Picking the Right Laptop for College (Mac vs PC vs Tablet)

In this day and age, any PC, Mac, or tablet will be good enough to bring with you to college. There is no clear winner in the debate between PCs and Apples products, so it all comes down to what you’re looking for and personal preference. Here’s an in-depth look at the different kinds of laptops, also comparing them to having a tablet for school, courtesy of PCadvisor, Intel, and Business Insider. No matter which one you choose, Studentrate has exclusive student discounts.

Apple/Mac

Macs are simple and straightforward; user-friendly, which is a plus for most of us!
Macs are a bit more efficient in running multiple operating systems than PCs, including a Mac + PC operating environment.
Macs are also made to work with other Apple products, so adding music to your iPod or iPhone or uploading images is a breeze!
There are less viruses circulating for Macs than there are for PCs, and they are less likely to crash or lose all of their data.
Macs are more innovative in design and features, and tend to be more visually appealing to buyers.With the many creative abilities that PCs don’t have, Macs are a great choice for those studying Graphic Design, Music, Photography, English or Journalism, or programs needing Adobe.
Excellent customer support is available from Apple, including exclusive Apple stores for all repairs. Apple computers have one of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the industry according to OnlineTechTips.com. I recently brought my Macbook into an Apple Store and was very pleased with the customer service!
Newer versions of Apple software also allow you to answer calls and respond to iMessages from your Macbook!

PCs are generally less expensive than Macs (as most of you probably already know) with a much wider selection of manufacturers to choose from.
Because so many software developers make products that are Windows compatible, there’s much more software available for PCs. With companies like Windows, Lenovo, HP, and Dellall working on products for Windows, there’s lots to choose from.
Windows is the most widely used operating system, so being familiar with it is key both in college and after graduating!
PCs have about 2 to 8 GBs of RAM, more than Macs, which is about 1 to 4 GBs.
PCs have more compatible accessories than Macs
If you’re a gamer, PCs are the right choice for you! With a PC, you can build a custom gaming machine – something Macs are not necessarily known for.
PCs are meant to work well with other Microsoft products, like the Xbox for example

Save up to 30% at Lenovo with Studentrate!

Tablets

In terms of deciding whether or not you want a tablet to replace a laptop, there are many things to consider…

Tablets tend to have a better battery life, lasting around 8 hours, compared to laptops which usually last 2 – 3 hours (depending on usage, of course).
Tablets are smaller, lighter and more portable than laptops, which is great when you’re lugging it around campus from dusk till dawn.
Tablets are ready for instant use! They don’t need time to reboot or load up like a laptop would, and even in standby mode, you can still hear alerts for emails and other notifications.
Tablets are great if you’re considering purchasing eBooks for class. No more heavy textbooks to and from campus! However, professors may not be very keen on allowing you to use a Tablet in class compared to an actual textbook (you normally can’t surf the Internet or play with apps in a textbook.) If an eBook version is available, it’s a smart idea talk with your professor before making any final purchases!
Tablets usually have less compatibility when it comes to downloading different files and programs.
Unless you have an attachable keyboard, taking notes and writing papers on tablets can become a bit tricky!

Each product has their ups and downs, but they are will be efficient enough to use at college. Based on what you like and what you are planning on studying, you can choose the laptop or tablet that will be perfect for you.

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own