Dominix
Warlord
I am going to be graduating high school June 2004, and while I won't be purchasing a new desktop or notebook until around that date, I was wondering what you guys thought would be more appropriate for the college atmosphere.
Desktops or Notebooks for college?
- Thread starter Dominix
- Start date
Brewster
stays crunchy in milk
If you can afford it, nothing beats a good laptop. Some people can type faster than they can write but many professors still frown on the constant clacking of keys in the classroom. One of the unfortunate side effects (if you plan on getting anything done) is the ability to play Civ3 anywhere anytime.
jpowers
Emperor
Two questions:
1. Does the university have wi-fi set up in public places? This makes a laptop with a wi-fi card a very nice choice.
2. Are you taking computer programming or graphics classes? The computing power per dollar of a desktop is much better than a laptop.
Either way, you must get a USB memory stick with at least 128 Mb capacity. These things are the greatest invention since the mouse.
1. Does the university have wi-fi set up in public places? This makes a laptop with a wi-fi card a very nice choice.
2. Are you taking computer programming or graphics classes? The computing power per dollar of a desktop is much better than a laptop.
Either way, you must get a USB memory stick with at least 128 Mb capacity. These things are the greatest invention since the mouse.
Suppersalmon
Think Safely think again
a laptop can be very good especially if you are dyslexic like me and i find a laptop very usuful in lessons and i often finish the work before most people do but if you are carrying your laptop a long distance then it can become painful
Moved to Computers, where the gurus are...
I find my desktop to be most satisfactory to my university needs.
Never been fond of taking notes on a computer - it might crash, it might be stolen and it might accidentally drop and be smashed to several pieces.
I arm myself with a pen and pencil each day instead
Never been fond of taking notes on a computer - it might crash, it might be stolen and it might accidentally drop and be smashed to several pieces.
I arm myself with a pen and pencil each day instead
Okay, people have listed reasons for both based on usability.
However there is something else you need to think about. Where are you going to college? Where are you going to live?
Is it an hours drive from your current residence, or is it a 6 hour plane trip? Are you going to be living in a dormitory 8 floors up, or are you going to be living in an apartment? What kind of major are you taking? Is it something where you will need a computer with you in class at times, or is it something where conventional notes and listening will be fine until you get back to your room?
Laptops are good for mobility and low weight - but they are bad because they are expensive, not as powerful as a desktop can be, and have power issues. Also, laptops are difficult to upgrade/expand.
Desktops are good because they are powerful, dont deal with those power issues, and can possibly be easier to use (depending on the user's preference really), and are relatively cheap - however they are bad because they can be heavy (monitor, tower, peripherals, etc) and there is a lack of mobility.
Personally, I live about a 50 minute drive from my parent's home. So I decided to build myself a desktop and take it with me. However I know I am going to be living in this residence until next December.
However there is something else you need to think about. Where are you going to college? Where are you going to live?
Is it an hours drive from your current residence, or is it a 6 hour plane trip? Are you going to be living in a dormitory 8 floors up, or are you going to be living in an apartment? What kind of major are you taking? Is it something where you will need a computer with you in class at times, or is it something where conventional notes and listening will be fine until you get back to your room?
Laptops are good for mobility and low weight - but they are bad because they are expensive, not as powerful as a desktop can be, and have power issues. Also, laptops are difficult to upgrade/expand.
Desktops are good because they are powerful, dont deal with those power issues, and can possibly be easier to use (depending on the user's preference really), and are relatively cheap - however they are bad because they can be heavy (monitor, tower, peripherals, etc) and there is a lack of mobility.
Personally, I live about a 50 minute drive from my parent's home. So I decided to build myself a desktop and take it with me. However I know I am going to be living in this residence until next December.
Laughing Gull
charts, graphs, databases
desktop.
100% easier to fix in a pinch if you have a hardware failure. end of discussion.
100% easier to fix in a pinch if you have a hardware failure. end of discussion.
ShiplordAtvar
Texan by the grace of God
If you have the money, get both. If not, get a good desktop. And if you really want to, do like I did and get a decent second hand notebook on which to take notes. It allowed for a lot of flexibility.
RedWolf
Deity
When I went to college I shared my family's computer (I lived at home) but since I was taking a computer programming course I realized that this was becoming unmanageable. I ended up buying a midrange laptop and spending quite a bit of money on it.
I'm not going to claim that it was usless - it came in incredibly handy and the portability was nice. I could easily do work in the labs on my OWN machine which has a lot of benefits compared to working on the crappy machines the school has - you never feel comfortable using a PC that isn't "yours".
However carrying it around all the time WAS a hassle - worried about breaking it, having it stolen etc... It served me well throughout college but afterwards I had a machine that was really quite useless - I wanted it for more than just programming and word processing but it was underpowered and the hard drive was too small. Upgrading would have been an expensive hassle. I ended up selling it and buying a nice desktop which I still use today.
The laptop comes with some real benefits but I can't help thinking that I could ave gotten more for my money with a desktop and looking back on it I probably only THOUGHT I needed the portability.
I'm not going to claim that it was usless - it came in incredibly handy and the portability was nice. I could easily do work in the labs on my OWN machine which has a lot of benefits compared to working on the crappy machines the school has - you never feel comfortable using a PC that isn't "yours".
However carrying it around all the time WAS a hassle - worried about breaking it, having it stolen etc... It served me well throughout college but afterwards I had a machine that was really quite useless - I wanted it for more than just programming and word processing but it was underpowered and the hard drive was too small. Upgrading would have been an expensive hassle. I ended up selling it and buying a nice desktop which I still use today.
The laptop comes with some real benefits but I can't help thinking that I could ave gotten more for my money with a desktop and looking back on it I probably only THOUGHT I needed the portability.
GenMarshall
High Elven ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
I would use a laptop/notebook for school. Personanly I find it easy to take notes on the computer. I usualy Backup my notes on a USB Flash Drive incase something bad happens to my laptop.
t92300
Yip Thats Me
what about PDAs
you could get a PDA for notes in class (it small and portable) and a desktop for home
you could get a PDA for notes in class (it small and portable) and a desktop for home
t92300
Yip Thats Me
a plam with one of the scrible bits with graffiti my friend can takes note quite quickly using one of them
ShiplordAtvar
Texan by the grace of God
I've also known several people who had collapsable keyboards for their PDAs. They used them profligately in class, occassionally to the point of angering the prof.
Worthless. Is it really that difficult to take out a sheet of paper and scribble down notes?
You barely gain anything from using a PDA to take notes. The only use it may serve is if your handwriting is legible to transfer it to text so you can print it out.
You barely gain anything from using a PDA to take notes. The only use it may serve is if your handwriting is legible to transfer it to text so you can print it out.
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