Computer for college...Laptop vs. Desktop, what should i get? Im not really much of a library person. If i do get a desktop it will prolly be a shuttle mini xpc thingie. What do u guys think is better for college, my major is computer engeneering.
Computer for college...Laptop vs. Desktop
- Thread starter chiwawa626
- Start date
- Mar 20, 2000
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laptops are much easier stolen than a desktop, and i imagine the xpc wouldn't be much harder. do you game? you'll probably program on a lab machine either in person or through putty, so you won't need heavy hardware for compiling. personally i'd get a 60lb steel antec case desktop just so it doesn't get carried away.
So
Lifer
- Jul 2, 2001
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I am finishing my freshman year...I went for the best laptop I could afford (Compaq Persario 2800t with most of the goodies) I have found that it rarely leaves the room due to my paranoia of it being stolen and due to the fact that it is still a bit of a chore to go back and get it for the few classes that I could use it for notes in (liberal arts classes). In my opinion, the ideal setup would be a mid-range desktop that you can upgrade and a cheap tablet PC for note taking purposes (unfortunately, Tablet PC's arent cheap). Ultimately, I regret my decision and if I could do it again, I'd build the desktop.
BTW, I am also a computer engineering major.
Edited for clarity.
BTW, I am also a computer engineering major.
Edited for clarity.
If you dont' game or use very CPU intensive programs, get a laptop. I'd recommend a Powerbook but it seems most colleges are more PC friendly so that might be a better deal.
well i don't know what your campus is like, but on mine, CSE majors really don't need laptops because there are labs open 24-7 and your classmates are in there too so you can always have help and stuff. i suppose it is nice to work outside, but a lot of the stuff (like active hdl) can't be easily put on your laptop (i believe active hdl would require an internet connection of some sort, so you couldn't easily work outside).
that said, if you're just going to get a minipc anyways, you might as well go for a laptop imo... you will probably have to take some english classes or something, and it'd be sweet to work outside on papers.
that said, if you're just going to get a minipc anyways, you might as well go for a laptop imo... you will probably have to take some english classes or something, and it'd be sweet to work outside on papers.
Depends on the kind of person you are. I had both so I'm speaking from experience. I'm an Electrical Engineering major, so we're pretty much the same damn thing. I'm also assuming you're going to be living in the dorms.
The Desktop is a whole lot more usefull when you're playing dorm-wide lan games with tournaments between floors/buildings/dormitories. It also means more storage power for downloading/sharing/whatever. It has more power and with the bigger screen that usually comes with, easier to program because you have more space to do things. I also find that when sitting hours on end at a computer, a desktop is much more comfortable with the full-sized keyboard and such. The keypad does so much.
The laptop is great for going to the library, attaching to the many ethernet ports around campus/wireless if they have it. It was mainly a portable multimedia station for me carrying nothing but music, movies, and such. As an engineer, you won't be in the library or anywhere else to be exact. You'll be at home/parties/computer lab. As you can guess, the computer lab already has computer labs you can use.
In conclusion, get the desktop. That, or if you must, say you have a 1500 budget, spend 900 on the desktop, 600 on a decent laptop that will be able to do anything you'll need to do thats related to your major.
The Desktop is a whole lot more usefull when you're playing dorm-wide lan games with tournaments between floors/buildings/dormitories. It also means more storage power for downloading/sharing/whatever. It has more power and with the bigger screen that usually comes with, easier to program because you have more space to do things. I also find that when sitting hours on end at a computer, a desktop is much more comfortable with the full-sized keyboard and such. The keypad does so much.
The laptop is great for going to the library, attaching to the many ethernet ports around campus/wireless if they have it. It was mainly a portable multimedia station for me carrying nothing but music, movies, and such. As an engineer, you won't be in the library or anywhere else to be exact. You'll be at home/parties/computer lab. As you can guess, the computer lab already has computer labs you can use.
In conclusion, get the desktop. That, or if you must, say you have a 1500 budget, spend 900 on the desktop, 600 on a decent laptop that will be able to do anything you'll need to do thats related to your major.
One last thing before I go to bed, dual-boot linux does wonders. That, and if you don't already, learn some basic dos, ftp, telnet.
Desktop. I don't know but hours wasted playing Quake TF freshman year just wouldn't be the same on a laptop. Unless you are one of those weirdos who likes to haul your computer to class, or to sit at coffee shops with a laptop and look important. Computer engineering should have computers at all classrooms that need them, like labs, etc. I was computer engineering student, and between computer lab and dorm room, I never really needed a laptop. But I graduated 2+ years ago, so things might have changed. There were just so many computer labs to go to, that laptops seemed totally unnecessary. Computer engineering is not really hands on where you have to go onsite somewhere with your laptop.
Just curious, I plan on going to a uni for computer science eventually, and I'm the type of person who is 100% unix and very "into" it, for example if I have to code something up, and they stick me on a machine with notepad or ANY other non-vi text editor, it's gonna suck alot for me to try and be productive with it. Do you generally code everything on your own time (and thus on your own machine)? Any other info would be greatly appreciated too
So
Lifer
- Jul 2, 2001
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Well, having only taken one coding class at college, I would say that I have a poor sample populationm but...
1. We login to our accounts with ssh, you can code in whatever you want and then copy the files into your account, also, our servers have Vi, Vim, Emacs and Pico on them. I didn't really like Vi, but I am still inexperienced in the ways of the great, old text editors. Still, I understand how nice Vi can be. Anyway, the short answer is yes...either code it on Vi on your own machine or on the server.
1. We login to our accounts with ssh, you can code in whatever you want and then copy the files into your account, also, our servers have Vi, Vim, Emacs and Pico on them. I didn't really like Vi, but I am still inexperienced in the ways of the great, old text editors. Still, I understand how nice Vi can be. Anyway, the short answer is yes...either code it on Vi on your own machine or on the server.
So
Lifer
- Jul 2, 2001
- 25,923
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Oh, and in direct response to your question, I usually coded in lab on their machines, but I had no problem coding from my machine in my dorm or even my desktop at home when I wanted to. They were pretty flexible with when you code it, as long as it is uploaded by the deadline.
i like PC for nice hunky 19" monitor , processing power, and upgradability. sometimes i would like a laptop to save space, and carrying around to do work on campus or lugging it around to use winamp or hooking up to a tv to play DIVX or something like that. im indifferent to both, though. i wouldnt be suffering if i had only 1 or the other. currently im using a PC, and i would like to get a compact, cheap 12" laptop in the future. something like a dell 2100 series. i think thats the ideal to go for most people (nice PC, then a cheap small laptop)
I've got a desktop and table pc. Taking freehand notes on Computation paper (well, on the tablet pc, but it looks the same as the pads) rocks. Then you load up pSpice and analyze your circuits
So
Lifer
- Jul 2, 2001
- 25,923
- 17
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Originally posted by: helpme
I've got a desktop and table pc. Taking freehand notes on Computation paper (well, on the tablet pc, but it looks the same as the pads) rocks. Then you load up pSpice and analyze your circuits
Nice! How much did the tablet cost, anyhow?
get a SFF deesktop like a Shuttle
Very portable when moving and you can up grade it
Cheers,
Aquaman
Very portable when moving and you can up grade it
Cheers,
Aquaman
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