Laptop or Desktop for college

jobjob
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Laptop or Desktop for college - help me decide.



Here's the situation:



1. I'm going to college in the fall of 2004. Obviously I don't know what Apple will be offering in terms of computer hardware, but I'm considering a mid-range tower or über-maxed out iBook (this is based off of the current prices, barring any massive price changes.)



2. My budget is around $3000-$3200. I won't be buying until the fall, so I'm just trying to get a feel on which would be better for college life, a desktop or a notebook.



Note: I already have a Powerbook, an original G3 (233Mhz, 96MB RAM, Mac OS 8.6, Word 2001) and it's actually great for word processing. I'm planning on pursuing a BA as an undergrad, so I don't really need anything more, just something to write papers. I have four extra batteries for the thing, so portability isn't an issue here either. I would be content with keeping the Powerbook to write papers on and use what ever else I buy for other stuff (movies, games, music, ilife, etc.)



So what's college like with a desktop? Or, on the other hand, with a laptop? I've visted several colleges already and it seems that the majority of the laptops stay in the dorm room. Keep in mind, I already have a word processing laptop that I can lug around with me, so I'm leaning more to a desktop with a nice Klipsch sound system.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 37
    nebulousnebulous Posts: 193member
    I would never consider a desktop for college after having a laptop here. Personally, I tote my little PowerBook all over the place - taking it out of my room at least once a week. Coffee shops, the library, and my friends' rooms are all regular destinations for my PB and I. Wireless internet also really sways my choice here - I can sit on my bed in my dorm and browse the web, which obviously couldn't really be done with a desktop.

    Simply put, laptops are way, way, waaay more convenient for the college lifestyle.
  • Reply 2 of 37
    messiahtoshmessiahtosh Posts: 1,754member
    When I go to PSU next year, that's what I'm going to get. Everyone has reccomended it to me and I think by that time the PowerBooks will be sickly fast. Just gotta keep saving..
  • Reply 3 of 37
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Laptop, for so many reasons...obvious and otherwise.
  • Reply 4 of 37
    jobjob Posts: 420member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Nebulous

    I would never consider a desktop for college after having a laptop here. Personally, I tote my little PowerBook all over the place - taking it out of my room at least once a week. Coffee shops, the library, and my friends' rooms are all regular destinations for my PB and I. Wireless internet also really sways my choice here - I can sit on my bed in my dorm and browse the web, which obviously couldn't really be done with a desktop.

    Simply put, laptops are way, way, waaay more convenient for the college lifestyle.



    See, that's what I originally thought as well, but I've found the old G3 Powerbook to be perfectly adequate in OS 8.6/9 (i.e. word processing and nothing more.)



    To be honest, I think I could get more work done if I didn't have the Internet via Airport everywhere I went. (Otherwise I would be spending too much time on sites like this.)
  • Reply 5 of 37
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    well, i'm definatley a power user, and i've had a desktop (eMac) with me all of this year, but i also got to demo a tablet pc for a while to take notes in classes. quite honestly, you can get by without the portability, unless you plan on surfing the net during lectures on the other hand, i would kill for a pbook in addition to my soon-to-be-released rev b G5 for presentations and taking advantage of the killer wireless network here. based on what you said, go with a pbook and dont think twice about it.
  • Reply 6 of 37
    jobjob Posts: 420member
    Do liberal arts classes require presentations (Powerpoint or otherwise) on a regular basis now?



    I know that might be a blanket question, but coming from a college n00b, I'm just looking for suggestions.
  • Reply 7 of 37
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by job

    Do liberal arts classes require presentations (Powerpoint or otherwise) on a regular basis now?



    I know that might be a blanket question, but coming from a college n00b, I'm just looking for suggestions.



    i'm in lib arts right now (possibly moving out soon for CGT), and yes, a com114 class is required (at least at my school). if its not com114, i would expect some similiar course to be required.



    if you take it, make sure you use keynote--you'll blow away your classmates also, using the 'notes' feature on your ipod instead of using notecards makes you look cool (if your prof will allow it).



    edit: com114 is your basic speech class
  • Reply 8 of 37
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Get a laptop, but make sure you get a fast hard drive. Any laptop, even a very fast one, will seem sluggish if you saddle it with a 4200 RPM hard drive. It's not worth the money you're putting into the machine if you're going to try to live with such a performance hit. That's the main thing that damages laptop performance so if you eliminate that, a laptop is basically as good as a desktop.



    Either BTO a 5400 RPM drive, or buy a 7200 RPM drive and install it yourself or see if you can get an authorized service center to install it for you. And if I were you I'd get the 15" one because it's really nice having a screen larger than 12" at 1024x768. It's pricey, but if you want a laptop that can truly compete with a desktop in performance and ease of use, that's what you have to do.



    Personally, I would have bought a laptop as my main machine, but I can't afford one that is good enough. I bought an iBook for $1300 but it was not very good. If I were to do it over again I wouldn't want to spend less than $2000 on a laptop to ensure a good user experience. Cheap laptops have too many compromises.
  • Reply 9 of 37
    baumanbauman Posts: 1,248member
    My very small (900 undergrads) liberal arts college is completely wired... projector built into every room and PC, VCR and DVD there as well.



    I never needed a laptop, but they sure do make things nice.
  • Reply 10 of 37
    keilwerthrebornkeilwerthreborn Posts: 129member
    My iBook comes with me to every class, every day. It's so much nicer than a desktop, which I used for my first five semesters of college. I take all my notes on it, and it's nice to have my files with me everywhere.



