Teacher laptop choice?

[nellgirl]

I have just found out that our district is issuing laptops to all 3-7 teachers. This is HUGE, as our classroom computers are over a decade old, and any newer tech (student iPads, smart boards, laptops) have been 100% parent fundraised.
My question- we have the option of a Mac or a Dell PC (similar specs)
Mac pros: it's what the kids use at school (laptops from the parents are Macs), other tech is also Apple at our school, access to things like iMovie.
PC pros: I'm more comfortable on a PC as I've rarely used Macs (the Macs came while I was on mat leave last year) and my current personal computer is a PC. I've never had an issue with them, so reticent to change (if it ain't broke...)
Fwiw, I'm a fairly quick study where tech is concerned.
Which would you choose?

[Deleted]

Mac seems to be the way to go as far as productivity goes.

I'd probably go with the Mac.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mac without a doubt, especially since your students have Macs and iPads.


We have MacBook Airs, and I can do so much with it in my classroom: run the projector, Link to my desktops and laptops in other rooms and my students in the room, use my phone as a mouse. I don't have a Smartboard, but other teachers have told me you can use the Smartboard tools on a Mac too.

Granted, you may be able to do this with a Dell, but I don't know.

[nellgirl]

Aug 29, 2017 6:13:39 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Mac without a doubt, especially since your students have Macs and iPads.


We have MacBook Airs, and I can do so much with it in my classroom: run the projector, Link to my desktops and laptops in other rooms and my students in the room, use my phone as a mouse. I don't have a Smartboard, but other teachers have told me you can use the Smartboard tools on a Mac too.

Granted, you may be able to do this with a Dell, but I don't know.

Do you have AppleTV in your class as well, or is it all done through Airplay?

[irishbride2]

Mac for education.

[Jalapeñomel]

Aug 29, 2017 9:04:11 GMT -5 nellgirl said:

Aug 29, 2017 6:13:39 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Mac without a doubt, especially since your students have Macs and iPads.


We have MacBook Airs, and I can do so much with it in my classroom: run the projector, Link to my desktops and laptops in other rooms and my students in the room, use my phone as a mouse. I don't have a Smartboard, but other teachers have told me you can use the Smartboard tools on a Mac too.

Granted, you may be able to do this with a Dell, but I don't know.

Do you have AppleTV in your class as well, or is it all done through Airplay?

I do not have AppleTV, but I really should look into this.

[cherryvalance]

My district finally issued faculty laptops and they went with Macbooks. I had the same hesitation youndid, but it was really easy to learn the commands and use.

[erbear]

mac.

Laptops are a million times better for school than PCs.

[UMaineTeach]

Mac

[drink227]

Mac

[irishbride2]

It does seem silly they are giving you a choice. If they have both types in classrooms, they will have to have people knowledgeable to service both types and you can't do consistent PD on tech if it's all different.

[nellgirl]

Aug 30, 2017 5:20:49 GMT -5 irishbride2 said:

It does seem silly they are giving you a choice. If they have both types in classrooms, they will have to have people knowledgeable to service both types and you can't do consistent PD on tech if it's all different.

My district is not known for making good choices. 😝

[nsl]

Ugh, my last district did this at one point, and it was a giant clusterfuck by midyear because certain applications that worked great for Macs didn't play well with PCs, and vice versa.

FWIW, I went with the Mac and had no regrets.

[RoxMonster]

Mac definitely. I am a huge Mac person. I wish I could have a Mac at my school!

[tiptoetulips]

Mac especially if they don't tend to purchase new computers frequently. My macs have outlived my pcs twofold.