Electrical Engineer Software for Macintosh

AI Thread Summary
Engineering students, particularly in electrical engineering, often encounter specific software tools essential for their studies. A common requirement is the use of SPICE simulators, with LT-SPICE being a highly recommended free option. MATLAB is another critical software frequently utilized, and obtaining the student version is advisable. For MacBook Pro users, familiarity with running Python and gcc through the terminal is also beneficial, as many engineering applications may not be natively supported on macOS. While some students consider purchasing a PC desktop for compatibility, many find that essential software can be run effectively on a Mac with the right setup. Overall, students should prepare for a mix of software needs and consider their hardware options based on their curriculum requirements.
Tpark25
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Hello all,

I am starting my sophomore year in EE and am wondering if anyone can shed some light on the typical engineering software I may run into and whether or not it will run on a Macbook Pro. Currently I am using one of these as my personal and work computer. I have enough money saved to buy a PC desktop that I would use for work/school. I am not really interested in splitting my hard drive or running bootcamp on my Mac etc.

I am aware that I have not posted my school's curriculum and do not expect anyone on here to tell me exactly which programs I will run into at my school but am more interested in other people's experience with this issue at their own schools.

Thanks!
 
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You will almost certainly need to use a SPICE simulator at some time (probably lots of time depending on your specialization) during your studies. I really good, free SPICE simulator is LT-SPICE which is free here:

http://www.linear.com/designtools/software/?gclid=CLvpremVoMACFQuOaQodJ04AOA#LTspice

It's a great tool, I can't say enough good things about it.

You'll also surely use MATLAB all the time so it may be worth getting the student version.

Lastly, make sure you know how to run Python and gcc through the terminal interface to Mac OS X. That will be very helpful.
 

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