I’m going to design school. Should I buy a Mac? If yes, which model should I buy?

Hey guys – I know this may be off topic, but I'm going to design school to study UI/UX and I eventually want to work in the field.

As part of joining, I've been asked to get a new laptop. I've been using a mid-2012 Macbook Pro for the last 4 years and dependable as it is, it is clearly starting to show its age.

The place I'm joining has sent me a spec list for the laptop it recommends I use – and I'm stuck. (I've put it up on imgur for you to see)

I'm wary of getting the new Macbooks because the keyboard is legendarily bad plus I suspect I will need usb ports, video outs etc. I understand that the new line of Macbooks is expected in September with the launch of OS X Mojave – but I can't wait till then because school starts in the first week of August.

The problem is, a lot of the software that I expect to use in the future is Mac-only (like Sketch) or have already paid for but licences aren't transferable across OSes (like Affinity designer).

Further, a large chunk of my life – memories, created files, etc – is on the 2012 Macbook – and porting from Mac to Windows is a god-damned nightmare even in 2018.

Like it or not, I have become locked in to the Apple/iCloud ecosystem to the extent that even though I want to move out I cannot without a lot of hassle/gnashing of teeth.

Should I bite the bullet and get a Macbook anyway – even though the quality of their recent offerings is bad – or should I go for a Windows and the concomitant headaches that come with figuring out which model to buy in a crowded marketplace?

If yes to a Macbook – which one should I buy? The 2015 one which still has the ports I would need? Or the 2017 ones?

Looking forward to hear what you have to say