Buying a MB Air for college student

Forgive me if this post sounds hopelessly dumb, but I'm not the most computer savvy person out there. My daughter is starting college in the fall and I've been looking for a computer to buy her. We both like the MacBook Air 13, but she doesn't like the Mac OS. I know that Macs can run windows applications with bootcamp and virtualization software. However, it doesn't make any sense to me to buy a Mac if you don't intend to use it's OS. Has anyone here bought a Mac with the intention of running windows? How do you like it? Thanks, Angie

Welcome to Mac-Forums..

A lot of Mac users use Windows through Boot camp or virtualization software as you suggest and a lot of people actually claim that a Mac is quite a good computer to run Windows on.

However, if that Mac is never going to run Mac OS, then you aren't taking advantage of what is a Mac's greatest strength.

The downside of this is that you are spending a LOT of money to primarily run Windows, you could get a decent PC that fits your daughter's need at college and will run Windows without any problems..

Another aspect to look at is what applications your daughter will need while at college studying her chosen field. Some of them may only have applications available for Windows and so on..

yumareef said:

We both like the MacBook Air 13, but she doesn't like the Mac OS.

However, it doesn't make any sense to me to buy a Mac if you don't intend to use it's OS.

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I agree. There's really not much point in purchasing a Macintosh computer if it's not going to run the Mac OS. Just purchase a Windows based laptop.

- Nick

Thanks for the replies. I think she would like the OS if she gave it a chance, but she's used to windows so that's what we'll get.

yumareef said:

Thanks for the replies. I think she would like the OS if she gave it a chance, but she's used to windows so that's what we'll get.

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Some folks say that older people can be inflexible. But many younger folks can be as well!

- Nick

With a person open to change and exploration, trying to get them to try out and convert to Mac OS is one thing, but for an unwilling person it can be quite hard.

Additionally, switching OS' (regardless of which direction you're going) comes with a learning curve that some aren't willing to overcome and that just leads to a frustrating experience and a lose-lose situation all around..

My wife has wanted to get a Mac to replace her ill behaving Dell laptop with Windows 7, but the few times that she's used my iMac she's been lost and she knows Windows in & out both professionally and personally..so switching is a big thing for her and she hasn't pulled the trigger yet..but if her laptop keeps going the way it is, she might end up throwing it out the Windows and switch in frustration..