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In accordance with a study conducted by research firm Jamf, 71% of university and college students preferred Apple MacBooks over Microsoft Windows laptops. This study was exclusively conducted on students who were pursuing higher education, so the data represents that segment of students only. A total of 2,244 students from five nations were involved in it, giving the results more credibility than a strictly localized survey. Given that the difference is astoundingly high in favor of Apple’s products, it leads to a question; are the survey results representative of a herd mentality, or is the preference based on real facts?
A Brief Overview of the Facts Stated in the Survey
On quickly going through the results, several new facts become evident than what the initial survey headline might suggest. For example, roughly 71% of the students voted in favor of the MacBook, but only 40% of the total number of students were using a MacBook at that time. Apparently, 31% of students only expressed their wishes to use a MacBook in the future, provided that they can afford to do so at some point.
What this vital piece of information indicates is that only 40% of the students interviewed were really using Macs, while 60% of them were using Windows computers. It also specifies that roughly 51.7% of all students using Windows computers were looking to switch over to a MacBook, while about 49.3% of PC users were satisfied with Windows. If the data is to be considered as canon, then it is both good news and bad news for the Cupertino giant. The positive attitude towards Macs, and a seemingly 100% satisfaction rate are exceptional landmarks indeed. On the other hand, it also shows that Microsoft is holding a comfortable lead against Apple in the student segment.
The Question of Herd Mentality: Is It Valid Here?
An argument can be made in favor of the herd mentality theory if we were to focus on the fact that 31% of all surveyed students (who voted for Apple computers) were not voting from experience. It was stated that they prefer a Mac over a PC and would make that shift from their current OS if they could afford to buy one in the future. As their decision was clearly based on bias and not the actual experience of using macOS, the theory does hold validity for this segment of the surveyed students at least.
100% Rate of Satisfaction: An Incredible Stat that Requires a Closer Look
Going exclusively on data collected and published by the aforementioned firm, it has to be concluded that 100% of students who were using MacBooks at the time (roughly 40% of the total) were satisfied with their experience with macOS. On taking a closer look, however, an especially important but unmentioned point comes forth; none of the students using Macs were asked whether they wish to make a shift to Windows. Such a question would be against the interests of the Apple device management company that sponsored the survey, so that is to be expected.
Comparing Macs with Windows Provides a More Reliable Answer
Comparing PCs with Macs in terms of their useability for students is a more reliable method to get an unbiased answer. The comparison should be made to find out whether students prefer MacBooks purely because Apple’s laptops are seen as a more premium device across the world, or if MacBooks are indeed a better fit for the university student.
Windows is a More Versatile OS
Be it the option to play high-end video games and enjoy VR content or having support for a much wider range of applications and file extensions, Windows is a significantly more versatile OS. For example, Windows 10 has a dedicated Netflix application for streaming content natively, but there is no official Netflix app for MacBook. Fortunately, Setapp has a Netflix app for MacBook that lets users with an active subscription legally watch Netflix offline. The app allows Mac users to download all available content from Netflix legally, which solves this popular issue with MacBooks. Similarly, the handful of shortcomings which Mac users may experience are only superficial, and nothing that cannot be solved with a different approach.
MacBooks Last Longer
Windows 10 has been updated to a point where it is quite comparable to macOS in terms of smoothness, although macOS still offers a smoother experience overall, even on older hardware. This is perhaps the biggest advantage which MacBooks have over Windows laptops. Windows as an OS is unable to run demanding applications smoothly on older or weaker hardware, whereas MacBooks excel in that department.
For a student, budget is usually a big concern and MacBooks are significantly better options as far as longevity is concerned. Students can rely on Apple to get them through to the end of their course years later, thanks to a history of ongoing support for older Macs. More importantly, MacBooks offer a hardware-software combination that does not age nearly as quickly as Windows laptops. Although the initial investment necessary to buy an entry-level MacBook is higher, the Mac will outclass and outlast a cheaper Windows laptop by a huge margin. Moreover, a MacBook will also outlast a similarly priced Windows laptop due to Apple’s inhouse and ingenious hardware-software integration. The same cannot be said about performance in all instances, but MacBooks will often outperform similarly priced Windows laptops in battery life and performance as well.
It seems that Apple MacBooks are indeed a better choice for students based on facts alone. Ironically, the previously mentioned Vanson Bourne study shows that most students who want MacBooks do not realize that fact. Their decision to buy it is being influenced by the desire to simply own a premium laptop, rather than being driven by the cost-effective power and longevity which MacBooks are designed to bring with them. Disregarding the cause or intent of course, most students will likely benefit from making that shift to a MacBook.
