<p>As part of the preparation for the new life at Stanford, I am now planning to buy a new computer. However, the model I have been decided on is only available in the USA and I live outside of the USA. Therefore, I am now thinking about buying a computer online at Toshiba's website, so that they will ship the computer to my dorm on the day I arrive at Stanford. </p>
<p>Do you think it's a good idea? Will I have enough time to set up and get accustomed to my new computer during the orientation? It would be very helpful if someone else is planning to do the same thing.</p>
<p>There is a store in Palo Alto near Stanford called Fry's <a href="http://www.frys.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.frys.com/</a> that is a good place to buy computers and related things. Maybe you could look on their website and see if they carry the computer you have picked out. Then you could go there and get the computer and anything else you need to go with it when you get to Palo Alto.</p>
<p>What's wrong with Toshiba? I just ordered a laptop equipped with a 3.33 Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, 100GB hard drive, 128 MB video card, DVD/RW burner, 15.4" widescreen display, internal wireless card, etc. for only $1450. It was by far the best deal I've seen. Dell laptops (which are supposedly the best-performing) didn't even approach 3Ghz, and Alienwares that were of similar specs were twice as expensive. Btw, I'm not trying to advertise or anything. I also initially had doubts about buying a Toshiba (I hadn't heard much praise about it), but then I stumbled across that particular laptop. It seems like a very sweet deal.</p>
<p>It's about 7 lbs, not bad for a 15.4" widescreen display. I'd much rather have a powerful laptop than a very light one. I doubt that that extra few pounds will make a noticeable difference, considering that I'm used to carrying 50 lbs of books every day :).</p>
<p>ForeverZero: I'm not saying Dell is better than Toshiba (or anyone for that matter), but I think the reason you don't see fast processors in Dell notebooks is because they use primarily Pentium M and Celeron M. Do they even have those chips up to 3 GHz? What type of processor do you have at 3.33 GHz?</p>
<p>I would never buy a laptop like that. It's all because of that 3.33 Ghz processor. The fact that the clockspeed is so high means that it's a pentium 4, which sucks for laptops. The reason the processors on IBMs/Dells/Sonys don't approach your 3.33 Ghz P4 is because they use the Pentium M processor, which is a whole lot more efficient. A 2.0 Ghz pentium M will run as fast as your 3.33 Ghz P4, and that assumes the P4 is running at peak performance. (which it won't, due to heat/energy) What's more, that processor is going to eat away at your battery like no other. That's why the Pentium M is replacing P4s all across the market. It's just a better processor.</p>
<p>Personally, I've never liked the build quality of Toshibas. Dells/Sony/Apple/IBM all have better screens, and the keyboard can't compare to thinkpads/powerbooks. Thinkpads are also a lot more resilient. It seems with Toshibas that there's a 50-50 chance that you'll either get a high quality machine that'll serve you well, or a piece of junk that'll keep breaking on you until you get a new one. Then again, I'm a huge thinkpad/powerbook fan.</p>
<p>The good news is that you saved ~$500 by going with Toshiba. Even with 30% off for IBM or the student discount at apple, I'll be spending at least 2k.</p>
<p>I'm buying my computer as soon as I arrive... well, I'll be there for i-orientation (I'm assuming you are as well?) so I'll have a few days before everyone else arrives to pick my baby out (I'm thinking of going for the 14" iBook), so you won't be the only one trying to adjust :)</p>
<p>Pentium M is efficient in that it trades battery life for performance. A 2.0Ghz M would perform better than a 3.33 Ghz P4 compared to how much power it's using, but for overall performance, the P4 is unbeatable. What I really wanted was a hardcore gaming laptop, so I initially looked at Alienwares, which I realized were horrendously expensive. Every gaming laptop seemed to be well over $2000, until I saw a Toshiba with virtually the same specs for under $1500. I don't really mind the power drain, considering I'll be plugged in all the time, either in my room or at the library.</p>
<p>nkay, I'm thinking of buying anibook when I get there for i-orientation too! Except a 12 inch one. We should definitely go to the Apple store together.</p>
<p>i don't know about toshiba or whatever, but i don't think you can ship to your dorm. i seem to remember something about this in the guide but i'm not sure. i think they said that you should ship anything that could arrive early or something. plus you won't know your room number. you might just want to check on that, i don't really remember the details</p>
<p>The Approaching Stanford booklet states that you can't have anything shipped to your residence until you've checked in and gotten your room number, which will be during orientation. They recommend not to have anything shipped until September 23rd at the earliest.</p>
<p>hey bade! Are you switching too? I went to the computer store the other day, knowing nothing about Macs (been a windows user my whole life, unfortunately) and the interface is beautiful. VERY easy to use too, so all my initial anxieties about switching went out the door. where are you arriving from, by the way? Woohoo, so excited!</p>
<p>Wow, I never meant to get into an argument about which processor is better. I understand that M is the way of the future. It's not only the processor that I'm paying for, after all. The laptop also has 15.4" widescreen, 100 GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 128MB graphics card, and a DVD/RW burner. All for $1450. Comparable laptops from other brands are way over $2000. I think it's safe to say that I got an amazing deal. End of discussion.</p>
<p>Oh I never said you got a bad deal. Just making sure you and everyone else reading the thread understands what you're buying. I've had three friends of mine not realize that a lower clockspeed doesn't mean worse processor, and that 2 Ghz doesn't suck.</p>