/sci/ - Science & Math

I'd recommend not buying a Mac because Mac doesn't make convertible tablets.

kill yourself.
also, go to /g/

macs are absolute pieces of shit.

just get yourself a laptop with a windows OS.

they are considerably cheaper and many times better,

>>2807596

Reason I posted this in /sci/ and not /g/ is because many people here are some sort of students, which they are not necessarily on /g/.

Macs are fine for Mathematics, Graphics, and Physics students. For anything else, I would suggest getting a PC, running a linux distro, and running Windows OS in a Virtual Machine. Sidenote: The reasons Macs are more expensive, is because they are much more powerful than the average PC laptop.

>>2807613
Keep telling that to yourself.

>>2807613
"The reasons Macs are more expensive, is because they are much more powerful than the average PC laptop."

you'd best be trolling.

pic related.

macs are usable for some things, much in the same argument as notepad vs. word.

the question is, which can do more? which will meet all your needs and then some?

windows is many times better than macs for the vast majority of things. macs just look pretty. if you want a good, decent computer without a ridiculous price tag, get a windows PC.

as for linux, get back to em when you dont have to follow a fucking walkthrough to make it compatible with USBs.

also, games.

>>2807613
>powerful than the average PC laptop
you're an idiot

Unless you build your laptop from scratch, have fun buying a new Windows CD and reformatting the drive. Bloatware will rape your RAMs.

OSX master race reporting in.

>>2807676
Keep believing the stuff the people at the Apple shop tell you.
I'm sure they'd never lie to you in order to sell you overpriced garbage

ITT: butthurt poorfags

>>2807676
>RAMs

lol....

>>2807688
yup

i love my macbook pro
works great with everything i use it for (school)
bio-chem major

>>2807688
No, ITT: retards like you.

Just because something is more expensive doesnt make it better. Only people who cant think buy macs, or people who are trying to be "cool".

mfw when my college english class has 16 kids, 13 of them have macs

i'll just leave this here

>>2807575
No. Even an iPad would be fine for studying.
>anki for flashcarding (works on all OSes)
>word or OOo for reading DOC files (OSX and Win)
>PDF on all OSes
>browser on all OSes
>media player on all OSes
>browser on all OSes
>Freemind for mind-mapping (more sophisticated outlining/note-taking) is on all OSes
That covers all your study basics.

>>2807705
>mindmapping
>lol

>>2807649
in your picture
>bigger screen on mac
>about 3lbs lighter weight on mac
>2GB less ram but that can be had for about 100 bucks
>only fagits need 250GB on a laptop

Also Intel's dual core is better than AMDs and the Mac screen is LED backlit and the HP is not, so the screen draws less power on the Mac, lengthening battery life

>>2807705
And great for typing too! oh, wait....
Writing a report on an ipad is like writing a report on your mobile phone, painful at best

>>2807710
>mfw i have a doctorate and graduated summa from undergrad and grad school and just moved to a new city and start my boss job monday

>>2807716
Plus, it's a great conversation starter at gay bars

>>2807717
>implying external bluetooth keyboards don't exist

I'd never buy an iPad, but I wanted to point out the retardity of OP's question "HAY CAN A MAC BE USED TO STUDY ENGLISH IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE"

Just make a pc/laptop yourself and upgrade it to a mac.
Unless you're self defeating.

>>2807700
Way to show how not butthurt you are, poorfag.

>>2807722
>macs are gay
>mfw the founder of apple fucks loads of bitches and the founder of microsoft got caught doing the gay sex in a bathroom last night

>>2807716
>only fagits need 250GB on a laptop

lolwut?

it already costs more, and you want to spend more making it comparable in RAM?

also, did you forget to note the extra $1000 you have to spend on the touch-screen, that is included with the HP package?

and wow, 1 inch...

how about another price comparison, pic related.

