Computer Science Canada University Computer |
| Author: | yumrum [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | University Computer |
This year i'm going off to university for engineering(general first year) and i was wonder what some good specs for a laptop would be- or any good laptop suggestions? right now i'm leaning towards sony because there products seem very reliable, and i also can't get a mac? all suggestions would be wonderful! |
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| Author: | Tony [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: University Computer |
yumrum @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:30 am wrote: i'm leaning towards sony because there products seem very reliable
That's not the rep they've been getting lately. At least in terms of software security 
yumrum @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:30 am wrote: and i also can't get a mac? Is that a question? |
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| Author: | ProgrammingFun [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:11 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
I personally hate sony computers. I use an HP one myself but it's last year's model. Anyways, feel free to look up the dv6 generation, although they don't pack 1GB video cards anymore. If you're going to use it for gaming as well, you could always wait for Intel's next-generation CPUs to come out (forgot what they're called). The laptop I currently use is an HP dv6-2154ca. |
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| Author: | Insectoid [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
I only hear good things about Thinkpads (modern ones, not the 10-year-old paperweights your school has). Also, there is no reason you shouldn't get a mac except the price. If you absolutely must use Windows, you can install it on the hardware no problem. But, don't take my word on it. People have differing opinions, and every brand has been nothing but trash from somebody's point of view. |
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| Author: | apython1992 [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
This greatly depends on what you want to get out of your computer during your time in university. If you want to play games and watch a lot of videos, you're going to have to pay more for better hardware. Regarding which OS to go with, many students go with Mac, but if you're more of a power-user you should go with Linux. Also, many people will go with windows out of familiarity with Microsoft Office. You need to figure out what features and functionality you're looking for first. |
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| Author: | Tony [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:University Computer |
Insectoid @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:38 am wrote: I only hear good things about Thinkpads (modern ones, not the 10-year-old paperweights your school has). Also, there is no reason you shouldn't get a mac except the price.
Thinkpads don't beat Macbook Pros on price though. Looking at T420s (top rated, among the best selling, according to their own website), it's "web-price" is $1,200 -- $50 cheaper than a 13" Macbook Pro. Thinkpad gets a slightly faster CPU (2.5 Ghz, vs. 2.3; both are Intel Core i5) and an extra inch of physical display size, but the Macbook comes with twice as much memory, and more harddrive space. Re: MS Office -- I found that Google Docs work great for any odd paper that you'd have to write. All of my resumes are done in HTML+CSS rendered to PDF; I get much more control over the layout and design. |
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| Author: | Insectoid [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
@apython1992- Microsoft Office is actually available for OS X (at least, it was two years ago. Dunno about now). As for hardware- you can get a great gaming laptop for pretty cheap. I'm able to run Dead Space, MW2, Portal 2, and other modern games quite well on my 3-year-old macbook pro. Oh, and these are unofficial mac ports of these games (except Portal 2), so on Windows they'd perform even better. Most people do go with Windows because that's what they've used all their lives, however everyone I know who has purchased a mac does not regret it in the least. OS X no longer suffers from lack of software; due to growing popularity macs now have a software library soon to rival Windows'. |
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| Author: | DemonWasp [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
Contrasting viewpoint: the only person I've ever known who owns a Mac hates it. The hardware is rubbish, the software can't compensate for the hardware failings, and it's falling to pieces. Granted, the device in question is a first-gen MacBook and therefore 5-ish years old, but frankly I expected better. List of hardware that has failed / is under-performing in that Mac laptop: - CPU (technically, the heatsink...they made it so it slid into contact with something and overheated it) - HDD - wireless card (still works, but craps out every few hours, requiring a router reset / laptop reboot) - CD drive: often doesn't eject or accept disks correctly; when it does it somehow sounds like a tornado in a food processor - keyboard and case have both been replaced due to cracking (never been dropped) - connecting camera via USB cable does nothing (on Windows it opens instantly, on Linux it opens instantly...) List of hardware that have failed in my 3 custom-built desktops and Dell laptop, over a combined service life of (8 + 4 + 3 + 3) years: - 3 HDD (of