Laptops

[Katuluu]

You should just buy your own router. You can find one for less and install it yourself fairly easily.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I'll second Kat. Go buy a good router for 65-70 bucks, and it takes 5 minutes to set up yourself. The laptop should probably have a wireless card installed.

 

And if you run into trouble setting up a wireless network, I'm sure a quick post on this forum is going to get the answers you need.

[endaround]

Go to newegg and get one for about $30

[T B0NE 10]

I googled dell coupons and I found a coupon for 25% off of a Dell XPS 1530 over $1600 dollars

It expires March 27. Are coupons like these always out there or should I seriously consider getting a laptop this month.

 

This is basically my college laptop in September.

 

Also I was talking to one of my cousins, knows a bit about computers, he suggests I get a 8 GB Ram and other stuff that makes the laptop around 2100. (around 1600 with discount) Is getting such a high end laptop worth it? I do want a nice machine that will last me in college. I have the money to.

[Godspeed]

What operating system would it be running? If you're running 32-bit Vista (which is the standard), you'd be maxed out at a little less than 4GB. 64-bit Vista goes up to 16GB, but that really seems like overkill.

[1992casey]

I do like future-use expandability, and with Vista being such a pig, 8GB doesn't seem out of line. While Windows 7 is likely to tame things a bit, if you're looking at four years, you'll probably also be wanting to run whatever Micro$oft puts out after 7. Being able to expand to 16GB doesn't seem like a superfluous feature to me.

 

I think the bigger thing to think about is how well this computer is going to withstand wear and tear. Using a "laptop" on your lap a lot will likely shorten its life. We've also seen a lot of posts about power connector breakage. (I have a Mac; I'm unlikely to run into that. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif)

 

One thing I'd definitely recommend: if you're spending close to $2,000, extend the warranty as far into the future as possible.

[Katuluu]

$2k on a laptop? Why would you ever spend that much? If you are going to drop that much you can pick up a netbook AND a desktop that will destroy the laptop for ~$500 less then that.

[T B0NE 10]

$2k on a laptop? Why would you ever spend that much? If you are going to drop that much you can pick up a netbook AND a desktop that will destroy the laptop for ~$500 less then that.

True....

 

I think I'm going to hold off on this purchase for a while......think about it more in depth, then buy in the summer

[Oldcity]

Figure I might as well throw my hat in the ring. I had been living at home after college and just used my parents' PC. Now I have my own place, which means I've busted out the ol' college laptop. It's a Dell, and it's almost six years old now. It still works, but it's slowed down over the years. I think I might be due for something new. I'm definitely not a computer guy though, so I don't really know how much memory I should shoot for or whatever.

 

I won't need any specialized computer, just something that allows me to play video online (that's where my old laptop really falters). I imagine anything new I buy could handle that just fine. I wouldn't mind a desktop, but I only know I'll be here for the next eight months, and then I don't know where I'll end up, so a desktop might not be as convenient at this point. At the same time, I'd rather not spend a ton--probably $1,000 at the most. Netbooks sound intriguing, but people in here have said one shouldn't be used as a main computer.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Diskono]

Also I was talking to one of my cousins, knows a bit about computers, he suggests I get a 8 GB Ram and other stuff that makes the laptop around 2100. (around 1600 with discount) Is getting such a high end laptop worth it? I do want a nice machine that will last me in college. I have the money to.

If you're spending that much money, just get a fast desktop and a small, lightweight laptop (like a netbook). You won't enjoy lugging that massive gaming "laptop" (they don't really fit on anybody's lap) around, and it will be obsolete and not very upgradeable in a year.

[T B0NE 10]

Well once I think about it......

 

This is going to be my college laptop, and pretty much my computer. I'm going to be bringing it home whenever I come home from college, so I'm thinking that maybe a desktop/netbook isnt the best idea.

 

Also I'm looking around around a 15.5-16 inch screen. Looking at the Dell XPS 1530. I'm assuming its not that big.

[endaround]

Well unless you're coming home every other weekend or something, its not that big of a deal to move a desktop (now that LCD monitors exist). So if you are all mostly thinking about vacations and the occasional weekend it won't make a difference.

[colbyjack]

I'm a proud Mac owner, and just given your responses I will quickly tell you not to buy one. I just got a new MacBook Pro, and the computer is a thing of beauty. However, it cost me $2,000. I'm 12+ years removed from college and I am a graphic designer by trade, so to me it is more of a need than a toy.

