<p>Yeah, if you have a desktop the lack of a disc drive in a netbook doesn’t matter since you’ll only be using it to take notes in class or something.</p>
<p>A laptop is not essential but MUCH more convenient.
Order of convenience: laptop>desktop>library computers
This list is purely for productivity. Gaming is another story.</p>
<p>Library
Pros: Cheap, as in free. Save ~300 a year (a $900 computer over 3 years)
Cons: Inconvenient. Limited, my school had a 2 hour/day limit on computers. I need to wait sometimes to use their computers. This is crucial, do you value your time or money? If its time over money, DO NOT DO THIS. </p>
<p>Desktops
Pros: Cheaper than a laptop. Same power as a laptop with a bigger screen for 100-300 cheaper.
Cons: You CANNOT take it home with you when you go home for a weekend/holiday/break. Immobile. Less productive than a laptop. Group projects at a friends? Use paper. Presentations? Hope a group mate has a laptop. </p>
<p>Laptop
Pros: Most convenient. Save time by being able to access your digital work from more places. Protect your investment, it’s also easier to take home over breaks and such. Cant study at home? Go to the library/starbucks/friend’s to study.
Cons: Most expensive but with the deals going on and the drop in the prices of notebooks, you can’t refuse. Danger of Theft (ALWAYS secure it).</p>
<p>You can add a separate monitor to most laptops so for a few hundred more you have a laptop plus a desktop with a larger screen.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The price difference would likely be a lot greater than that for truly equal power. Of course, if you get a low-end laptop (which to be fair would probably suffice for most), there would be a pretty big difference in power compared to the cheapest desktops.</p>
<p>hitoyz,</p>
<p>If you attend a large college, there’ll be lab computers all over campus. Waiting for an open computer and having a two hour limit doesn’t happen at big schools. </p>
<p>Also, I don’t know what you mean when you say that laptops are more productive than desktops. Do you type your papers faster when you have a laptop in front of you as opposed to sitting in front of a desktop monitor?</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>silence_kit</p>
<p>If I started college now, I would built my own desktop and then buy a netbook. Comes to about the same as a laptop, and a hell of a lot more powerful.</p>
<p>i kno this topic is old but heres the thing any1 needs to realize that most people dont. What u buy is what ur stuck with. If you get a desktop, u probably wont be able to get a laptop for a while if u decide u want that instead. and vica versa. I would recommend any college student to get a laptop, but just remember what u buy is what ur stuck with.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think you could use a full size keyboard rather than trying to text a post from your phone.</p>
<p>I think that colleges and Universities usually provide their students with computers, but it really depends on which school your going.:)</p>
<p>Notebook i say!</p>
<p>
They generally provide computer labs, but in this day and age it’s fairly inconvenient not to have your own computer.</p>
<p>Well, I’d say mobility does come at the expense of performance but most mid-range notebooks have enough processing power for an undergrad.</p>
<p>One thing to consider is getting a desktop and a netbook. The price comes out to about the same as a good notebook, and you have the processing power of a desktop to handle big projects requiring a lot of power, and the portability of a netbook for notetaking and simple tasks that you can do with friends.</p>
<p>Colleges may provide labs but very few are providing students with personal computers to use at home. Trust me - in this day and age, every student needs a personal computer.</p>
<p>Do not get a laptop, and DO NOT get a desktop. Instead, get a netbook. Chances are you will be doing most of your work outside of your dorm, and given the fact that most professors nowadays require most assignments to be handed in electronically, you will need something that is not only portable, but also lightweight. Now, a laptop may sound reasonable, but given the number of quality netbooks on the market that are half the size of a laptop and performs just as well, you should reconsider. I currently own a 15 inch hp pavilion laptop with a duo core, but it’s quite heavy and the battery lasts no more than an hour and a half on Balanced performance. I’m always on the lookout for an outlet, and that can be annoying when you need to get something done and the only outlet in the room is being hoarded by other laptop users. And a desktop? Do I really have to explain? I mean, unless you plan on spending your entire four years playing COD4 on highest settings in your room, there should be absolutely no reason whatsoever in getting a desktop. I have a couple of friends who brought their desktop computers, and now they deeply regret making that decision. I might get my self a net book for my second semester, preferably a 10 inch. They are extremely light, sturdy, and they get the job done without having to be plugged into an outlet for hours on end. Get a netbook.</p>
<p>get a Laptop. There will be a time when you wanna go somewhere and hangout, and you’ll want to kill time/be productive. Take it from me. I use mine everyday. Battery life is very important, you don’t want it do die on you in the middle of of 3hr lecture.</p>
<p>Hey I’m going to major in computer science and I am getting a PC obviously. But I was just wondering, going deeper into CS and graphics and animation, a desktop will prove better. But what should i get for my first year of college which i’ll have to keep for the next 4 years atmost as I won’t be able to buy something new.Any help would do…</p>
<p>If you’re going to go into graphics and animation, I’d consider two options:</p>
<p>-MacBook: Graphics and Media Editing are one of the rare occasions I’d actually recommend a Mac. They’re a bit overpriced hardware-wise, but many of the best programs available for media editing are released exclusively on the Mac platform or have much better support on Macs.</p>
<p>-Desktop: It’s bigger and harder to move each year, but you generally can upgrade it if you need to and they’re capable of high performance tasks without overheating. Additionally, price-wise, you can get a good desktop for cheaper than a comparable laptop.</p>
<p>Unlike with laptops, with desktops I wouldn’t worry about the brand too much. What I’d definitely would look for though is a desktop with either a Core 2 Quad or Core i5 quad core, 4GB of RAM, and a good graphics card (feel free to PM me on this, it’s too detailed to put into a post).</p>
<p>I’m planning on getting a $800 dollar 13-14" laptop for my first year then build a $800 Desktop while i’m there. Power and Portability. Both there.</p>
<p>I read through the very informative replies about computers in this thread. XD I’ve been using windows for a very long time, so I think I’ll use windows over mac because of the familiarity. I’m using HP Pavilion a1630n at home. It’s pretty fast for its age. My dad asked me if I wanted to take two computers with me (this one, and a new laptop I plan on getting).</p>
<ul>
<li>Should I take my desktop and a new laptop with me? Or is only one computer necessary? My dad’s concern is that something might happen to the computer and I might need back-up, but also as convenience.</li>
</ul>
<p>^If you’re getting a new laptop, I’d say no.</p>
<p>You might want to check to see if your college has a laptop checkout policy, though, if you’re worried about that. I’ve had problems with my laptop, but I was able to rent a laptop for free every three days through my school (it’s included in the price of tuition, but close enough). I would think that would suffice as a backup plan, just make sure you keep an actual backup of your important data (like on an external harddrive).</p>
<p>My older daughter’s laptop needed to be replaced and she opted for a desktop and loved it. She said she rarely took her laptop anywhere anyway and the desktop is so much easier to work on. My younger one would not give up her MacBook for anything. I would say it is totally a matter of personal preference.</p>