OP, as a veteran user of Win-PC since MS-DOS and of Macs more recently, I'll tell you what are the pros and cons of buying a mac:

Pros:
- build quality - this is by far the biggest factor which make macs worth paying the insane price they're asking for it, because from my experience laptops first break to pieces because they're made of shitty plastics, especially keyboards; the one-piece aluminium body that they put in these new macs is fucking sturdy. I have an 8-year old powerbook which much less solid than these and it's as good as new (i can post pictures, if any fag has any doubts).
- good performance on average, reliable components which don't get burnt so easily, unless you're doing some crazy-ass gaming on it and you've got an old mac like myself
- the operating system gets the job done, no hangups, no bullshit dialog boxes, no waste of time, no antivirus or norton or w/e just to keep it working safe
- you can install both mac os and Windows on it and use whichever one you want, it runs natively, not emulated
-they're very ergonomic computers, meaning the keyboard is the best fuckin kb you get on the market, everyone else takes their cue

Cons:
- the price is insane; if you steal the money or someone else pays it for yuou (university, parents) then you don't give much of a fuck about it though
- it looks gay, but there are solutions to customise it (change color, remove apple logo etc) and make it look more badass
- if you pay that money to apple, steve jobs will get richer and I personally hate that faggot, but if you can ignore that, then maybe you can focus on just using the computer, because, say, you didn't pay for it.

>>2807740
Obvious troll is obvious.
Back to /b/ with you

>>2807710
>>2807710

Shit works pretty good brah. It is somewhat of a pain in the ass to actually make them though.

>>2807746
[Citation needed]

>>2807752
>no antivirus or norton or w/e just to keep it working safe

derp, macs totally dont have viruses.

>>2807764
Once more people start using macs virus programmers will start seeing interest in mac.
And since many mac users haven't bought anti virus software they will be in very big trouble once the first virusses hit mac.
Excuse me if my Enlgish is subpar.

>>2807726
ok, OP here.
Yea, I guess I forgot to mention that I'm a 2nd year biochem student.

I remember back when I was in highschool.
I'd just purchased a new case for my PC, it was fairly plain but certainly looked better than the beat up old one i had before.
A friend came over and upon seeing my computer he said "Wow, that's a good computer".
I had not changed the internal components in the slightest.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Macfag!
The poor sap who judges a computer by its cover and thinks a large price tag always equals a better product.
In other words, an A grade moron

>>2807782
>Enlgish
Happens everytime if I typ to fast...

>>2807787
stop trolling...

>>2807782
while that is true, there are already numerous viruses out there that target macs.

http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/tp/macvirusfaqs.htm

>>2807764
Well I dunno, frankly. I've had this mac for 8 years and I don't know what a virus looks like. And I'm not using any anti-virus, just a few script blockers.

>>2807797
No, that is absolutely correct.

Mac if you like overpriced pretty shit (much like a woman)
PC if you're serious about your computers capabilities and don't need locked in software (only tards do).

>>2807813
I've got a Windows computer that I've been using for the past four years or longer.
Hasn't gotten a single virus either.
Common sense is the best form of protection

ITT:

VIRAL MARKETING

>>2807813
viruses are designed to try and avoid detection, so just because you dont think you have one doesnt mean you dont. while it is true macs have an easier time avoiding viruses than windows PCs, that is more because of the number of "1337 H4XX0r5" targetting macs is considerably lower.

(presumably because 1. fewer users, and 2. they spent all their money on an overpriced computer already)

however, this doesnt prevent them from being vulnerable to things such as spyware, as these are web based.

read the link in:

>>2807803

I've only heard good things about Macs.

The downside is money.

My friend used to be hard core Linux until his other friend convinced him to become a hipster. Now he has a Mac that is dual booted with Linux as well.

He swears by that computer.

Mac = polished, snazzy, fast, dummy proof
Windows = big chunk of cheap power/versatility, kind of like an old car that you refuse to throw aways since it is so customizable and works enough of the time

>>2807857
>I've only heard good things about Macs.
Then you need smarter friends

Best option would be just make your pc/laptop yourself then upgrade it.

>>2807862

My friends are people who use computers for a living. I can immediately think of 3 electrical engineers and a cs engineer that all love their Macs.

I'll probably get one too eventually. I myself think that Windows is good enough for me. I got a Dell since the price vs specs seemed fairly good.

>>2807882
Really? Because I'm a computer programmer by trade and I can tell you that without a doubt the very small population of Mac users are a laughing stock among us.

>>2807845
Whatever, spyware doesn't affect only one type of computer. Both pcs and macs are targeted by spyware, but if you're smart enough to keep script blockers on, don't follow any trollolololfreemp3nakedchicks.avi link, you should be fine.

