features an improved, scissor switch-based Magic Keyboard, just like the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Pro is probably overkill for most students. Sure, some will be able to take advantage of its more powerful processors available to it. Still, if most of what you're doing is writing papers, putting together presentations, or doing research on the web, you probably don't need the level of power a MacBook Pro offers.
Pros:
Best OverallMacBook Air (2020)
Sweet spot of power, portability, and price.
Lightweight, yet with enough power to get you through most academic tasks, the MacBook Air is the perfect student computer.
Source: iMore
Because the 2019 MacBook Air uses the same processor as the 2018 model, you can save a good deal of money by going with the 2017 model of MacBook Pro. No Retina display, no Touch ID, but it's still a fairly capable machine, even if the processor is a few years old at this point.
You should also have enough battery life to get through your daily workload. Like the more recent models, the 2017 MacBook Air is rated for up to 12 hours of battery life.
While I'd still recommend the newest MacBook Air for most people, the 2017 model is still a solid alternative if you're looking to save some money. It's not flashy, and it won't win any awards for speed, but it'll still be a dependable device throughout your academic life.
Pros:
Best ValueMacBook Air (2017)
A capable computer for the money.
The 2017 revision of the MacBook Air is still a capable machine that will get you through most of your tasks without hassle.
Source: Rene Ritchie / iMore
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the computer to get if you need the most power that you can afford in a portable package. You can configure it with several options, whether you need that eight-core processor, 64GB of RAM, or 8TB of storage.
But even at its base configuration, a six-core Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU, it'll still handle any task a student can set to it besides the most computationally intense workflows. If you want a no-doubt-about-it machine, get this MacBook Pro.
Pros:
Cons:
Best for Power Users16-inch MacBook Pro (2019)
Most bang for your buck.
The 2016 MacBook Pro will perform great at any task you set it and should last you well after your academic career is over.
Best Power Alternative: 13-inch MacBook Pro (2019)
Though this model won't reach the heights of the 16-inch model, for those students that need or want more power than the MacBook Air can offer while sacrificing as little portability as possible, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a good choice.
It's missing some advantages of the 16-inch model, namely the bigger screen, large storage options, and discrete GPU. However, it's powered by recent Intel quad-core Core i5 processors, so you'll still have enough power for fairly demanding tasks, such as photo and video editing, graphic design, and mobile music production.
Pros:
Cons:
Best Power Alternative13-inch MacBook Pro (2019)
A big step up from a MacBook Air.
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This is the MacBook you should get if you need a step up in power from the MacBook Air.
Bottom line
Whether you need a computer for high school or college, the most recent MacBook Air is the right choice for most students. Whether you're writing papers, putting together a Powerpoint or Keynote presentation, or even editing some images for a photography class, the MacBook Air will be a reliable performer in your academic pursuits.
It doesn't have the power of something like the 16-inch MacBook Pro, nor even the 13-inch MacBook Pro. But it's still a capable machine at a solid price. The Retina display is beautiful and vibrant, and the built-in Touch ID sensor makes everything from authorizing operating system tasks to paying for things online with Apple Pay more convenient and secure.
The MacBook Air, for a long time, was the best Mac for most people, including students. Thanks to recent revisions, it occupies that space again, offering a light, portable package with enough power and battery life to get you through an entire day of school.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joseph Keller is a senior writer at iMore. An Apple user for more than a decade and a half, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Rene Ritchie has been covering the personal technology industry for a decade. An outspoken analyst and critic, he writes at iMore.com/vector, podcasts at applepodcasts.com/vector, and you can find his show at youtube.com/vector. Follow him @reneritchie on Twitter and Instagram
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
keep your cool
Your Mac Mini will the be the coolest around
If you're a pro who tends to push their Mac Mini to the limit, you might be looking for a way to keep it cool under pressure. While there aren't any cooling pads specifically for the Mac Mini, we've compiled some good options for you.
Microsoft and Apple bring unique hardware and software strengths to personal computing. Microsoft's enterprise partnerships, pervasive software presence, and decades-long PC dominance make it synonymous with productivity and personal computing. Apple's high-end devices, hardware and software synergy and invaluable 'cool factor' make it an industry powerhouse, the standard by which rivals are measured and a consumer and media darling.
In the PC space, Microsoft has crushed Apple's consumer and business efforts for decades. Conversely, Apple's iPhone-led charge ultimately resulted in the death of Microsoft's phone strategy. And the iPad, which dominates the tablet PC market, overshadows Microsoft's successful Surface 2-in-1, though the two devices exist in distinct product categories.
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Still, Apple's newest 7.9-inch and 9.7-inch slate tablets with Apple pencil are aimed at the same education market Microsoft's targeting with its new 10-inch 2-in-1 with Surface Pen and TypeCover. Here are five reasons why Microsoft's Surface Go is best for students and three reasons why Apple's iPad rules.
Surface GoSurface Go
Microsoft's most mobile Surface.
What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students Program
Microsoft's 10-inch Surface Go is touted as the company's most mobile Surface and is positioned to take advantage of tablet-focused leisure activities. Still with a quality build, Windows 10, a keyboard and Surface Pen this diminutive Surface offers nearly as much productivity power as the larger Surface Pro.
Why Surface Go is the way to goWhat Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students Login
Microsoft's software and hardware solutions are preferred among schools (and businesses) around the world. According to consulting firm Futuresource, Microsoft hardware had 44 percent of the global education market in May of 2018. This market dominance lends itself to a comprehensive end-to-end approach.
