Mac or PC Laptop for Possible Graphic Design Major?

[HalcyonSpirit]

My younger sister is entering the local county college this fall semester, and is thinking about pursuing a degree in some sort of graphic design. She's not sure what exactly. She's not even sure it's actually what she wants to do; she's dabbling, really, but is leaning towards GD. Anyway, she needs a laptop for college. Everyone she and my parents have talked to have told her to get a Mac laptop because she's leaning towards graphic design, and supposedly Macs have better applications for graphic design, both still and video. However, my family is also on a budget. They need to save as much money as they can, and Macs tend to cost more than PCs.

So my question is this: given that she's just going into the first year of graphic design, and that we need to save money, should she be looking at a Mac or PC laptop?

[Halt]

My younger sister is entering the local county college this fall semester, and is thinking about pursuing a degree in some sort of graphic design. She's not sure what exactly. She's not even sure it's actually what she wants to do; she's dabbling, really, but is leaning towards GD. Anyway, she needs a laptop for college. Everyone she and my parents have talked to have told her to get a Mac laptop because she's leaning towards graphic design, and supposedly Macs have better applications for graphic design, both still and video. However, my family is also on a budget. They need to save as much money as they can, and Macs tend to cost more than PCs.

So my question is this: given that she's just going into the first year of graphic design, and that we need to save money, should she be looking at a Mac or PC laptop?

Defiantly a Mac, macs are great for apps. programming, graphic design, basicly anything but games.

If your on a tight budget, then you best make sure its reccomended by the school. Call up the school see what they tell you. then go off that for your decision.

(I would reccomend a Mac myself.)

[Kanthos]

Ask her the following questions. The answer as to what you should do should be pretty clear once you're done.

1) Can she even get into the graphic design program at this point? Not sure of the details, but you made it sound like she's going into college as a general major and hoping to specialize.

2) What does the college recommend? Are there any software products they use now or are likely to use before she graduates that are Mac-only?

3) Does she use any apps outside of your basic browsers, word processors, and MP3 players? Is the software she'd use available in a Mac version at no extra charge if you have the PC version? Is she smart enough to figure out how to run Windows software within Mac OS?

4) If she gets a Mac, are you or anyone else she knows any good at troubleshooting it? Are you or anyone else she knows any good at troubleshooting PCs?

5) Common apps like Photoshop are available on PC and on Mac. Would she have access to on-campus computers for other less-common, Mac-only software that's included in the curriculum?

[Effef]

It might be worth looking to see if the college can offer a deal on a laptop, Mac or Windows.

[Kanthos]

It might be worth looking to see if the college can offer a deal on a laptop, Mac or Windows.

To add to that, do not buy *any* popular software for the laptop before she starts college. The college computer store will probably be able to offer the titles at an academic discount, and the savings can be pretty big.

[Schwaltzvald]

do not buy *any* popular software for the laptop before she starts college. The college computer store will probably be able to offer the titles at an academic discount, and the savings can be pretty big.

This can't be more emphasized with the exception of a different font, color and size all together.

[Kanthos]

This can't be more emphasized with the exception of a different font, color and size all together.

Also, not only should the campus computer store be able to offer discounts but a lot of other retailers can as well, and many software companies offer educational versions that are identical to the normal version in all but price, and for many, the only requirement is that you be a post-secondary student. I saved a few hundred dollars when I bought Cubase 4 just before graduating from my masters in computer science (obviously, no relation to music whatsoever), and most of my software was bought at educational prices.

[HalcyonSpirit]

1) She is going in as a "undecided", essentially. She says that graphic design is just one of the many things she's deciding between, so obviously she's not even sure she'll be going into the graphic design program.

2) No idea. I told her to call up the college tomorrow, since I can't find anything at all in reference to computer requirements for any majors on the website. Maybe it's hidden in some obscure corner of the site, but considering the site design is far from great as it is, I think finding that information would literally take accidentally stumbling onto it.

3) Yeah, she plays games on her PC right now. Outside of that, not much specifically. Again, because there's a lack of information on the college website, I don't know what programs she'd be using in any courses she might take. And... no, I don't think she'd be able to figure out how to run Windows software on a Mac OS. Not for a while, anyway. She's got intelligence, she just... doesn't use it all the time to figure things out for herself...

4) I know nothing about Macs, but I can fix a PC in a heartbeat. I'm also going to be 500 miles away during the year, though, and the rest of my family is computer-illiterate, so it doesn't make much difference in the end.

5) From what little information I can gather, the college actually uses PCs for their computer labs. They don't mention anything about computer requirements for individuals, though. Same goes for computer software for classes. Still, the fact that the college uses PCs makes me think a PC is the way to go.

In addition... the college is really small. It's not even a state college, only a county one. I can't find any sort of campus computer store or shop or anything like that there. I don't think there is one, so I doubt there'd be any software discounts to be had from them. I'll keep looking, though.