Anyone bring Desktops?

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>Going to school for the first time this Fall and I'm planning on bringing my desktop PC instead of buying a laptop; I'm wondering if this is common? I've been building PCs for years as a little hobby and I really like my main computer that I use, so I thought why not just bring it? I'm not really concerned about mobility, as there are more than enough areas around campus and in the libraries to use public computers. And I'm a paper and pencil person when it comes to taking notes in class, especially since most of my classes are mathematics. </p>

<p>What I'm worried about most though is space in the dorms. To those who brought desktops, was space an issue? Was a small desk provided or did you have to bring one? Chairs?</p>

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<p>I plan on bringing along my 20" G5 iMac, as well as the 13" Macbook Pro that I intend to purchase in the near future. While having two computers seems a little unnecessary to me - though the 20" will certainly help with research papers and other activities that require a larger screen, and I’ll save a couple hundred by not having to purchase an external monitor. My iMac doesn’t take up too much room anyways, so I’m not concerned with real-estate at all. And I couldn’t bear to let the thing sit in the dust for months on end, I’d feel bad. =)</p>

<p>To answer your second question though, I’m not sure if this is common. Most of my friends don’t have a desktop computer, so this isn’t really an issue for them. Since you mentioned that you built PCs and that you like your current one, I don’t see the harm in bringing it at all (maybe you can get a cheap netbook or whatnot if you really want your own portable computer, though from what you said you don’t really require such.) Did you get your room assignment yet? If so, check and see if your school has floor plans available for your dorm, and try to map things out. =)</p>

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<p>I brought along my gaming desktop along with my laptop.</p>

<p>My desktop is a mATX system with a Sugo SG02 Form Factor for portability. Even in that small case I fit my GTX 260 and my Core 2 Quad Q9550 OCed to 3.4 GHz, and all the parts run fine without overheating.</p>

<p>Since I already had a powerful machine in my apartment, with my laptop I was able to focus purely on a thin+light, mobile machine (in my case, I chose the Asus UL30A).</p>

<p>With the small form factor of the case, I didn’t find any space issues at all, and even my 24" fit fine on my desk.</p>

<p>And in my experience, usually the desks are a decent size and desks+chairs are always provided by the school.</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

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<p>I am thinking of bringing a desktop and a small netbook (the netbook being just for note taking).</p>

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<p>I’m planning on building my first rig when I get back to school for a few reasons. First, I’ve just always wanted to build a computer. Second, I hate typing up papers on my laptop; an actual keyboard and a monitor at eye level will work wonders. Third, Team Fortress 2.</p>

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<p>Just make sure nobody strips your rig. $1000 down the drain</p>

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<p>

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<p>Unlikely situation. Most people won’t know how, and hopeully it’ll be in a locked room accessible to no more than four people.</p>

<p>In any case, some cases come with places to insert locks on (to prevent stripping), and you can get a cage for the case. It’s overkill IMO.</p>

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<p>I posted this a while back, but this was my setup with a double. That’s a Antec 1200 full tower, and the dorm was still very roomy.</p>

<p><a href=“http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2372/dsc03387.jpg[/url]”>http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2372/dsc03387.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>i’m in the same predicament…
desktop cons: i will probably do most of my work elsewhere (library, etc) and not in my dorm; it takes up space; my roommate might complain
desktop pros: the monitor is more comfortable to look at; faster; i’ll have a backup computer incase my laptop breaks</p>

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<p>I brought my desktop last year as well. The desktop will be best for typing out long essays (i know full keyboards come a lot on notebooks these days, but its still a pain in the ass if you dont have chic hands). The desktop will also be a better way to watch movies, and if you want to get a couple rounds in Counter Strike before you go raging at your local college bar. </p>

<p>Netbooks or notebooks come in handy BEST when dealing with notes. Nothing is worse than trying to hand write notes in a liberal studies class. With a laptop you can basically get in a <em>zone</em> and type every word the professor says.</p>

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<p>^An alternative to everything you said, Sid, could be to simply buy an external monitor and keyboard/mouse and dock your laptop as a desktop back at your dorm/apartment. </p>

<p>The only reason I’d recommend a desktop to someone is if they’d play intensive games (BF:BC2 for example) that most laptops cannot play. For most other things, a laptop or laptop docked as a desktop will suffice :)</p>