Good Computer for me

Well the time has come, i have to buy a new computer for college and i plan to major in computer science which means ill be doing a lot of coding. So whats the best computer to buy OS wise. I can proably figure out from there but i want to know if ill have problems with Mac, Windows, etc.

I would guess that you should go with Windows. However, I would certainly discuss this with your Department (you may find the information you need in the Department's Catalogue) before making a purchase.
Cheers,
John

Find out from the college if there are any programs you are going to be required to use.

As an example, some will insist you need a unit with Office 2007 because that is what the instructors use & your assignments have to be compatible .

Very good advice above! Also what about a dual boot setup PC/Mac great flexibility.

Find out from the college if there are any programs you are going to be required to use.

As an example, some will insist you need a unit with Office 2007 because that is what the instructors use & your assignments have to be compatible .

Buy your software directly from your college bookstore or computer store once you have your student ID and class schedule (see if you can do this when you go to orientation rather than waiting until the beginning of the semester when they are often sold out). The savings that college students are given on software is tremendous, particularly on Microsoft and Adobe products. But, you will need your college ID and a current schedule to purchase the software.

Depending on your college bookstore, they may not sell software there. There are numerous sites that cater to students and your college may offer a special discount. You may also be able to get special pricing directly from the manufacturer, such as with the ultimate steal promotion Microsoft is running for students only ($60 for MS Office 2007). Few colleges specify what you need in the program or course catalog, most required software is disclosed in the syllabus on your first day of a course. This, obviously, varies based on the amount of discrection the department gives individual professors. Being a recent graduate, my experience with the information systems program was that unless the course is specifically designed to teach a program, the ultimate decision as to which applications to use is left with the professors so you should contact them directly. Don't bother with a dual boot system, I never once encountered a situation where I needed a Mac, or even a non-LiveCD version of Linux. In fact, some of the students who owned a Mac often had to purchase a Windows PC or go to the Windows-based computer labs as many programs could only run on a Windows PC.

Good advice, DJB, but make sure to check the college bookstore or campus computer store if they have one. Both of my older children are graduates of UT -- Office 2007 is selling for $33 there to students only. Other discounts apply for similar products.

Without going into the whole Win/Mac debate, the OP needs to check with their individual department about the OS. Most likely a Mac won't do, but other majors do favor a Mac (graphic arts is one example).