Jake L
What is a good laptop to buy for college? I plan on majoring in computer science or engineering.
Answer
MacBook Pro - I have the 17" model one and run my 5 MAC & PC computer network remotely from it.
Apple products are built on such high reliability standards that the model that you purchase today will last you when you are far entrenched in your career. Why, it will still be as robust and reliable as the day you purchased it!
MacBook Pro is built upon the revolutionary Intel Core Duo â which packs the power of two processors (up to 2.16GHz) inside a single chip. It provides 2MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared between both cores as needed. It delivers higher performance in 2D and 3D graphics, video editing, and music encoding. And the new engine is only part of the story. MacBook Pro has a frontside bus and memory that, at 667MHz, runs faster than any previous Mac notebook. Itâs the first Mac notebook with PCI Express, a Serial ATA hard drive, and the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 for superfast graphics performance." - Apple site
If you will be using programs like AutoCAD or Microstation, you are going to need a very powerful computer. Circuit development programs require less intense realtime processing, so even a budget laptop can handle those. For 1st and 2nd year engineering students you'll be needing mainly word processing, spreadsheet programs, and Acrobat Reader to read .pdf, of course. Then you will need access to the Internet to perform online research for physics. When you get to your 300 and 400 level classes, that is when you start requiring more computer resorces, like in your design theory and CAD/CAM classes.
Large desktop replacement laptops may be really heavy and have little battery life - but the MacBook Pro is not heavy and has a long battery life. As an engineering student you'll be on the go at school and in your later years and that bulk may be discomforting.
Size and weight -
* 15-inch MacBook Pro, Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm), Width: 14.1 inches (35.7 cm), Depth: 9.6 inches (24.3 cm), Weight: 5.6 pounds (2.54 kg) with battery and optical drive installed.
* 17-inch MacBook Pro, Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm), Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm), Depth: 10.4 inches (26.5 cm), Weight: 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed.
Battery and power - I have always used laptops during my college years and found the Apples (I had a PowerBook) to have longer battery life than the Toshibas, Compaqs, HP's that I have used then.
* 15-inch MacBook Pro has a 60-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 4.5 hours of battery life.
* 17-inch MacBook Pro has a 68-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 5.5 hours of battery life.
I especially love the ingenuity of the Apple engineers when they designed the MagSafe power connector - magnetic connection instead of a physical one. So, tripping over a power cord wonât send MacBook Pro flying off a table or desk; the cord simply breaks cleanly away, without damage to either the cord or the system. As an added nicety, this means less wear on the connectors.
Not to mention the Sudden Motion Sensor - The MacBook Pro protects your data if it detects a fall from that desk or your lap, by parking the hard drive head during fast changes in orientation.
Now, I am aware that many engineering applications run on Windows, but MAC OS X can run Windows programs. You can run Boot Camp on your Apple Macbook/Macbook Pro - http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/ - and actually install and dual-boot Windows XP on it if the CAD programs you're trying to run aren't available for OS X. If you do end up buying an Apple notebook and installing Windows XP on it via Boot Camp, definitely use this to allow for right-clicking, as well as volume/brightness control and use of the "delete" key.
Speaking as a serial fan of Apple products, I will tell you honestly that Apple laptops are top-knotch when it comes to build quality. I also love OS X. I feel Apple laptops provide great value for what you pay. That said, a comparably equipped PC will almost invariably be cheaper - roughly in the range of about $200-$300.
Getting a top of the line machine will allow you to stretch the laptop into the 3-4 and maybe even 5 year range with performance. Whereas as cheaper laptop may not last as long and when you add up the costs of two for a similar duration, the single better purchase wins out.
Apple also has a great Education purchase discount program that can't be beat... http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/routingpage.html
MacBook Pro - I have the 17" model one and run my 5 MAC & PC computer network remotely from it.
Apple products are built on such high reliability standards that the model that you purchase today will last you when you are far entrenched in your career. Why, it will still be as robust and reliable as the day you purchased it!
