Is it true that apple computers can't run some programs that are important for engineering?

Question

Is it true that apple computers can't run some programs that are important for engineering?

Answer 1

engineers use windows.

macs are for graphics.

MIKE

Answer 2

Most of the engineering software ar3e available only on PC using windows.

Installing windows on Mac is very slow, since that's not what it is designed for.

Answer 3

They sell Norton for Macs it has an auto protect feature that will not only spot Mac virus but pc ones as well. Apple does a good job by turning off ports by default unlike Windows XP that requires that you turn off all the ports and do it yourself. You need need to how and what to turn off without breaking something :( alot of work and rebooting if you do it right. Why do you need a firewall? well for starters without one you advertise your system to attackers they can DDOS your computer with a synflood attack that will slow your Internet connection to a crawl a firewall also allows you to control what is making outbound connections to the Internet and give you a heads up.

Answer 4

Unfortunately yes

Answer 5

Boot Camp does not involve emulation at all. Windows on a Mac is just as fast as it would be on a PC. Macs use Intel processors now and thus do not require require emulation as they are essentially a PC inside. You should also look into Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion that allow you to run Windows alongside Mac OS X. These also do not involve emulation but are not quite as fast as Boot Camp because they are sharing resources between both operating systems. They are also not suitable for any 3D work as they do not support video acceleration.



Since a Mac can run Windows and OS X it allows you to select the best one for the task at hand. Another benefit to 2 operating systems is that if one should become damaged then you have the other as a temporary backup.



I also wanted to mention that Yoho's links comparing Mac vs PC performance were for the old PowerPC Macs and not the current Intel ones. Things in the Mac world have changed a lot in the last 2 years.



To sum things up, like others have said, most engineering software is not available for Macs but Windows can be installed easily and provides the same performance of a PC with the same specs. Most of the engineers I know use the fancy software in the computer labs at school and are mostly using Microsoft Office on their own laptops. And Microsoft Office is available for Mac OS X and it reads files created by Office 2003 or older on Windows.



Almost forgot, the downfall of Windows on a Mac is that you have to buy it separately as it will not come pre-installed like on a PC. This could make it more economical to buy a PC. If you are still considering a Mac even though you will need to install Windows, I would recommend joining the MacRumors.com forum to try to glean more information about Macs so that you can make a more informed decision.

Answer 6

It is true that various applications cannot be installed natively on a Mac. Perhaps most notable are the Autocad programs. These programs are often used in creating virtual 3d models of objects often later created in engineering laboratories. Additionally, various computer science-related development kits are not able to be installed on macs.



However, there is hope!



Mac computers can run all the programs Windows can by using Bootcamp. Bootcamp allows you to EMULATE Windows on your computer, meaning it isn't the same speed as running Windows natively, but typically fast enough. Since you are only emulating Windows, the chance of gaining a virus that will significantly hurt your computer is less.



Since you can run Windows on a Mac, you can run most all of the engineering programs on it too. But to echo some of the other comments - Macs are primarily used for graphic design.

Answer 7

i'm not sure about the engineering program part of the question, but i know mac is developing this thing called "Boot Camp" that eases the process of putting windows on your apple. the public beta has been around for a year or so but i think they're releasing a real version in a few months. you could try virtual pc's for mac as well, though it might be more reliable to wait for mac and use their product; it's their machine after all.

Answer 8

Don't worry about it, I have many classmates and TAs (fourth year mech) who love their macbooks. You can use boot camp to install and run Windows XP, but the simple answer to #2 in your question is no, if you're in Windows mode you can't "go on the internet" as a mac at the same time. It's either Windows or OSX, and if you want to switch to the other, you have to restart.



If you're like most engineering undergrads, most of the time your laptop will be used for instant messaging, internet, music, and typing stuff (MS Office comes in a mac version too). Really. So don't worry too much about the "engineering software", just get a laptop that you'll enjoy using and would be comfortable lugging around to group meetings for four years. Serious scientific programs come in UNIX anyway, and Mac OSX is based on UNIX.

Answer 9

Most engineering and even cad software doesn't work on mac.Over all macs are slower than pc. As for a virus get a virus scanner keep auto updates turned on. I havn't caught a virus in 10 years.



Then again are you really going to have money to buy engineering software? For the cost of say solidworks for 10% more you can buy a laptop just for it.OR if you by fluent im sure they would give you a laptop for free haha