Laptop for college.

thefinalstage

I was just thinking about whether or not these were essential. Any thoughts?

IrishKnight

Methinks yes, while you can use the campus computer labs they aren't open all the time...plus you'll have your own laptop for a spot of gaming and what not...

fonpokno

i think it depends on what kinda course you're doin! i think essays have to be typed up properly and double spaced and all that jazz(or at least thats what my sisters had to do) but i dont think laptops are actually required for every course! my sis is doin commerce in ucd and she has to have one and they all got them at discounted rates or somethin at the beginning of first year but i don't know about other places!

im gonna get one anyway for the craic!

IrishKnight

Good point, it does depend on the course...having said that though if your rents are going to buy one then there is not better argument than, "But it's for my education!" :P

I think there wouldn't be any disadvantage in having a laptop...

Rozabeez

Addiction to boards.ie, perhaps?

Although, that exists without laptops too. DUNN DUNN DUNNNN

Bluefox21

yeah I have to have one for UCD does anyone know any decent ones....

Rozabeez

www.laptopsdirect.ie

Bluefox21

looks pretty good iom told I get special offers from UCD or something so would I be better off waiting until I start?

My view on this is that you don't really need one at all during college (there will be more than enough computer rooms probably) - although getting one for final year for your dissertation/final year project might be handy. Ignore 'special offers' from college and look online for cheaper versions.

fonpokno

Bluefox21 wrote:

looks pretty good iom told I get special offers from UCD or something so would I be better off waiting until I start?

yeah apparently ucd are really tetchy about what you need or are allowed download, my sis has two laptops - one for college and one that she had before that

Haven't a Clue

Bluefox21 wrote:

looks pretty good iom told I get special offers from UCD or something so would I be better off waiting until I start?

You should've gotten a 'UCD Student Laptop Offer' flyer with all the malarky UCD sent out during the week. Their cheapest laptop was €940, whereas you can get a good Acer for €750, or even less, on laptopsdirect.ie. I did, and it's the business.

Raphael

While the ones there are cheaper, Dell Laptops do have the advantage of the standard 1 year warantee. Mine started acting up and I called them, told them the problem, they sent a guy out to my house to replace the motherboard within a week. Doubt you'd get the same form laptopsdirect.ie

Re: UCD Laptop pickyness: Quinn are picky, the rest of the college are. SO if you;re doing commerce, you pretty much need the laptop they tell you to get. otherwise, get the one you want, you'll be grand.

Creamy Goodness

i could understand a course that has a lot to do with computers ie. computer science requiring you to have a certain laptop, but commerce, what are they janking like?

Lucas10101

Why's everyone thinking a Laptop, what's wrong with buying a Desktop Computer from the 80's, nice and cheap.

Haven't a Clue

Lucas10101 wrote:

Why's everyone thinking a Laptop, what's wrong with buying a Desktop Computer from the 80's, nice and cheap.

Cause you can take the laptop with you wherever you go, therefore being able to do college work whereever you want.

Overheal

Lucas10101 wrote:

Why's everyone thinking a Laptop, what's wrong with buying a Desktop Computer from the 80's, nice and cheap.

:rolleyes: dont get me started - something that couldnt even run a real version of anything and weighs 50 pounds? no thanks.

I have a desktop machine for college but you end the year finding you missed the mobility a lappy provides to you. there is nothing social about sitting in front of a PC in your bedroom. and when you actually do bring it somehwere (Lan parties are fun) it turns into a project.

Depending on the course it really isnt necessary - Im in the Games Dev in Carlow and we all still use pen and paper for lectures.. the 2-3 that bring in their laptops are actually just playing solitare or using photoshop. I prefer paper notes anyway because files can be so easy to lose sometimes.

I won't argue that dells have ended up being reliable enough, with their customer support and their warrantees, but if you want to shave yourself of the extra costs then go for an HP laptop instead - you can get a much better price/performance ratio out of it - I'm buying a $1000 laptop that for almost identical specs on Dell costs you nearly $2000 after the warranty and the added software.

Speaking of added software - there is really no point of getting MS-Office - its an extra $250 and you can get the equivalent here for free: http://www.openoffice.org The same thing goes for McAfee and Norton - 2 programs which I've used and hate anyway.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=231147

Naikon

Build a new laptop.
I intend on doing this, and it could be a alternative solution to the off the shelf systems(in fairness probably not an option for most people:/)

I mean, most people hardly need a very powerfull laptop for computing task's required by a college.
I will be doing a Computer Science course, and I doubt I will need a machine with all the bell's and whistles.
Why you ask?, maybe because Unix based OS's don't require massive amounts of memory/raw processor ommph(Vista?) and are nice and functional for everything from some Programming to web browsing.
hell, with a generous 4/8 megs of RAM you can use a C shell to get your work done:D

unrelated somewhat, but I hate when people feel the need to spend thousands on "gamer" laptop's which will drain battery quite soon and aren't upgradeable.
This is why my desktop machine is considered separate for gaming tbh.

Naikon

Cremo wrote:

computer science requiring you to have a certain laptop, but commerce, what are they janking like?

LOL:D

thedee

I thought it was necessary to have a laptop and bought one at the end of first year. I'm being honest when i say that its more like an expensive MP3 player coz all i do is play music on it and i never use it for college work (only rarely)

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

thelastangryman wrote:

I was just thinking about whether or not these were essential. Any thoughts?

yea nad no, deponds on what course you are doing. However you probably wone NEED one in first year. my advice would be to wait until second year and get a better model for the same price as you would pay now. also a service pavk will be out for vista by then