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unable to decide between a mac and windows laptop!!!

Gemarch

Hi all,

I just got an admit into Berkeley for M.Arch program and I needed to buy a new laptop .. Right now I am really confused between Mac and Window laptop.!!

When I asked few of my friends, they asked me to buy a windows laptop as it supports all the softwares we use.. But I am more inclined towards Mac and really wanted to know how much difference does it make in terms of softwares?? As far as I know, Autodesk/ Sketchup/ Rhino are mac supportable and only grasshopper is not.. so my question is - how often we use that software in the masters program and do you think that I should be compromising with the windows laptop just for that software??

It would be really of great help if any of you guys would help me with ths!!

Thank you.

 
Jul 4, 15 3:34 am
boy in a well

fuck it, ill bite

"compromising with the windows laptop just for that software"

the fuck you think a computer is for? looking awesome? i suppose you mean grasshopper tho ... is revit native to macs? whats a computer for? its such a weird piece of personal / lifestyle hardware . . .

 macs are attractive but ive never heard a substantive argument for mac over pc.

come at me bitches.

Jul 4, 15 3:58 am  · 
 · 
boy in a well

can we talk about Trump now?

Jul 4, 15 4:22 am  · 
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anonitect

I really want a Trump pinata.

Jul 4, 15 9:32 am  · 
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chigurh

I have both...prefer a PC any day of the week for getting down with real work.

Jul 4, 15 10:27 am  · 
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archky

I used a dell m3800 when I was at Berkeley. I highly suggest looking into it. Macs aren't great in the architecture program

Jul 9, 15 10:04 am  · 
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PsychLight

Definitely go with a PC. Software developers traditionally come out with PC compatible software first. 

Jul 20, 15 1:57 pm  · 
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thefriendlyguy_11

How about installing window OS in your macbook so that you can have both OS ? idk if this will work and i'm not a professional here, just wondering have you ask anyone about this?

Jul 22, 15 4:24 pm  · 
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s=r*(theta)

my 2 cents; are you req'd by the arch. dept. to use specific software? do your arch dept. offer a computer lab / cluster? do you have a bread and butter software? are you/ or will you be working for a co. that is using mac or pc and specific software anytime soon?

if i was in your shoes, and im not, i would definitley go with a mac. the only software thats at the top of the list thats not offerd at this time of the software "trifecta" (you only need software in this business for 3 things processing, production, & presentation) is revit. i hear that around the corner.

otherwise, as u stated urself, sketchup, vray, draftsight, vectorworks, microsoft, adobe, open office, maxwell, renditioner, lightwave, rihno, artlantis, gimp, and a plethera of other softwares are readily availabe and pack as much if not more horse power as the industry standards

p.s. and you can always work btwn ur mac & the schools pc lab, if you continue in this career you will be doing most days anyway

Jul 28, 15 7:24 pm  · 
 · 

Ask yourself 3 questions-

1- Do you anticipate intensive use of grasshopper or Dynamo?

2- Do you want to reboot your machine to use the other OS?

3- Do you want to manage additional software to emulate another OS?

Jul 28, 15 8:49 pm  · 
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chigurh

windows unless you are planning on becoming a suburban housewife. 

Jul 29, 15 12:40 am  · 
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curtkram

^----

ask yourself these three questions:

1.  are you a suburban housewife?

2. do you really need to ask any other questions?

3. profit.

Jul 29, 15 9:41 am  · 
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rpuleo

The best is mac, I have a Mac Book Pro that I bought from 2009 and still working now with no problems.

If you have a software only available in windows,  you can always install a virtual machine of Windows and run it like this. I use a program called Parallels for this. 

mac are more expensive but in a long term they are cheaper, because the quality of its components.

 

Good luck

Jul 30, 15 4:51 am  · 
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null pointer

boy in a well is my spirit animal.

Jul 30, 15 2:28 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur
I sense more of these dumb questions will pop up soon as the end of summer rolls around.

If you're attacked to expensive shiny objects or are a slave to fashion (or both), get a Mac.

If you want the best value and performance, get a well made PC rig, preferably a tower.
Jul 30, 15 3:12 pm  · 
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BulgarBlogger

Get yourself a windows computer, buy Kaspersky antivirus an stop watching so much porn!! 

Jul 30, 15 3:54 pm  · 
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Gemarch
Thanq guys.. I might decide on it this week and I somehow feel tht I would end up buying dell precision series by looking at this discussion.

Thanks again...
Aug 7, 15 12:30 am  · 
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kbg16

Stop it. This is not even a serious question. Do not buy a pc. Buy a mac. It takes getting used to but it's way more reliable and stable than a pc. I had a 3 windows laptops and I have used my macbook air mid-2014 for adobe creative suite and rhino and I love it. PC's slow the fuck down and get full of junk so quickly you lose the use in them. Plus you have to buy antivirus. yes, macs are more expensive so pick one that will fit the job and it'll work flawlessly until you use that bitch so much it's battery capacity lower. But i'd rather have one macbook air than two brick pc's that can't perform.

Macbook air's get at least 11 hours of battery life. Get one with at least 256 gb of ssd flash memory so you can dual boot and have windows for some programs.

Aug 10, 15 5:22 am  · 
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archmpf

Congratulations, kbg16!

$100 have been added to your Revolutionary Apple(TM) Macbook(TM) iShill Account.

