I am planning to use my money on either Desktop or Laptop
I mainly want to build a Desktop for gaming purpose,
but, I don’t think any college students bring desktop to dorm.
So, in Cockrell, would it be not smart to not bring a laptop?(I have a iPad I used for note taking in Highschool)
Laptops are actually required for many if not all of the disciplines within Cockrell right now. I know Mechanical, Chemical, and Biomedical engineering require laptops just from a quick google search. They’re required because engineering students require certain programs like CAD that you might need to use in class and require a high performance laptop.
@danfer91 Thanks for the response!
I was also wondering what kind of computer language I should study before going to Cockrell
I was planning on c++ or MATLAB, but on your experience, what would ypu recommened? generally and specifically plz
My son is a senior ME major. He says he takes his tablet to class, but so many classes require “technical” and equation type notes, he can’t really take notes on it.
I think they will be necessary. The more powerful ones are probably not needed as the computer labs have all the programs. I got a macbook pro because they got necessary power, they are lightweight, and very easy interface to use. I have had PC’s running windows for a while now and I absolutely hate windows 8.1 with a passion. Linux is nice if you know how to use it. So I would def. recommend a macbook pro (13 inch is what you want, 15 inch is not necessary). Or if you really want a PC, go for a Surface Pro, Lenovo X1 Carbon, or Dell XPS 13
@vs1997 woah, UT’s engineering programs are Apple friendly? I thought it would always be windows friendly, I just hate Apple stuff, to hard to use and not “opened” enough. Do u think there is a noticeable advantage using Apple?
@Messipass, there is not an advantage using Apple unless you just like Apple better.
@Messipass I recommend you ask about this at orientation. Your department/advisor can give more specifics about what kind of computer is best for your major. My son is a ME major and he has a Lenovo laptop. My daughter is a Liberal Arts major and she wants a Mac. Different needs for different colleges and majors. Also check with the Campus Computer Store. They have academic discounts on computers, hardware, software and accessories, plus they have the advantage of local service and support. You can go to their website and see their list of college and major recommendations.
https://webstore.hied.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CampusComputer.woa/2/wa/GoHome?sk=ovuoU6QiV2fHw0JqsI5v
My son received a handout at orientation that stated that, at least for ECE, laptops are required. The handout also listed the minimum and preferred system requirements. I would assume that each major in Cockrell will hand out similar information at orientation.
I am an incoming freshman who will be a MechE. Yesterday, after much consideration, I purchased a MacBook Pro 13inch/2.7GHz/128GB/dual-core i5 for $1149 at the Campus Computer Store (http://www.campuscomputer.com). Initially, I was reluctant to purchase a Mac for the same reason others are: compatibility. However, there are ways to get around this if you are determined to get a Mac. Maybe you have a Windows PC and are looking for something new, or maybe you just like the design and interface a Mac offers. Boot Camp software allows Mac OS X users to run windows operating system. There was a guy at the Computer Store who was telling me how he has been doing this with his older Macbook Pro for years with no problems. Also, Cockrell offers desktop virtualization (I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds cool), which allows users to access needed software regardless of operating system and processing power (http://www.engr.utexas.edu/itg/facilities/virtualdesktop). For me at least, it was important to buy the laptop I wanted to use, without being constrained to an operating system.