My son went to college with his Mac. But a bunch of the courses required running Windows software. So we had to get him a PC as well.

JKCalhoun 8 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Everything, as I understand it, is moving to the Web. Google Docs, Canvas…

	▲	bilbo0s 7 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yeah. I'd be curious to know what school HN User jimmydddd's son goes to that it uses windows only software instead of the web? It just seems like something out of time. Like an engineering school that only teaches those building techniques that are predicated on load bearing masonry. Oh and by the way, here are the 5 drafting classes you need to take.

ezfe 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That's crazy, must be a specific field? The overwhelming majority of college degrees don't require Windows.

	▲	hobofan an hour ago \| parent [-]
		You can nowadays do fine with macOS or Linux in most college degrees I've seen, since nowadays there are decent open source alternatives for the most prolific software that's on the level of popularity that it will be used in teaching. However by default almost every college curriculum I've seen (unless it's in CS or IT combined field like bioinformatics) is still taught Windows-first, be it sociology, biochemistry or economics. In many you also have strong presence of MS Office suite, which is probably the first software that any university will buy license packs for for their students.

danaris 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

What software being taught in colleges today (outside of highly specialised niches) requires Windows?

Stats software is cross-platform or open-source.

Art programs are cross-platform or open-source.

Office suites are cross-platform or browser-based.

Unless you're specifically trying to learn Windows development, dev tools are cross-platform and open source.

15 years ago, what you describe was probably quite common. Today, it's almost completely disappeared.

	▲	daemonologist 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		When I was in college the exam nanny software required Windows, and not in a VM. (I had a Windows desktop at home, so I just remoted into that to take exams.) This was a few years ago but much less than 15. Also most "professional" CAD software is Windows-only, which is going to affect a big chunk of engineering majors.