Off to college: comp advice please

Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

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Feb 6, 2000
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I'm heading to the University of Kentucky campus in the fall (for Mechanical Engineering). I've got $1000 to spend on a computer or computers, but, of course, if I don't spend it all that would be great.

At first I was only considering a desktop, because I'm used to one, don't like the small keyboards and screens on laptops, price difference, etc., but I just found out the campus has full wireless internet access, so I'm considering a laptop. This brings us to:

Question 1: Do you guys think getting a laptop for college is a good idea?

And:

Question 2: If so, what would be the best value for getting one?
 
1/ Defiantly, I bought one for university desktops would be so usless, due to need for portability in uni. {what course are you doing?}

2/ You want to buy yourself an apple ibook, really unbelieveable compared to windows computers.
 
I just graduated from college. I never got a laptop, but I did have a PocketPC with a portable keyboard for taking notes (now a 4 year old clunker, but it still works). I had two desktops, one for general use and the other for linux tinkering.

Problems with laptops:
  1. The screens could crack if you just toss it into a backpack.
  2. The risk of theft (mostly in the library when you go to the restroom).
  3. Not very upgradeable. A problem if you're a gamer or need massive space for movies and music. I went into college thinking that a spiffy new 20GB drive was humongous and would be enough for anything. Four hard drive additions later, I realize that I was wrong. :)

It seems that many more college students are using laptops now, compared to when I started college 4 years ago. If you don't mind the hardware limitations, laptops are much more convenient than desktops. Out of all the people that I've known at this university, only the "real computer people who need more than just a portable word processor" have desktops. It's kind of an unhip dinosaur thing now to have one of these huge machines.

Myopicmouse, could you go into a little more detail about the superiority of the iBook? I'm not very convinced that a Mac's supposed higher quality (beyond the brand premium of being hip) would outweigh the disadvantage of being pricier and less compatible with what everyone else is using. But I suppose in an engineering student context, OSX might be a good way to have a Unix-like environment without the configuration learning-curve of Linux. Anyone know if most popular Unix engineering software can easily be made to work with OSX if it comes in say, a source tarball?

Sorry for the meandering post. Just thought I'd throw out a few issues for you to think about.
 
Regarding your hard drive concerns...depend what you buy, my desktop is 20GB, so depends what you buy, 'alienware.com' may be good for games...80GB hard drives etc.

Apple/windows is a major thing, I just found that the extra things you can do with apple software is amazing, that and that there a few/no viruses for macs. You just have a lot more power with ibook with regard of you can jsut do so much more with your stuff. (Although I am championing apple, i actually have windows laptop - the only reason for this is im dislexic and my computer was payed for by by education service and the specialist software they put on only works for windows computers - a fact i regret every day :(

Naturally people here arguing over their own opinions wont solve much, however this monday 7:30 pm Ch5 TV show: www.channel5.com/thegadgetshow is by chance doing a windows Vrs Apple test. It British TV so unless your sky allows yous to see it, i will just post here there result for the 'last word' on the matter from a independant body.

hope this all helps.
 
Hey, I'm taking my last class in college now. I had a desktop the first two years and a laptop the next two years of college. I would recommend going with a slim and light model around 6 lbs or less. I found that I preferred to study outside of my apartment/dorm, because for some reason there are just more distractions and I'm not as focused. My junior year I had a big 9 lb laptop and I just wouldn't take it with me, but now I have a 4 lb laptop which goes with me everywhere. I don't think I have to tell you which is more useful. I like to study at coffee shops, so bringing a laptop along is very convenient.

I think you should go with the lightest laptop in your price range, because all of them will be able to do WORK. Make no mistake though - if you get a laptop, you will only be using it for work (papers, excel spreadsheets, proprietary programs) because it will be pointless to play games on it. And you should buy one with that in mind (just go with integrated graphics, who cares what a game looks like on a 12" screen, not worth playing anyway)

Maybe that's a good thing. GPA(desktop) < GPA(laptop).

When you are buying a laptop, put your priorities in the right order. It is hard to know what you want when you haven't owned a laptop before. I learned the hard way that the most important thing is the weight, because what's the point of getting a laptop if you're not willing to take it with you? After that, for me, was battery life and small footprint (I use a fujitsu p5020d with modular battery - 4.3 lbs, 10 hr battery life, 10.6" screen)

My last piece of advice:
I think you should go with a PC for a couple reasons
1. the cheapest Mac laptop is about $1200 (12 inch iBook)
2. at some point in your college career, you will be using some type of software that is provided by your university. go with a PC for compatibility. some students who had Macs at my university were left in the dust.

I know that you are just going in for freshman year right now, so you probably won't take any classes in your major for a year or so. So this advice is with the assumption that you are not planning to get another computer in the next few years.

By the way, good luck with mechanical engineering. (I'm graduating in Chemical Engineering + Materials Science Engineering)
 
ayoungman makes good points but:universitys do provide computers, so even on any rare occasion they give you pc only software, use the pc for that, and apple for the 99% of other stuff. $1000 - I forgot pounds not dollars, we can get ibook for £899 forgot dollors, however i would pay that little but more...but im interested to what thegadgetshow has to say......
 
I think a good, lightweight laptop is well worth the cost difference between desktop and laptop. As Ayoungman notes, you really don't know how conducive your residential life will be to studying and working (think of your hallmate's t-shirt that reads: "the password is PARTY!"), so the ability to carry your work/study station with you is extremely important. You can take it with you to do research in the library, to the cafe for group study sessions, to another residence to work on a collaborative project, to home or elsewhere when you travel for breaks, etc.

