Thinkpad or MacBook which one to pick?

Van · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

I’m trying to decide between getting a MacBook or a Thinkpad for my studies. I’m starting a science degree and will focus on physics later. I’ll definitely be doing some coding in Python and maybe Matlab. Other than that, it’s mostly normal student tasks like looking at notes, documents, and doing research. I’ve ruled out gaming laptops because I already have a desktop at home and I don’t want distractions.

The course site just says to avoid Chromebooks. They mention that if you can’t run certain software, they’ll provide computers at school.

Even so, I want to get a solid laptop that will last me several years. Should I go with a MacBook or a Thinkpad?

I have an iPhone and iPad with the Apple Pencil for notes, so a MacBook would fit in with those, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about ThinkPads too—they’re known to be very durable.

I’ve saved enough and I want the best laptop I can afford. If I go for a Mac, I’m looking at the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, 512GB or 1TB SSD. On the Thinkpad side, I’m not sure what model to get. Given the price, which one would be better?

My gut says Mac, but I want to make sure I’m considering all the options before I make the purchase.

Edit: I meant to say MacBook Air M3 or the MacBook Pro with M3 chip.

Piper · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

Both should do the job. The Mac will probably have better battery life, and all the software you need should run on it. The way it works with iPads and iPhones is really nice too—I used it a lot when studying. You can access your notes across all your devices, which I found very helpful.
ThinkPads are tougher, especially depending on the series. But they can also get expensive, especially without a sale.
In terms of upgrading, most ThinkPads will only let you upgrade the SSD. Macs have a better screen, speakers, and probably better performance, plus a 120Hz display.

Tilden · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

Programming tends to be smoother on Windows because there’s better support for different apps and languages. With a ThinkPad, you could even install a Linux system if you want.

MacBooks are great for everyday use and are very portable. Since you’re already using Apple products, I get why you’d want to stick with it.

Have you thought about getting a used MacBook? Something like an M1 or M2 Air would still be a good option without breaking the bank.

Bin · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

Go with a ThinkPad or something else that runs Windows. Some professional software just won’t work on macOS.

Orin · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

Bin said:
Go with a ThinkPad or something else that runs Windows. Some professional software just won’t work on macOS.

Like what? I use both Windows and macOS, and I’m a Flutter developer. Everything I need runs on macOS.

Bin · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

Orin said:

Bin said:
Go with a ThinkPad or something else that runs Windows. Some professional software just won’t work on macOS.

Like what? I use both Windows and macOS, and I’m a Flutter developer. Everything I need runs on macOS.

Aspen Plus, for example.

Zeke · October 9, 2024, 7:48pm

Go with the ThinkPad.

Van · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

Zeke said:
Go with the ThinkPad.

Why do you say that, even though I have an iPad that would work better with a Mac?

Zeke · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

Van said:

Zeke said:
Go with the ThinkPad.

Why do you say that, even though I have an iPad that would work better with a Mac?

Why wouldn’t it work well with a ThinkPad?

Windows devices can handle more types of work and, funny enough, can even run macOS. Plus, they’re more powerful for the price.

Shea · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

MacBook Air M3. Plenty powerful for my coding and data work.

Sky · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

Van said:
I’m trying to decide between getting a MacBook or a Thinkpad for my studies. I’m starting a science degree and will focus on physics later. I’ll definitely be doing some coding in Python and maybe Matlab. Other than that, it’s mostly normal student tasks like looking at notes, documents, and doing research. I’ve ruled out gaming laptops because I already have a desktop at home and I don’t want distractions.

The course site just says to avoid Chromebooks. They mention that if you can’t run certain software, they’ll provide computers at school.

Even so, I want to get a solid laptop that will last me several years. Should I go with a MacBook or a Thinkpad?

I have an iPhone and iPad with the Apple Pencil for notes, so a MacBook would fit in with those, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about ThinkPads too—they’re known to be very durable.

I’ve saved enough and I want the best laptop I can afford. If I go for a Mac, I’m looking at the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, 512GB or 1TB SSD. On the Thinkpad side, I’m not sure what model to get. Given the price, which one would be better?

My gut says Mac, but I want to make sure I’m considering all the options before I make the purchase.

Edit: I meant to say MacBook Air M3 or the MacBook Pro with M3 chip.

If you like a simple interface and care about how your laptop looks, go for a MacBook. macOS is stable and works well for Python programming. Both macOS and Windows will work fine with Python and Matlab, so you’re good either way.

Ren · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

Van said:
I’m trying to decide between getting a MacBook or a Thinkpad for my studies. I’m starting a science degree and will focus on physics later. I’ll definitely be doing some coding in Python and maybe Matlab. Other than that, it’s mostly normal student tasks like looking at notes, documents, and doing research. I’ve ruled out gaming laptops because I already have a desktop at home and I don’t want distractions.

The course site just says to avoid Chromebooks. They mention that if you can’t run certain software, they’ll provide computers at school.

Even so, I want to get a solid laptop that will last me several years. Should I go with a MacBook or a Thinkpad?

