University life has always been important to ensure that the experience will be and without problems to the student. Essays and papers are apart of that experience with the class workload and with the dependability and ease-of-access of technology it has always been tempting to grab a computer to help with classes, specifically a MacBook.
Apple has always been at the top of the game when it comes to user experience on Mac OS. Utility, compatibility and seamless use has always been Apples strong suit when it comes to their computers. College students always want to find something easier to make their lives a little bit easier, the MacBook has always been that solution when it comes to doing coursework. Over the years MacBooks have only been getting faster, smarter and easier to use but at a cost. Having a computer is imperative to have when in college as it becomes an important tool for a college students life during class.
“I always have my MacBook with me in class, you never know when you’ll need it.”
Says this college student when asked if a MacBook is important for college. Apple has always been the preferred product for most people let alone college students.
It’s user experience is unparalleled to a Windows pc with its seamless user experience and operating system a long with compatibility for most software makes a MacBook the perfect choice for the power user who needs a machine for serious work or creativity or the normal college student who needs it for their papers and homework.
But what about the normal college student? The living paycheck to paycheck full-time college student who needs a computer like a MacBook but isn’t sure if it’s necessary to spend the Apple premium for the amount of workload they would be doing. With inflation at an all-time high and the cost of living increasing, spending around $1000 for a computer may be out of reach for most people.
When a student is considering purchasing a new computer, most of the time people will default to just trying to get a MacBook without considering what they will actually use it for and if there is any cheaper alternative. With the world of Windows pc’s that are everywhere, there is an endless amount of options available to fit anybody’s need for a Windows computer. Apple has always kept their devices to a closed ecosystem with other Apple devices to keep standards high and for the end user to be locked into their device with no room for upgradability. Windows machines have always been for the end user and for them to be able to customize to fit their needs.
“Windows pc’s are everywhere and everyone usually knows how to use one to some degree”
Says someone who works at reception, Windows have cornered the market with the ability to provide upgradability with their machines since Windows was devised. Today, Window’s computers are in every home, office or restaurant and operating servers around the world. With Windows laptops, most manufacturers are able to design and create specific computers for people’s needs and from a wide price range. Windows laptops can range from $250 all the way to $2500 with different varieties of components that exist that offer different abilities with better performance that can extend the lifetime a PC will have. College students are at the heel of this wide range of windows laptops from the cheaper options that can do the same things a MacBook can offer.
At the end of the day, a MacBook is a computer, it’s job is to compute input from human interaction, the difference between a Mac to a PC is how it is packaged as a product. Apple has always been keen on providing the best and highest quality for their products to provide the best experience for the user. Whereas Windows computers are seen as tools for use and manufactures and brands will vary on how their product is packaged and viewed by their customers depending on price.
Windows computers will always be the most obvious and easy option if choosing price over performance is more important and can work around possible issues that may occur but comes with the added reassurance of being able to fix or upgrade later down the road. With Apple, it seems to offer different options and mainly focused on the power user who needs the most performance and quality at the cost of well, price but also lacking in any upgradability for the end user to do in the future.
It is possible that people simply want an MacBook more because of the notoriety of the brand that is carried with the logo and others want a computer to make their college life and experience easier. The biggest problem, with the shortage of computer components and manufacturing becoming more expensive due to high demand and covid restrictions, is the price to pay regardless for what a college student will need one for. MacBooks are beautiful machines but with the premium one would pay for an Apple product, makes buying one not a financially viable for most people.
Computers have only gotten more engrained to our society and college campuses as we depend on them more and more to help with daily tasks. College students want solutions for their problems, when it comes to picking a computer, the nicest is not always the answer. The value of a computer depends on how one will use one to their own benefit, not the status the brand carries or the quality of the materials used.
Is price over performance an important factor for a college student or more status over price?
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