Laptop for college

[darkop16]

I don't see a reason to wait unless you want dx10 support (prob won't happen for laptops for another year). C2D + 7600 or 7950 and 2gb should be pretty good but don't expect it to last as long as a laptop with onboard gpu....those graphics cards take power to run so with the gaming laptops your sacrificing portability (how long it lasts and how heavy it is) for power (in the sense of gaming).

So keep that in mind since im sure you will want to take it to classes and will have fight for the seat next to the power socket .

With $2200 you could get a beast of a gaming laptop like i said earlier (C2D, 7600gt, etc.) but if you decide to stay simple for word processing and such the $1000 is good enough for a lower end C2D and onboard gpu. You could still mutli-task like typing and listening to music but gaming will take a hit. But i like to keep my gaming on a desktop where it should be and keep the laptop as word processing and maybe watch a movie on every now and then when im not at my desktop.

Also if you do go with the $1000 budget then you would have $1200 left over which is enough for a pretty good desktop rig .

 

[infiltrator7]

thanks for the reply. I already have a pretty good gaming desktop (check out my sig), but I wasn't planning on lugging it with me to college. So that's kind of my problem - I want a laptop that I can play games and movies (basically a desktop replacement) but one that I'll be able to take with me to class.

I've heard that laptops aren't widely used in classes though (just paper and pen), and they're mostly just used around campus and in the library. Is this true? Because in that case I wouldn't mind getting a bigger desktop replacement and having to carry it around to a few places.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[UA_Iron]

I currently go to the University of Arizona.

Laptops arent used too widely in class, and if someone does have one out they're usually surfing the internet.

I have a laptop and a couple desktops, havent opened up the laptop in 6 months, and havent ever had a time where I found it was more convenient to have a laptop (except space saving - but thats rare).

 

[UA_Iron]

If you're going to live in the dorms and you're pressed for space get a bigass LCD monitor, a TV tuner card for your desktop and negate having a TV all together.

costco has an X2gen 22" Wide 5ms LCD for 229.99 after rebate (they do rebates better than any other retailer). or a 19" for 129.99 after rebate.

Within 3 years a laptop will be sure to need a new battery (100 bucks). Laptop harddrives fail quite frequently (happened to 3 of my friends this year), and by that time you'll be questioning if getting new parts for a laptop will be worth it cause your hardware will be pretty dated.

If you go the laptop route, get an external drive to store anything important on.

 

[joowan]

my HP's battery died recently, my laptop's about 10 months old. i charge it fully, battery goes from 100%->4% in less than 4 mins.


my suggestion is to reformatt the laptop as soon as you get it, every laptop or out-of-the-box computers seem to come with a load of crap i dont ever use/need.

and as for classes, all my friends have laptops but they dont neccessarily take it with them to class, more like going to the library with it or write a paper at starbucks together.

 

[infiltrator7]

UA I think I'll do what you said about the big LCD TV and do that. I'm probably going to be dorming, so I think that I've decided I'm gonna go for a desktop replacement laptop, and if I have to carry it around with me it shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[pinoy3000]

my suggestion is get a crappy laptop say $500.00 ones and then spend the rest on a gaming rig desktop

P.S.

You only use laptop to type notes in class. At least that's what Ill be using mine for. I currently have a Laptop and no desktop. This laptop is around 5 years old! wahhhhh I thnk or maybe 4 years old and it still works. hehe and still able to play games with it. Though my battery is dead hahaha since i kept it plugged in the outlet all the time thus it kept charging and charging till it died. So i dont have a battery atm but ill be buying a new one when I go to college this fall 2008. Ill be using this laptop for notetaking only hehe. then transfer files to the gaming rig im about to build.....


So thats why I suggest get a laptop that is only used for word documents and build a gaming desktop. I mean hey........ would you actually play video games while on a moving vehicle? in a classroom? or what not? Ye, you play games when you are in your house/dorm where noone bothers you. So, theres no point in getting a gaming laptop.

 

[JoshSB]

I was reading an article where many professors up at my college and the surrounding area are banning laptops in classrooms because they find they are to great of a distraction and actually take away from learning.

A study (I found it on MSN, shouldnt be to hard to find) said that it actually distracts a student whereas writing pen and paper actually helps the student learn better, which I do.

I then have my desktop (in sig) to write papers and such. Granted I live in my own apartment with a college buddy so it's not exactly like im cramped for space, but I did have my desktop with me at the dorms last semester.

I am not trying to sound like an authority on the matter, just voicing my own opinion, take it as you will.

-Josh

 

[pinoy3000]

I was reading an article where many professors up at my college and the surrounding area are banning laptops in classrooms because they find they are to great of a distraction and actually take away from learning.

A study (I found it on MSN, shouldnt be to hard to find) said that it actually distracts a student whereas writing pen and paper actually helps the student learn better, which I do.

I then have my desktop (in sig) to write papers and such. Granted I live in my own apartment with a college buddy so it's not exactly like im cramped for space, but I did have my desktop with me at the dorms last semester.

I am not trying to sound like an authority on the matter, just voicing my own opinion, take it as you will.

-Josh

In other words.........

Dont get a LAPTOP! haha, just kidding. But ye, Laptop isnt really that worth it unless you actually do a lot of work outside your home. Which made me wonder why I wanted a laptop in the first place and now....... I dont like my laptop. I feel like desktops are more powerful. I'm surprised that its still a live after 4-5 years of running it. Though, my electronics have always last longer that its life expectancy. I still have my photo iPod which I got since it was released and its still running and never had problems with it. I think its been like 3-4 years old now.... and its battery's expected lifetime is like only less than 2 years as ive heard.