For University: Desktop or Laptop?

[siyan]

Which should I go for, 2 years down the road? (Yes, I know...its a while, but try to use your amazing powers of prediction.)

The main issue is that I want a TFT screen. Gaming is secondary.

-C

[aknisely]

Laptop, definately.

[JungleMan]

Get a low end laptop, i mean just enough to take notes or do homework or access the school LAN.

Then take the rest of the money you have and put it towards a nice custom built Athlon with GF3 or Radeon AIW, etc..

4 reasons:

1) You will have more computing power
2) if the laptop is lost or stolen it isn't all your money and files down the drain
3) laptops are more prone to breakage
4) No worries about upgrading to a better laptop, as you won't need to upgrade a laptop...even an old Pentium laptop will write word documents good enough.

You can get a used Thinkpad Pentium 2, which will do light work just fine and conserve battery life, on eBay for under $500. Thinkpads are also very well built.

When you're done with that, give us a buzz on pctsonline.com or right here for advice on throwing together a nice desktop. You can build a low end Duron desktop if you want for about $600, or a very nice Athlon could run only 1200 bucks.

[scoutt]

Laptop definitly. you don't want to be stuck in doors while th babes are running around half naked in teh dorms or out side in the hot summer sun, well ................ maybe you should be in doors, watching tha tall the time you will never get any work done.

1200????????? haaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaa ha ha

I just did a Thunderbird 1.0Gig for $927 -- GF2 32Mb w/tv, 16x dvd (toshiba), 17" .25 monitor, asus Mb 233Mhz bus, 256Mhz dimm 133, floppy, 3 fans, atx mini mid case and win98se. that even beat the new hp's out by $50

smooooooken

but yes they are getting cheaper.

[JungleMan]

I recommend getting a laptop, but keep enough money so you can build a desktop also.

Originally posted by scoutt
1200????????? haaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaa ha ha

I just did a Thunderbird 1.0Gig for $927 -- GF2 32Mb w/tv, 16x dvd (toshiba), 17" .25 monitor, asus Mb 233Mhz bus, 256Mhz dimm 133, floppy, 3 fans, atx mini mid case and win98se. that even beat the new hp's out by $50

All depends on what you want, if you want 512MB RAM (add $35-45), a 1.4 Ghz (add $30), and a PLEXTOR 16x CDRW ($159), that's $1162.

You can get low end Durons close to the $400 mark, or of course you can make an Athlon with as much stuff as you can possibly handle

[scoutt]

yup, I can get CDRW for $80, but yeah, I see your point. 512Mb, nobody needs that much, unless you run a server. 256 is perfect for what she was going to do with it.

but I was setting it against the HP that was priced and I put a faster one togehter that you can buy at walmart. for the same price. the guys at circuit city said it can't be done, I proved them wrong.

[siyan]

Ooookay...but I haven't really seen a GOOD reason to get a laptop over a desktop (I'll not be getting both).

Basically, I'm arguing over a laptop or a desktop with flat panel TFT.

TIA

-C

[aknisely]

Laptops: go everywhere
Desktops: go everywhere, but with extreme prejudice.

[JungleMan]

Why Can't you get both? what is stopping you?

First of all tell us your budget, and we'll figure out a good configuration for you.

[filburt1]

Laptop with GeForce2Go.

[Muddy]

Definitely get a laptop with a docking station. That way you can pop it in the station and have a monitor, full size keyboard, and mouse. Pop it off and you are on your way.

Just keep in mind that a laptop is many times easier to steal, so you will have to be more careful.

[siyan]

I'm not totally set on my budget just yet. After all its 2 years before I go to university...

Although I would estimate that its between 1200 and 1800 Canadian dollars. I doubt if I can get both a respectable laptop and a desktop, and I don't care to get a junker.

-C

[Muddy]

This is the only time Id suggest credit to a college student, but get a credit card to get the computing power you need. Depending on your major, it might just be one of your most important academic investments.

[JungleMan]

siyan: think of your expenses this way:

$1800 CDN will buy you a low end laptop, with a 700mhz processor and little extras. For note taking this will be just fine, for any further usage, you'll need a new one within about 24 months. Therefore in 24 months you'll spend another $1800 CDN on another low end notebook, which will last you another 24 months. That's 4 years and you've spend $3600 all for low end notebooks.

You've been unable to attend LAN parties due to the weak specifications of your notebook, and forget any graphics or 3-D classes, your notebook won't have enough processing power.

Now, let's say you take anohter route and buy an expensive notebook, for, say, $3800 CDN. It performs great at first, but after 2 years, the notebook becomes quite slow and outdated. Sure, it still takes notes, but can you attend LAN parties? Take classes on graphics or 3d? nope. so finally after 3 years you decide it needs an upgrade, and you buy a $2500 notebook. That lasts you through the rest of college just fine. But you've still spent all that money and haven't been totally satisfied.

Now, let's say you go with my plan. Buy a used, but in good condition notebook such as the one listed here for about $800 CDN. Then spend about $1800 CDN on a desktop. There you have spent about $2600 and have a powerful desktop that should last about 2 years, and a low end notebook. In 2 years your desktop will need an upgrade to keep up with the latest and greatest ,but do you need a new sound card? case? floppy? even HD or CD burner? no, just upgrade the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and video for about $900CDN. Maybe even another notebook somewhere along the line for $800CDN. That'll last you some more time.