Be sure also to get as much memory and RAM as you can afford, and at minimum a CD reader and writer. The computer may be primarily for work; but you will also use it to swap music and photos with friends; build photo albums, scrapbooks and websites; and use it in other ways to enhance your college experience beyond just its strictly academic dimension. College is an important time in your life, a period of great personal and intellectual growth among other things. Several years later, you wouldn't want to look back and have only papers, exams and lab assignments to show for it, right? Technology has come a long way since I attended college in the early/mid 1980s. (Imagine handwriting papers, using manual typewriters, taking notes on index cards; making "best of" compilation tapes from roommates' records; dropping off film at the local Fotomat; listening to my Sony Walkman on the Greyhound; and -- oh yes -- carrying a trusty Buck 110!) Excepting the knife stuff, you can use a laptop to do everything else. :) Use your computer and make the most of it!

My 2¢
Glen

Oh, one more thing: Most campuses are PC-oriented but a few are Mac-oriented. You might want to check with yours before buying, esp. if you are not tech-saavy. Usually this translates into free or discounted software bundles and upgrades; better tech support for the favored system; and discounted prices on computers, perhaps with special deals for incoming freshman. I use both Mac (G4 and G3 desktops) and PC (Thinkpad) and prefer the Mac esp. since OSX (also: no viruses!); but generally speaking you'll end up favoring whichever one you use first.
 
Look at www.slickdeals.net . On your budget it's going to be hard to get a top end laptop, but slick deals often has special coupon codes that will allow you to get a pretty competent Dell for under $1000.00.

John
 
In my own opinions and experiences, a desktop will suit you quite nicely.

it's the technological age. most college campuses are aware of the need for computers and take the measures to fulfill them. i think the university of michigan has something like 1 computer for every two students, or some ridiculous ratio like that. computer labs are good.

if it were me, i would save as much of that 1000 as you can. honestly, you will need it.


read up on building your own computer. it is honestly not too difficult, and you will save a lot of money for the same specs as you could get from a dell or something. plus, you'll be learning something very useful.

i like to search for components at pricewatch.com. when you order from a company, be SURE to check their feedback record, as some of them are kind of shady.




and on the other hand, with the advent of wireless internet, a laptop WOULD be quite convenient. it all depends on if you think that convenience is worth the cost.

remember that laptops are easily lifted, and most kids buy cable locks and tether it to their dorm desks.

good luck on the first year.
 
Get the lightest laptop that you can find with a useful size keyboard.

Use it to transcribe notes, learn to use excel, word, powerpoint, access and run your engineering packages.

Forget seeing movies, playing mp3s and playing games. Use your friend's computer for those things. This is sort of a no brainer, almost all laptops from 3 years can do those things without much trouble (minus 3D graphic intensive gaming).

Keep your eye on the prize. Get in, get your work done and get out.

Buy toys and other fun things when you have money. Afterall, that is what this college thing is all about, to pave your future, not pass the time.

There are plenty of powerful laptops in the $1000 range.

Get a brenthaven sleeve for the laptop, then you can through it in any backpack or shoulder bag.
 
Afterall, that is what this college thing is all about, to pave your future, not pass the time
Click to expand...

It is?....what have I done, what have I done! {adagio for strings - platoon music}
 
Laptop... definitely the way to go. Can take it with you in your backpack to libraries, labs, classrooms, etc. I use a laptop as my only business computer and love the flexibility and freedom it allows.

AJ
 
Check with your University to see if they have any special deals with companies. I am a professor at a big University where faculty and students can get super deals on Dell. Call the Academic Computing Center at your school and ask before you buy retail.
 
I can certainly see the benefits with the portability of a laptop, but on the other hand, for the same or less money you can get a killer desktop that can double as your TV, dvd player, stereo, and gaming system. Check out the Klipsch home theater speakers for computers. Outstanding.

Jack
 
The other nice thing is that you can pick up full sized keyboards for not much more than a couple 12 packs... ;)

Look for a used monitor.

That way, you can hook up the keyboard and monitor, plus a mouse, and essentially have a desktop-like setup in your digs.

May wanna check and see if whatever model you look at has a docking station or port replicator. Walk in, plug the laptop in, and no worries.
 
I've used a desktop throughout my entire college career and in graduate school. If I was ever gonna do any serious work it was either gonna be at my computer in my room or at the library/computer lab where there are computers set up to use. Most colleges have computers all over the place these days. On the other hand some people loving being able to take their laptops all over the place. Like one person mentions though, you must be very careful of theft. I like having a nice computer set up in room with a big monitor. These days you can use your computer as a TV, Stereo, as well as the usual things you might need it for. I have noticed that more students are taking notes with their laptops these days. As a teaching assitant I've found this very annoying though, as many people are doing a million other things instead of taking notes and are making annoying computer cliking sounds during class. Drives me crazy...
Another thing to think about is that most laptops have poor ergonomics. At least I've found that a desk top set up is much more comfortable to work with.
One thing I would highly recommend is investing in some USB Drives (thumb drives or pen drives). These make great backup drives and provide good way to hook up into other computers and do work there. Also a great way to move large presentations around. Alot of schools are having students do presentations on powerpoint in classes and these files tend to get a little large.
Anth
 
ok the gadget show result came back.

the said PC was best.

However they're 'tests' were things like who had faster processor speed and after droping them of a roof which could be repaired easyer. All in all it was a stupid test and i was very dissapointed, they never even mentioned about the software on it, only processor speed (i.e how fast u can play games) and repairing it - i mean, how often are you going to throw it of the roof?

Frankly the test is so retarded i think it's non-void. GET A MAC, it's all a conspircay to get u 2 by PC!
 
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