Penn State's campus may become a real-life version of the "Mac versus PC" commercials -- a trend consistent with a recent survey.

So far this year, Apple laptop sales at Penn State's Computer Store accounted for 55 percent of all computer sales, an 11 percent increase over the same time period last year, said Kevin Morooney, vice provost for information technology.

According to a recent survey by a Brooklyn-based research group, SurveyU, Mac computers are rapidly increasing in popularity. While Dell is still the No. 1 brand among college students, Apple is predicted to become the top brand by the middle of 2008, said Daniel Coates, co-founder of SurveyU.

PCs remain the preferred computer within the College of Engineering, according to recommendations from Penn State's Computer Store at computerstore.psu.edu/colleges.htm. But students majoring in film and video, media studies, architecture or visual arts have been encouraged by the College of Communications and the College of Arts and Architecture to use Macs.

"Engineering applications are primarily designed for PCs with some slowly migrating to the Macintosh platform; conversely, the Macintosh still excels in the multimedia and publications arenas," said Bill Burkhard, director of electronic and computer services in the College of Engineering.

Coates said the company surveyed 1,000 current college students from across the nation. Students were asked what brand of computer they currently own and use as well as what brand they plan to buy next.

They found that Apple's sudden increase in popularity is partially because of the company's strong marketing program. Apple offers students a free iPod when they purchase a Mac at some campuses, Coates said.

He added that the researchers were surprised by the amount of money college students spend on their computers: an average of $1,290 on a laptop.

Some Mac users say the computers are worth every penny.

"I own an Apple Macbook Pro, and I would absolutely buy another Mac in the future," said Sam Richard (sophomore-engineering).

Richard added that he was not surprised by the survey results because "Macs are much more powerful, and if they are used with Windows, they are incredibly fast."

Still, not all Penn State students agree.

"Dells are easy to use and much more affordable than Macs," said Kelly Young (freshman-division of undergraduate studies).

Other students, like Jackie Heitzer, stay out of the Dell-versus-Apple debate.

"I personally hate both Dell and Apple," Heitzer (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said. "I have an HP, and I'm really happy with it."