ASUS Zenbook for school?

[tj_extreme]

My son is in high school right now, and will start the Computer networking in the local Vo-tech school, and he'll be there for 2 years. He needs a laptop for the course. Would the Zenbook (the model with a 128gb SSD, 4gb RAM, i7 2677m) be worth his while? I found one for $1200. I thought the small, portable design would be good for him to carry back and fourth to and from school. [FONT=Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, san-serif][/FONT]

 

[MindoverMaster]

He won't need a powerful laptop to do Computer Networking. I think just a simple netbook, or perhaps a bit bigger than that, will do.

 

[tj_extreme]

He won't need a powerful laptop to do Computer Networking. I think just a simple netbook, or perhaps a bit bigger than that, will do.

It's just called computer networking. They don't actually do any networking until the end of the second year. I taught the program for half a year last year, and trust me, a netbook ain't gonna cut it. The first year is a lot of hardware, and most of the kids bring big, powerful laptops to show off. Now, I'm not spending $2000 on a laptop that won't even fit in his backpack. But they also do a lot of work on Adobe programs and the like. So yeah, I send him with a netbook, and he either gets laughed out of class or fails, whichever happens first. So, to answer my original question, is an Ultrabook, like the Zenbook a good idea?

 

[MindoverMaster]

Have you looked at IBuyPower or CyberPower?

 

[tj_extreme]

Have you looked at IBuyPower or CyberPower?

Not really. Why?

 

[MindoverMaster]

Just that you can make a custom laptop from them.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

The Zenbook is a smart choice in my opinion. A small portable laptop like that is perfect for school. If he happens to need more battery life the Lenovo x220 is another great choice although it isn't as sleek as the Zenbook.

 

[WhiteFlare]

He won't need a powerful laptop to do Computer Networking. I think just a simple netbook, or perhaps a bit bigger than that, will do.

Not true.

When I was going to college for computer networking, I wish I had a more powerful computer. I went all the way through with a HP EliteBook 8530w.

We did a lot of virtual labs networking between virtual machines on our own PC's and on classmates PC's with virtual machines for projects. You NEED lots of RAM to run multipul virtual machines on the same computer, and believe me, the project would have been completed a lot quicker without all the lag.

 

[tj_extreme]

Just that you can make a custom laptop from them.

Good thinking. I did buy a desktop from Ibuypower when I was sick and in the hospital for a few months, so I'd have something to look forward to going home to, and I didn't have any issues with it. I'll look into it.

The Zenbook is a smart choice in my opinion. A small portable laptop like that is perfect for school. If he happens to need more battery life the Lenovo x220 is another great choice although it isn't as sleek as the Zenbook.

I thought so too. Though, I think he'll prefer the looks of the Zenbook over the small battery life increase in the Lenovo, I know I would

Not true.

When I was going to college for computer networking, I wish I had a more powerful computer. I went all the way through with a HP EliteBook 8530w.

We did a lot of virtual labs networking between virtual machines on our own PC's and on classmates PC's with virtual machines for projects. You NEED lots of RAM to run multipul virtual machines on the same computer, and believe me, the project would have been completed a lot quicker without all the lag.

Exactly my point. I want him to be able to do everything he needs and more, without any issues. Plus, if he goes there with a good computer like that, and learns about the new hardware, he'll have a jump start.

 

[Yami]

Not true.

When I was going to college for computer networking, I wish I had a more powerful computer. I went all the way through with a HP EliteBook 8530w.

We did a lot of virtual labs networking between virtual machines on our own PC's and on classmates PC's with virtual machines for projects. You NEED lots of RAM to run multipul virtual machines on the same computer, and believe me, the project would have been completed a lot quicker without all the lag.

This. I've got a low-powered 1.3GHz dual-core Pentium and trying to run BackTrack VMs on it is agonising.

The Zenbook X31 is a fantastic choice for a school laptop. It's light, fast, has good I/O thanks to the SSD which is good for VMs, and has a good enough battery to last the during of the school day.

If you have the option to configure it, I'd recommend only going for the i5 but a 256GB SSD.