In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way schools across the entire country operated. With classrooms being shut down, assignments had to be moved online and suddenly millions of students relied on technology for their education. This change was already beginning, however the pandemic accelerated it. Districts across the country moved to check out Chromebooks to students, and teachers began redesigning their lesson plans to adapt to the new technological based teaching. For the first time having good and reliable computers became more important than they ever had in academics. This shift brought many more customers into the technology industry and as more people began to shop for laptops the question became which one would be better: a traditional PC or an Apple MacBook.
It is not a two-dimensional question. There are many different strengths and weaknesses in both devices. In this world where technology is more important than ever in education, understanding the pros and cons of each device may help students make a more informed decision.
MacBooks are known for their sleek, lightweight design and long-lasting battery life. This is also what students notice most. Horizon High School sophomore Dashel Van Acker shared his thoughts, “I would say the battery life. They’re fast, efficient, and reliable.” This opinion appears to be common amongst online users. In a survey on Quora, many MacBook owners agreed that the battery life on MacBook devices are a massive selling point for them. According to a pros and cons article from Micron Crucial, “Apple Max pioneered the ultra portable design and sleek style of modern laptops.” Online users also appreciated the simplicity of Apple’s interface, especially compared to Windows laptops which have oftentimes been criticized for their complicated to understand user interface.
Windows laptops offer something Apple does not offer easily, the advantage of choice. There are hundreds of different models, some are very expensive high quality laptops, but others are budget friendly laptops that still operate relatively well. A traditional laptop can also be very easily upgraded with different parts that can be purchased online. While you can upgrade your MacBook it cannot be done nearly as easily as a Windows laptop.
However, possibly the greatest area of contention and what prevents many people from purchasing a Macbook is price. Van Acker states, “For how expensive they are they should probably be a touch screen,” Many online Quora users would agree that MacBooks being priced so highly is likely why many people remain with more traditional laptops.
In the classroom, a lot of the decision relies more on what the school needs and less on the specifics of a device. MacBooks offer a fast portable and reliable experience with battery life that can last a full day with many different apps and programs that can be helpful from some classes, however price is still the biggest contention point and especially since it can be rather difficult at times to repair such expensive devices for a classroom. Horizon High School freshman student William Canedo Quiroz believed a possible disadvantage of having a non-school issued computer is the fact that it is likely that cheating could become more prominent and a larger issue than it already is. Windows laptops do have their own strengths like they’re affordability and wide variety of options.
However at this point in time it seems that Chromebooks currently used by our district just work better than any other alternative. They’re cheap, easy to repair, cloud-based, and since many students have been using them since elementary school they have a comfortability factor to them. Well yes ultimately there are pros to both MacBooks and Windows laptops but for an academic setting it does seem that Chromebooks may just be better suited to fit every priority.
In the end it’ll always be up to the user, to weigh the pros and cons and decide which device can best support their learning.
