Macintosh ownership among University first-year students has increased 925 percent since 2003, according to a recent ITC survey.
Mac use hovered around 4 percent during the late 1990s and early 2000s, but then doubled in 2004. By 2008, about 1,200 first-years, or 37 percent of the first-year class, were using Macs.
Fourth-year College student Jake Gunst said he switched from personal computers to Macs around 2003, when he was in high school.
“I switched because they came out with Office for the Mac, and it seemed like a good deal for students,” Gunst said. He added that he has noticed many more Macs on Grounds recently and said he believes the reason is that “Macs are really easy to use and posh.”
Mike McPherson, associate vice president and deputy chief information officer of Information Technology Services, said the University does not make recommendations for what kind of operating system students should use. Nevertheless, the University’s computer labs also have reflected the growing interest in Macs among students. The computer labs and libraries, which were once all running on the Windows operating system, now have added some Macs, McPherson said.
The growing tendency for students to use Macs instead of PCs is also evident at the University Bookstore.
Jon Kates, executive director of the Bookstore, noted that although Cavalier Computers sold about equal amounts of Macs and PCs last year, “during this economic downturn, really the only computers we’re selling are Macs.” Kates said he estimates that Cavalier Computers provides computers for a little less than half of the incoming first-year students.
“Apple understands the student mentality better than PC,” he added.
Third-year College student Ashley Williams said she is looking to join the growing number of Mac users.
“I have always used a PC but want a Mac,” she said. “I like the way that it navigates and I feel like they are very reliable ... We can always get my sister’s fixed easily when it has a problem.”
Fourth-year College student Jorge Rodriguez said he has used both Macs and PCs. Among his reasons for now owning a Mac are its sleek, clean design and greater reliability, he said.
McPherson and Kates noted other non-aesthetic reasons why students buy Macs. Kates mentioned the useful software packaged with Macs and both McPherson and Kates noted that Mac users have to deal with fewer viruses.
It is also possible that the popularity of the iPod contributed to the trend, McPherson said. According to the ITC survey, 64 percent of students own an iPod and 18 percent own either an iPhone or an iTouch.
“I think people are generally pleased with the aesthetics and functionality of the iPod and then think about that when they go to buy a laptop,” Gunst agreed.
According to the survey, laptops also have become steadily more popular than desktops. Forty-seven percent of students surveyed said they owned only a desktop in 2002, but that number has dwindled to virtually zero today.
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