Laptop for university

[MartinG1]

Hi I have started uni and I have a couple of laptops on my mind but not sure what to go for. My options are:

1. MacBook Air 

2. Surface laptop 4 or 5

3. Framework

4. Other 

 

The other option is like Dell, Lenovo Yoga, or HP laptops. My degree is mechanical engineering so I’m most likely gonna use a bit of SolidWorks or some other software however I do have a desktop so that can do the heavy lifting mostly if needed. Im looking for mainly 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
 

If someone just says just to get a mac I am not 100% sold on it as it’s a different OS (I have used it a bit mostly just web browsing and a bit of coding) plus not sure if I would be able to get all the applications I would want. And I want to see if there is anything that could come close to a Mac that I could get.
 

The surface laptop in my opinion looks great that is one of the main reasons I want it and also it’s thin (Ik macs are also thin). Budget is around 2k AUD 

 

I did look at the framework laptop as it was interesting and I would say that it can also be an option as something I could buy but not sure on it.

 

Can someone help plz

Thanks 

[Blqckqut]

5 minutes ago, MartinG1 said:

Hi I have started uni and I have a couple of laptops on my mind but not sure what to go for. My options are:

1. MacBook Air 

2. Surface laptop 4 or 5

3. Framework

4. Other 

 

The other option is like Dell, Lenovo Yoga, or HP laptops. My degree is mechanical engineering so I’m most likely gonna use a bit of SolidWorks or some other software however I do have a desktop so that can do the heavy lifting mostly if needed. Im looking for mainly 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
 

If someone just says just to get a mac I am not 100% sold on it as it’s a different OS (I have used it a bit mostly just web browsing and a bit of coding) plus not sure if I would be able to get all the applications I would want. And I want to see if there is anything that could come close to a Mac that I could get.
 

The surface laptop in my opinion looks great that is one of the main reasons I want it and also it’s thin (Ik macs are also thin). Budget is around 2k AUD 

 

I did look at the framework laptop as it was interesting and I would say that it can also be an option as something I could buy but not sure on it.

 

Can someone help plz

Thanks 

surface so you can stick to the same os

mac is a bit meh and overpriced imo, ive used it, but still cant get used to the ui

[mononymous]

59 minutes ago, MartinG1 said:

Hi I have started uni and I have a couple of laptops on my mind but not sure what to go for. My options are:

1. MacBook Air 

2. Surface laptop 4 or 5

3. Framework

4. Other 

 

The other option is like Dell, Lenovo Yoga, or HP laptops. My degree is mechanical engineering so I’m most likely gonna use a bit of SolidWorks or some other software however I do have a desktop so that can do the heavy lifting mostly if needed. Im looking for mainly 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
 

If someone just says just to get a mac I am not 100% sold on it as it’s a different OS (I have used it a bit mostly just web browsing and a bit of coding) plus not sure if I would be able to get all the applications I would want. And I want to see if there is anything that could come close to a Mac that I could get.
 

The surface laptop in my opinion looks great that is one of the main reasons I want it and also it’s thin (Ik macs are also thin). Budget is around 2k AUD 

 

I did look at the framework laptop as it was interesting and I would say that it can also be an option as something I could buy but not sure on it.

 

Can someone help plz

Thanks 

a) What does your eng course / faculty recommend for a laptop?

 

b) You'd still need a VM to run solidworks on a mac. The majority of CAD software out there are Windows specific. 

 

c) I would dig into how support is like with the respective manufacturers specific to your region/country. Things like availability of  replacement parts, availability of drivers, support staff would vary with region. 

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, MartinG1 said:

Hi I have started uni and I have a couple of laptops on my mind but not sure what to go for. My options are:

1. MacBook Air 

2. Surface laptop 4 or 5

3. Framework

4. Other 

 

The other option is like Dell, Lenovo Yoga, or HP laptops. My degree is mechanical engineering so I’m most likely gonna use a bit of SolidWorks or some other software however I do have a desktop so that can do the heavy lifting mostly if needed. Im looking for mainly 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
 

If someone just says just to get a mac I am not 100% sold on it as it’s a different OS (I have used it a bit mostly just web browsing and a bit of coding) plus not sure if I would be able to get all the applications I would want. And I want to see if there is anything that could come close to a Mac that I could get.
 