Microsoft's comprehensive solution
Microsoft's hardware and software infrastructure-building forté is an important asset for any entity, including schools, to consider when weighing its options. Microsoft brings enterprise-class collaboration, Teams for Education, device management, and Intune for Education to the table with devices like Surface Go. This is complemented by an industry-leading cloud and enterprise-grade first-party software like Office 365 for Education.
Surface Go in education is backed by the weight of what makes Microsoft an enterprise success. And though Office 365 software like OneNote is cross-platform, Surface Pen and Windows Ink bring unique experiences to Surface Go.
Microsoft Office 365Microsoft Office 365 Education
Microsoft's Office 365 Education.
Microsoft's Office for Education is the companies comprehensive productivity solution for students and teachers. From collaboration with Microsoft Teams, device setup and management with Intune for Education and more, Office for Education brings the world's leading enterprise and personal productivity suite and other tools to the classroom.
Though the iPad with its (eraser-less) Apple Pencil boasts digital inking, Microsoft's Windows Ink is more broadly integrated throughout the OS and other software. Microsoft positioned inking as a first-class input modality alongside keyboard, touch, mouse, voice and gaze in Windows 10 and by extension Surface Go. Thus, with its notepad-like dimensions Surface Go is a great digital notepad.
Additionally, various combinations of clicks of the Surface Pen's eraser launches Windows Ink Workspace apps as well as apps like OneNote. Students can write on Office documents, Edge webpages, emails in Microsoft's Mail app and more.
Writing is a natural mechanism of human expression, as well as recording and sharing information. Despite technology's influx in schools, it remains an integral part of a student's academic (and life) experience. Making that natural experience as much a part of the digital platforms students use is an important part of seamlessly integrating technology into education. Microsoft's system-wide inking solution positions Surface Go to consistently provide opportunities for students to naturally interact with and create digital content through writing.
In fact, earlier this year Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Classroom Pen, which was designed specifically for students using Surface Go (though it is compatible with other products). Microsoft's hardware team worked with students within the classroom to develop this pen which is shorter than the original Surface Pen, has a more durable tip, fewer moving parts and has a tether to connect it to the device.
More versatile
Surface Go is a full Windows 10 2-in-1 PC, whereas the iPad is a slate tablet with a mobile OS. As such, the Surface Type Cover turns the base Surface Go 'tablet' into a fully functioning, albeit mini, laptop like the Surface Pro. Microsoft made Surface Go a full PC so users can do whatever they want without limitations. In comparison, the 9.7-inch keyboard-less iPad that lacks full mouse support is limited. Apple has recently brought mouse support (as an accessibility option for now) to the evolving iPadOS. Though this mobile-based platform still lacks the full power of a Windows 10 PC, Apple is positioning it to do most of the things most people (including students) do most of the time and more.
Future prep
Microsoft's IT solutions rule the business world many students will eventually join. Surface Go, Microsoft collaboration and device management tools like Teams and Office 365 for Education prepares them for this Microsoft-driven environment.
OEM options
Finally, Surface Go, as an aspirational device positions schools for more options as Microsoft's OEM partners create a range of devices, at various price points, that emulate Surface Go.
Why iPad? Apps matterWhat Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students 2017
Apple's iPad has access to a breadth of apps that Microsoft's poorly-supported ecosystem may never have. Millions of developers see Apple as the standard to beat and follow the company into whatever sectors it competes in, including education. Thus, they've created a host of great apps for schools.
iPad is cheaperWhat Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students 2019
At just $329 for the 9.7-inch and $399 for the 7.9-inch, iPad is cheaper than the entry-level $399 Surface Go. Adding a $99 Apple Pencil and $99 Surface Pen still keeps iPad the more affordable option for cash-strapped schools. To optimize the Surface Go's advantages schools would have to spend another $100 for a TypeCover. For struggling schools, the now $500 Surface Go may be a no deal.
Better mobile OS
iOS was built for mobility. As such it is fast and has an efficient touch-friendly tablet mode that beats Windows' tablet mode hands-down. iPad's overall hardware-software synergy is also more seamless and elegant than Surface and Windows 10.
Apple iPad MiniApple iPad Mini
Apple iPad Mini.
What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students 2018
Apple's iPad Mini is touted as 'like a computer, but unlike any computer.' With a 7.9-inch pocketable version, improved inking, a vast app ecosystem and an evolving iPadOS platform, Apple's iPad Mini is a powerful device that Microsoft should be wary about how it will evolve next.
Surface Go offers better integration into a comprehensive Microsoft IT solution, is more versatile, offers a better inking experience, as a PC it is categorically the tool businesses use and sets the stage for providing more options for schools as a device OEMs may emulate.
The iPad has much better third-party support, is the more affordable option for struggling schools and has a better tablet experience. Still, Microsoft's Surface Go likely provides the most benefits to students and school districts.
Related reading
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What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students ProgramMicrosoft may have delayed Windows 10X and Surface Neo beyond 2020What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students Pdf
Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10X and Surface Neo products may not be shipping in time for the holiday after all, according to a new report from ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley. This means that other Windows 10X devices from third-party manufactures also won't be launching at the end of this year like originally planned. Microsoft's dual-screen Windows 10X effort has been put on pause.
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