The ‘Mac or Windows’ kind of debates may go on forever. Yet, many advantages of Macs are barely possible to deny:
- quality casing materials protecting the machine from an impact
- high performance due to many cores
- long battery lifespan (both per charge and in total)
- use of materials that reduce the environmental impact (recycled, PVC-free, and so on)
- highly intuitive interface
Of course, it doesn’t mean that other computers are bad at everything, or most things, listed above. There are a lot of decent models that can easily substitute Macs. But the key question is: what do you actually need a computer for?
Many people consider Apple products overpriced even after using them and don’t see a significant difference between them and other brands. Yet, before evaluating them, one should explore their full potential. Macs cost a lot, and buying them when you barely use any complex software is mostly senseless.
It is an especially sensitive matter for students who try to make the ends meet. And if a student needs a laptop to write academic papers, use Google, and play some low-maintenance games, buying a MacBook will just drain their budget. In addition, these days, students often use dissertation writing help, so all they might need a computer for is watching Netflix. However, for some majors, buying a Mac once and for all is the best option. Here they are.
Video Editing
Media files are not really a piece of cake for CPU and RAM. Whatever your old computer may have been good for before, if you deal with video editing, sooner or later, the device won’t take it anymore. The world of technology is an ever-changing environment. There are new releases, new software and hardware, better cameras, and so on. So, keep ahead of the game. The best way to do it is to get yourself a device with enough internal storage and in which software and hardware interact smoothly, thus guaranteeing stable performance, and that is a MacBook.
Design
Displays offered by Apple are one of the first things any designer would think of when being asked ‘why Mac?’. The device renders colors much more accurately due to the Retina technology. The latter also allows one to fit more content on one screen than usual since the image quality doesn’t degrade that evidently.
In new Macs, there is an option to connect to multiple displays, which is essential for those who work with visual content that needs to be thoroughly examined and compared. And, of course, the number of cores matters. You will most probably work in several programs at once and wouldn’t like the content to load for ages, so a Mac model will be your best friend.
Software Engineering
Writing code itself doesn’t take up many resources. However, when it comes to testing, debugging, and optimizing it, a regular laptop is not a way out. The necessity of purchasing a Mac becomes evident when you go beyond completing trivial homework assignments.
Imagine you need to check whether this or that frontend bug is still there. Two small changes in the code made within several seconds may take 30 seconds to reload everything if you choose an average laptop.
In serious projects with a complex structure, you are going to need a resilient laptop that will refresh the code and interface fast as well as let the bundler work smoothly. Otherwise, it may show you that the bug is still there and you’ll just spend hours on fixing the problem that doesn’t exist anymore. For this major, however, you may also consider a Linux laptop to have more freedom with the file system, software distro, and many more.
Photography
Storing a huge number of visuals requires serious internal storage, and Macs can provide you with that. The best models out there have several terabytes in store for you. For example, in the case of the M1 MacBook Pro 16/14 inch (M1 Pro/Max), it’s up to 8TB. Due to the high performance and fast rendering, you won’t have issues when loading a whole photoset to pick out the best photos.
Macs are easily portable, which is extremely important for traveling photographers. One can barely get tired of carrying one anywhere since Macs are also lightweight. Finally, working with photos presupposes sifting through many shots, choosing those with better light and colors, and editing them. As mentioned above, the range of colors on Mac displays is one of the biggest advantages of the brand.
Data Science/Analytics or Statistics
Here, you don’t get to work with visuals much, but you need to use numerous software programs. Sometimes, you are going to need several of them running at the same time, and you won’t be pleased when a bunch of data in SPSS overloads your computer so much that it will operate at a snail’s speed.
Besides, statistical analysis has become a widespread thing in research papers in other majors. Master and Ph.D. students are often tasked to perform a statistical analysis using SPSS or a qualitative one with the help of software like NVivo. So, before purchasing a new device, you may also ask your teachers about the nature of future assignments and whether those will require the use of software. And if they will, you know what brand to choose.
Takeaway
To sum up, you might need to purchase a Mac for almost any major where you need to use software and visuals. If you’re seeking to obtain a degree in the creative industry, there is a 99% probability that a Mac is the best option here. Also, every student who needs to study on the move can rely on it due to its good battery and light weight. Apple products are pricey, for sure, but isn’t it better to invest in your career from the very start?