Laptop or desktop?
 

Hey!

I'm trying to decide whether to buy a laptop or a desktop to bring to college. Which is better, in your opinion?

Undoubtably a laptop.

You are going to be moving so many times in the next four years that it makes your life a hell of a lot easier - especially if you are in a sorority. You'll move rooms more times then you think. Also if you tend to go home a lot and like to have a computer with you, a laptop is the only way to go.

I had a desktop when I started school and after I switched, I couldn't believe I had it any other way. The new laptops they have out today are just as functional as the desktops, even if they are a few more bucks (but totally worth it I think)

CIAO!
:cool:

I would say PC, even though there are pros and cons to each.

Laptop
_________

Pros: Light, can go anywhere

Cons: Battery life isn't very long and the battery can build memory much like old cell phone batteries. Unless you leave it at home all the time you cannot take advantage of the higher speed internet connections. Upgrading and repairing is much more time consuming and expensive, also it is harder to find a shop that will do it. Mouse is sometimes tricky to use. Screen glare can be a big problem


PC
________

Pros: Relatively inexpensive to upgrade and repair. A lot of times you can do it yourself, making the average life span longer that of a laptop. You can take advantage of the higher speed internet connections. PC is always set up and ready to use, no reattaching printer cables and such.

Cons: Larger, heavier, and less mobile than a laptop. Can't really think of more at the moment.

I guess you can see that I lean towards the PC side. I also have owned a laptop so I speak from experience. The fact that it allows you to take it anywhere generally does not outway the extra work involved with them.

I agree!!! I have a laptop, and although it takes me a minute to close it up and pack it away for the end of the year, it drives me nuts sometimes because it did not like me at all when I first got it!! I spent a lot of money on this baby fixing it when it was still brand new!! My suggestion: get a laptop, but get one with a 3 year warranty!! I only had a one year, and after one year and 3 months, it broke AGAIN!!!
Still, we have been through a lot, and have learned to respect one another, now we get along fine!! I adore it!

Another pro to a desktop is that you can get a more powerful model (faster chip, more RAM, more disk space, etc) for less money. If that's important to you, go for the desktop. If the portability is more important, get a laptop. You may want to buy a separate mouse so you don't have to deal with those annoying trackpads. Also, most laptops these days come with backup batteries, or you can buy one. As with so many things, it's a tradeoff.

I would say go for the laptop. :)

laptop, absolutely.

if your roommate is loud or something--you can take it and head to Leavey Library to work. :)

I'd say you can have the best of both worlds.

You can get a laptop and they'll usually hook to an external keyboard and monitor.

I hate laptop keyboards. Radioshack sells this new keyboard that you could even carry with you. It's made of silicone and you can just roll it up when you're done with it.

So get the laptop and shell out an extra 3-4 hundred to get the extra large monitor, keyboard, mouse, whatever.

Laptop, all the way.

:eek: Roll it up??? How in the world? But I say get a desktop. Laptops cost more, don't they? Plus I hate the lil square u use for the "mouse" or heaven forbid the lil button thing. I mean when you move, you gonna have a lotta stuff regardless, so go for the big one. You can get one that has all the goodies in the monitor casing, plus w/ the speakers attached so all you have is a monitor and keyboard.

My roomate this past year had one of these, it's kind of made of bendable rubber/plastic, like a calculator keypad. It is the coolest thing ever, it is SILENT, which is so nice while sharing a dorm room! I would seriously recommend making them mandatory in all dorms, keyboard clicking is the most annoying sound at 3 AM!
Anyways, I would also recommend a laptop. Unless you are some kind of computer wiz who wants to do all these fancy programs and keep a ton of info in your memory (ha, this shows you how much I use computers!)...why do you need a desktop? I use my computer strictly for typing papers, chatting on AIM, checking my email, and downloading music. My laptop is super, although I've been really unhappy with Hewlett Packard tech support. So I wouldn't recommend an HP, but definitely a laptop.
P.S. I have a regular mouse to use because I hate the touch pad one, but thats the only downside to a laptop.

Has anyone seen the new prototype projection keyboards? It’s basically a little inferred light that projects the display of a keyboard on to a desk surface. I can’t wait for it to be perfected.

my sister went away 2 years before me and got a pc. i saw he lug it around everytime she moved, and i saw all the space it took up on her desk...so i got a laptop.

you can get almost anything you want built into a laptop, and it will all fit into a cool black bag you caus use to cary around when you need to get the hell out of the dorms to write a paper!

LAPTOP!!!! I love mine! The battery lasts a long time, it's fast, easy to use and portable yeah! oh ya, i have a dell inspiron 2600 i'd recommend dell

It all really depends on what you want.