Plan 1: $3600 for 2 low end notebooks
Plan 2: $6300 for a high end and a mid end notebook
Plan 3: $4300 for 2 used notebooks, a high end desktop, and a high end upgrade later on

Which sounds like the better plan?

[Muddy]

you can get a decent laptop for $1600

866Mhz Dell Inspiron 8100

[siyan]

Well, I'm taking a look here at what I can find at a trusted vendor in British Columbia. Assuming that the relative price/performance ratio won't change drastically in 2 years, I can get something that is (relatively) this powerful, and still have cash for a TFT monitor.

Tbird 1.1Ghz 266Mhz
WBK68 HSF
Epox 8K7a
256MB Micron PC2100
30GB ATA/100 7200RPM 2MB buffer
Floppy
Leadtek GF2 Pro 32MB w/TV out
18" ATX case w/ 300W PS
SB Live Value w/ Digital Out
52x LG CDROM
12x8x32 LG CDRW
Altec Lansing AC33 speaker set
1 Year warranty

$1256 Canadian. Not too bad I guess.

Then I can get a TFT for $600, Samsung 15", runs 1024x768 only though. And only 60Hz refresh.

Damn.

Oh well, in 2 years TFT will be cheap. I hope.

-C

[scoutt]

that 60hz will kill your eyes and make you have head aches.

[siyan]

Does that happen on TFTs too? Cause my current laptop runs 60Hz refresh (although it can do 85) and its just fine...

Although CRT at 60Hz is brutal.

-C

[scoutt]

I think it does happen also. you want your refresh rate as high as the monitor will go. it takes time, if you leave it at 60hz, but you will start to feel it. don't you see lines on your screen? like going down the face of it?

[scoutt]

my bad I didn't read the whole post you just did. you laptop won't be as bad but you still see a line, not like the tube on your monitor, but you should still see something.

[JungleMan]

Originally posted by Muddy
you can get a decent laptop for $1600

866Mhz Dell Inspiron 8100

This is Canadian money. (I'm from the USA, but i did a littlle conversion. Canadian money is roughly 1.5 times US money.)

[Jim Brown]

As someone said above, it does depend what you'll be studying.

If you're going to become an aerospace engineer you'll need some serious power for cad maybe; if you're going to be an historian you need more of a word processor.

I'm sure the faculty will advise you on what they suggest (as a minimum, sure) for the type of work they'll expect you to perform.

But university campuses are by their nature usually quite spread out, you'll be moving from lab to lab, library to library, bedroom to bedroom if you get lucky .... so portability is important.

I'd go with the docking station I reckon, and just make sure you get one of those cable things to lock your laptop to the desk. Maybe get one of those handcuff jobs they use in the spy films to chain the briefcase with the secret codes in to the guy's wrist! (But then I read in a novel where they chopped his hand off..... )

[sunnyl]

Well I don't think it needs to be that extreme!

But I did read that, but I can't remember exactly which brand (Sony VIAO or Toshiba Satellite) that has a lock on it once closed can't be opened unless some lock is unlocked, otherwise theres permanent damage to the lappy making it usless.

But if you keep the lappy in your sight, security shouldn't be a problem

PS. I love my laptop.

[Guv]

This decision is a no brainer: Either portability is all important or it is not that critical.

The only advantage to a laptop is portability.

At this time, a laptop cannot match a desktop or tower in speed, capacity, price, quality of monitor, peripherals, et cetera.

A laptop cannot be upgraded, and after a few years, they cannot be repaired if something goes wrong. The design constraints due to their size create problems for upgrades. To make everything fit, you are pretty much stuck with the components originally designed into the system. After a few years, parts are no longer available for most laptops, so certain repairs cannot be made.

If portability is a top priority, then go for the laptop. If you only have one system and must travel or be at college 6-9 months per year, then the laptop might be the right answer.

JpbTennisMan had good thoughts. If you need the laptop for taking notes and writing papers at school, get a real cheap one. A lowend, used laptop can match anything for word processing, simple spreadsheets, simple math calculations. None of these applications are demanding. Those applications waste the capabilities of high end systems.

[DerFarm]

Guv has the right of it.

Having said that (and attended 6 colleges (3 after the advent of electricity)), I would definitely get a DESKTOP with one of those notetaker thingies....I think they cost about $300 (US).

Best of both worlds, without worrying about someone making off with the laptop while you're making out on the quad.

[siyan]

Originally posted by scoutt
my bad I didn't read the whole post you just did. you laptop won't be as bad but you still see a line, not like the tube on your monitor, but you should still see something.

The laptop is glass smooth at 60Hz.

Thanks for all the input! I'm not sure what I'll be going into just yet, but it could be law, meaning laptop is probably the way to go.

-C

[aknisely]

Originally posted by siyan


The laptop is glass smooth at 60Hz.

Thanks for all the input! I'm not sure what I'll be going into just yet, but it could be law, meaning laptop is probably the way to go.

-C

Finally, a fellow Canadian lawyer-to-be. Where will you be studying?

[siyan]

Not sure. Ivey league if possible, of course, but otherwise probably U of T.

-C