Macbook Pro's have a proven record of photography and design usage, but so do PC's. That said, a Windows-based laptop will be just as suitable.
It boils down to which OS you prefer, and are most adept at using. Ultimately, a Windows laptop for the same price will feature better hardware, but the experiences will be about the same in terms of performance.
The whole noobs comment (that you've been told) is utter rubbish though -- both platforms are very suited to the kind of usage your looking at them for. If its for University or College though, make sure the option you choose is the one they use. Its no good having a PC-based laptop when all your fellow students and lecturers are using Mac's instead. If your course recommends a Mac, then go with a Mac. The upside being that if its well looked after, its resale value will hold high for years.
So choose whichever you prefer, but remember, if you go Mac, a lot will change, including the voiding off pretty much all your current software as it won't work on Mac -- dual-booting with Windows on a Mac will resolve that, but to be honest, if your going to buy a Mac to run Windows on it you might as well just own a Windows-based computer.