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after I finish my SAT's this upcoming saturday, my parents have agreed to buy me a new computer
My dad is willing to spend up to $700 on a new desktop for me. But I'm currently a rising senior in high school and will eventually need a laptop for college. Should I (my dad) buy a desktop right now and then I buy a cheaper laptop with my own money on entering college?
OR
My dad can buy me a laptop $700-$800 and I have to use that even through college.
My sister told me that my laptop will wear out when the time for college comes so she told me to go with the first choice. But i odnt really know if Im going to have my own money for a new laptop in the future.
On my computers all Im really going to do is download music, play sc, cs, and probably sc2. If I choose to get a laptop now will it be able to last me through college even with all those games?
O and I plan on building my own desktop (idk how) with the help of friends and google if I go with the first choice. Im a noob with computers but people tell me you can build good computers with $500.
For laptops I have heard so many different opinions. Alot of people like DELL laptops but some say they're unreliable and break easily. I dont really know where to go with the laptops.
any comments and suggestions for laptops or even desktops within my budget will be greatly appreciated. ty
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United States24752 Posts
On June 02 2008 09:02 BaDayOri wrote:
and will eventually need a laptop for college.
Can you explain why? This is an important issue to be sure on.
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well I would much rather take notes on my laptop then scribble it down manually during class
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United States24752 Posts
On June 02 2008 09:04 BaDayOri wrote:
well I would much rather take notes on my laptop then scribble it down manually during class
Have you tried this before? I don't like using a laptop to take notes, although it depends on what classes you are taking.
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On June 02 2008 09:05 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On June 02 2008 09:04 BaDayOri wrote:
well I would much rather take notes on my laptop then scribble it down manually during class Have you tried this before? I don't like using a laptop to take notes, although it depends on what classes you are taking.
everyone I know in college including my sister all take notes on their laptop and they say its so much better than writing. my typing is faster than my writing anyways so I dont see why not
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United States24752 Posts
On June 02 2008 09:06 BaDayOri wrote:Show nested quote +On June 02 2008 09:05 micronesia wrote:On June 02 2008 09:04 BaDayOri wrote:
well I would much rather take notes on my laptop then scribble it down manually during class Have you tried this before? I don't like using a laptop to take notes, although it depends on what classes you are taking. everyone I know in college including my sister all take notes on their laptop and they say its so much better than writing. my typing is faster than my writing anyways so I dont see why not
On June 02 2008 09:05 micronesia wrote:
Have you tried this before?
Also, what are you going to major in? As a math/science student using a laptop would be very hard lol.
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Depends on what you are studying... if you have to make a lot of diagrams, pen and paper is a lot better.
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usually professors just put up the ppt slides the night before so you can print and write on them which is much easier than typing, esp when they diagrams or charts :D
but yeah, some classes are much better with laptop ...
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On June 02 2008 09:10 stenole wrote:
Depends on what you are studying... if you have to make a lot of diagrams, pen and paper is a lot better.
Unless if you have a t-t-t-tablet!
Sorry, I just got mine a few days ago. It's awemazing.
But, about your dilemma? If you're gonna build a desktop anyway (and yeah, it's cheap), you should probably shell out for a laptop.
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I have no real idea on what I want to become but I doubt I'll get into the math and science areas
Ill probably just type bullets, etc. simple notes on word.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
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HMM, get a desktop, and just carry it with you to class. If you have a small monitor, you'll be fine.
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what brand of the laptop should I get?
from $700-$800
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On June 02 2008 09:20 ThE_OsToJiY wrote:
HMM, get a desktop, and just carry it with you to class. If you have a small monitor, you'll be fine.
rofl this!1
and don't laptops run for much more than 700? :{
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Hong Kong20321 Posts
ive been using my laptop for like 5 years alreayd lolz im in 2nd year of uni D::D:D
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On June 02 2008 09:21 BaDayOri wrote:
what brand of the laptop should I get?
from $700-$800
Dell, IBM, Acer are all pretty sound choices.
Sometimes, very occasionally, some stores will have lower ends VAIOs for sale (I have seen 799 as lowest), and those definitely last a long time.
If you don't plan on playing new games on your laptop, it can definitely last you through your university life provided that it doesn't physically break.
edit:
For me (Engineering), taking notes with pen and paper is infinitely easier than taking notes with a laptop. Even for classes when the professor provides us the powerpoints, making notes with printouts is still much faster than typing up all the random crap. Also, to me, recalling written material is easier than recalling material that was typed.
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United States24752 Posts
On June 02 2008 09:16 BaDayOri wrote:
I have no real idea on what I want to become but I doubt I'll get into the math and science areas
Ill probably just type bullets, etc. simple notes on word. Most math/science notes don't lend themselves to a word processor. In math, you are always writing out mathematical expressions (well, usually). In science, it depends a lot, but I did physics, which worked out to be a lot like math :p
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=O Maybe you should put it off for a year. Your parents will be impressed at your restraint...Then, when you're leaving for university, you can request a better computer (I also agree with the laptop recommendation), and your parents might acquiesce (or you can choose a more expensive computer, and pay the difference, instead of buying a cheaper laptop yourself). And yar, when it comes to laptops, it's better to wait anyway, as they're harder to customize, so a year-old laptop will start to be outdated faster than a year-old desktop will be during your uni years. Even a top of the line, 4K+ USD laptop will be considered outdated relatively quickly, and will still have the same upgradability problems. But I think you should ask your parents first if they'd be willing to consider this, if you decide to choose this option. x3
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most of the time you wont use laptop in class, but overall in college life; laptop > pc.
