12-30-2003, 12:18 AM | #1 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: NY
|
Some advice? laptop or desktop?
Hi, I'm going off to college next year, and well, im thinking of getting a new pc. my pc is about 5 yrs old, and its really starting to bug me.
I was wondering if I should take a desktop or a laptop... For you college students out there, what does your experience say?... ( I heard some people say a lot of people take notes on their laptops?... eh?...) and if it is a laptop, you techies out there, What kind of laptop should i get? Is this hype behind the Centrino really worth it?... Are laptop graphics cards now good enough? (btw, i use an ollddd Riva TNT 2 soo hehe) I plan to use this pc for school work........ and of course GAMING .. well,. any input would be very appreciated Thanks~
__________________
b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!! |
12-30-2003, 11:51 AM | #2 (permalink) |
beauty in the breakdown
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
|
Laptop. I cant tell you how often I take my maching into the library to do work. Make sure it has a wireless card--many, if not most, college campuses are wireless now, at least in the libraries. If you can, take both (), but if you have to choose, a laptop is the way to go at school.
Centrino is wonderful--the battery lasts seemingly forever. I like IBM laptops--Ive been using them for about 7 years, and have never come across a machine that is better. I am using a T40 right now, and I love it. It is powerful enough to run my games (all RTS games, like Age of Empires, or Empires: Dawn of the Modern World). My video card is a Radeon 7500. Remember that laptops are not upgradable except for the RAM, but they are not built to be. I still have several 3 year old laptops that run fine--they wont game, but they do the normal laptop stuff (web, email, office software) just fine.
__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." --Plato |
12-30-2003, 03:29 PM | #3 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: London...no longer a student
|
well the majority of laptops aren't made for gaming, and those with specialised graphics cards, ie not onboard graphics from your motherboard are very expensive. I would always recomend a pc, they're faster too... covienience wise, a laptop is very handy...u can "work" in the library as sailor says, but its also easier to take with you if u need to travel at all.
__________________
"Never underestimate a dumb question"-- Brandon Boyd |
12-30-2003, 03:35 PM | #4 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: NY
|
oh yes, i forgot about battery life. I've been looking around, and seen the new Radeon 9600 Mobility... but i was thinking whether a card like this would only allow for like a 3 hr battery life period .. heh...
If i were to get a laptop with the new Radeon, would those systems not have centrino on them?... I understood that the centrino is the entire package of board, internet, processor and an integrated graphics card... is this rite?.. oy~ this is what im worrying about instead of worrying about being accepted to one of the many places i applied heh... well my pc is very important to me!!
__________________
b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!! |
12-30-2003, 04:19 PM | #5 (permalink) |
I am Winter Born
Location: Alexandria, VA
|
Do you plan on playing video games? If yes, get a desktop.
I have both a desktop and a laptop and it's much more convenient for me to have a desktop in my dorm room as opposed to just a laptop - but I'd be lost without the laptop in class.
__________________
Eat antimatter, Posleen-boy! |
12-30-2003, 05:51 PM | #7 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: North Hollywood
|
centrino does allow you to have a different graphics card.
Basis for a system allowed to be called a centrino is :- Pentium M procesoor Intel 855 chipset Intel 2100 wireless card For instance the dell 8600 is a centrino machine with a radeon 9600 Pro turbo option, not sure of the battery life, no doubt a quick google will find something. But is a weight, battery, performance ratio, you can't have all three |
12-30-2003, 07:07 PM | #8 (permalink) |
More Freedom, Less Bullshit
Location: Tulsa, OK
|
I am currently a 3rd year Computer Science Student at the University of Tulsa and I can tell you that my first two years would've been so much easier if I had the laptop. Taking notes is easier with the laptop, as is keeping all of my coding stuff together when I'm at school. I have a desktop as well and it's great for gaming but I'm on my laptop 95% of the time now.
I have a Medion MD2900 laptop. It has pretty decent video (nVidia GeForce4 440 Go) too. My Laptop uses a desktop P4 processor (2.4Ghz) , and has that nice videocard, so it doesn't have a very long battery life (~2 hours with screen at full brightness and wireless on). I'm almost always able to plug in at school, so that doesn't really bother me.