    Just yesterday, I used it to copy two pieces I needed for my instrumental lit class into iTunes, right in the library without having to check out the CD's. That's a godsend to me, since they only allow you to check out two at once, overnight only, and charge you a dollar for every hour it's late. And I need to copy CD's a lot.



    I don't find the 4,200 RPM hard disk to be a major performance hit in my everyday usage (text, internet, composition, MIDI, GraphicConverter). However, I would never use it for audio editing. I'll probably just buy a 7,200 RPM Firewire in the next year. The fact that Apple doesn't offer a faster internal HD in the 12" laptops makes me wary of putting one in my computer, due to the risk of heat issues.
  • Reply 11 of 37
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Laptop. You'll want to get out of your room from time to time to do work.
  • Reply 12 of 37
    bytemebyteme Posts: 45member
    I was a student at Bradley University and I bought a notebook beacuase I thought I would be much more mobile. Well, I wasnt at least not with my notebook. I did like taking it home with me for the weekend. At least, I knew where my computer was, NoT with my SiLLy A$$ roomate.



    NoW, don't scorch me. I dont own a MaC. I know, I know silly Me, but I am a prospective MaC owner. I am going to purchase either a 17"PB or PM, whichever one is updated first. I am going to join Apple's student development program in order to score a huge discount. Since you will be a student, i would sign up fo the $100 fee. Take a look at the links below.





    Take a LooK

    Look at the Prices

    Packages
  • Reply 13 of 37
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    ya i must say, lots of my friends (basically all pc users \ ) dont take their laptops anywhere. then again, theyre jsut your average users that got notebooks for college because their parents thought they should have them.
  • Reply 14 of 37
    kingofsomewherehotkingofsomewherehot Posts: 4,180member
    my 2 cents...



    I'd get the 12" pbook and a 17 or 20 cinema display. and the BT keyboard/mouse.



    You get portability when you want it, plas a normal keyboard and big-screen when you're in the room !
  • Reply 15 of 37
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by KingOfSomewhereHot

    my 2 cents...



    I'd get the 12" pbook and a 17 or 20 cinema display. and the BT keyboard/mouse.



    You get portability when you want it, plas a normal keyboard and big-screen when you're in the room !



    I don't think that's a great idea. The gain in portability is useful, yes, but the 15" PowerBook isn't exactly big and heavy. Going for the 12" with an external screen costs more than just buying the 15" in the first place, and it's a slower machine overall. Plus you can't BTO a 5400 RPM hard drive on the 12".



    Oh, and going with an Apple display just adds another $100 to the cost because you have to buy an adapter to use it. Funny that if you buy a third-party display, you don't need to buy a special adapter.
  • Reply 16 of 37
    francisco_gfrancisco_g Posts: 53member
    Agreed, I'm studying engineering and my Powerbook rarely leaves my place, no real need to take it out except to infrequently submit an online homework. Since I don't need to type papers away from home a printer is all thats needed to take my documents with me. However my lib arts friends who have laptops constantly type papers on-the-go. I looks convenient but honestly the computer is mainly used for IMing and mp3s. Then again they use those godawful plastic PC notebooks. The 'book is boss but methinks I'll hock it for a dualie.



    Do you have a monitor already? If you already have that you could get a top-shelf Dual G5. Prices will drop after the rev.b comes out. If I were you, I would sell the laptop, buy the desktop and settle for using pencil and paper in the library.
  • Reply 17 of 37
    your_ad_hereyour_ad_here Posts: 112member
    I'll be starting university (hopefully in the US) this fall and have been asking myself the same question. The real concern for me at the moment is whether the uni I attend will have a decent mac userbase, because I don't really want to have struggle with lecturers asking for windows formatted files (though I am studying architecture so hopefully that will increase the chances of having a mac-compatible course!)



    If I do get a mac, I'm pretty certain I'll go with an updated powerbook (pending revisions in time for the school year) because as mentioned the portability advantage far outweighs the small drop in performance. My only worry is going to be keeping it safe when it's all alone...
  • Reply 18 of 37
    macaddict16macaddict16 Posts: 194member
    if you have $3000 I would continue to use your G3 PB until a G5 PB comes out. then you have fast processor and portability.



    Macaddict16
  • Reply 19 of 37
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    if nothing else, if you have $3,000 on hand now, and know you wont' be buying until school starts, throw that $3,000 into some 6 month bond. sure you'll only gain 2% or so on it, but it's better than nothing, and that way it will still be here in 6 months. (and i'd go with a laptop)
  • Reply 20 of 37
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by your_ad_here

    I'll be starting university (hopefully in the US) this fall and have been asking myself the same question. The real concern for me at the moment is whether the uni I attend will have a decent mac userbase, because I don't really want to have struggle with lecturers asking for windows formatted files (though I am studying architecture so hopefully that will increase the chances of having a mac-compatible course!)



    If I do get a mac, I'm pretty certain I'll go with an updated powerbook (pending revisions in time for the school year) because as mentioned the portability advantage far outweighs the small drop in performance. My only worry is going to be keeping it safe when it's all alone...



    If you're going to UNC, you'll find a nice community of Mac users and plenty of wireless options. Same at Duke. I can't speak for NCSU, but Brad could.



    Again, I can't stress how much a laptop is worth it to me in my studies. I don't play many games on my computer but I use it everywhere, especially with wifi proliferating around many campuses.
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