about 16) - 1 stick RAM - 2 PSU - 1 graphics card (though it failed twice, once after refurbishing) - 1 wireless card Technically I suppose my DVD drive in the one machine no longer works so great, but that's because I'm a clumsy oaf: I accidentally kicked the tray while it was open. Maybe modern Macs are better, but my experience with Macs has invariably left a bad taste in my mouth. My experience with Macs spans a history from when they were in my classrooms from grade 3 onwards to the aforementioned craptacular laptop. Uniformly, I've found that Apple's hardware isn't any better than anyone elses', that the devices are not better-assembled, and that the designs are not particularly ergonomic (though they certainly figured out how to hire Graphic Designers, which is something that can't really be said for most of the industry). I could go on into frustrations about their software but those mostly amount to personal taste. tl;dr: I wouldn't buy a Mac because the hardware isn't great, I don't like the software, and you can -- almost invariably -- get better prices elsewhere. |
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| Author: | Insectoid [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
Now now, let's not turn this into a mac vs PC thread. Now, numbers-wise, mac hardware is pretty standard (even poor, considering the price). However design-wise you won't find a better laptop in the price range. Macbooks have the best trackpads you will ever use. The 'unibody' design is extremely stiff and durable. The built-in camera is decent quality for a laptop camera. They do suffer from a lack of USB ports unfortunately (wtf do I need Firewire or card slots for? Gimme moar USB!). I haven't seen many macbooks fail either, though I might be lucky. I'd hazard to guess they have similar fail rates to non-Apple laptops. Now, it really is up to you to decide if you like the software or not. I personally can't stand versions older than 10.5 (which is probably the situation you were in). It's understandable that people don't like more recent editions. Now I stress that your OS preference is purely a matter of opinion and I'm not trying to invalidate yours. I had to counter your mac example because the internet demands it of me, but by no means do I not respect your dislike of macs. tl;dr- Whatever floats your boat. |
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| Author: | DemonWasp [ Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
Wasn't trying to make it Mac vs PC. I know there's plenty of people who have no trouble with their Macs and enjoy them immensely, and that's great. I was more pointing out that there are also people who have ridiculous problems. Your chances are approximately the same, regardless of manufacturer, of having a complete piece of trash. I disagree with your assessment of their trackpads, but maybe it's just that the V1 trackpad was bad (it's awful). I can definitely envision a better trackpad, and if anyone was going to do it, it would be Apple. The case is, again, a V1 case; it's plastic, it's assembled with about 30 screws, and it's completely impossible to open up correctly. When changing the hard disk, I had to go through the battery bay. Maybe I'm just bad at Mac. Also, Macs are PCs, in every possible sense (and more than a few impossible ones). More background: I installed 10.6 on that machine manually. I still can't wrap my head around the idea of dropping a disk in the trash to eject it, dragging-and-dropping things into a non-existent folder called "Applications" to install them, or having window buttons in the order Close-Minimize-Maximize. Nor can I figure out how they managed to install 3GB of "Printer Drivers", but are still utterly incapable of printing to a printer shared through SMB. I'm sure there are plenty of people who think the same way about things Windows and Linux, so this whole paragraph has been personal preference. @OP: You might want to go visit a Best Buy or Future Shop or Apple store or whatever and paw at their laptops. Don't buy from the storefront, but it's helpful to try typing on the keyboard, using the trackpad, and looking at the screen before you buy. Bring a notepad to keep track of which things felt good and which ones didn't. Hmm, maybe I should wander into an Apple store and get my greasy paws on a Mac, to see if the hardware is better than what I've dealt with before. |
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| Author: | Kharybdis [ Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
pc is better. buy like an acer laptop and profit! |
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| Author: | ProgrammingFun [ Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:University Computer |
Kharybdis @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:24 am wrote: pc is better. buy like an acer laptop and profit!
Disagree, IMO both Acer and Gateway are crap companies in terms of PC related stuff. When you walk into, say FutureShop, you can clearly see the lack of quality Acer monitors have next to LG, HP etc. Same goes for hardware, all of the people I know that have Acer computers admit that they aren't the exactly the greatest computer ever. EDIT: However, in terms of mac vs pc, I would recommend going for PC. (Currently running OSX lion in VMware on top of Windows 7 lol. Not because it's good but because I was bored  ) |
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| Author: | Tony [ Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:University Computer |
Kharybdis @ Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:24 am wrote: pc is better. buy like an acer laptop and profit!
