<p>Don’t automatically rule out Macs. I’m a third year EE and I, and many of my classmates and professors, use Macs. I can dual-boot into Windows if I need it, but most programs either run on UNIX (and thus on Macs) or they’re too expensive/big for you to have on your own and you’ll need to go to a lab. I love my MPB to death, and can’t imagine life wihtout it now.</p>