PC vs Mac (I'm So Sorry...)

If you want a fashion accessory and an empty wallet, get a mac, if you want to be able to code on c, c++, c# etc. and have a laptop which is actually good, get a laptop. Also with left over money compared to a mac you could buy 800 terry's chocolate oranges

If you want a fashion accessory and an empty wallet, get a mac, if you want to be able to code on c, c++, c# etc. and have a laptop which is actually good, get a laptop. Also with left over money compared to a mac you could buy 800 terry's chocolate oranges

That is not really true.

Macbooks are powerful and useful tools for developers - just look at many major hackathon or developer events and you'll see probably 8/10 people using a Mac, with the remainder Windows/Linux.

Firstly the machines themselves are not overpriced - you get what you pay for. Most people just base how much a machine should cost based on CPU/RAM/GPU, but when you dig into quality of the machine, battery life, screen quality, SSD speeds, keyboard and trackpad usability, QC issues (which a lot of Windows laptops, even the best such as XPS 13/15 have), you start to realise it isn't as overpriced as you thought it was. Besides, how do you add value to the fact you can walk into any Apple store if you have issues - Have an ASUS for example and something is wrong with your laptop and you may be out without a laptop for a few weeks.

I am not an Apple fanboy and personally, I do prefer to use Windows to MacOS, but don't underestimate it as a developer tool, not just arts and design. As you said, the UNIX structure with it's terminal makes it very promising for various programming languages/developer tools itself. MacBooks are the choice for a lot of data scientists as well over Windows (most people might have assumed otherwise). Windows 10 is actually introducing a BASH shell which I got really excited for recently, as I thought they might have plugged the gap, but looking into it further it is a much more limited version which can't do many expected features that you can do on OS X / Linux.

I use a Microsoft Developer stack (Visual Studio/SQL Server etc) and I just use Parallels to VM the Windows to run these very conveniently. I would be the ideal candidate for a Windows machine due to being stuck to the Microsoft stack, but I just am not happy with where Windows laptops are as of yet.

For a University purchase, I would go with a macbook via education store purely to get that 10-15% discount and 3 years warranty. You want something that lasts and don't want issues - and if you do end up getting an issue you need it resolved asap. It does take a little bit of getting used to but you just have to read around to see all the pro's of investing in one.

Right now, if you can wait, I'd wait till October as there are likely to be a very significant refresh on the Macbook Pro range.

If you must go with Windows, which is definitely fine and not a problem (as you can just use it with Linux for UNIX, although you won't get the same quality of a device) I recommend:

If you need a lot of processing power (Quad core): XPS 15, Acer Aspire V Nitro, Inspiron 15 series

Otherwise: XPS 13, Lenovo T460s, X1 Carbon, Asus Zenbook 3 (out in August), HP Spectre 13 (care with battery life)

Razer Blade Series? Pricey but worth it. The Razer Blade Pro may lack in performance and obviously hdd speed, but it is better in almost every other aspect.

If you want a fashion accessory and an empty wallet, get a mac, if you want to be able to code on c, c++, c# etc. and have a laptop which is actually good, get a laptop. Also with left over money compared to a mac you could buy 800 terry's chocolate oranges

Like I said before, you are stupid if you dont get the Surface pro 4 ESPECIALLY for studying, I got one, and I would have never done so well in my exams without it. Research surface pro 4 if you have not already. **** Apple.

I wouldn't say people would be stupid to not get it, it is a nice machine definitely, but far from perfect.

- Battery life is a lot lower than other study options.
- No USB Type-C (not an issue now, but for the investment, might want something which has it?)
- Very expensive and it is annoying that they ask for an extra £110 or so for the keyboard cover
- Not all students will be fond of the screen size, a lot of people might want at least 13'.
- There are still various Windows 10/intel chip issues that plague a lot of Windows machine, from display driver crashes to problems waking up from sleep/hibernation or even putting machine to sleep. There are a lot of others too, although some may be seen as minor.
- Potential scaling issues if you plan to use the native 3K screen resolution. Windows 10 has got a lot better at it, but it has a long way to go. I think maybe the Redstone updates will make dramatic improvements to the experience.

I am looking forward to see the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2 personally, although it might be a long wait .

Anyone saying Mac is wrong, People say Mac's are better for sound/photo editing are wrong they are not it is just a myth that has been going on for a long time.
Here is some negatives to a mac
-Very overpriced
-less flexibility for apps and programs
-Components are expensive and often are hard/impossible to replace or upgrade
- Uses non standard connectors.
- less control of system
-Many more

Pros
+People might think you are cool for having a mac but anyone with any sense will think you are a bit stupid

Wow this is one of, if not the dumbest comment on this thread. Are you buying the mac because of what people think?? Didnt you read the title OP needs a laptop for development.

phucking noob