The surface laptop in my opinion looks great that is one of the main reasons I want it and also it’s thin (Ik macs are also thin). Budget is around 2k AUD 

 

I did look at the framework laptop as it was interesting and I would say that it can also be an option as something I could buy but not sure on it.

 

Can someone help plz

Thanks 

The general rule for university: check what your classes require. In mechanical engineering, you'll probably need a Windows system and might need a dedicated GPU.

 

If you do need a dedicated GPU, that rules out the Framework and Surface Laptop models as well. As it is, I wouldn't get a Framework for university as you might not get quick repairs if the system breaks. The company needs some time to build a more robust support network.

 

I'd be tempted to point you to either a Lenovo Legion 5/7 or a Dell XPS 15 (with a GPU). Maybe the latest ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, if that's within your budget. You want something with a decent-sized screen and enough performance that you won't have to replace it before you've finished your degree.

[MartinG1]

12 hours ago, Commodus said:

The general rule for university: check what your classes require. In mechanical engineering, you'll probably need a Windows system and might need a dedicated GPU.

 

If you do need a dedicated GPU, that rules out the Framework and Surface Laptop models as well. As it is, I wouldn't get a Framework for university as you might not get quick repairs if the system breaks. The company needs some time to build a more robust support network.

 

I'd be tempted to point you to either a Lenovo Legion 5/7 or a Dell XPS 15 (with a GPU). Maybe the latest ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, if that's within your budget. You want something with a decent-sized screen and enough performance that you won't have to replace it before you've finished your degree.

Thanks for the reply 

it does not look like I need a dedicated GPU, with that said would u still stick to the same recommendations?

 

I checked out the laptops u suggested and out of the three only the Dell XPS 15 would be the best however it is quite expensive so do u think the XPS 13 is good. If so then my options are the:

XPS 13

or

Surface laptop (another comment said I should get this)

 

[ThatGuyJupe]

15 hours ago, MartinG1 said:

Hi I have started uni and I have a couple of laptops on my mind but not sure what to go for. My options are:

1. MacBook Air 

2. Surface laptop 4 or 5

3. Framework

4. Other 

 

The other option is like Dell, Lenovo Yoga, or HP laptops. My degree is mechanical engineering so I’m most likely gonna use a bit of SolidWorks or some other software however I do have a desktop so that can do the heavy lifting mostly if needed. Im looking for mainly 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
 

If someone just says just to get a mac I am not 100% sold on it as it’s a different OS (I have used it a bit mostly just web browsing and a bit of coding) plus not sure if I would be able to get all the applications I would want. And I want to see if there is anything that could come close to a Mac that I could get.
 

The surface laptop in my opinion looks great that is one of the main reasons I want it and also it’s thin (Ik macs are also thin). Budget is around 2k AUD 

 

I did look at the framework laptop as it was interesting and I would say that it can also be an option as something I could buy but not sure on it.

 

Can someone help plz

Thanks 

With what you've provided, I think a surface laptop is the best way to go for you. If it were me, I'd get a Mac, but if you would prefer windows but want something alike to a Mac, I think the surface could give you that feel. However, if your only concern about a Mac is the OS, I wouldn't be to worried. It isn't to hard to navigate, and I've personally found it easier to do things more efficiently on my Mac than my windows laptop. As for apps not running, you'd have to look into a software such as parallels which is a paid emulator to run windows. I have had my own issues of apps such as those from Autodesk not being able to run.

[Commodus]

9 hours ago, MartinG1 said:

Thanks for the reply 

it does not look like I need a dedicated GPU, with that said would u still stick to the same recommendations?

 

I checked out the laptops u suggested and out of the three only the Dell XPS 15 would be the best however it is quite expensive so do u think the XPS 13 is good. If so then my options are the:

XPS 13

or

Surface laptop (another comment said I should get this)

 

It's a tough call. I prefer the XPS 13 design and the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, but the Surface has USB-A (helpful if you still use legacy peripherals), and a higher-res touch display. Dell will have better after-sale support, so that may be worth considering if you want a quick turnaround for fixes.