<p>I know that at some schools, students are required (or suggested) to do a computer plan where they buy a certain type of computer that everyone has (so IT is simpler, yada yada). At MIT, do people do this or just bring whatever computer they want? (I assume the later but want to confirm)</p>
<p>Also, I was wondering if I should get a tablet or a macbook for MIT!? Current students, do people use tablets and find them useful? I've heard rumors of a tablet apple coming out at some point, maybe I'll stake out for that.</p>
<p>i'm just going to sit here and watch the vista-basing ensue.</p>
<p>afaik, the pavilion's a decent pc. if it runs vista smoothly, go for it. in fact, i believe that programs you might need, like SolidWorks as a mech E kid or something are windows-exclusive. yes, you can wine it all, but eww. buggy. slow. dual boot, maybe?</p>
<p>lol, enternally sleepy, um, i don't have too much idea what you're talking about..since i'm not a computer junkie or know too much about computers, though that will have to be reticified. lol.</p>
<p>But they're only recommended- sort of for people who have no idea what to buy, you can't go wrong with these. You're welcome to use anything you want.</p>
<p>is eternallysleepy's comment about mechE people needing a PC for some software true? I was hoping to get a mac for the first time for MIT. Is there really a reason that a mechE major should have a PC as opposed to a mac?<br>
As of now I think I am going to do course 2-A (laura I know you are probably the perfect person to ask!)</p>
<p>Lots of required software for MechE only runs on Windows. BUT
1. There are computer clusters for course 2 majors with all of the relevant software, and more importantly
2. Macs now have a very nifty dual boot ability- through Bootcamp or Parallels you can easily run Windows on your Mac when necessary. (I am still bitter that this technology came out mere months after I bought my Dell laptop, because I really want a Mac. =)</p>
<p>So really, there's no reason to get one or the other besides your own personal preference. (And software needed for 2A is not any different than software needed for 2. Unless your 2A concentration takes you into courses in architecture or whatever, in which case that department would let you know what software you needed. I have never been in a class that didn't supply students with the necessary software and/or access to computers with that software, as necessary.)</p>
<p>yes I became enlightened about parallels today, so it looks like I'm getting a mac! (but say my 2A concentration DID go into those architecture courses, I could still run ANY program on a mac using parallels, right?) And forgive my relative ignorance on the subject, but if I'm using parallels on a mac, it would not in any way be slower/etc than a true PC, would it? </p>
<p>by the way, would you recommend considering a tablet instead?</p>
<p>Tablet PCs tend to be more for convenience than for computing purposes. Most engineering programs take a good amount of power and tablets are extremely lacking in the "oomf" (yes that is a SI unit :D) department. Parallels tends to be a bit slower as it is running both the Mac OS and Windows OS at the same time(hence parallels). If you are doing a lot of work in the PC environment, using bootcamp is probably a better idea. Bootcamp boots the machine directly into the PC environment, so it basically is a PC.</p>
<p>If I am wrong on any this, please correct me!</p>
<p>that is great advice, so I assume using bootcamp is on par with using windows on a PC, and if I got a new macbook pro I would not be making any sacrifices but indeed be at the top of the laptoop food chain!- even using mechE programs (correct me if i'm wrong). Would I want/need any updates above the standard level i.e. more ram, etc?</p>
<p>Basically, Bootcamp boots either Mac OS or Windows, Parallels runs them both at the same time. Parallels trades processing power and speed for convenience, so it's all a matter of what it is you're trying to do.</p>
<p>Also, Bootcamp is free/comes with the Mac. Parallels is not, but MIT students can download VMWare- same idea, different software- for free, since that is what IS&T officially supports.</p>
<p>Dual-boot linux and windows! It's cool new thing to do. Linux is easy, free, flawless and efficient. Windows is flawed yet required for lots of software. Best version of linux for a normal human being is Ubuntu. You can download a cd image and burn a copy yourself and test-run it without ever install a byte on your computer. See how you like it. It'll help a lot if you ever take a course 6 class.</p>
<p>If you're especially fun, you go even go triple with Linux, Windows and Mac all co-existing nicely.</p>
<p>Anyways, what I originally wanted to say was that you should stop worrying about the operating system and focus on the guts of the computer. If you originally get Windows and want Mac, it's a simple matter of buying a copy of Mac. (It's actually a little trickier and involves some BIOS hacks, but you're going to be at MIT where someone will know how to do it.) The other way around (Buying a Mac and installing Windows) is significantly easier. </p>
<p>In terms of hardware:
Dual Core Processor
100-300 GB Hard Drive
2-4 GB RAM
13-15 inch screen (bigger or smaller will annoy the heck out of you)
Unless you're playing lots of games, a basic video card will do.
Get a good battery!</p>
<p>I have an HP Pavilion, and was running Windows on it for a few months before I stuck Debian on it. If you're getting the standard deal you'll have anywhere from 2-4GB of RAM, which is plenty enough for Vista to run on. Once you disable all the annoying programs (like that memory-exhausting sidebar...) Vista runs like a charm. It's also got a hardy battery life and amazing screen size and HDD space for its price.</p>
<p>The only bad thing is how extremely heavy it is. I have a 6-pack battery attached to it, and that makes it really heavy. It's also hard to fit into a backpack since it's a widescreen, so if you're looking for something lightweight a Pavilion isn't the best one to get. If you value power over sleekness, then by all means, go for it!</p>
<p>haha, nice, vivi. can you tell me how to get rid of all of those junks in vistia that came with it when I bought it?? Like..i don't need slingbox..? or the docking sidebar..</p>
<p>Well the logical explanation would be to just delete them (if they're programs) or disable all of them from running at startup. Try using software like Ultimate</a> Troubleshooter to see what's running at startup, and disable them if you want. If there's a specific program you need help with, just ask.</p>
<p>Ubuntu!? Are you referring to that most bloated of all linux distros?</p>
<p>When I first tried linux I found puppy to be the easiest to configure for dual booting, and is EXTREMELY hardware efficient. You have no idea how quickly my eight year old 1 ghz athlon with 384 mb SDRAM runs with it...</p>
<p>Yeah. Ubuntu. It is bloated. But, it's extremely simple to set up (great hardware detection, etc.) and use compared to any other distro I've tried. For someone who is getting a new computer, their processor and RAM will be (way) more than enough to run Ubuntu. Especially if they run Xubuntu (Ubuntu with Xfce). For someone who has never used Linux before, Ubuntu is by far the best choice. Ubuntu is the people's Linux, not the developer/computer junkie's Linux.</p>
<p>Btw, I got Xubuntu running on a machine with 64 MB RAM. Try it out.</p>
<p>^ many other distros now offer the same ease as Ubuntu. The distro that I currently use is sidux, and it basically turns Debian unstable into a distro that is as seamless and easy as Ubuntu is, without all the bloatedness. (Of course, downside is that it IS unstable). PCLinuxOS and Mandriva were as well, back in their day. And don't forget, MIT provides support for Red Hat/Fedora if you choose to use it (though I personally don't recommend it). </p>
<p>Point being, if you're looking to switch over, you should definitely try out more than a few distros before you settle on the one you're most comfortable with. For me, I found that Ubuntu was still too bloated for my tastes (even with the 4GB of RAM). Then again, I'm not a patient person. If it doesn't load in 3 seconds it's "too slow" for me, so I like it simple.</p>