What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students

09.04.2020
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BestMacBook for StudentsiMore2020

Whether you're still in high school or racing across your college campus, a laptop is an essential piece of equipment for every student. Apple makes some of the best laptops around with its MacBook lineup. Whether it's a powerful MacBook Pro, or a light and portable MacBook Air, Apple's laptops will power you through any task you'll meet. For most students, the 2020 MacBook Air is the best choice. It has enough power to face most any academic challenge you come up against, while still offering up to 12 hours of battery life.

Best Overall: MacBook Air (2020)

  1. Different laptops come with different operating systems, and while there are significant differences in the look and feel of each OS, all of them are more than sufficient for college students. Here’s a look at what makes each OS unique. Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Windows is the most widely used operating system across college campuses.
  2. Two of the leading names in the tablet world are the Apple iPad and the Microsoft Surface. Which is the best tablet for college? Go to main menu. For many college students, a tablet is better.

Most students looking for a new MacBook should pick up the MacBook Air. It's less expensive than other MacBooks, as well as lighter. And though it might not be as powerful as the MacBook Pro, it offers enough power for the average student to get through their daily scholastic workload, especially when outfitted with the optional quad-core Intel Core i7 processor.

The 2020 MacBook Air should also have enough battery to take you from class to class. Like previous versions, the latest iteration of the MacBook Air features up to 12 hours of battery life. This version also features an improved, scissor switch-based Magic Keyboard, just like the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Pro is probably overkill for most students. Sure, some will be able to take advantage of its more powerful processors available to it. Still, if most of what you're doing is writing papers, putting together presentations, or doing research on the web, you probably don't need the level of power a MacBook Pro offers.

People searching for Mac vs. PC: The Best Computer for Students found the following information and resources relevant and helpful. Whether you're a rising college freshman or a fourth-year. Apr 03, 2020 The best laptops for college in 2019 By Mark Coppock April 3, 2020 1:00PM PST The Asus ZenBook 13 UX333 is the best college laptop you can buy.

Pros:

  • Great balance of price and power
  • Light and portable
  • Scissor switch keyboard is back
  • Touch ID
  • Up to 12 hours of battery life

Best Overall

MacBook Air (2020)

Sweet spot of power, portability, and price.

Lightweight, yet with enough power to get you through most academic tasks, the MacBook Air is the perfect student computer.

Source: iMore

Because the 2019 MacBook Air uses the same processor as the 2018 model, you can save a good deal of money by going with the 2017 model of MacBook Pro. No Retina display, no Touch ID, but it's still a fairly capable machine, even if the processor is a few years old at this point.

You should also have enough battery life to get through your daily workload. Like the more recent models, the 2017 MacBook Air is rated for up to 12 hours of battery life.

While I'd still recommend the newest MacBook Air for most people, the 2017 model is still a solid alternative if you're looking to save some money. It's not flashy, and it won't win any awards for speed, but it'll still be a dependable device throughout your academic life.

Pros:

  • Relatively cheap
  • Still a solid performer
  • USB-A ports
  • SD card slot
  • Excellent battery life

What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students 2019

Best Value

MacBook Air (2017)

A capable computer for the money.

The 2017 revision of the MacBook Air is still a capable machine that will get you through most of your tasks without hassle.

Source: Rene Ritchie / iMore

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the computer to get if you need the most power that you can afford in a portable package. You can configure it with several options, whether you need that eight-core processor, 64GB of RAM, or 8TB of storage.

But even at its base configuration, a six-core Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU, it'll still handle any task a student can set to it besides the most computationally intense workflows. If you want a no-doubt-about-it machine, get this MacBook Pro.

Pros:

  • Latest Intel processors
  • Configurable up to 8TB of storage
  • Myriad of expansion options
  • Bigger display

Cons:

  • Bigger than other options
  • More expensive
  • May be overkill for most

Best for Power Users

16-inch MacBook Pro (2019)

Most bang for your buck.

The 2016 MacBook Pro will perform great at any task you set it and should last you well after your academic career is over.

Best Power Alternative: 13-inch MacBook Pro (2019)

Though this model won't reach the heights of the 16-inch model, for those students that need or want more power than the MacBook Air can offer while sacrificing as little portability as possible, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a good choice.

It's missing some advantages of the 16-inch model, namely the bigger screen, large storage options, and discrete GPU. However, it's powered by recent Intel quad-core Core i5 processors, so you'll still have enough power for fairly demanding tasks, such as photo and video editing, graphic design, and mobile music production.

Pros:

  • Balances portability and power
  • More portable than 16-inch model
  • Option for up to four Thunderbolt 3 ports

Cons:

  • No discrete GPU
  • Limited to quad-core processors
  • Limited storage choices

Best Power Alternative

13-inch MacBook Pro (2019)

A big step up from a MacBook Air.

This is the MacBook you should get if you need a step up in power from the MacBook Air.

Bottom line

Whether you need a computer for high school or college, the most recent MacBook Air is the right choice for most students. Whether you're writing papers, putting together a Powerpoint or Keynote presentation, or even editing some images for a photography class, the MacBook Air will be a reliable performer in your academic pursuits.

It doesn't have the power of something like the 16-inch MacBook Pro, nor even the 13-inch MacBook Pro. But it's still a capable machine at a solid price. The Retina display is beautiful and vibrant, and the built-in Touch ID sensor makes everything from authorizing operating system tasks to paying for things online with Apple Pay more convenient and secure.

The MacBook Air, for a long time, was the best Mac for most people, including students. Thanks to recent revisions, it occupies that space again, offering a light, portable package with enough power and battery life to get you through an entire day of school.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Joseph Keller is a senior writer at iMore. An Apple user for more than a decade and a half, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students 2017

Rene Ritchie has been covering the personal technology industry for a decade. An outspoken analyst and critic, he writes at iMore.com/vector, podcasts at applepodcasts.com/vector, and you can find his show at youtube.com/vector. Follow him @reneritchie on Twitter and Instagram

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keep your cool

Your Mac Mini will the be the coolest around

What Better Microsoft Or Mac For College Students 2018

If you're a pro who tends to push their Mac Mini to the limit, you might be looking for a way to keep it cool under pressure. While there aren't any cooling pads specifically for the Mac Mini, we've compiled some good options for you.