But I don';t believe much of what they wrote in the link because they sound like they're trying to sell me something I don't need. If it\s not broken, why buy a fix for it.

Mac's are Great! They help me out and don't afriad of nothing ;o

1. Macs are more expensive for the same performance, or same price for less performance, depending on how you budget. Sometimes it's not by much. Other times it is.

2. If you buy a Mac and like it, you'll probably consider the price difference worth it, given that performance is not something you experience directly very often unless you're a hardcore gamer or something. It comes down to how much value you attach to things that don't show up on a spec sheet, most of which are tough to evaluate without using a Mac for a while.

3. Mac OS X is not Windows. It can be very different, and you may or may not like that. Personally, I love it. There are a thousand little things I miss when I have to use Windows and maybe a handful I miss from Windows. You might feel exactly the opposite.

4. Macs aren't perfect. I've seen people get angry when they buy one and then get angry at every little thing because they expect absolute unassailable perfection. If you think you'd be really pissed off if your $1500 (or whatever) computer got hotter than you liked when you put it on your lap (or whatever), then maybe don't buy a Mac. Most Mac users could tell you something they don't like about their Mac. (If you know some, ask. This is more useful information than what you get from PC users who hate Macs.)

5. Some people get absolutely retarded over Macs. Go to /g/ and realize that these are real people, some of whom occasionally leave the house, and not just bots designed to sound angry.

>>2807896

Well, I think that is the general consensus everywhere.

However, if you know why you are buying a Mac, then it can be worth it. The product is polished up for hipsters and noobz. Also, if you are interested in programming in object C without hacks, Apple kind of forces the use of its products.

I can't wait until the Android takes over the market.

>>2807896
my guess he is either lying, has idiot friends, or is severely exaggerated their credentials.

i do not know any computer science buffs who like macs either.

>>2807895
you have got to be kidding me. when did i ever claim windows could not get spyware, i said that macs can get spyware just as easily as any other computer.

and in case you didnt notice:

"7. Is there free antivirus for the Mac?
Mac antivirus software is in short supply and the options for free Mac virus scanners is even more limited. Still, there are a couple of free Mac antivirus software available. For details, see: Free Antivirus Software."

holy shit, you cannot be this dumb.

>>2807882

>I can immediately think of 3 electrical engineers and a cs engineer that all love their Macs.
>Cs engineer

>He doesn't use Linux!
>Laughingnerds.jpg

>>2807896

Programming is a very wide field. The proportion of Macs you see varies widely by specialization. Go to a Ruby/Python/JS conference and they'll often be in the majority.

>>2807951
There's such thing as a javascript convention?
I shudder to imagine such horror

>>2807951

Know where else mac users will be a majority?

Truck stop bathrooms.

>>2807959
i lol'd.

>>2807649
That's an incredibly bad comparison. The HP has a worse processor and a smaller screen.
Pic is a better example of what you talkin' about, willis

>>2807754
That image is invalid, there's no way you'd even get dual xeons, the RAM, and the displays for that money.

>>2807989
see:
>>2807754

>>2807934

Unless you're specifically hacking Linux internals, there's not much reason to use Linux for CS over Mac OS X. It's largely a matter of preference at that point. I can understand a lot of CS nerds preferring Linux, but it's not like you fundamentally can't do the same work on a Mac.

>>2807996
Like I said, bad comparison. Given the choice, I'd buy the mac in that situation.
You can't just declare that because yours is touchscreen it's better, yet the screen being smaller is not a problem.
>>2808011
Except if you want to run anything that isn't catered towards mac users

>>2807997
>>2807966

> HURR MACS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THEREFORE IT'S PERFECTLY REASONABLE TO EXAGGERATE

Fuck off, tripfag. Go back to /g/.

>Only people who cant think buy macs, or people who are trying to be "cool".

fuck off you generalising nigger.

Do you know what happens after you link 24 super fast SSD (Solid-state drives) as a RAID array on Windows Vista? You might have just created your very own super fast computer, possibly the fastest PC in the world!

World’s fastest personal computer, it’s not an Apple!


The end results were astounding! Check this out:

* Ran all 53 programs from the Windows Start Menu in 18.09 seconds
* Ran all Microsoft Office programs in 0.5 seconds
* Full defrag (defragmentation) completed in just a few seconds
* Recycled 5.6GB of junk in just a few seconds

>>2808020

> Except if you want to run anything that isn't catered towards mac users

Like what?

