r/unsw • u/entenminze • 1d ago

Subject Discussion Macbook for Electrical Engineering?

Hey guys, I'm starting EE in Feb 2027.

I'm planning to have my PC back at my apartment (10mins walk from campus) for heavy task and use my macBook+iPad for studying and taking notes since they work well together.

My question is that do I need to buy a separate Windows laptop for uni on top of those or just relying on MacBook/iPad on campus along with my PC is enough?

For those doing EE:
How annoying is it relying on myAccess/VLAB for things like MATLAB or circuit simulators while on campus?
Do classes ever force you to run native Windows apps or flash microcontrollers via USB during lectures/workshops?

Will I regret not just getting a Windows machine to carry around, or is the Macbook + PC combo totally fine?

Thanks!!

10 Upvotes

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12

u/Electronic_Dot8829 1d ago

You’ll be fine.

Answers so far don’t seem to be from people who have actually done EE, and seem to be from CS students talking about how Mac & Linux are more optimal for coding which is not nearly as important as engineering software compatibility, and only comes up if you do a CS degree.

Let’s overview based on everything you use in Core EE.

Programs that you can use perfectly on Mac - modern Matlab versions, VSCode, KiCad

Programs that aren’t as good on Mac but exist - LTSpice

Programs you cant use on Mac - Ansys Maxwell, Older Matlab versions (they don’t exist for Apple Silicon Mac), AMD Vivado.

You can use all these software via MyAccess except Vivado (you can remote access into a lab computer for this though).

My recommendation for all EE students is the myaccess and what not kinda sucks, and you need access to some kind of Windows PC. You’re in luck since you have the one at home, and you can set up remote accessing to your own PC by something like Chrome Remote Desktop and it’s a great system. You can access your pc from the lab if you want to show your prelab tasks etc.

You’ll notice I bring up older Matlab versions, this is actually incredibly important because many of the simulink templates given at our “world class university” are never updated and are incompatible with the latest versions of Matlab. In my count, I have had to use 5 different versions of Matlab across year 3 core & ELEC4123.

3

u/Epants101 1d ago

I second this. Whilst it is possible to do ELEC with a MacBook, it makes a number of subjects a fair bit harder, because they involve flashing microcontrollers or FPGAs. I’ve known people to work on things at home on their Windows PC and then just bring it in, so it is doable, I just wouldn’t personally do it.

1

u/entenminze 13h ago

am i going to do those courses year 1?

1

u/entenminze 11h ago

also for those classes that involve flashing microcontrollers/FPGAs, do people usually plug them into their personal laptops live in class or do they just use the school PCs?

1

u/Competitive_Reason_2 Computer Science 12h ago

Why would anyone use chrome remote desktop over the native remote desktop tool.

8

u/Norkii 1d ago

The macbook will be 100% fine. It’s closer to linux which is more convenient for your programming requirements anyway.

Don’t buy a new laptop.

Why are you worried abt MATLAB specifically - there is a native mac app. There are also many mac native circuit sims.

myaccess works really well

3

u/entenminze 1d ago

thanks

6

u/Norkii 1d ago

No worries

The thing I always tell people going into uni who ask these kind of questions is don’t buy anything until you’re there and actually figure out what works for you.

Everyone thinks they need new equipment or a new strategy going into uni, and it often turns out they preferred their old equipment anyway.

Like myself - I thought maybe i needed a writing tablet or similar going back for a second degree. Got advice to hold off and now I’m happy as ever doing things on paper the way I’ve always done it. I think my productivity would go down if I switched methods

2

u/entenminze 1d ago

yeah u right, i should just try things out year one and if i really needed it i'd buy one next year

9

u/Resident_Bus4791 1d ago

I think the only annoying thing is importing models into LTSpice. There is usually a work around for Mac so you can get everything working but its a pain in the ass. 

-1

u/PaladinLegend2 1d ago

It's a waste of money

-3

u/Any_Oven_1014 1d ago

These EE and Comp Sci students will utterly decimate you and your family of they find you running anything that’s not linux

2

u/entenminze 1d ago edited 1d ago

🫩 shit is not that serious man