<p>I got my Compaq Presario c700 with 2G memory and 200 RAM for about $700 with tax and shipping, PLUS an extra $180 mail-in rebate. And it’s a NICE computer.</p>
<p>I will admit that if you’re going into the arts, you probably do need a Mac because they’re just better suited for that field and have some awesome software for it.</p>
<p>However, my school got a bunch of Mac laptops through a grant, and even the teacher (who is a self-professed Mac lover) hated them because they were just crap laptops. So I suppose it just depends.</p>