[Zizz]

Hey Everyone,
I'm entering first year university next month, and my program (engineering) requires PCs', there's one program that we must use that doesn't work on macs. I've never owned a mac, but fell in love with my Ipod, and lots of my friends have macs, I've been waiting for the new Powerbook updates to buy one, but have recently been wondering if a PC is the way to go since it is required by my program.
Can anyone tell me REALISTICALLY the pros and cons of either system. (I know i can use Virtual PC for the one program that is PC only, but I've heard that Virtual PC is horrible...) any suggestions????

[AssassyN]

Welcome to the MacNN Boards!!

In all honesty, I'd much prefer a PowerBook over a PC notebook anyday, however, your case is a bit different. Using VirtualPC on any of Apple's notebooks *is* indeed frustrating at times, escp. using high-end apps. like the one you'd use in your Engineering major. I can imagine you getting fed up quite quickly trying to run that program in VirtualPC. Being that you'll be using that program daily or weekly for at least 4 years, I wouldn't put myself in a bind; I'd bite the bullet and get a PC notebook. The Centrino chip is a wonderful peice of technology; I prefer Sony's notebook line personally simply because it's more appealing than any of the rest. Of course, the choice is yours, but if you'd actually use VirtualPC for more than a few hours, I bet you'd stray from it.

[beachmark]

Apple vs. Centrino? Depends on what you expect from ypur machine. Any Apple user will acknowledge that the Centrino chip is a very good one and one that puts Apple's efforts to a maximum. Centrinos have a very low power consumption something we cannot say from the 17inch Powerbook.

I have next to my 17inch an Acer Travelmate and would receommend that computerto everyone who is not in the market for an Apple. It has great performance and delivers a lot of computer when you look at its price. (You can have about two Acers for one 17inch.)

However when you open up the Acer you open up a notebook when you open up your Powerbook 17inch you will have many people looking envious at you.

[jsnyder]

Could you tell us what app it is and which classes it would be required for?

I'm studying Engineering at Northwestern University and there have been a few occasions in my first two years where PC-only software has been required. In each case I've been able to use a lab machine for a few hours to finish whatever the assignment was. The only example that comes to mind recently was a molecular modeling program that came with one of my books.

The only package that seems to get used repeatedly is MATLAB which is available as a Mac app now and there's also a GNU clone called Octave that works quite well as a drop-in replacement. You can find info on it here:

http://www.octave.org/

If you're into civil or mechanical and require some unavailable CAD program, using VPC might not be a great solution, especially if there's any 3D visualization involved. Check the system requirements for the software package and ask some folks around here if VPC estimates that their particular CPU would emulate a fast enough virtual x86 CPU.

[PeterKG]

The VPC update to 6.1 runs pretty good even on my 12" Powerbook with no L3 cache. I don't know the program you need to run, but VPC with XP works fine. Even my network settings installed pefectly in XP.

[Zizz]

I need to use "Ready to Program Using Java" which should run fine, I think, because it does not require much computer muscle, and the other program is "solid edge" a CAD program. These are only my first year programs that I know wont' work on a mac, I'm also worried that it will be the same story every year (but with more complex program). I've been all excited to get a mac for months now, but it's starting to look like I may have to remain an unwilling PC user

[gator]

Originally posted by Zizz:
I need to use "Ready to Program Using Java" which should run fine, I think, because it does not require much computer muscle, and the other program is "solid edge" a CAD program. These are only my first year programs that I know wont' work on a mac, I'm also worried that it will be the same story every year (but with more complex program). I've been all excited to get a mac for months now, but it's starting to look like I may have to remain an unwilling PC user

Dunno about Solid Edge, but if that "Ready..." is just so you can write some Java files for an intro Java course (looks like it might be the case from what I saw on the site for that software)... you can likely just use Project builder to edit Java files and just use the Terminal to compile them if necessary (or use JJEdit)

[ASIMO]

Bah. Just use what is required, graduate, make some dough, and then get what you want, not need.

And you know you want a Mac.

[danbrew]

Originally posted by ASIMO:
Bah. Just use what is required, graduate, make some dough, and then get what you want, not need.

And you know you want a Mac.

Bravo. Just wait until you have one slight hiccup and aren't able to use the software that the professor has asked everyone to use. Chances are very good that the prof is going to feel slightly miffed that you "knew more than the university in all of its collective wisdom" and bought a Mac instead of the PC that they specified for the course/program. You'll certainly get no sympathy from them if you run into performance issues.

[Zizz]

Yeah, you guys are right, unfortunatly!

I guess I'll have to wait a few more years until I make the big 'switch'.

Well, this way I'm guaranteed a G5 right, ha ha.

[AssassyN]

Originally posted by Zizz:
Yeah, you guys are right, unfortunatly!

I guess I'll have to wait a few more years until I make the big 'switch'.

Well, this way I'm guaranteed a G5 right, ha ha.

Ahhhhh noooooo! Please say that by the time you graduate there will be a G5 successor! Apple can't continue being that slow! LoL