<p>My budget is about$600-$1000.
What do u think guys?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>probably all the special engineering programs would have to be done on school computer anyway, unless you want to buy some seriously expensive software that probably can't run on your computer anyway.</p>
<p>Not true at all cinderblock. Quartus II has a free version, MATLAB isn't too expensive, either, and there are plenty of free/open source Java or C IDEs. Not sure about CAD programs. I do almost all of my work on my own PC (ECE major).</p>
<p>Some schools have a remote login to the school's software system. I can remote connect to my ECE server and a full version of MATLAB (with all toolboxes), Mathcad, programming languages, Quartus, Maple, Spice, Office, LabView are all available for use. Also, schools have contracts with Microsoft where you can download any of their programs. So software really should not be an issue.</p>
<p>In general (in/ outside engineering), how necessary is it to buy a laptop or even own a computer in college?</p>
<p>I can't speak for all schools, but for UF EE/ME/AE, there are some courses where you HAVE to have a laptop. CAD, microprocessor are two that I can think of where it is required. So I think they're pretty necessary, even if a course doesn't require it, there are so many designs that you have to do in engineering. So it's pretty beneficial to bring your design to campus so that you can discuss with friends or a TA /professor.</p>
<p>Here at Cornell, all I ever use is my desktop. There are computer labs literally all over the place that you can use if you want to. In the actual class labs, you generally need to use computers set up for whatever it is that you are doing, so having a laptop there is pretty pointless too. </p>
<p>I definitely wouldn't want to be completely without any computer of my own, but if you'd rather have a desktop it certainly wouldn't be a problem here. I have a laptop that rarely sees the light of day (had I known this, I could never have bought it as my desktop is more than enough). If you really wanted to I'm sure you could get by without one, just doing all your work in the labs, but I wouldn't want to be without a my own computer anywhere anymore. Even just checking email, browsing the internet for fun, talking to your friends, watching movies, listening to music...it's not necessary for academic success but I can't imagine meeting someone who didn't have a computer in their room for personal use. It doesn't have to be expensive (I got my laptop for $550 last summer using all of the coupons that Dell used to issue) but if you are paying for college you may as well make sure you aren't completely in the dark.</p>