Seriously though, don't blame the PC for your incompetence and inability to use and maintain it. PCs just don't "slow the fuck down" by themselves unless you spend all your time on sketchy websites without adblock and install a shit-ton of software from unverified sources. Secondly, who actually buys anti-virus these days? Any free antivirus solution like Avira, Avast or Malwarebytes would perform just as well. When it comes to upgrading, you can upgrade your hard-drive and memory on a normal laptop after a few years but you cannot do that on a Mac. Intentionally getting tied down to the hardware and being at Apple's mercy is asinine as hell. Macs are expensive just because they are Macs. It's not prudent at all to spend 2x the money on something half as fast as a PC just because "mah brand value dawg", unless you're rich as hell and literally like throwing your money away. Even then, burning your money for heat during the chilly winters would serve a much better purpose than spending it on an inferior product like a Mac.

Aug 10, 15 8:19 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

KBG16 likes shiny objects.

Aug 10, 15 9:24 am  · 
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ShakeyDeal

Windows in generally unreliable.  Though, when it works its pleasant.  As long as your Mac turns on, it will work with little to no maintenance. 

Aug 11, 15 3:35 pm  · 
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bandpass

Get a PC even if you're using AutoCAD, or Rhino. The Mac counterparts aren't as useable. Also important programs like Revit and 3ds are only PC compatible.

Aug 18, 15 10:35 am  · 
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just get a gaming pc, good graphics and fast processors

Aug 18, 15 3:29 pm  · 
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alexandersnyder

Just busy buddy MacBook Air.

If you are looking for a thin and light laptop offering great performance and battery life, get a MacBook Air. Even if you need to run Windows. If you need a touchscreen, a hybrid device or you are short of funds, take a dive into the Wintel world.

Dec 2, 15 1:32 am  · 
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Anonymoose

@alexandersnyder

>Just busy buddy MacBook Air.

>busy buddy

Your innovative Apple auto-correct failed? Or is that their new "amazing" feature? Unless your only aim is to browse Facebook, you can't use a Macbook Air for any real work. Edgy and shiny but ultimately useless.

Dec 2, 15 4:54 am  · 
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archiwutm8

the air isn't gonna cut it for any heavy programs.

Dec 2, 15 5:42 am  · 
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GNUKABIN

Hey, Check this information from Cornell (2016)

and read the warning carefully

Architecture Students

LAPTOP SPECS

  • Intel i7 Quad Core processor
  • Windows 10 x64
  • 16GB of RAM
  • Dedicated video processor should be one of the following or greater: NVIDIA® Quadro® K2100M/K1100M, Nvidia Geforce 950M, AMD Radeon R9 M370X, AMD FirePro M4000 Mobility Pro
  • 500GB hard drive (SSD hard drive preferred)
  • Wireless Ethernet (at least 802.11 g/n)
  • Three-year warranty (recommended)
  • Theft and damage insurance (recommended)
  • Total estimated cost: $1,737 for the lightweight Dell Precision 15 5000, or $1,765 the heavier Dell Precision 15 7000 with the above specs. Models with high-def (retina) displays are available as an add-on for around $300 more.

WARNING: With the release of the new slim Macbook as well as the Retina Macbook Pro, AAP IT Solutions can ONLY recommend the highest end model of Macbook Pro, the 15" version with a AMD Radeon R9 M370X video card. The other models come equipped with an onboard chip that is considerably less powerful than the AMD Radeon R9 M370X, and will not work well enough with 3D software and complex models. The direct link to the only recommended Apple laptop can be found here with EDU discount. NOTE: The majority of students who purchase a Macbook Pro regret the decision. They find themselves working in the Windows side the majority of the time and are left with a non-upgradeable and slower computer (after four years) than students who purchase a more flexible, Windows-based laptop. For example, RAM cannot be replaced or upgraded in a Macbook Pro and hard drives cost a considerable amount more and are proprietary. 

May 6, 16 5:28 pm  · 
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N.TW

archmpf speaks the truth above. I have owned and built many windows PCs for 20 years without virus issues, without spending money on antivirus. Mac is a beautiful computer to be sure. But it’s more like the difference between a Mercedes and a Honda. Both will do exactly what you ask them to do. One costs a lot more because it’s sexy. 

Apr 10, 18 12:21 am  · 
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TomCrawford

There are hundreds and even thousands of discussions on which Operational System is better: Windows or Mac. And it is understandable when people don't know what to choose. There is also a rule: people who use Mac say that Mac is the best, and people with Windows - vice versa. So, let think about disadvantages and advantages. Windows is more accessible as it supports more applications, all cables for laptops are spread and universal and they are less expensive in servicing. Apple is more about security. And speaking of Autodesk, Sketchup, Rhino and so on - there are a lot of analogs instead. 

Apr 19, 18 2:27 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

I use both, mac is overrated.

Apr 19, 18 2:43 pm  · 
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urbanity

i use both, they are both overated...

Apr 19, 18 10:34 pm  · 
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alikatircioglu

As a Junior Architecture student, I use 15" MacPro with Windows BootCamp. 

I always draw on the Windows side, (Revit, Cad, SkUp), edit my drawings and prepare finish or pres. boards on Mac side.

Adobe products (Photoshop) performs better on Mac.

You can set up your hard drive like (%40-%40 and %20 Shared).

Good luck!

Apr 20, 18 8:38 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

But a Mac is shiny.

Apr 20, 18 9:43 am  · 
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alikatircioglu

But unfortunately Autodesk does not provide Revit on Mac,

Apr 20, 18 11:39 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

Stick to PC then.

Apr 20, 18 11:49 am  · 
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Dokuser

PC

Sep 29, 19 2:44 pm  · 
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N.TW

So many reasons not to buy a Mac.



Sep 29, 19 6:59 pm  · 
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