Basic computer for future Bio major

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hi, I'm a high school student looking for a laptop for a summer science research internship as well as for college. I am planning to be a Bio major. Here are the specifications I would like:</p>

<p>-Relatively large screen
-Very sturdy and durable
-Relatively cheap
-Needs to support basic science data collection programs (graphs, data tables, statistical tests, etc.)
-Keyboard and laptop in general not aluminum/steel/brushed metal (it feels cold and sweaty to me)
-Tablet hybrid? Has anyone found this useful for Bio?</p>

<p>Suggestions on good brands/models? Anything else you think I should consider?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Lenovo is the most durable brand you can get, and would outlast all the other laptops. Unfortunately, their biggest flaw is the one everyone notices: they don’t look great. If you can get past carrying a black boxy laptop, you should consider the Lenovo ThinkPads.</p>

<p>If not, Asus laptops are also great to look at. </p>

<p>And as for the tablet: I’ve never found it necessary. I’m a bio major myself and none of my classes (I’m currently taking Molecular Biology and Organic Chemistry) have required the use of a tablet. If anything, you’re better off buying a normal laptop then buying a cheap $25 USB tablet if you really need one.</p>

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<p>I don’t mind carrying a black boxy laptop, I’ll look into Lenovo. Are there different types/models/editions of Thinkpads? Which type is the least expensive? I looked online and I saw them going for $1000…are all of them this expensive? I know it’s worth it for an investment but I lose/get things stolen easily.</p>

<p>I also looked up Asus…what exactly are these laptops good for?</p>

<p>I agree about the tablet. Thank you for all your advice!</p>

4

<p>All the laptops are essentially equal in terms of internal componenets. They will all run the same programs (how well is another matter), and the specs matter much much more than the brand.</p>

<p>When deciding between laptop brands, 95% of the difference is what you see. It’s all about how the different laptops are priced and built. And, unlike cars, better build quality only means that the laptop will last longer / be more durable.</p>

<p>You’ve already decided you want something with a large durable screen, so that puts you in the 14"/15" business notebooks class. You said you don’t want brushed metal, so that throws out the otherwise excellent (and my personal recommendation) Dell Latitude E-series. This leaves you with HP EliteBook (which is absurdly expensive) and Lenovo Thinkpad.</p>

<p>The issue with Lenovo is that their customer service and orders processing has serious issues. The company is beyond-belief disorganized and lost my clearly submitted online order twice. All in all, I paid them $930 and it took them over 1.5mo and 10hr in phone calls for them to even ship out my laptop, which then took 2wk more to ship because they did China -> Korea -> US, which resulted in it going thru customs several times. Once it arrived, it was a nice product, except when my RTC battery failed (small issue), and it took them weeks to send me a replacement, which arrived in a surprisingly huge box, triple-boxed, when the item itself + documentation easily fits in a tiny pocket.</p>

<p>Anyways, if you’re still up to put up with that, it’s an excellent laptop. The R-series is cheaper, but heavier as it’s just built with really solid plastic. The T-series is lighter and more durable, but it’s slightly more expensive due to its magnesium-alloy roll cage. The SL series Thinkpads are junk that Lenovo introduced after it took over IBM.</p>

<p>I recommend either a T410 or T510 in that regards.</p>

<p>The other route is to save heavily and get a netbook. Then, purchase a large 22" monitor separately to use with your netbook.</p>

<p>On a final note, google up coupon codes and discounts. My T500 would have cost $1200 if I hadn’t aggressively applied their EPP discount + other coupon codes.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for your extensive suggestions and advice. It was very helpful.</p>

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<p>Since you mentioned data computing, you might want to consider a keyboard with a number pad.</p>

<p>The thing is that usually a budget laptop is plasticy and a little flexy. You definitely want a computer that will not break down physically and internally.</p>

<p>HP- Coming out with a plethora of new laptops in May/June. Wait and see.
Dell Inspirons are cheap and fast, but I hear problems with their customer service and repair.
Lenovo t410 or t510 very good. A little expensive.</p>

<p>You probably don’t want to go over 15 inches.</p>

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<p>I also hear some bad things about dell’s customer service, but as an owner of an inspiron laptop, i do not agree. I’ve had it since 2006. i bought a 4 year warranty at the time. basically, the warranty had a technician come to my home and fix it with a replacement part and its really great.</p>

<p>i’ve basically replaced the whole computer. all you got to do is go to their site and do the online chat. while the chat is kinda dinky, it is really easy to get whatever you want.</p>

<p>i’ve changed the keyboard three times. once because the keys eventually got all oily because of me, and another time because a key popped off. </p>

<p>i’ve changed the mouse/touchpad two times because it lost its clickiness.</p>

<p>i’ve changed the plastic frame holding the screen twice because it eventually got loose. the last time, they changed the lcd screen with the frame too.</p>

<p>i’ve changed the motherboard once because i broke a usb port.</p>

<p>i’ve changed the hard drive once (idk the computer didnt boot up and the error code said hardrive failure). </p>

<p>the only thing i couldnt get them to change was the battery, because thats not covered.</p>

<p>so basically, after you pay for the warranty, you can take full advantage of it!</p>

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<p>Haha, if you had a decent computer in the first place, you wouldn’t need to change/replace anything.</p>

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<p>Agreed with soadquake. I use my laptop for class daily, and it sits in my messenger bag instead of one of those padded laptop sleeves, yet it has never had a problem in its life. The whole issue with the laptop breaking down is, even if it is under warranty, if you have to send it in for repairs you’d be without a computer to study or do homework with unless you have some sort of backup.</p>