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lap top or normal computer

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
id appreciate a bit of advice from people somewhat more knowledgeable then me.
im goin to uni in September and have decided to buy a new computer but i cant deciede whether to buy a normal one or a laptop. A lap top would be more conveinient to bring home at holidays and to keep in the limited space im going to have to have to live in. hOwever they are more expensive and iv heard more can go wrong with them, or was this just one persons opinion!
Someone please help me!
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well. I have a laptop at uni, which is convienent as it is small (not much room in my room in halls) and I can stick it in my bag and bring it home. The newer ones are no more likely to crash than a PC. They are not necessarily more expensive either (unless you were going to build your own PC which *would* be cheaper).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am in my third year of uni and I have had a tower pc for the entirety of thaqt time.

    For convenience, definately get a lap top. I have found lugging a huge pc around difficult.

    Some universities have a computing service or somthing similar who you can get in touch with for cheap laptops. People finishing uni sometimes advertise thier old laptops to be purchased, so they dont have to be expensive.

    I know Bristol uni has loads being given away all the time for around £400 (inc software). Just wait till u get there, there are many offers going.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Some unis are shite,personally I have never taken my laptop to the library as there is nowhere to plug it in (my battery life is about 2 hours).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How powerfull a PC do you need? If you need a really powerfull one, then a laptop may be too expensive. Look at what you need, and what it would cost as a laptop, and what it would cost as a desktop. Then decide if you feel that the extra money is worth it.

    I am in the unfortunate situation of needing a portable, but also a REALLY powerfull one pc. Therefore I am saving up for a top end desktop and a medium of the range laptop.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It depends how far and how often you have to travel.. I bought my laptop in Canada--I got a laptop because I knew I'd be travelling. I only really need it for word processing and internet, but it's a decent machine and I've put loads of stuff on it.

    It crashes sometimes, but so do PCs. It's really convenient for me because I can take it to the faculty or in to college. I even took it to a tutorial once because I finished my essay without enough time to print it.. (oops! wouldn't recommend doing that!)

    I think it just depends what you need it for and what you want to do with it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Downside of laptops: portable, but nickable. Extremely. Plus the cost is definitely overkill if you're only going to writing essays (altho if you're like me, you won't be). A decent sound set up will save you having to bring a stereo as well...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i would get a computer i have got one im using my mates laptop at hte moment and it is a pain in the arse to use, usually use the ones at college but quite a lot of the websites sre filtered so <IMG SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm finishing my third year (nine weeks to go til the end of exams!!) and I've switched between the two.
    I originally got a lappy 'cos I wanted the added portability, but I got a cheap tower and rebuilt it a bit in the second year.

    Personally, I think you're best going with a desktop, providing that:

    a) There are good lab facilities (for checking email etc)
    b) You don't need a great deal of portability.

    Lappys are good if you want to take them to the library, but as you've said they are expensive, so its a question of which is more important to you. Also, as has been previously mentioned, the cheaper lappys don't have a great battery life, and if your library doesn't have an abundance of power points you're shafted.

    Go with a desktop (ranging from £500 up, but remember, with proprietary brands, you get what you pay for) unless you need to be able to move around.

    CD <IMG SRC="eek.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with everything so far, weigh up you needs etc. However, if you do go for a laptop, do yourself a favour and spend 20 quid on an optical mouse. You'll thank yourself.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by digby_ttf:
    <STRONG>I agree with everything so far, weigh up you needs etc. However, if you do go for a laptop, do yourself a favour and spend 20 quid on an optical mouse. You'll thank yourself.</STRONG>

    Especially if you get a lappy with a nipple mouse rather than a touchpad. For eg., Toshiba make some of the best portables around, but the nipple mouse is what annoys me every time.

    CD <IMG SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you're not doing a technical course, then I think a laptop would be best. I have a normal PC and its a pain in the arse to take all the cables out and take out to the car...blah...blah....blah.

    A laptop would be ten times better. If you don't like using the keyboard on it, you can plug in a standard keyboard and the same with a mouse.

    I definently wouldn't consider carrying it into university in case I was mugged or something, but maybe that's because I am studying at Manchester! <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Weigh up your pro's on cons:

    Laptops are smaller, Lighter, Portable - but are more expensive, less easy to upgrade, service and go out of date faster

    PCs are easy to upgrade, cheaper, flexible - but aren't portable (period), bulky

    Think about what you need to for, personally I'd buy a PC as it will last longer with the technology advances.. if I was going to buy a laptop then I'd wait till later this year and buy a new Tablet PC...

    So whats a Tablet PC I hear you cry? Imagine the flexiblity of a palm with touch screen and a laptop combined, thats in essance what one is and all laptop companies have devoted themselves to the development of them for the future, so laptops will eventually become obsellite! Trust me as a bit of news from a Microsoft insider...
    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc

    As with all computers, buy as higher spec and expensive one as is affordable in your buget cause it will last longer and works out cheaper in the long run.... Don't be tricked into all those extra software freebies that you get with computers making them appear good, software is easy obtainible and you might be able to talk down a price and shop around and get quotes that way you can get things cheaper with shops wanting to match sales...

    .... and take someone with you who is pretty knowledgable on computers, that way you won't get fobbed off by some dodgy Salesman!

    Lastly, if you did decide to buy a PC, if you've got any friends who are a dab hand with computers (surely you know one) you could consider building your own and you'll save yourself several hundred pounds and it'll work out a better system than you could buy for the same price....

    Good luck.. anymore questions give us a bell.. <IMG SRC="smile.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">

    [ 26-03-2002: Message edited by: Justin Credible ]
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