Mac/PC for a college student?

Tell him to find out what sort of software he will be required to use in college. If he's going into sciences or anything like that, a PC would probably be better. Some graphics design programs prefer students to use macs. In most cases, either choice works equally well but there are schools that encourage people to buy one or the other. You can run Windows on a Mac, but that is an extra expense.

I'm going to be biased and say up front that I prefer PCs (because I'm not rich). Macs are generally more expensive than PCs with the same hardware. Sometimes there are PC laptops for about half the price of the higher end Macbooks with similar parts inside. As for style, I've also seen decent Macbook Pro clones (check out the HP ENVY 14, the base configuration is better than the Macbook Pro 13's http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/compute... ).

Okay, If he's just going to use it for surfing the web and writing up papers, etc.. Get a netbook they're best suited for this and very portable as well as the most affordable.

If he's going to be doing any sort of heavy video editing type classes he should definitely get a mac although pc also has great software. But mac is preferable in this area.

If he wants a desktop replacement go with the pc they're very large around 20"+ screens and have similar performance to a desktop. They're high power but not very portable because they consume the battery extremely fast. A pro for a dorm instead of an actual desktop because it doesn't take up space plus you could secure it. I've known of friends who've had roommates stealing things from them. And, Obviously the main drawl for pc is because a mac with the same performance/specs is quadruple the price.

Brands I recommend for pc would be Samsung, Asus or Dell(last choice).

Oh yeah I strongly suggest getting a matte screen because glossy screens are virtually impossible to see outdoors.

In my college English class, my term paper was why college students should get Macs and not PCs. So I think my opinion's clear.

Reasons are reliability, speed, that iWork is so much less expensive than Office, battery life and portability. I look around in college and I see more Macs than PCs. But he should get a MacBook, those are the least expensive. Plus he gets a free iPod touch, which my brother (who got that deal) loves his iPod touch, uses it for all kinds of things.

There's no real concerns about compatibility anymore. If you need to give a presentation to your class from your computer, there are adapters. And iWork is compatible with Office formats. I only had to have Windows for one computer science class, and so I used Parallels and was fine.

He can get a PC too of course, there's no question, but there's a lot of bad PCs out there, so you have to be careful. Check reviews and stuff before buying.

It depends on what his needs are, but I can say that as a PC-only person for many years, I got my first Mac--a Macbook Pro laptop--last year for college, and I love it. It took less time than I thought it would to adjust to using a Mac, and I find it to be superior for music, video, and bluetooth, in particular. For instance, I often had difficulty getting my PC to recognize my bluetooth headsets, and would have to reset them often. But the Mac simply recognizes them automatically. I wouldn't say that a Mac is better than a PC in every way, but there are some things that Macs just seem to excel at.

Also, if your cousin is going to be taking classes in certain fields such as design or drawing, some software (such as SoftImage) in those fields is only available on Macs, I think. On the other hand, my Macbook Pro has the capability of having Windows (PC) on it, too, and I used that for my computer class last year because it required a PC-only program. He could try making a list with two columns, PC and Mac, and write in the columns the things he will be doing with his computer (putting them in the column of the one reputed to be best for doing that particular item).

Another thing to consider is that Macs retain their value longer, and he can sell his Mac for almost as much as he paid for it, and upgrade next year. Plus, Apple gives college students a discount (go to their website for details) and includes a free iPod Touch this year (most years) with the purchase of a new laptop. I got one last year, and the rebate was incredibly easy. You have to pay for the iPod Touch, then apply for the rebate online (nothing to mail), and they sent me a check--easiest rebate I've ever done.

PC. Macs become such a headache during class presentations when the class is stuck sitting around doing nothing for ten minutes while the Mac user who was supposed to be making a presentation is fumbling around trying to get IT to bring over the special Mac attachment. Every single class that has a presentation, the few Mac students are always, always, always unprepared and wasting my time.

Science Major >> PC

Liberal Arts Major >> Mac

Find out what they're using at the college where you're planning to attend, and get that. When my daughter went to college, she was required to install security software which only worked on a PC. When my son went to college, he not only was required to get a PC, he had to get it "downgraded" to Windows XP (Vista was out at the time). We could tell you all sorts of things here on Yahoo! Answers, then you'll go out and discover that your school already has a mandate for a machine you didn't buy, then you'll have to go out and buy another one.

If it is just for regular school work i.e. papers get a dell if he is doing anything technical i.e. photography, videography, video editing, graphic design, ect get a mac. Mac is far more advanced technically than any windows based machine.

i used to have a pc and while there are good pcs out there, ive honestly never had one that compares to my mac. it does not get viruses and is EXTREMELY fast. i absolutely love it. the screen quality is great too and it easily does anything i need it to (it works with microsoft office and all internet providers). i can guarantee ill never go back to a pc.

both will work just fine ... except if he's into design, then get a mac.