Desktop PC Vs Laptop For Computer Engineer /or Computer Programmer

[jdubzisyahweh]

LAPTOPS DONT COME CLOSE TO THE POWER OF A top end DESKTOP($1300-5000)!!!!
THEY ONLY DID 20 YEARS AGO
how does gt/s compare to ghz??????
GOOD MOTHERBOARDS for the i1366 socket in the $100-200 are WAY MORE EXPENSIVE and lower performing than amd compatible mobo's
LASTLY
Intel TURBO IS A WASTE!!!!!
its better to manually overclock a cpu cuz then you get higher ghz than you would with TURBO
TURBO though is great for laptops being that they get limited cooling and there are few with bios ocing.
the I7 would be better liked without the turbo function and at a 50% lower price
+amd is coming out with a new hex core

[Dan]

jdubzisyahweh @ 5th March 2010, 11:17 am wrote:

LAPTOPS DONT COME CLOSE TO THE POWER OF A top end DESKTOP($1300-5000)!!!!

You may want to check out eurocom, they make "mobile workstations" which are laptops that basicly use PC CPUs. For example there "EUROCOM D900F Panther Workstation" can be costmized with a 3.33GHz 4 core i7-975 (top of the line intel cpu) or an 3.33GHz Xeon Processor. It can hold up to 4 hard drives, up to 12GB of ram (DDR3). May of eurocom's models support the newest Nvidia chips inlcuding SLI (laptops with mutiple video cards working togther).


Also please don't use ALL CAPS so much.

[chrisbrown]

First, please stop using caps lock, you're only making yourself look bad.

Second, if you're going to make claims like that, at least provide some source. There's no evidence to back any of them. Your opinions typed in capitals don't count, btw.

Thirdly, are you suggesting that an i7 without Turbo would be priced around $150? Turbo is just a safety net for those who want to overclock but have no idea what they're doing. It's not a $150 feature by any stretch.

[Turing_Gamer]

Desktop is better in performance and graphics (if you have the necessary cards) but isn't at all portable.
Laptops, on the other hand, can be carried around but don't run as powerful as the desktop.

[andrew.]

I think it's safer to say that in general, laptops don't deliver as much performance as a desktop for the same price.

[Turing_Gamer]

Agreed

[USEC_OFFICER]

WAIT! If you are going to post anything inane, add a random fact, then it is not inane anymore. (Right?)

Fact: Fance has 200,000 homeless people.

Also I believe a programming laptop is good if you don't need much power and get inspritation throughout the day and you need to program now. Else I would go with the desktop. You can upgrade it as needed.

[SNIPERDUDE]

USEC_OFFICER @ March 5th 2010 wrote:

Fact: Fance has 200,000 homeless people.

That's a pretty precise number. So for every homeless person that dies in France, another person is made homeless?

[revangrey]

@USEC_Officer: if the fact isnt relevant than I don't think so... (but I am sure you know this deep down)

@SNIPERDUDE: I think you know what he meant

On topic:

I was just wondering at the number of desktop vs laptop users in university...

Could anyone who is in university currently tell me what the majority goes with?

...and this might be too late to ask but could someone make a poll of desktop vs laptop users at the top?

[BigBear]

From reading all of your opinions I don't think I will be buying a laptop for university next year. I will be bringing my fairly new 2 year old computer with me.

One thing I am wondering though is when your not in a math course but actually a programming course wouldn't having a computer be helpful so you can try out things as you are being taught?

Are most classes like this in computer laps and thus laptops are not needed again?

Also to me I understand why desktops have higher specs for cost but the unless you are doing graphics design or other system intensive programs your average laptop should be fine. With about 2.0 dual core, 2 -3 gigs RAM.

Then again my previous computer was a 300 mHz CPU 128 mb RAM which I still use from time to time.

I still think brand new computers are like race cars for street roads.

Another possibility is tablet which would save having to fix your notes after class, which might also be a good refresher.

[yoursecretninja]

Quote:

One thing I am wondering though is when your not in a math course but actually a programming course wouldn't having a computer be helpful so you can try out things as you are being taught?

That seems like a logical conclusion to reach. However, the code is actually not really important. It's the concepts, programming patterns, and algorithms that matter. You'd be better off paying attention to what is going on conceptually (listening and taking notes while the professor teaches), than monkeying around with how things work mechanically (i.e. analyzing and executing programs while the professor teaches). Professors generally post code that was reviewed in class on the web anyway, so you can check it out after class if you're interested.

As contrary to logic as it may seem, I use pen and paper for my math and programming classes (except assignments of course). In fact, the only class I actually use a computer in the classroom, funny enough, is my technical writing class, but that's because we share a lot of documents electronically and do a lot of in class writing and peer review sessions.

Quote:

Are most classes like this in computer laps and thus laptops are not needed again?

Obviously, this depends on your school. But at Brock most computer science classes are taught in classrooms lecture style and generally have a seminar component for discussion and a lab component (in a computer lab) for hands on work (not teaching). I'd imagine things are similar elsewhere. Can anyone else confirm?

Quote:

Also to me I understand why desktops have higher specs for cost but the unless you are doing graphics design or other system intensive programs your average laptop should be fine. With about 2.0 dual core, 2 -3 gigs RAM.

This is a matter of preference. It's a tradeoff between price-performance-reliability-convenience. But an important thing to consider is reliability. Laptops are more prone to failure (e.g. overheating due to poorer ventilation or mechanical failure due to wear and tear). A desktop is more likely to be sit on your desk and keep working.

Here's a little personal story for you. I had four computers: two desktops, a laptop and a netbook. My laptop died about a year ago when the logic board failed. I used to use it all the time and considered replacing it. However, after a couple weeks, I didn't miss it at all. In fact, I also have not even used my netbook over the past year either. I do my school work on my desktops or in computer labs where I can work at a desk and without distraction. When I'm out and about at campus and need to access the web to check email or facebook or whatever, I just use the iPod Touch in my pocket - and that's a lot easier to carry around than a laptop was. Moral of the story, when I had a laptop, "I needed a laptop;" When I had no laptop, "I did not need a laptop." For me, I realized it was not worth the expense over a desktop.