The supporting information for your argument is... compelling. |
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| Author: | crossley7 [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
I've recently come to the need of a new laptop as my current one lags severely and my internet decides to turn off every 15 minutes or so. Not to mention the power supplies it has burned through. Looking to keep the price under 1000, but also want a high quality laptop. I have been looking at the new macbook air (it does put me over a bit i know which is why im not excited about it) and searching for a few others, but it is hard to find laptops out of sheer quantity. Looking for something with minimum 1.5GHz processor, 250 GB hard drive, 2 usb and a disk drive capability. Screen under 14" and a webcam/mic. It is relatively specific, but even still can be hard to really search. Any suggestions on where to look or a good laptop somewhere in that range? |
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| Author: | DemonWasp [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
You didn't specify your operating system of choice, so if you would be happy with Ubuntu Linux, I would recommend http://www.system76.com/ . Since you want something under 14", I would recommend the "Lemur UltraThin" ( http://www.system76.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=106 ). Technically the CPU is only 1.2GHz, but performance-wise that's pretty excellent (it is, for example, much faster than a 3.6GHz Pentium 4). |
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| Author: | Tony [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:21 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:University Computer |
crossley7 @ Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:35 am wrote: the new macbook air (it does put me over a bit i know which is why im not excited about it)
Are you considering that with the educational discount? http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/campaigns/back_to_school Even if you don't buy software/media yourself, the $100 app/itunes store giftcard would hold near cash value. |
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| Author: | crossley7 [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
If I get a macbook, then i most definitely will try to use all possible student benefits i can get including the giftcard. But it is almost completely offset if I decide to get a CD drive to play some games and the fact i will likely need the 128 GB version since 64 is a tiny hard drive and i have many different programs that are on it. That would fill it and then a bit Edit: and in response to Demon Wasp's post, I prefer Windows out of familiarity and even if I get a mac, I will likely run windows on it (I just don't like the mac OS particularly from experience), but I have never seen Linux and don't know how it runs/programs available for it etc. I would have to look it up and find one in a store just to test it out a bit. Edit again: Just looked up the lemur ultra thin and it looks perfect for what I need and way cheaper than a macbook even with a few add on features. Now just to test out the OS somewhere and I found myself a computer... or I can find if you can run windows 7 on it  |
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| Author: | DemonWasp [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
Or, you could test it out on your own computer. It's simple, safe, doesn't need you to install anything, and can run directly off of a CD or USB key: http://www.ubuntu.com/download . Most of the applications will be roughly the same -- you still have Firefox and Chrome (well...it's Chromium, but effectively the same thing), and instead of Microsoft Office you can use OpenOffice / LibreOffice. In fact, if you want an application that does X, just look for X in the software centre, find something that sounds cool, and install that (for free). The big area that Linux falls short, application-wise, is in gaming. Almost no games are written to work with Linux, and even compatibility projects like Wine can't run most games (to see whether your games are supported, check http://appdb.winehq.org/ -- if it says "gold" or "platinum", they are). Also, if you were planning on installing Windows anyway, you can do so with a system76 machine. Then, you aren't wasting any money on buying an OS you won't use anyway (Ubuntu is free, OSX isn't). On the other hand, you may find it more convenient to get a PC with Windows pre-installed. Unfortunately, system76 doesn't have any store fronts, so you wouldn't be able to actually interact with one of their laptops before buying. |
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| Author: | cheese_cake [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: University Computer |
doesnt your (OP's) school support a particular brand or what not? getting a machine endorsed by your school would get you better prices and technical support. |
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| Author: | crossley7 [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
Well, I'm still in high school and never use the school computer (just bring my laptop in, it is way easier than having to constantly worry about being on a computer that has the same programs i do.) so there isn't much benefit in that way, and I believe I have a copy of windows 7 and microsoft office student kicking around somewhere that I will be able to install without making the additional purchase. The hassle of trying to find a decent priced computer with windows installed and with good specs is a huge pain I've gone through once and rather not have to repeat that process too many times Even if I don't find those copies of win7/microsoft office I'm confident that linux will be good enough for most things. As it is I mostly use it for coding and internet so little compatibility issues there |
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| Author: | Tony [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:University Computer |
crossley7 @ Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:42 pm wrote: ... I'm confident that linux will be good enough for most things. As it is I mostly use it for coding and internet so little compatibility issues there
other than obviously crossley7 @ Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:30 pm wrote: ...if I decide to get a CD drive to play some games...
On a tangental topic -- considering that getting games through Steam is both much cheaper and more convenient, do you guys still get physical media, or is this just for legacy collections? |
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| Author: | crossley7 [ Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
I haven't bought a new game on a disk in years, but I also almost never buy a game period. And it is probably 3-4 games that I play from time but not regularly. I love my ancient versions of roller coaster tycoon 2 and the sims deluxe edition. Great time wasters |
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| Author: | SmokeMonster [ Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: University Computer |
Just dual boot Linux with Windows. You can have windows to play the games that you want and use Linux for programming. Linux is a much more conducive environment for development (and productivity in general). Once you use linux for a while you would gag at the idea of going back to windows. Besides most of your assignments in school are probably going to marked on *nix, I mean you could just do your stuff on windows and then ssh into the school's *nix boxes to test if it still works on those machines but why not just work on the real thing? Mac is pretty much a waste of money unless you wanna make a statement. |
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| Author: | crossley7 [ Wed Aug 03, 2011 7:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:University Computer |
School? Assignments marked? you clearly don't go to my school Don't think I officially handed anything in until my final exam and I probably know more c++ than my teacher, yet he still lets me use it for whatever I want.
I plan on using a Linux/Windows combo once I decide to purchase the laptop. Milking what I can out of this one, but likely will have a new one by the time CCC comes around this year. And Mac works for a few things, but I use it for none of those, so I'm skipping on it. EDIT: Forgot to mention that even though I didn't hand anything in and did problems I wanted to do, not class assignments, he still gave me a 100 for some reason... |
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| Author: | mirhagk [ Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:University Computer |
Tony @ Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:55 pm wrote: On a tangental topic -- considering that getting games through Steam is both much cheaper and more convenient, do you guys still get physical media, or is this just for legacy collections?
Actually this is kinda off topic, but CD's can be much cheaper since they are often in discount bins, so not getting a cd drive is probably a bad idea. |
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