>>2808051

Oh really obscure stuff...
> linux-hipster-0.8.3.pbm
...you've probably never heard of it.

>>2808060
lol

but there are some obscure programs that can be incredibly useful sometimes that just *aren't* available on macs. I can't name any specifically, so if you want to declare this a loss by me I'm fine with that

i had to get a mac for art college (i'm a designer). I resisted it for a while because I grew up on PCs, but then I realised I might fall behind, learning on an OS that would be in the minority. One year on, there's not much difference. I do like that it has a HD screen, which is really beneficial for my work. Aesthetically it's a beautiful design too, but all that really matters is what's under the hood. I'd probably buy a PC again in a few years, as I always had a soft spot for them. Plus, now I have the added benefit of being fluent in both systems. All in all it really comes down to flashier packaging and if you're willing to spend more money on something that's essentially the same.

Related story, I was at school and saw a bunch of mac-users socializing on the couches outside of the library and drinking coffee. There were about 10 people, and only one had a PC.

I was wondering where all the PC-users were. I found them all inside of the library, studying.

I thought it was a funny glimpse into the world of computer users.

>>2808076
also to add, I always preferred the flexibility and individuality of my pcs. I could switch it up and make it my own. My mac, although beautiful to look at, just feels like a clone off the assembly line. Everything in the layout of the OS feels rigid and unchangeable, like Jobs wants it to stay that way. Can't even get good emulators, which always made me feel like 1337 haxor. That kind of mentality is reflected in all of their products. Everything has the same aesthetic - it's just a brand really. You buy into the culture and the presumptions that surround it really, just like a fashion label.

>>2808095

I saw something similar at my library, but noticed that the PC users were inside because that's where the power outlets were. Apparently most PCs have such shit battery life that people don't even bother running them on battery.

> Thinkpad 9-cell Master Race

>>2808110
>>2808076

Screenshot or your story is made up.

I use macs for a lot of physics work. A lot of stuff I just couldn't do on a PC. Macs integrate far better with linux machines and such. If you have any need for CLI stuff, you'll want a mac over a PC. (If you're asking this question, you're probably not ready for linux.) Macs are easier to use in my opinion; many of the things you need to do are very straightforward. If they're not, there's an easy way to find it. PCs often have a lot of convoluted menus and options and just make a lot of things harder. Want to add a printer on a mac? Prefs > Printer > Add Printer. Three steps. Doing that on a PC takes ten and isn't even clear where to find it.

This is all moot, though, if you're already used to windows.

Macs also have better build quality. Macs will last ten years easily, though after about four or five you'll be running less-than-recent software. Most people I know with PCs need to full out replace them every two to three years, four if they're lucky. I'm still running a ten year old G4 and it works fantastically for the CLI stuff I need it for.

Again, though, if you know what you're doing with a PC, it can last ten years, too. But you need to know what you're doing.

Ultimately, it comes down to the utility you get out of it. I spent money on stuff I don't need, but I'm rich. I also get a lot more use out of expensive things. If you like a mac, get a mac. They're good machines, they're worth what you're paying for (macs, not ipad). They have a lot of features that PCs just don't.

tl;dr get what you feel like. Macs and PCs are both great machines if you know how to use them.

>>2808076
In Mac vs PC, all it really comes down to is if you can use it correctly. Nerds argue about which is better. Pros argue about the actual output.

>>2808043
>SSD
>* Full defrag (defragmentation) completed in just a few seconds

>* Full defrag (defragmentation)

Shit nigga are you high ?

The main reason I have this macbook is because I bought it for 450 from a friend, whereas apple was selling them for about 1100 at the time. Honestly, it's not so bad. I in part prefer the fact that I'm not able to game very much on it and so on though, since it helps me focus on work. I also find that it doesn't lag up as easily as more information is put on the hard drive, as I found with my old computer. The only other thing I can think of is that although there are Mac viruses I really haven't had to worry about them, whereas with Windows I had to constantly deal with shit like pre-installed Norton and the like. That being said, I hate everything else about apple, because they take old technology and market it so well that idiots think it's the future (e.g. apple 'track pad' (oversized mouse, and ipad (oversized smartphone).

I met one of the creators for vista once.