I have an iPhone and iPad with the Apple Pencil for notes, so a MacBook would fit in with those, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about ThinkPads too—they’re known to be very durable.

I’ve saved enough and I want the best laptop I can afford. If I go for a Mac, I’m looking at the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, 512GB or 1TB SSD. On the Thinkpad side, I’m not sure what model to get. Given the price, which one would be better?

My gut says Mac, but I want to make sure I’m considering all the options before I make the purchase.

Edit: I meant to say MacBook Air M3 or the MacBook Pro with M3 chip.

If you’re not making Mac or iOS apps, or using Mac-specific software, you don’t need Apple hardware for work or school. Actually, scientific apps run better on Windows, because many still use Rosetta on macOS with Apple Silicon. Plus, macOS is a bit slower because of how it’s built.

Windows has more software options too, so I don’t see why you’d limit yourself with macOS. When I was a CS student, I used a Windows laptop with dual boot and loved it.

Now that I develop iOS apps, I have to use a MacBook, but otherwise I wouldn’t.

Derry · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

Van said:
I’m trying to decide between getting a MacBook or a Thinkpad for my studies. I’m starting a science degree and will focus on physics later. I’ll definitely be doing some coding in Python and maybe Matlab. Other than that, it’s mostly normal student tasks like looking at notes, documents, and doing research. I’ve ruled out gaming laptops because I already have a desktop at home and I don’t want distractions.

The course site just says to avoid Chromebooks. They mention that if you can’t run certain software, they’ll provide computers at school.

Even so, I want to get a solid laptop that will last me several years. Should I go with a MacBook or a Thinkpad?

I have an iPhone and iPad with the Apple Pencil for notes, so a MacBook would fit in with those, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about ThinkPads too—they’re known to be very durable.

I’ve saved enough and I want the best laptop I can afford. If I go for a Mac, I’m looking at the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, 512GB or 1TB SSD. On the Thinkpad side, I’m not sure what model to get. Given the price, which one would be better?

My gut says Mac, but I want to make sure I’m considering all the options before I make the purchase.

Edit: I meant to say MacBook Air M3 or the MacBook Pro with M3 chip.

It’s really about what you like.

For your needs, either macOS or Windows will be fine. Neither is better than the other.

ThinkPads are easier to repair and more reliable. You can upgrade the RAM and SSD on most models.

Macs, on the other hand, are hard to fix yourself, and you can’t upgrade them. But they have amazing battery life, and even the Air models are powerful.

If you go with a Mac, the Air will be enough for school and will work well with your iPad and iPhone.

Personally, I’d go for a 13- or 14-inch ThinkPad for the upgrades and reliability.

Luca · October 9, 2024, 7:49pm

Van said:
I’m trying to decide between getting a MacBook or a Thinkpad for my studies. I’m starting a science degree and will focus on physics later. I’ll definitely be doing some coding in Python and maybe Matlab. Other than that, it’s mostly normal student tasks like looking at notes, documents, and doing research. I’ve ruled out gaming laptops because I already have a desktop at home and I don’t want distractions.

The course site just says to avoid Chromebooks. They mention that if you can’t run certain software, they’ll provide computers at school.

Even so, I want to get a solid laptop that will last me several years. Should I go with a MacBook or a Thinkpad?

I have an iPhone and iPad with the Apple Pencil for notes, so a MacBook would fit in with those, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about ThinkPads too—they’re known to be very durable.

I’ve saved enough and I want the best laptop I can afford. If I go for a Mac, I’m looking at the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, 512GB or 1TB SSD. On the Thinkpad side, I’m not sure what model to get. Given the price, which one would be better?

My gut says Mac, but I want to make sure I’m considering all the options before I make the purchase.

Edit: I meant to say MacBook Air M3 or the MacBook Pro with M3 chip.

I used ThinkPads for almost 20 years, but I recently switched from a 2021 X1 Carbon to a 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2, and I love it. I still use the ThinkPad at home, but I take the MacBook everywhere else. Here’s what I think: It depends on how you work.

I tried MacBooks a few times in the past (2010, 2019, and 2021), but I didn’t stick with them because of how I worked. I used to do a lot of heavy Microsoft Word and Excel work, and ThinkPads were perfect for that. The keyboard is great, and the trackpoint (that little red pointer) meant I didn’t have to take my hands off the keyboard while working on spreadsheets. Microsoft Office on Mac was terrible in 2010, and it’s still not as good as the Windows version.

Now I don’t do that kind of work anymore. I mostly use my laptop for browsing, reading, highlighting PDFs, and taking notes. Like you, I also have an iPhone and an iPad with a pencil. In this case, the Apple silicon MacBook is far better. No contest. Here’s why:

The battery life is incredible. I’ve never had a laptop that lasts this long. Most days, I don’t even need to charge it.
The way it works with my iPhone and iPad is just too convenient. For example, I can open a PDF on my Mac, use the pencil on the iPad to highlight or write on it, then save or send the marked-up PDF from the Mac instantly. Or I can write something on the Mac and add a picture from my phone in no time.

I don’t know anything about programming, so I can’t help you there. But since you mentioned you’ll be using it for viewing and taking notes, I hope my experience helps you decide.