<p>I know that most ppl just bring their laptops...but is it a bad idea to bring both a laptop AND a desktop? will it get stolen?</p>
<p>do most ppl bring their laptops to class to takes notes?</p>
<p>people bring both. i had one of each -- the desktop sat in my room and i used my laptop for goofing off during class and labs (watching DVDs during downtime in lab was a big plus). i'm sure there are thefts, but i didn't know anyone who was a victim of computer theft. i think UCSD is generally a pretty safe campus; people in the libraries are trusting enough to whisper to their neighbors "hey, can you watch my stuff for a few minutes? if they're going on a study break or something. </p>
<p>but about note-taking on laptops: most people aren't disciplined enough to keep the screen solely open to MS word and avoid email/CNN/craigslist/etc. it's up to you; i've managed it successfully in one class (where note-taking was essentially optional, the class hardly required two neurons to pass), but at the same time i have no problem in telling people to quit playing if they're sitting in front of me and playing WoW instead of taking notes.</p>
<p>If you're worried about your laptop getting stolen, go to LoJack</a> for Laptops - Stolen Computer Recovery Service</p>
<p>hey astrina, your location is new york, just curious, did u graduate from ucsd and move to nyc? ahah thanks, im just curious because i think nyc is cool.</p>
<p>graduated from ucsd in 2006 (BS) and 2007 (MS), just moved to new york last august to slap on another three letters (PhD) after my name. :)</p>
<p>i'm at columbia -- big change from tritonland, that's for sure.</p>
<p>If you're only bringing one, I would recommend the laptop. Especially if you're a comp sci major, it'll be really convenient to be able to work on programs at places other than the lab or in your room. </p>
<p>Also, desktops generate quite a bit of heat so during those occasional hot days I try to keep mine on only while I need it, or else the room gets really hot.</p>
<p>Wayyyy off topic, but since astrina is on the subject, how do you like Columbia? I'm hoping to go there or NYU for law school, how's the whole New York environment treating you?</p>
<p>there's something to be desired in the school itself (they're kind of unorganized and dealing with administration can be really really annoying, i never had that problem at UCSD) but the city more than makes up for it. it's amazing to see how much is happening in the city at any given time -- i always have to remind myself that i'm supposed to work first, play second. :) plus the array of eating choices is top-notch. this weekend i'll be doing the city's annual 5 Boro Bike Tour, a 42-mile ride through the city's 5 boroughs -- they shut down highways and bridges and everything! </p>
<p>in short: come! i think everyone should live in NY at least once in their lifetime.</p>
<p>Sounds good! I'll definitely have those two schools at the top of my list come admission time.</p>
<p>NYC is so expensive to live in. :( But I've always kept it as one of my top choices to live after I get my degree. Columbia is so pretty, especially Lerner Hall (I'm into the ultra-modern glass buildings).</p>
<p>Going back to the topic, I don't see a laptop as more beneficial as a desktop. I'm a bio major and I took my laptop to class a few times, but it was never helpful when I needed to draw pictures...and a tablet is so much more expensive. You can customize desktops much more easily and parts aren't as expensive (ughhhh memory). Desktops are also better for gaming. ;)</p>
<p>sorry, i feel like i caused the distraction!</p>
<p>i am going to be a bio major and i dont see how a laptop in class will benefit me, probably make me more distracted! ahah</p>
<p>reviving this topic -- how bout for a design major? (& leaning towards comp science)</p>
<p>should i get a really good laptop and just bring that? or get an okay laptop and bring a desktop too?</p>
<p>and anyone have any good recommendations on what kind of laptop to get?</p>
<p>And of course...let's not forget the eternal question: Mac or PC? I will be a cognitive science major if that helps.</p>
<p>lol that helps (closest I can get I think)
so, do u recommend a mac or pc?</p>
<p>After switching to a mac laptop recently (I hated the Vista software and refused to be stuck with it after my first PC laptop crapped out), I have to say that I am loving the mac so much more...I haven't explored all the stuff that I could be doing with it (i.e. editing movies, music...etc.), but I really like it. I am very happy with my choice and when I go to my grandma's house and use her PC...Vista still makes me wanna bash my head against the wall repeatedly...I'd go with Mac (plus, the 13" MacBook is generally lighter & smaller than most PCs).</p>
<p>^you are so obviously exaggerating. Please tell me what's so bad about vista that you want to bash your head. All you need to use is firefox, word, media player, and ruckus. All these and everything else runs fine on vista, nothing to bash my head for. Maybe it's your computer with a bad processor, low memory, etc. It's easy to blame the OS when you prolly don't run maintenance on your computer (i.e. defrag hard drive, etc).</p>
<p>I am not "so obviously exaggerating"...my grandparents bought a brand new computer (a more advanced one than they actually needed, but whatever) after my grandpa took a screwdriver to the old one when he tried to detach the monitor. When they got the new computer and I set it up for them, it wouldn't let me hook up the internet, so I spent HOURS on the phone waiting for someone and then another 45 minutes talking with some guy named "Dan" in India and he had me go through the computer's configuration to uncheck a setting that the computer came with so the internet would work. If the OS worked properly, I shouldn't have to change the computer's configuration to get the internet to work. </p>
<p>Also those Allow/Deny messages are the most useless and annoying things on the planet and usually there are about 3 messages to confirm that I want to do something before the computer will allow it...my grandmother gets freaked out when this happens because she thinks she's done something wrong and doesn't know if she should click allow or deny.</p>
<p>I personally don't like FireFox at all, after using on my Mac...I switched back to Safari. My grandma uses Internet Explorer, not FireFox. She doesn't use media player, the computer came with Works, not Word, and I have no idea what Ruckus is.</p>
<p>This is my personal opinion about Mac and Vista and you're post sounds to me that you assume I have no idea how to work a computer (of course I defrag the hard drive). I could use a PC better than my teachers when I was 10...geek? yes...ignorant? absolutely not...don't assume.</p>
<p>And I'm definitely not the only person that hates Vista:
Why</a> Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself | Tech news blog - CNET News.com</p>
<p>yeah, I've heard Vista is pretty bad...my brother hates it.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering my questions, feesha. I will be doing more PC vs. Mac research :)</p>
<p>Ummm...the problem you had has nothing to do with the OS. The computer manufacturer (Sony, HP, etc) is the one who configures your computer's settings before they send it to you. Vista doesn't do anything like this, because its just an OS... If Vista was the culprit, then all of us would have problems connecting to the net when we buy a computer.</p>
<p>And for the allow/deny messages, they are annoying but they're there to prevent unauthorized program launches (i.e because of moronic hackers). For grandparents, yeah, they can be intimidating. But we're talking about college kids. We don't usually get freaked out by a popup anymore, not the 90s anymore. </p>
<p>Never thought you were computer-illiterate. I was just surprised at how horrible you think Vista is. Me and my suitemates/friends don't do heavy duty computer stuff (just schoolwork and LAN games), and vista works fine. </p>
<p>If you have the cash, get a Mac, but seriously for a college student, a PC with Vista is more than enough, and you'd save a thousand bucks. It's really annoying to hear how Mac is worth paying so much for when all we do is use facebook, word, and excel.</p>
<p>oh and the link you posted, they're complaining about the 64-bit Vista... I hate it too. 32-bit Vista works perfectly fine...</p>