<p>Is anybody going to buy a laptop for college? Anybody considering a desktop?
I'd like to save money by buying a desktop. However, I was wondering if people do bring their laptops to class and if it is useful. Otherwise, I figure the hassle during move-in day may be worth the savings..</p>
<p>You should also consider the fact that a laptop means you can use the computer anywhere on campus, not just in the classroom. I see what you are saying though. They can only be SO useful in class... maybe not even useful at all... BUT I think it would be useful to carrry around... using it in those study lounges, etc</p>
<p>i don't know ANYONE with a desktop. are you willing to tie your computer to your desk for the next 3-4 years? are you REALLY willing to do that?</p>
<p>even though i mainly use my laptop at my desk, sometimes it's great to move it over to my bed and use AIM while not sitting on a stupid wooden chair. and if my roomie has her bf over, i take my laptop to the lounge to do my hw. i've never taken my laptop down to campus, but i DO take it home with me on breaks or long weekends. it's just great to have the option of mobility.</p>
<p>I know people with desktops, but generally people have laptops. They are, as others said, more mobile: from the classroom to the library to that spot under the tree to the cafe down the street -- you can work on the computer, and if there are hotspots nearby, you have internet. I personally think a laptop is a good investment worth the extra few hundred dollars.</p>
<p>I was planning on playing games on my computer, so I was kind of worried about video card power and battery life :P<br>
I've also read that laptops aren't as upgradable as desktops and that they tend to break more easily. But laptops do sound more convenient...</p>
<p>Is anybody planning on buying a business class laptop or a consumer class?</p>
<p>yeah the option of mobility is a major plus factor. you'll find that almost everyone has a laptop. and those with a desktop most likely also have a laptop as well.</p>
<p>you never know how your roommates will be. they could be loud and obnoxious when you're trying to study...and with a desktop you're stuck in your room regardless (if you need the computer to do your work, that is). with a laptop you can easily move to the lounge, library, or friends/classmates rooms etc to do your stuff. </p>
<p>or your roommate(s) may be of the particularly....active....variety and you'd be without access to your desktop when you're "sexiled". :p</p>
<p>video processing prowess will be behind desktops for sure, but it depends on what kind of game you're playing. like you wouldnt need much graphics power to play starcraft or something. :D many laptops have video card options when you configure them online. battery power is sort of moot because you'd want to be plugged in when gaming anyways since laptops scale down graphics and cpu power when on battery, which is less than optimal for gameplay.</p>
<p>^ I didn't think about that.. :O
I guess I should research more on laptops.</p>
<p>maybe bring both? the mobility is a big factor but the processor power is important to gaming, don't expect to run games with high graphics demand on laptop... what game do you plan on playing? people can generally recommend different models of laptops depends on what you are playing and how much processor power it needs...</p>
<p>Unfortunatley, I only have enough money for one :(
I was planning on playing Oblivion, Half-Life 2, and, at least, Sims 2 :D</p>
<p>I can play Oblivion on my 2 yr old lap top, though I did add a 512 mb ram. And Oblivion is pretty darn cpu intensive. My specs are 744 mb ram, 64mb ATI Radeon 9700, 1.5 GHZ Pentium M. Oblivion is playable, not max graphic obviously, but medium resolution/medium graphics. This sorta set up shouldn't be too expensive, 2 yrs after I got it.</p>
<p>Well, HL2 only needs about a 9600XT to play well. Oblivion, on the other hand...woo. </p>
<p>I brought a desktop (Core 2 Duo E6600 and Radeon X1900XT) and a laptop to school, but I found out that playing games wasn't quite the best thing to do here. There's so much else besides those pretty games. The most me and my roomies do is bust out some good multiplayer games like Starcraft or Super Smash Bros, because:</p>
<ol>
<li>They don't require great graphics cards, which is what most people here won't have</li>
<li>They're good multiplayer games, so at least you'll be playing with other people instead of just being cooped up playing alone. Yes, I used to be a BF2142 addict.</li>
</ol>
<p>HL 2 is pretty cpu intensive... I tried it on my 3.0ghz 512 ram desktop and it barely run without lag... im looking at a 2.0ghz dual core with 2gig of ram, will that run it? I heard if I run bootcamp on macbook pro it is slower than pcs with similar config, can anyone confirm that? cuz im thinking about a macbook pro right now</p>
<p>wow some people dont know stuff here....
oblivion?
im using core 2 duo e6400 with 2gb ram with radeon x1950 pro oced at 600/1800, it still lags.
HL2,
if you are willing to not use AA/AF/HDR,
im pretty sure laptops will do,
however oblivion is not playable on laptops.</p>
<p>if you are into gaming, bring a desktop</p>
<p>i agree from experience....the rule is desktop is so much better for games and laptop is well....for work stuff.</p>
<p>I played oblivion 15 minutes ago, on this very same lap top. It's mostly the ram. As long as you don't keep all the specs on max...</p>
<p>hmm resolution and all those matter,
i play 1280x1024 at 6x AA 16x AF with HDR turned on,
if you can satisfy yourself at 800x 600 and all those off, sure go for it haha</p>