__________________
-Erik Stupid people shouldn't breed. Last edited by Elitegibson; 12-30-2003 at 07:10 PM.. |
12-30-2003, 09:16 PM | #9 (permalink) | |
Holy Knight of The Alliance
Location: Stormwind, The Eastern Kingdoms, Azeroth
|
Quote:
__________________
What do you say to one last showdown? - Ocelot, Metal Gear Solid 3 The password is "Who are the Patriots?" and "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo." "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo." Gotcha. - The Colonel and Snake, Metal Gear Solid 3 |
|
12-30-2003, 09:24 PM | #10 (permalink) |
Go Cardinals
Location: St. Louis/Cincinnati
|
If you plan on doing hardcore gaming and plan on upgrading, go desktop. If you like gaming, then just find a laptop with a sweet graphics card and a Pentium 4 processor or a nice Centrino.
__________________
Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department. Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity. |
12-30-2003, 10:26 PM | #11 (permalink) |
WoW or Class...
Location: UWW
|
If you want to be cheap you can always pick up a refurbished laptop, or a cheap crappy laptop from a best buy or circut city and then build your own PC that work for gaming.
If you're on a really tight budget and you want a decent laptop, the Apple iBooks got the G4 upgrade a few months ago and with the student discount can come to a very reasonable price.
__________________
One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!" |
12-30-2003, 10:55 PM | #12 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: NY
|
maan.. i dont want to use the incompatible macs they're so pretty tho.. and the only pc's that gots the look of apple, Vaio's dont have the 9600 mobility...
So what's another nice company?.. any suggestions?.. I think i mite go with the "laptop from family.. altho it cant be like cracy $bling$ , then save up for desktop custom... cuz that'll be cheaper for ME )
__________________
b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!! |
12-31-2003, 08:35 AM | #14 (permalink) |
beauty in the breakdown
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
|
Getting an older laptop could be a good idea--just make sure you get wireless with it, it is next to worthless without it. You will be glad you have a laptop though, it is a lifesaver in college.
Again, I am a huge fan of IBM laptops. I wouldnt buy their desktops, but they make the best laptops I have ever seen.
__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." --Plato |
12-31-2003, 09:32 PM | #15 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: NY
|
another thing i'm worried about is theft.
How secure are dorms during the day, especially on breaks? If i happen to leave my laptop (or desktop) in my room, is there a high risk of theft? Because i remember someone telling me that laptops are one of the most stolen items in colleges...
__________________
b000yahed up your w000pah!! Joygasm~!! |
01-01-2004, 12:43 AM | #16 (permalink) |
WoW or Class...
Location: UWW
|
You don't like Apple? Then go for IBM. I got a T40 myself.
They cost a little bit more, but everything about them is great. The keyboards on all IBM laptops are the best of all laptops (and I'm not the only one saying this, go to virtually every single laptop review site), they have Ultranav which I love so much I don't need to lug around a regular corded mouse with me, oh and the 1400x1050 screen is insanely nice. The only downside I can possibly find is there isn't a Windows key. In it's place there are regular sized ctrl and alt keys, which are nice in their own right.
__________________
One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!" |
01-01-2004, 12:49 AM | #17 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: North Hollywood
|
Pickup a kensington laptop lock, its about $30 and tough, nearly all laptops support the locks, i recently picked one up as i'm often leaving mine in precarious situations
http://www.kensington.com/html/1434.html they'll even insure your laptop against theft for $1,500 per incident if the lock itself is compromised and you report it to the police within 72 hours, then notify them withim 7 days and return both keys. It costs a little more. Also theres laptop insurance http://www.safeware.com/getaquote.htm Pretty cheap considering.. Unfortunately for some the most expensive part to replace is the data, so make sure you set up a fully automated backup policy. |
01-01-2004, 01:35 AM | #18 (permalink) |
eat more fruit
Location: Seattle
|
UW Senior here.
The choice between laptop and and pc depends on what you're going to be doing. Yes, if you're a hardcore student and am going to be spending a lot of time in the libraries typing papers or plan on being a computer science major get a laptop. But also keep in mind that freshman year is about meeting people and having fun. If the guys on your floor are LAN'ing every week over the dorm conenction, you're going to be seriously hampered by your lil laptop. My experience as a Psychology/Biology major is that I really have no need for a laptop. All the material for papers usually comes from the textbooks that I buy and the notes that I take by hand in class. I am also a gamer... so a desktop was the only thing I ever wanted. Also, about dorm security... ALWAYS lock your door when you leave the room and never leave stuff out. 90% of the people in dorms are cool people who wold never steal.... but it's that 10% of people that you have to take into account.
__________________
"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche |
01-01-2004, 08:07 AM | #19 (permalink) |
beauty in the breakdown
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
|
Yeah, just make sure you lock your room when you arent in it. When you go home on break, take your laptop with you.
__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." --Plato |
Tags |
advice, desktop, laptop |
|
|