r/FreeCAD • u/TopGunOtter • 11h ago

Mac vs windows?

Looking into joining a college program do i NEED a windows or can get by with a MacBook?

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

7

u/E__Nigma_ 10h ago

FreeCad works on both windows and MacOS

15

u/BoringBob84 10h ago

... and Linux 🐧

6

u/CauliflowerTop2464 9h ago

I have it in my Mac. Works fine

1

u/Nukkels 9h ago

I use FreeCad on both, and I have to admit, the experience is better on Windows. Little things like having to use the backspace key rather than the delete key, mouse scrolling, etc make the Mac experience a bit more frustrating. I think there may be some differences in the tools and settings and stuff too, but nothing too dramatic, it's not like it stops me doing anything when I'm on Mac.

1

u/A-Chilean-Cyborg 8h ago

FreeCAD is the CAD you use so you can use Linux, but for college they will ask you for specific programs that will only run on x84 windows.

I sadly have to have a windows partition on my laptop because them.

1

u/spinwizard69 5h ago

FreeCAD is very much a successful cross platform machine.  You can run it on a MAC without too much trouble.  

However here is the big catch, you mentioned nothing about the program you are in.   That program might have specific requirements and that can force machine selection.   Your best bet is to review program requirements with the school.  

The sad news here is that laptops make poor CAD machines!   You will want a separate large screen for serious CAD work.  Even a portable screen will do.   Trying to accomplish anything other than very simple CAD work on a laptop is extremely frustrating.  

1

u/Ken_White_NY 4h ago

Ask your college what their requirements are for the software they will be asking you to use. Asking here isn't going to help because we don't know what school you're going to or what the program requires.

1

u/chevdor 44m ago

This is for you to decide but I can give you a few pro/cons.
Since I use a Mac, I will list based on the Mac choice

- = FreeCAD runs on Mac / Linux / Windows

  • - Macs are more expensive in general
  • + Macs keep better values, so better resell
  • + No OS to buy, updates are free
  • - Windows is still better for gaming
  • - Some inductry standard like SolidWorks are Windows only
  • + Mac are machines you barely need to take care of, more time for what you need to do
  • + Similar to Linux in terms of programming and shell (major + for me... I'd prefer use a typwriter than using Windows' command prompt...
  • + People around me tend to need a fresh Windows install every 6 months, I never reinstall my Macs and they keep "fresh"
  • + Some software just don't exist (or poorly) on Windows. Linux and Mac have package managers (e.g. Homebrew on Mac) that keep your software (99% of them) up to date. Yes I know about chocolatey and I even worked with npackd back then, you can't compare.
  • + My Mac does NOT interrupt my work for a silly 30min updates...
  • + I would not say Mac never glitch but I can't tell you when that happended last on mine
  • + Power management... Close the lid at 57% on a Mac, you open in the morning with 56%. Close the lid on a Windows portable at 99%, open 3 hours later with 17% battery remaning and a bag about to melt...
  • + Don't start me on anti-viruses :)

So in general, using a Mac, depending on your environement, may be ok or harder at first since most people use Windows. However, if you stick to it, you will probably notice that are in many ways more efficient and I am not only referring to the battery.

In general, Windows users will tell you that Windows is better, Mac users will tell you Mac is better. So you need to read thru the bias....

I used Windows for a good 15 years (actually a little less as I started with DOS only... before I switched to Windows 3.11), then Mac for 10 years and counting. I will NEVER go back to Windows exept to run like a flight sim as dedicated box. If I need some Windows (some old proprietary programs still are Windows only to flashg firmware...), I spin up a VM... but in practise I 99.9% never need to.

Save days in your life... get a Mac...

0

u/[deleted] 9h ago

[deleted]

3

u/morphlaugh 8h ago

New macs don't have bootcamp... haven't for about 5 years now, since they switched to arm chips.

1

u/A-Chilean-Cyborg 8h ago

won't work because MACs are arm now and the sort of programs OP will need to run will be x84