She and her girlfriend were lesbians. She was butch, her girlfriend looked like a 12 year old boy, she beat her girlfriend in fits of rage, and jumped out of a moving vehicle when her beaten girlfriend tried to break up with her. She is contemplating a sex change, she thinks vista is a perfectly fine system, and one of the best out there.

Her girlfriend looked ashy. Like her soul had been sucked out through her pores. One day she disappeared without telling her boss, which was my mother.

We haven't heard from her.

I'm an ass for posting in a Mac vs. PC thread but in the infinitesimal chance that the OP wasn't just looking to start a shitstorm...

I'm in grad school at Carnegie Mellon and I'm good friends with several people who are getting or have gotten PhD's from the Robotics Institute. The computers in their office (paid for by the university) are a mix of mostly Linux distros and a a few OSX machines. The computers that they chose to buy for themselves are overwhelmingly from Apple. As one friend put it, he needs to focus on the code that he's developing and not the code that someone else has developed. OSX allows him to completely forget about his computer and still develop and compile source code to upload to his robots. You can argue that these people are idiots or babies who are afraid to customize their computer for an extra 20% performance. Or you can argue that these are people with better things to do than fucking around with their OS and who can largely afford the extra $500 to make sure things run quickly enough and don't break for random reasons.

As far as my own experience, I have to reboot my Windows XP laptop about twenty times more frequently than my OSX desktop. A lot of that has to do with the relative stability of desktops over laptops in general and some of it has to do with the fact that the notebook is admittedly underpowered. On the other hand, not all of it can be explained away. My perception is that OSX is much more stable. And without a doubt, it is far easier to do 95% of the basic tasks you'll want to do with it.

It's that last 5%, however, that has Mac users tearing out their hair. If Jobs doesn't want you doing something with your computer, it's going to be hard to get around.

>>2808182
>AMD is the same as intel
AMD make slower, less efficient processors. the 2Ghz intel is closer to a 2,5Ghz AMD than the one in that laptop.
In terms of graphics, the card in the macbook is far better. The RAM of the card doesn't matter (the 512vs 256) and the "up to 3226Mb" is using the RAM the laptop itself uses, not a possible expansion.

OP has most likely formed an opinion by now, but just for the hell of it:

I was a "PC" user from high school through undergrad of college. After my old Dell was not upgradable anymore, and I had vowed never to give money to such a shitty company ever again, I built my own desktop. I have never built a laptop, but based on the quality of my desktop components and the price, I would say building a laptop would be the best bet.

However, when I got into grad school, I received money to buy a laptop. So i went with a macbook pro 13". All i can say is that this is the most wonderful piece of technology I have ever owned. It is so smooth to use, and the OSX is very pleasant to work with. I have only had very few crashes, nothing like what my friends with HP, Sony and Dell laptops have. My girlfriends 1 year old HP crashes so often that she uses my macbook whenever I'm not using it.

My favorite thing about the Macbook pro is not the OS however. I love all of the little innovations like the magnetic power cord, the battery indicator on the side, the keyboard layout, BUT MOST OF ALL THE FREAKIN TRACKPAD... this thing blows other laptops out of the water. I would get a macbook again JUST for the trackpad.

>>2808411

>I have never built a laptop
>never built a laptop
>built a laptop

and you never will.

>>2808436

?

What the fuck are you people doing that makes your windows machines crash so much? I built mine two months ago and it's been operating continuously since then.

>>2808488

Sketchy consensual missionary position porn sites.

I'd almost wager that fetish porn sites are more safe, since there are less people using them, and so less incentive to adware the shit out of them.

Mac's don't get them because the homosexual population aren't interested in malware design.

>>2808488

I have two laptops and a desktop all running windows, 1 with vista, 1 with xp, and the desktop with 7.

In 3 years I have had maybe 2 crashes between the three of them, and they were my fault for recklessly adjusting the bios.

If someone sucks so bad with a computer that it crashes nonstop, then of course they will love osx because it essentially idiot proofs the computer by locking you out of changing any settings.

>>2807754
>8 Cores

[citation needed]

>>2808586
Dual xeons, probably.

>>2808141
wat

Coming from a current Macbook Pro owner:

THIS BUYER'S REMORSE IS SO GOOD!

I hate this piece of shit and Apple's shit-acular customer service.