College Students, Computer Theft???

[ProParadox]

Hey guys, after this summer I'll be heading off to college, and I was wondering what your opinions on laptops are. Is a laptop a necesity? For a while, I was planning on picking up a laptop, and after talking to a few people, they said their laptop is hardly used as a portable. It basically sits as a desktop system. For those of you in college, is a laptop a good thing to have? Will I be better served by a desktop? Please let me know what you think, and whether you think it is worth it to sacrifice desktop performance for portability in a college setting.


Thanks,
John

EDIT:

Lets derail this thread a bit, as its pretty clear that the laptop is NOT the way to go.

What do you think is the best way to secure a SFF system and a LCD? Shuttle sells something...

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: ProParadox
Hey guys, after this summer I'll be heading off to college, and I was wondering what your opinions on laptops are. Is a laptop a necesity? For a while, I was planning on picking up a laptop, and after talking to a few people, they said their laptop is hardly used as a portable. It basically sits as a desktop system. For those of you in college, is a laptop a good thing to have? Will I be better served by a desktop? Please let me know what you think, and whether you think it is worth it to sacrifice desktop performance for portability in a college setting.
Thanks,
John

I don't know a single person who uses their laptop as a portable device. While it does make moving in and out of the dorms more convenient, I do not believe it to be worth the extra $400.

 

[kamper]

If you're living in residence and not going home much then a laptop probably isn't so important. If you live off-campus and you have gaps between classes where you're just hanging around then a laptop can be a cool thing to have. Moreso if you need it for school work and if there's places you can get on the net with it. It's also good if you go home on weekends much because you can take your work home with you.

 

[vegetation]

No, for an undergrad it's not needed other than to use as a portable entertainment device. Beware of the school bookstore trying to tell you to buy a system from them because it's "required". They get kickbacks for every overpriced system they sell.

 

[shah456]

I am heading off to college aswell next year and I will be taking my kick ass desktop and will be getting a laptop aswell. I am taking both so I can have the desktop back at the dorm and I can take my laptop with me to the library and back home when I do go home. If your not in the position to take both I would suggest the desktop unless you will be moving around alot.

 

[ProParadox]

Well, for the $2k i would need to spend on a laptop, that just seems silly for inbetween class entertainment. But then again, that $2k would be spent on stuff most of you guys wouldnt appreciate....

like this, and this, and this...

 

[SocrPlyr]

I would have to agree with the others...
Let me put it this way... In my suite of 6 people there were 7 desktops and 4 notebooks... i rarely saw the notebooks used ever... the only thing i did see is once in a while they would hook one up to the tv in the common area and play a movie...
i rarely saw anyone take one to class... they just weren't all that useful for the types of notes being taken... and i am in the eecs department and still didn't see many...
a lot of profs don't like them anyways...
Most schools have enough computers on the academic areas that you can just go use one when you need one... thats what I do...

btw where are you headed to?

good luck...

Josh

 

[ProParadox]

U of I Urbana. I'll likely pick up a nice shuttle system, and buy their little portable bag thing if I desperately need to go home with a computer. I'm hoping i can get a socket 939 athlon 64 rig, and an AIW radeon, that will remove the need for a TV. Probably a samsung 172X or 172P. I'll throw in 1gig of memory, a raptor, and a DVD burner, and i should be set.

Think it will get stolen?

 

[beatle]

I always wanted to convince myself that I needed a laptop so that I could take it to campus, group meetings, home, etc. but the fact is that it's just not worth the price premium. If I needed a PC on campus, there were plenty for use, and there were computers at meeting areas. I sure as hell wouldn't kid myself and buy a laptop so I could take my work home with me! Haha!

 

[RockGuitarDude]

Its totally not worth it... most campuses have computers everywhere. And besides, if you are using a computer that much, you aren't experiencing college the right way haha

 

[dkozloski]

A laptop is just one more thing you have to keep locked up somehow so some creep won't rip you off. It's not worth the worry. You can almost say the same thing for a high end desktop machine. I would vote for the crappiest thing that would get the job done. If you need to be entertained, get a girl friend.

 

[0roo0roo]

its no ipod. you gotta find a place to use em.. its a pain to carry, fear of theft, fear of damage, any damage = not user servicable... service nightmare when something dies. if your loaded nothing above applies. if money matters, laptops are overrated.

 

[VTEC01EX]

Maybe I'm experiencing "Grass is Greener on the Other Side" syndrome, but I wish I'd gone the laptop route when I bought my last desktop. At the time I didn't need a portable, but I also wasn't working, and had a lot less studying to do. Now it would be awesome if I could take my machine to work, the library, other study hangouts, etc. Remote Desktop is a decent solution too, if there's a Windows PC wherever you need to access your stuff from.

 

[bluewall21]

Just get an SFF(a la Shuttle).

 

[everman]

I use a Dell Axim X3i, it's great. Use that with a foldout keyboard and it'll do everything you'll be using the laptop for generally (in terms of in-class work). It has wifi built in (very good at that, I connect to the school network all the time with it) The main draw is being so small, yet very usable and low cost.