MacBook Pro is built upon the revolutionary Intel Core Duo â which packs the power of two processors (up to 2.16GHz) inside a single chip. It provides 2MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared between both cores as needed. It delivers higher performance in 2D and 3D graphics, video editing, and music encoding. And the new engine is only part of the story. MacBook Pro has a frontside bus and memory that, at 667MHz, runs faster than any previous Mac notebook. Itâs the first Mac notebook with PCI Express, a Serial ATA hard drive, and the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 for superfast graphics performance." - Apple site
If you will be using programs like AutoCAD or Microstation, you are going to need a very powerful computer. Circuit development programs require less intense realtime processing, so even a budget laptop can handle those. For 1st and 2nd year engineering students you'll be needing mainly word processing, spreadsheet programs, and Acrobat Reader to read .pdf, of course. Then you will need access to the Internet to perform online research for physics. When you get to your 300 and 400 level classes, that is when you start requiring more computer resorces, like in your design theory and CAD/CAM classes.
Large desktop replacement laptops may be really heavy and have little battery life - but the MacBook Pro is not heavy and has a long battery life. As an engineering student you'll be on the go at school and in your later years and that bulk may be discomforting.
Size and weight -
* 15-inch MacBook Pro, Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm), Width: 14.1 inches (35.7 cm), Depth: 9.6 inches (24.3 cm), Weight: 5.6 pounds (2.54 kg) with battery and optical drive installed.
* 17-inch MacBook Pro, Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm), Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm), Depth: 10.4 inches (26.5 cm), Weight: 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed.
Battery and power - I have always used laptops during my college years and found the Apples (I had a PowerBook) to have longer battery life than the Toshibas, Compaqs, HP's that I have used then.
* 15-inch MacBook Pro has a 60-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 4.5 hours of battery life.
* 17-inch MacBook Pro has a 68-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 5.5 hours of battery life.
I especially love the ingenuity of the Apple engineers when they designed the MagSafe power connector - magnetic connection instead of a physical one. So, tripping over a power cord wonât send MacBook Pro flying off a table or desk; the cord simply breaks cleanly away, without damage to either the cord or the system. As an added nicety, this means less wear on the connectors.
Not to mention the Sudden Motion Sensor - The MacBook Pro protects your data if it detects a fall from that desk or your lap, by parking the hard drive head during fast changes in orientation.
Now, I am aware that many engineering applications run on Windows, but MAC OS X can run Windows programs. You can run Boot Camp on your Apple Macbook/Macbook Pro - http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/ - and actually install and dual-boot Windows XP on it if the CAD programs you're trying to run aren't available for OS X. If you do end up buying an Apple notebook and installing Windows XP on it via Boot Camp, definitely use this to allow for right-clicking, as well as volume/brightness control and use of the "delete" key.
Speaking as a serial fan of Apple products, I will tell you honestly that Apple laptops are top-knotch when it comes to build quality. I also love OS X. I feel Apple laptops provide great value for what you pay. That said, a comparably equipped PC will almost invariably be cheaper - roughly in the range of about $200-$300.
Getting a top of the line machine will allow you to stretch the laptop into the 3-4 and maybe even 5 year range with performance. Whereas as cheaper laptop may not last as long and when you add up the costs of two for a similar duration, the single better purchase wins out.
Apple also has a great Education purchase discount program that can't be beat... http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/routingpage.html
Quality gaming laptops?
JohnThePyr
I'm looking for a decent quality gaming laptop. Nothing absolutely stunning, I know for instance that I won't be playing crysis at 40 fps on high settings, but something that would perform decently for other games. Something like CoD MW:2, CoD 5, maybe crysis at medium settings. Ect ect.
Normally, I build my desktop units myself. However, I'm going off to college soon, and will need a portable unit. I have absolutely no experience with laptops in terms of construction, so I don't want to risk it.
Anyway, any good recommendations for a gaming laptop, preferably sub $2000 dollars? My top price range would probably be $2500, but I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.
Answer
ASUS G51VX-X2A
ASUS W90Vp-X2
They are all top gaming laptop and should last for quite a long time....
ASUS G51VX-X2A
ASUS W90Vp-X2
They are all top gaming laptop and should last for quite a long time....
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Title Post: Good laptop for college?
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