Hey everyone,
I’m an incoming college freshman double-majoring in Computer Science and either Business or Math, with a minor in Data Science. I am buying my laptop through the university’s grant program (they give a flat $1,041 grant, and I pay the difference).
I’m currently on an old 2017 HP EliteBook (dual-core i7, virtualization locked in BIOS, maxed out 16GB RAM). I don’t game at all; I just need a machine that can handle heavy Python/Java compiling, data scraping, and heavy Excel/Power BI for business classes.
I’ve narrowed it down to three specific university configurations and need your help:
Option 1: Apple MacBook Air 13" (M5) = $330
Specs: Apple M5 (10-core CPU / 8-core GPU), 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD.
Screen: 13.6" Liquid Retina XDR.
Weight: 2.7 lbs.
Link: Not allowing me to add a link, but it’s the lowest configuration of this MacBook that you can get
Option 2: Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 = $550
Specs: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD.
Screen: 14" WUXGA (1920x1200) IPS, 400 nits, 45% NTSC, Non-Touch.
Link: Lenovo T14 Gen 6 (Integrated Graphics) with A.I. Ready CPU - Carolina Computing Initiative (CCI)
Option 3: Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 = $600
Specs: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD.
Screen: 14" 2.8K OLED, 120Hz, Touch, HDR 600, 100% DCI-P3, 500 nits.
Weight: 2.74 lbs (Aluminum chassis).
Link: Lenovo X9 Gen 1 - 14" Touch Screen with A.I. Ready CPU - Carolina Computing Initiative (CCI)
The prices are also listed for each laptop (that I have to pay after my grant is applied, with tax included). I cannot upgrade individual parts of the configuration (like increasing RAM or SSD). I have no problem with adjusting to macOS if that is the best choice of these 3 laptops. Thanks in advance for the advice!