jshaver@apg-5.arpa (STEEP-TMAC 879-7602) (09/01/87)
A friend's son is going to an engineering school this fall. Which personal computer should he buy? MacIntosh or IBM-Series?
Gerald_Bodzin.henr801E@Xerox.COM (09/02/87)
Your question is the wrong one to ask. First you must determine what the student will be using the computer for. Then you prioritize the uses and determine the best program(s) for each use. Then you find which computer will cover your needs best. If you can afford it, you buy. The needs of an art major will differ from the needs of a physics major. All students can use a word processor. Other programs/features depend on the course of study. These include spreadsheets, data base, graphics, communications, and many others. There may also be considerations relating to the 'footprint' of the machine, its portability, its compatibility with other computer resources at the school, price, and the machine's future (Is the machine to be used after graduation?) To predetermine that the choice is limited to Mac or Clone is skipping too many steps. If you have overriding considerations forcing the limited choice, however, answer the questions anyway, and ignore anything except the two finalists. Then you will know that you made the best choice. No-one but the user can answer these questions.