The Student Room Group

Taking an iMac to Uni

Well the title kind of speaks for itself. Basically I currently have a 27" iMac as my main computer and love it to bits. I know that it’s quite common for people to take desktop PCs to Uni but im wondering if it might be a problem in the sense that it either seems ostentatious being a big glaring Mac or becomes a target.

I do have a Kensington lock which physically locks the Mac to the desk and I could also use it as my TV, saving space as I won’t need to have a standalone TV.

I do have slight dyslexia in the sense that my handwriting speed is very low in comparison to my IQ hence I rely on word processing to do my work, but I find it hard to picture myself doing it all on a 13/15 inch screen laptop.

Should I forget it, downgrade to the 21.5 inch or just take it with me? Sensible advice would be helpful.
Reply 1
Original post by Thirst
Well the title kind of speaks for itself. Basically I currently have a 27" iMac as my main computer and love it to bits. I know that it’s quite common for people to take desktop PCs to Uni but im wondering if it might be a problem in the sense that it either seems ostentatious being a big glaring Mac or becomes a target.

I do have a Kensington lock which physically locks the Mac to the desk and I could also use it as my TV, saving space as I won’t need to have a standalone TV.

I do have slight dyslexia in the sense that my handwriting speed is very low in comparison to my IQ hence I rely on word processing to do my work, but I find it hard to picture myself doing it all on a 13/15 inch screen laptop.

Should I forget it, downgrade to the 21.5 inch or just take it with me? Sensible advice would be helpful.

Take it no one will really care unless you go on about.
Reply 2
Yeah take it. Its a good computer and you can use it as a TV like you said. You could get insurance if you are worried about it being stolen etc. If you are living in halls though you should be OK as most places have security guards 24 hrs a day I think.
You should definitely take it. Take the precautions you stated about locking it to the desk, but having a computer at a university is a must now.

Pretty much all universities have computer stations or areas where you can go and get stuff done on their computers, however it isn't always easy to access them. They could be full, it might be closed, or the weather could just be horrible.

If you have to, you could even go and get a cheap netbook for taking notes in class if you need to do that. I don't really use desktops anymore but I have been using a netbook for 2 years in replace of one; just recently upgrading to a MacBook saves me a LOT of time and effort.
Reply 4
Yeah, I see what you are saying. I do intend on taking a small laptop with me, probably an Air so that I can keep everything Mac based. I used a laptop throughout my GCSE year and on into sixth form so am pretty kitted out for it. Its just that I like writing essays and such on a big screen.

My main concern was the stigma associated with something as visually dominating as the large iMac, you know the usual comments...
Original post by Thirst
Yeah, I see what you are saying. I do intend on taking a small laptop with me, probably an Air so that I can keep everything Mac based. I used a laptop throughout my GCSE year and on into sixth form so am pretty kitted out for it. Its just that I like writing essays and such on a big screen.

My main concern was the stigma associated with something as visually dominating as the large iMac, you know the usual comments...


I don't think anyone will really care, if it's in your room then it's your problem and not theirs:smile:

At the end of the day, if its what you're comfortable working on, bring it :smile:
Take it, no-one is going to steal it. People who don;t own a Mac don;t want a Mac, and people with Macs tend to be the type who want the latest iProduct going and will not taint themselves by touching something...*holds down vomit*..LAST SEASON. [:frown:


Nah seriously though, no-one gives a toss, do whatever?
Reply 7
If you take it, make sure it's insured.

One thing I will warn about Macs (or any other Apple computer), is that if you'll be using specialist software, it may not always be compatable, so you may be confined to the library to do that work

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