To laptop, or not to laptop?

[Trevelyan]

Well this August I'll be off to college, and my question for you guys is should I get a laptop?

I have a good desktop PC right now... Hitachi 19" monitor with a 2000XP processor...80GB hard drive... Ti4200 video card... 512MB ram..

But, I've decided to sell my car before I got to college, and just get a nice bike for transportation. So with the additional money I'll be havign I was considering getting a laptop... I've heard that some colleges have wireless networks set up all around campus so you can sit on a bench and surf the internet, or in class you can be taking notes on your laptop while being online...

Is that accurate? And do you think it would be worth it for me to get a laptop? If so, what all should I get in laptop?

Thanks for the suggestions. Btw, I'm going to the University of Miami.

 

[Vadatajs]

Eastern Michigan has wireless only in the library so far (and without authentication). You'd best check with the university and see if they have wireless. Otherwise, you won't need a laptop unless you will be away from your desktop most of the day. I can type faster than I can write, but taking notes on a laptop is very difficult, because they typically involve charts, which are too difficult to draw fast. It's much easier to understand mathmatical formulas that have been handwritten than typed on a laptop. My advice is to go a semister without, then decide if having one would make your life easier at all.

 

[Ionizer86]

An alternative: what about a pda with wilan card and keyboard? You could draw on the screen when you needed and type when needed (and IM if you need to though doing net is a bit hard on those). Low cost too.

 

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
An alternative: what about a pda with wilan card and keyboard? You could draw on the screen when you needed and type when needed (and IM if you need to though doing net is a bit hard on those). Low cost too.

That's almost exactly what my dad suggested... but it seems like it would just be too much of a hassle... what with the small screen and all...

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Trevelyan

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
An alternative: what about a pda with wilan card and keyboard? You could draw on the screen when you needed and type when needed (and IM if you need to though doing net is a bit hard on those). Low cost too.

That's almost exactly what my dad suggested... but it seems like it would just be too much of a hassle... what with the small screen and all...

What about one of the new Tablet PCs? With them, you can draw diagrams on a decent sized screen, take notes, and (with some) even convert it into something resembling a regular laptop with a keyboard. The only issue I could think of off hand with this is the cost.

 

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by: jliechty

Originally posted by: Trevelyan

Originally posted by: Ionizer86 An alternative: what about a pda with wilan card and keyboard? You could draw on the screen when you needed and type when needed (and IM if you need to though doing net is a bit hard on those). Low cost too.

That's almost exactly what my dad suggested... but it seems like it would just be too much of a hassle... what with the small screen and all...

What about one of the new Tablet PCs? With them, you can draw diagrams on a decent sized screen, take notes, and (with some) even convert it into something resembling a regular laptop with a keyboard. The only issue I could think of off hand with this is the cost.

Well what's a decent one and how much does it cost?

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Trevelyan
Well what's a decent one and how much does it cost?

Sorry, I haven't done much research on the topic, but a quick search at AnandTech revealed a few links...

• Lincus numerus unus
• Lincus numerus duo
• Lincus numerus tres
• Lincus numerus quattor

 

[ed21x]

I use to use a clie n760 and a folding keyboard. It worked great! took up very little space in my backpack, had a ton more battery life, and the hi resolution color screen was more than adequate. Come the end of class, the unit would fold back up to the size of a deck of cards. Oh, and you can use it as an organizer too =)

 

[astroview]

I'm posting from my school library on a laptop so I'll put my 2 cents in. Wireless networks are never perfect. They don't usually cover campuses perfectly and are usually available in select areas only. Some buildings with WLANs don't have perfect coverage either, so you'll probably have to carry a cable as a backup just in case. This is all assuming you have a WLAN in the first place.

Also, laptops are a pain to use. The batteries last for a certain amount of time and never a whole day. Centrino might change this, but most laptops won't let me go for 8 plus hours like I need and want. So you'll have to carry around a laptop, power cord, and ethernet cord too. Also, comes the issue of laptop weight. Sure you can buy a laptop that can play Doom3. It will weigh a lot. If you do buy a computer, get a light one. I"m very happy with my 3 pound Dell. If you do get something, I recommend light. I'm happy I don't lug around an 8 pound machine. People who buy those big computers tend to stop using them at school, defeating the purpose of buying it.

But also, remember if you bring a computer to class, you're probably gonna use IM, play solitare, and read anandtech. I know that what I used to do until I stopped bringing my laptop to school. So it actually HURTS me to have this machine here.

So I say bring the desktop to school. Use it in the dorms. Borrow a laptop and check out the WLAN when you get there. You'll see what its like and if its worth the money. Plus if you wait until August/September you'll get a lot more for your $$$. Centrino will be out, and so will probably other cool new technology.

My recommendation is hold off, in theory a laptop sounds great but the reality in class is that it doesn't help you learn and its a hassle. Try it out for a few days there before buying one so far in advance. In retrospect I really don't need one.


BTW are you getting a motorcycle or bicycle?

 

[thorin]

That's simple.

1) Can you afford to be without your computer when:
a) It's lost.
b) The insurance company drags it's feet to replace it.
c) The battery dies, you drop it, etc....
2) Do you think people sitting near you will mind the clickety click click click of the keyboard?

Why not a desktop and a PDA or micro casette recorder?

Thorin