Personally, I've got both. I got a laptop for graduation and to use in law school. But I'll still be taking my desktop to school with me. Why? While the laptop is more powerful, its more comfortable for me to do photo editing, programming, gaming, etc on the desktop. Plus, the CD burner is in the desktop.

However, the laptop will come in handy for class, going home on the weekends, getting away to work, etc. For years I've always said I wanted a laptop, it would have made my life so much easier when I had massive programming assignments to do, and the user manuals that each project had to go along with it.

If you need a simple machine for writing papers and surfing the internet, go with a laptop. Just make sure to get a LOT of RAM and the fastest processor you can afford to put off the machine's impending obsalescence.

dell rocks!!! i have the inspiron 4000 and i love it.

I've got the dell latitude cpt and LOVE it!!!!! I've worn most of the letters off the keyboard I use it so much!!! I use it WAY more than the desktop I had before this laptop.

My sister received an iBook for Christmas, and she loves it.:D

One more vote for Laptop!

You can bring them everywhere, you can do wireless internet with them (which people usually be impressed with), you can do your assigments/papers wherever you like: cafes, parks, libraries, your rooms ...

Love my laptop :)

Car,

The sorority houses at USC have wireless ethernet access so you can use your laptop anywhere in any of the houses and go online. I believe that the dorms are using the same wireless technology now.

The sorority houses are also really full right now so desk space is at a premuium -- another reason that laptops are great.

Laura

eek, just ordered a dell inspiron 8200 notebook. Can't wait to get it!

100%, unilaterally, w/out a doubt . . .

LAPTOP. All of the 'cons' listed so far can be worked around - battery-life issues prove negligible during normal use (hell even in the library you can plug the thing in), and high-speed ethernet access is available to the laptop most places on campus I'd assume.

As for brand - the people voting Dell are on to something, but I prefer Sony - I have a Vaio, and it's been nothing but sweet to me. Definitely look into them - a little more expensive, but more than worth it.

Thanks and a question...
 

Thanks everyone for your help!! :)

I will definitely get a laptop then. I, unfortunately, can't write papers in the presence of others and the littlest of noises bother me! (Amy, I will be frequenting Leavey/Doheny on a regular basis, haha.) Also, I only use my comp for papers, email, and IM.

I have a question for you guys...would taking notes in class on a laptop be considered "dorky" or "nerdy"? My sister told me that people who take notes on a laptop are thought of as dorks. I just type a lot faster than I write!

Thanks again for all your help!

a laptop is great, but in all reality, I dont know anyone myself included who takes it to the library. i did once, but would not do it again...I dont feel like hiking across campus with my laptop at 10 pm to work on a paper. but make sure to get a good warrenty!! you can also get an external mouse for maybe $20 tops, and hook it to the back of you laptop, which makes moving around easier...i have a port replicator so I can hook up everything and them some and still have plenty of space for the extras (speakers...:D ), plus it just pops right out when I wanna take it home with me or elsewhere....

I too suggest a laptop, and if you're worried about hooking stuff up to it like a printer, monitor, mouse, keyboard, and all that crap, get a docking station. you can slide the laptop in and out of it. that's what i have at work, and it's awesome. i can take my laptop on travel with me, and not have to worry about hooking it back up when i get back.

laptop definitely

but DON'T take it to class!!! people will look at you like you have 4 heads and will talk trash.

if you're that worried about your notes, buy a little tape recorder and bring it with you. but i even doubt you'd need that.

don't worry, you'll do great!

**edited to add**
also, if i were in class with someone who was typing and typing away on a computer while i was trying to pay attention, you better believe i would complain to the professor or a higher up. (i HATE the sound of a keyboard! ;) )

no laptop in class, dude.

First, yeah you'll probably look like a tool - it's a special kind of geek that can pull it off. Also, if you're taking smaller classes (out of the lecture hall), and there's only like 25 people in there . . . yeah, not normal to whip out the computer.

Second, for some classes it just doesn't work - classes with special notation, or any sort of charting/graphing, you're screwed (any science/math class, econ, etc). Chem on the computer doesn't happen.

Third, I wouldn't want to carry it around all day.

If you want to donate your computer to some random thug, go with a laptop. Bottom line: LAPTOPS GET STOLEN all the freaking time on college campuses.

I think it's different for everyone... I had a laptop last year... it was ok, but couldn't do as much or hold as much info as a PC... plus, i never brought it someplace else to do homework or anything... the main difference is that i could bring it home on vacation and not have to worry about it getting stolen... but I'll be in an apartment this year and am getting a desktop... just cuz it can do more, actually is cheaper to buy, and don't have to *really* worry about it getting stolen as much as in a dorm... for a dorm, i'd say go for the laptop, but i think it's different for everyone :)