for computer science degrees, a Mac would be a significant inconvenience.
If you work with today's professional Cisco routers and switches, you're going to want Windows and yes... RS-232 serial ports.
Even on the PC laptops, we still end up using a USB to RS-232 adapter. But on desktops, we can add standard serial ports.
Typically you can administer the routers and switches through a terminal program. Which you can find on any computer ever made.
But, in the Cisco Academy structure (which is what most universities utilize), the software necessary to perform the assignments is predominantly Windows.
The lessons in the other complimentary courses tied to the degree program also require Windows.
And a VM isn't going to cut it in many cases because you'll be managing VM's. And running VM's on a VM isn't going to produce productive results.
It's not that you can't perform tasks on a Mac. It's more that the curriculum is designed around Windows. And likewise, in the workplace you'll also be using Windows (except for when there's proprietary OS's on given hardware).
So, a Mac user will find themselves pretty much always in Bootcamp mode.
And when it comes to VM's, performance is key. You want a lot of CPU cores, tons of memory, fast hard drives, lots of storage space, and a high CPU clock speed. Not combinations usually found in Macs (though the latest releases are much better than prior models).
And, they'll need the dongles to get the connections required by enterprise technology devices.
In the context of required courses, the only time you'll get away with using the Mac OS, is for classes such as English, math, business, etc.