 

[wkwong]

just get a normal desktop. its not that much more trouble and a desktop will kick the crap out of a laptop any day! i suggest you spend that extra money on a nice lcd monitor though. space is usually limited whether ur in dorms or off campus(shared rooms) anyways, lugging around a 17-19" monitor still sucks.

i do see people in class using them once in a while. but i don't think it's necessary to give up a desktop to chat online while ur in class.

if you dont game, or do anything that really requires the power that a desktop can provide, then just get a laptop and save urself a workout and a mess on your desk.

ps.. i notice that since my desk is completley taken up by my computer/monitor/keyboard/mouse, i dont do any hw. bad in college. haha

 

[Chu]

Originally posted by: ProParadox
Hey guys, after this summer I'll be heading off to college, and I was wondering what your opinions on laptops are. Is a laptop a necesity? For a while, I was planning on picking up a laptop, and after talking to a few people, they said their laptop is hardly used as a portable. It basically sits as a desktop system. For those of you in college, is a laptop a good thing to have? Will I be better served by a desktop? Please let me know what you think, and whether you think it is worth it to sacrifice desktop performance for portability in a college setting.


Thanks,
John

You definatly do not need a laptop in college, and this is coming from a CS major. I would, however, STRONGLY reccomend an LCD monitor, and if you are getting a new computer for college an SFF. If you are in the dorms, and even in some small aparetments, horizontal space is a VERY rare commidity. An LCD will help you maxamize it. As for the SFF, well, I go to a lot of LAN parties so I'm biased and it's not really a necessity, but it gives you some of the mobility of a laptop for when you REALLY need to lug a comptuer somewhere, like home for breaks or to takeover a theatre on campus to watch movies.

-Chu

 

[VTEC01EX]

I second the SFF suggestion if you're in the dorms - it's worked out great for my roommate's little brother. However, with my work mixed in with my class, a laptop would be a big bowl of fantastic. Another factor is your campus's deployment of wireless networking - if wireless is scarce, the benefit to mobile computing just decreased big time.

 

[konakona]

i am currently using an antec aria SFF case... it is SO DAMNED quited, love this thing so much

as for laptops, our school has computer clusters available everywhere - i am sure other schools have something along the same line - which renders laptop idea somewhat pointless. why dont you get something like a PDA-phone. my roomie has a sidekick, good for checkin mail and browsin hot deals forum when u are between classes. laptops are still too bulky and heavy to lug around...

 

[0roo0roo]

depends how much you want to spend and how often you upgrade. sff is severely limited in upgrade options. if you want more space or another dirve.. u gotta toss the old one. not like with bigger cases where you canlayer upgrades. so size isn't free. its basically as easy just to get a normal aluminum case. very light and gives you options. its not as if your walking home from college with pc in hand. you have a car or something.

 

[beer]

I bought one after my first year (I just completed my second). I lived about 4.5 or so miles south of campus, so I wasn't as close as I was freshman year. Bottom line, I use it primarily to waste time through boring classes, like data structures or government. Sometimes professors get pissed though. There's wireless all over my campus. Not having it for a couple of weeks when it was sent back to IBM was not a big deal - it was nice to have when I needed to be productive with it, like programming labs....but most of the time it made me considerably less productive, ("Oh, lets go post on ATOT.....when I should be doing emag").

I certainl wouldn't get one if you lived close or near campus. UIUC I'm sure is loaded with all sorts of good stuff. Is it convenient at times? Yes. Does it help me waste time instead of sleeping in boring classes? Yes. Does it really make me more productuve? Not really. Sometimes, yes, but not really.

The big thing was, when this past year started I studied a lot at our union and coffee shops, where it made things nice, especially when I had homeworks due online and computers weren't readily available. In the past semster I've done more studying in the engineering buildings since I'm more productive there, where I have more space and more people to work with. It's your call.

If you live on campus in a high-traffic dorm, it's probably gonna get jacked or messed with. People are just like that.

 

[konakona]

well i like the idea of being able to carry it back home if need arises... aria will most definitely fit in a regular size luggage. keep in mind its real quite and LED look purdy cool. it is supposed to be way more upgradable compared to other SFF cases like shuttle, but i never really looked into that cuz i am not into gaming.

here is a review if anyone is interested

 

[ProParadox]

Being the average loser retail worker (CompUSA) I know what that Aria looks like. While i think they are cool, I just dont like them.

I'm not used to this awesomely fast thread participation. Other forums are significantly slower. Thanks AT.


Lets derail this thread a bit, as its pretty clear that the laptop is NOT the way to go.

What do you think is the best way to secure a SFF system and a LCD? Shuttle sells something...

 

[scaryjeff]

I'm a third year electronic engineering student, and there has not been one time when I wished I had a laptop. There are hundreds of computers on campus to choose from in computer rooms that I can use 24/7. I think if you are worried about carting your computer home at the holidays, just get a flat screen as opposed to a CRT. One possible exception to this is if you will be traveling to and from college for the holidays by public transport, in which case you will have to have a laptop if you want to take your computer home.

I know plenty of people who have laptops, and I have only seen one person bring one in to the department in three years (and he was only doing it to look 'cool' ). As you say, they almost exclusively sit on the owner's desk. A few of them even wish they had a desktop, because when their laptop is 2-3 years old, they are moaning about not being able to upgrade the memory/disk space/graphics/whatever (or where these upgrades are possible, their cost compared to if they had a desktop).

 

[goblue420]

i used to steal unattended laptops in teh dorms........haha jk i livend in the dorms @ michigan last year and we didnt seem to have and theft probs, people would leave their lappys in the student lounges unattended not locked down all the time, and ive never heard of a thefe, i guess thats jsut my dorm tho but jus tto be save get a kensington or some sh!t like that