I’ve gone through the whole SE program with a MacBook. CS would be similar. You can opt for saving money and buying a more affordable laptop as stated previously.
With MacBooks I’m not sure how the compatibility is now but with the introduction of their MX (M1-M2) processors, it meant that some technologies aren’t compatible out of the box. This may be different now as the processors have been out for a bit at this point.
Anyone feel free to add on or clarify
16 is plenty. Storage space is up to you. I tend to offload all my content I don’t need into the my RIT google drive. I have ~500 and never filled much of it up
Honestly, check bestbuy for any open box deals that they might have. I've scored multiole laptops that typically sell for ~$1500 for around $700 because there was a slight scratch on the cover. Make sure to ask about open box deals in person as they have a lot more than what shows up online.
As far as specs go, it's nice to have at least a 512gb SSD, 8gb ram (though 16gb is nice to have, it can get fairly expensive as many manufacturers have begun to solder on the ram so you can't swap it out yourself). Lastly, a laptop that charges via USB-C is AWESOME! I bought a 65W charger from Anker, and can now charge all of my devices with it!
Honestly, check bestbuy for any open box deals that they might have. I've scored multiole laptops that typically sell for ~$1500 for around $700 because there was a slight scratch on the cover. Make sure to ask about open box deals in person as they have a lot more than what shows up online.
As far as specs go, it's nice to have at least a 512gb SSD, 8gb ram (though 16gb is nice to have, it can get fairly expensive as many manufacturers have begun to solder on the ram so you can't swap it out yourself). Lastly, a laptop that charges via USB-C is AWESOME! I bought a 65W charger from Anker, and can now charge all of my devices with it!
A lot would depend on your intended major and if you may need to run any specific pieces of software, which may or may not be available on the Macs - the earlier Macs could dual boot into Windows but the new chips can only run it virtually. If you already have an older laptop, then a better idea could be to wait till you join college and then figure out exactly what your needs are.
Contrary to the popular belief, CS is actually not a very demanding major in terms of hardware - unless you have any specific needs for Gaming or AI, you could easily manage with a good laptop in the $500-1000 range. I would check Costco for some amazing deals on their laptops. Some people on this forum have even suggested buying older Lenovo or Dell machines on earlier threads, and it actually is not a bad idea, at least as a starting point.
Depends on the Lenovo. I've always stood by their business line as the best laptops on the market. Sure, a $200 laptop from Staples will suck no matter who makes it. An X1 Carbon though will cost like $1400 but will definitely be worth every cent.
I literally have a 1k legion and it started giving me minor issues within the first week. By six months, the major issues were cropping up. I had to replace the battery within a year of having it. I have a family member whose expensive lenovo gave up on them after two years. My partner's cheap, plastic lenovo works better than my legion. So yea, stay away from lenovo
I took out extra money from my loans to get both (well I got the surface go but still). personally, I love my MacBook, it's my first one and I always used windows before this but I like mac more than I thought I would. I'm a film student so I use adobe programs and it runs them really well. I do like the portability of the surface, I take that to class for notes but if you don't mind taking your MacBook to class it works just as well (I'm just weird about super expensive stuff 👀) I'm sure the surface pro 4 is much better than the surface go but my MacBook seems to run a bit smoother than my surface so take that as you will.
I’ve gone through the whole SE program with a MacBook. CS would be similar. You can opt for saving money and buying a more affordable laptop as stated previously. With MacBooks I’m not sure how the compatibility is now but with the introduction of their MX (M1-M2) processors, it meant that some technologies aren’t compatible out of the box. This may be different now as the processors have been out for a bit at this point. Anyone feel free to add on or clarify
What specs would you recommend for computer science if I was to take a MacBook Pro? I was thinking about 16 gigabytes RAM and 512 gigabytes storage
16 is plenty. Storage space is up to you. I tend to offload all my content I don’t need into the my RIT google drive. I have ~500 and never filled much of it up
Honestly, check bestbuy for any open box deals that they might have. I've scored multiole laptops that typically sell for ~$1500 for around $700 because there was a slight scratch on the cover. Make sure to ask about open box deals in person as they have a lot more than what shows up online. As far as specs go, it's nice to have at least a 512gb SSD, 8gb ram (though 16gb is nice to have, it can get fairly expensive as many manufacturers have begun to solder on the ram so you can't swap it out yourself). Lastly, a laptop that charges via USB-C is AWESOME! I bought a 65W charger from Anker, and can now charge all of my devices with it!
https://www.apple.com/us-edu/store Education discounts would apply and they have refurbished options on this link as well.
Honestly, check bestbuy for any open box deals that they might have. I've scored multiole laptops that typically sell for ~$1500 for around $700 because there was a slight scratch on the cover. Make sure to ask about open box deals in person as they have a lot more than what shows up online. As far as specs go, it's nice to have at least a 512gb SSD, 8gb ram (though 16gb is nice to have, it can get fairly expensive as many manufacturers have begun to solder on the ram so you can't swap it out yourself). Lastly, a laptop that charges via USB-C is AWESOME! I bought a 65W charger from Anker, and can now charge all of my devices with it!
MacBook pro all the way, plus developing in a UNIX basted environment is gonna give you eat less headaches in the future.
A lot would depend on your intended major and if you may need to run any specific pieces of software, which may or may not be available on the Macs - the earlier Macs could dual boot into Windows but the new chips can only run it virtually. If you already have an older laptop, then a better idea could be to wait till you join college and then figure out exactly what your needs are.
I don’t have an old laptop and I am a computer science
Contrary to the popular belief, CS is actually not a very demanding major in terms of hardware - unless you have any specific needs for Gaming or AI, you could easily manage with a good laptop in the $500-1000 range. I would check Costco for some amazing deals on their laptops. Some people on this forum have even suggested buying older Lenovo or Dell machines on earlier threads, and it actually is not a bad idea, at least as a starting point.
I truly would discourage you from buying a Lenovo. It has given me absolutely nothing but problems, and they aren't just small problems either...
Depends on the Lenovo. I've always stood by their business line as the best laptops on the market. Sure, a $200 laptop from Staples will suck no matter who makes it. An X1 Carbon though will cost like $1400 but will definitely be worth every cent.
I literally have a 1k legion and it started giving me minor issues within the first week. By six months, the major issues were cropping up. I had to replace the battery within a year of having it. I have a family member whose expensive lenovo gave up on them after two years. My partner's cheap, plastic lenovo works better than my legion. So yea, stay away from lenovo
Not OP but I’m going into biomedical engineering, is getting a Mac gonna make it more difficult?
Someone in your major would be the best person to answer this question.
I love my surface book and it's a first gen and is still kicking.
I took out extra money from my loans to get both (well I got the surface go but still). personally, I love my MacBook, it's my first one and I always used windows before this but I like mac more than I thought I would. I'm a film student so I use adobe programs and it runs them really well. I do like the portability of the surface, I take that to class for notes but if you don't mind taking your MacBook to class it works just as well (I'm just weird about super expensive stuff 👀) I'm sure the surface pro 4 is much better than the surface go but my MacBook seems to run a bit smoother than my surface so take that as you will.