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On June 02 2008 09:42 Descent wrote:
=O Maybe you should put it off for a year. Your parents will be impressed at your restraint...Then, when you're leaving for university, you can request a better computer (I also agree with the laptop recommendation), and your parents might acquiesce (or you can choose a more expensive computer, and pay the difference, instead of buying a cheaper laptop yourself). And yar, when it comes to laptops, it's better to wait anyway, as they're harder to customize, so a year-old laptop will start to be outdated faster than a year-old desktop will be during your uni years. Even a top of the line, 4K+ USD laptop will be considered outdated relatively quickly, and will still have the same upgradability problems. But I think you should ask your parents first if they'd be willing to consider this, if you decide to choose this option. x3
no computer for a whole year..impossible
im about to die..my computer died 4 weeks ago and I hate using my parents computers
so I guess desktop now, laptop later is the way to go
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United States22883 Posts
Typing notes on laptops is totally overrated. I type over 90wpm and I still prefer writing. There's a lot more customizing you can do, in case the professor jumps around a lot or something.
With that said, my new computer for college is a laptop but for the main purpose of getting work done outside of my room. For that limited budget, I'd probably go for the desktop as any laptop will be pretty weak around that range.
If you really want a portable, you could build the desktop and then buy a EEpc or something.
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I use a laptop for university, but then again, I'm studying Software Development so it's kind of required for my tutorial classes etc. But for the mathematical classes I took, laptop was a definitive no-no. Get a laptop though, because it's not just useful at university (and you're probably not doing math, like you said), you can use it everywhere. (watching replays on the train is a good time-killer  )
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just get the laptop. yes, all shit becomes obsolete, especially with how quickly tech is progressing, but if youre only using casually, might as well get something portable. shop around, and you can easily get a good laptop for that budget
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On June 02 2008 09:20 ThE_OsToJiY wrote:
HMM, get a desktop, and just carry it with you to class. If you have a small monitor, you'll be fine.
lolll. idk it is really up to u bro, i would go with..
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Mmh well i got a desktop as well as a laptop, and as probably only my laptop will be able to run sc2 i guess i have to play it there, but i think i would buy a different laptop if i had the choice again.
I think i would rather have a good desktop pc for gaming and a business laptop with onboard grafik for university.
If you want a laptop with a good grafik card for gaming, the battery is always a problem. Although the grafik cards are usualy able to adjust the power, they still need so much more than those onboard chips.
And 700$ for a laptop that is good for gaming seems quite low.
So go with a desktop and try to get a cheaper laptop later, because if you just use it for office things, you don't really need such a new machine.
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I'd say get a laptop...but don't expect to take notes on it, lol. Anything thats just text will either be available to you on the class website or in the textbook. Most of the stuff in class will be equations/diagrams, or haphazard notes.
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Laptop is the way to go. Even though desktops are cheaper and can be specifically tailored, I still prefer laptops >_>
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and if you do plan to take notes or tote it around often, be wary of size and weight. 14.1'' or lower should be comfortable. i have a dell vostro 1500 (thats 15.4'' widescreen) and its still a beast to carry around
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taking notes on laptop sucks. yes it sounds good on paper, but trust me, in practice it's just absolutely terrible (this is coming from someone who types way over 100 wpm..)
maaaaaaaaaaybe if you're taking a class where the notes are primarily words (like law or w/e) but even then the occasional diagram will have you scrambling for a piece of paper or mucking about in visio (or god forbid paint) for longer than you should be
instead get one of those digital note things, they're absolutely amazing. my roomate has one and it's just sick. it looks something like this
not sure if that's the one he has but it's similar
you get a hard copy of your notes and also a digital one that's easily transferable to the computer as a high-res image and it even has a sort of text-converter where it takes what you've written and translates it to text like you'd see in word. it's surprisingly accurate (my handwriting is reaaaaaally terrible and it got it just fine)
im so getting one asap
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I echo the previous posters' statements that it really isn't that great to use the laptop to type notes. Not only is it usually easier for me to just write out my notes (and any diagrams), but I study better off of printed notes. However, it really is a huge plus to be able to do work away from home... Sure, the university might have computers but it just isn't the same. So a vote for a laptop.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
nothing beats TL during lecture.
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yeap do not take notes on laptops, it's the worst possible idea. Pencil + Paper is the best. I graduated with a CS Major couple of years ago and during all my years, I have never! taken notes with a laptop, even though some classes involved writing code.
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Get the laptop 
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didnt feel like making a new blog so ill write it here..
is it possible to make a decent desktop with only $500? is it worth it?
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EPT
