should I buy an iMac?

[gabo864]

So I’m about to start school. I’m going to school for IT and most of my classes will be online. I already have a MacBook, but it’s an older one and I have a very old iMac that needs to be replaced. I’m wanting to buy a new iMac for school, but I’m not 100% sure what will be required for my classes. Do you think an iMac is a good computer if I’m studying IT? Or should I get a PC?

I would prefer an iMac since everything I own and I’ve ever used is from Apple.

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

Honestly IT is a very wide field - it really depends on what you're studying within IT.

With that said, the iMac right now... it's not a bad computer, but it is a very expensive computer and it'll quickly be replaced by a new Apple Silicon / M1(x?) model. It also isn't very upgradeable. If you are a tinkerer you could build a much better computer for less money with much better upgrade paths in the future.

What you want really depends on what you're doing but personally I'd be leaning towards getting a desktop PC and keeping the MacBook for when you need portability.

But again, IT is a wide field. Are you developing iOS apps? Then you need a Mac. Also, a lot of web and mobile developers use Macs though this is gradually shifting over to PCs. On the other hand, I'm developing web apps and I'm finding Windows + HyperV are downright excellent for virtualising the various Linux environments that I need, and WSL2 is genuinely excellent.

Also if you are going into the corporate IT side of things (i.e. Active Directory and so on) you'll definitely be much better served by a PC with Windows.

I used to use an iMac, but I switched to a PC that I built and honestly you couldn't pay me to go back. The iMac has a wonderful screen and macOS is a nice OS but in 2021 so is Windows 10. My PC is genuinely rock solid and the performance is insane. At the same time, I still really, really like my MacBook Pro.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

The best approach would be to ask your school not anonymous commenters on a Mac-focused Q&A forum.

If a bunch of your courses require PC-based applications, well then buying an iMac doesn't seem like such a wise move, wouldn't you say?

Use the right tool for the right job. We're not the ones who determine what you need to do with your computer at your school.

Ask your school.

 

[Allyance]

If you are planning to get into IT support for any business or corporate entity, you are going to need Windows/PC experience. A majority of business networks are Windows/PC based as are their servers. I had my own small computer business for years, I sold and support PC for small offices and they were 100% Windows. It wasn't till I retired that I got an iMac. I still have my Dell laptop, but rarely use it. Since you have two macs, I would get a reasonably price PC (new or used) to learn the Windows structure and have something that is compatible with your school. I found that over the years it was a combination learning about Windows and AutoCad in user groups, then applying it in my work. I was self taught, because the certifications were very expensive and I didn't have the potential for recouping the investment.

 

[Juicy Box]

You should wait until school starts then find out what computer to get.

If you don't want to wait, look into getting a PC.

It totally depends on what you will be doing in school, I wouldn't buy a brand new Mac to use in school for IT.

If I already had a Mac, then I would use that, but Mac is only a small part of IT, and I wouldn't do a big investment in a Mac for school with not knowing what the instructors suggest.

They will most likely suggest using a PC as well.

 

[Fred Zed]

Ask yourself this question, will the MacBook always be tied to a desk? If so, get an iMac.

 

[LeeW]

I’m going to school for IT

To be honest you have failed at the 1st hurdle if you don't know the focus of the course which tells you the best-suited machine.

I mean if by IT you mean networking and the like then I can't imagine any course will benefit from a Mac over a PC as most courses focus on the most widely used and therefore examples will be heavily weighted towards using a PC.

Just not enough information.