 

If you are going to spend more than $1,000 on a computer, get a Mac. I have contended for a long time that the iMac is the best bang for your buck, and is relatively portable if you need to take it home with you from time to time.

 

But you don't need to spend more than $1,000 to get a good computer for what it sounds as though you need one for. Last year I bought a Toshiba laptop for my wife with the recommendations of Brian, an IT guy at work that I trust, and a few other people from around here, and she really enjoys it. We paid about $600 for it, and while she's not really tech savvy, she knows a computer well enough to take care of it.

 

Here's my suggestion:

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9036027&type=product&id=1218011395791

 

Buy that, and immediately buy Norton 360 for $80/year or so to help resolve some of your virus/spyware issues (be sure to disable the pre-installed Microsoft firewalls and other anti-virus software). Also buy a wireless mouse. My biggest complaint with PCs is their trackpads, and I felt that way before I got the fancy new Mac trackpad on my MacBook Pro. There's a good chance you'll get some kind of deal from Best Buy on a free printer, a case, or something else you will also will probably need.

 

My main reason for suggesting a PC over a Mac is for reasons similar to others have already brought up. It's cheap enough to replace if it gets stolen, a beer gets spilled on it, or if you find yourself frustrated by how quickly all computers become out-dated. To give an example of my own frustrations having a Mac, I like to listen and watch college baseball on the web, and it is very frustrating going from site-to-site and year-to-year having the websites I typically use upgrade their multimedia software to appease PC/Windows users (to follow games on CSTV, you have to download Microsoft Silverlight 2.0, which wasn't even available for my non-Intel based laptop that I just upgraded from). This isn't Mac's fault, but since 95% of the population owns a PC, many sites are unlikely to go out of their way to appease Mac users.

 

And that is related to someone else's point from above: With a PC, you won't be "that guy" when trying to do collaborative projects in class and find yourself having compatibility issues.

 

Don't do the laptop/desktop thing either. It doesn't sound as that is a good route for you. Buy a laptop in the $600-700 range and call it a day.

[endaround]

Don't get Norton! Trend Micro is so much better its not funny

[utdfan]

And that is related to someone else's point from above: With a PC, you won't be "that guy" when trying to do collaborative projects in class and find yourself having compatibility issues.

I agree with a lot of what you said but I don't really think that there is much of a compatibility issue with macs in terms of class projects. I would say that the split between Macs and PCs in madison is at least 40/60 so you will more than likely be working with other people who have macs. Also even if you are not, you are most often using Microsoft office which is easy enough to transfer from a mac to pc. I use open office on my mac and have had no problems.

 

Having had both a PC and Mac during my time in Madison, I would strongly recommend a mac if you can afford it. The battery life alone is worth it. After a little over a year my HP laptop lasted less than an hour on low energy settings and it became impossible to use anywhere without the power cord.

 

Also, waiting is probably the best idea at this point no matter what you decide. Microsoft is already coming out with there new version of Windows ( sometime in fall?) and Mac's new OS is also not far away.

[DSFastball55]

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EDIT:

 

I put this video behind a link due to the language it contains.

 

--1992casey

 

 

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[ewizabeff]

Check with the tech department at UW-Madison. Many universities offer students a CD with free software on it, including updated virus protection. That was my experience at UWSP and UWM.

[hawing]

Indeed, UW-Madison does this too. You'll have access to links beyond this page once you are admitted and have been assigned a NetID.

[T B0NE 10]

Do you guys suggest giving a little mobility with a 15.4 in screen or is the smaller 13.3 in screen just fine.

 

Im going to either get a Dell XPS 1530 (15.4 in screen) , Dell XPS 1330 (13.3 in screen) or 13.3 Macbook.

[1992casey]

Even though 5.5 pounds doesn't sound like much, I still find my 15.4 inch MacBook Pro to be heavy at times. The screen is nice and roomy, however, and I like that.

 

One thing that you'd have going for you if you choose the MacBook is the Spaces feature. That allows you to spread your work around and should do a lot to offset the smaller screen size.

 

Unfortunately, with whatever you choose, you sacrifice screen size for weight and portability; and you sacrifice weight and portability for screen size. I don't know how helpful we can be in knowing which factor is more important for you.

[T B0NE 10]

I purchased a Dell Studio 15

I got a crazy deal on it.

 

For $1450 I got it with a 2.66 Processor, 8 GBs RAM, a 512 mb video card, 320 gb hard drive.

 

I suggest calling Best Buy sales when ordering a laptop, you can get much better deals when actually dealing with a person and not a website.