Macbook pro for I.T course ?

wozzizname · 21 Sep 2007 at 16:36

I'm just starting an I.T degree at Kent and am wondering if I may have any problems using a Macbook Pro, as we'll be doing VB.net stuff in the first year. Will installing XP using bootcamp or Parallels enable me to use the Mac exactly as if it was a PC for programming purposes ?
I like Macs and would prefer to use one, but I don't want to cause extra aggro for myself if a PC would be much simpler.

J1234 · 21 Sep 2007 at 16:39

wozzizname said:
I'm just starting an I.T degree at Kent and am wondering if I may have any problems using a Macbook Pro, as we'll be doing VB.net stuff in the first year. Will installing XP using bootcamp or Parallels enable me to use the Mac exactly as if it was a PC for programming purposes ?
I like Macs and would prefer to use one, but I don't want to cause extra aggro for myself if a PC would be much simpler.

It certainly will.

When booting up you will have the choice of booting into Windows or OS X, using bootcamp.

theheyes · 21 Sep 2007 at 17:27

They make very good "PCs" in their own right. The only issue is, being a poor student (excuse my sweeping generalisation), is it really worth getting a MacBook Pro? You'll spend most of your time in Windows doing the same kind of stuff a £300 laptop will do.

wozzizname · 21 Sep 2007 at 19:34

theheyes said:
They make very good "PCs" in their own right. The only issue is, being a poor student (excuse my sweeping generalisation), is it really worth getting a MacBook Pro? You'll spend most of your time in Windows doing the same kind of stuff a £300 laptop will do.

Luckily I'm a mature student who's taken a redundancy package to enable me to go to Uni, so I don't resent paying up for a macbook pro (with HE discount) if it'll do everything I need - I just wanted to make sure that I won't be disadvantaged on those parts of the course where I have to use windows - wherever possible I'll use OSX.

theheyes · 21 Sep 2007 at 21:13

In that case, go for it. It will do everything exactly the same as a pc would. The only "problems" you might run into are using the one-button tracker pad (if you've never used a Mac laptop before, resting two fingers on the touchpad and clicking == right click) and working out where some buttons are on the keyboard. I couldn't find the # symbol in OS X for a while which was annoying for coding. (alt + 3 btw

)

Have fun with your MBP.