<p>I'm currently using a 17" Dell Inspiron 1750 with 4GB RAM and basic everything else. It's great for coding. It runs Eclipse and a Tomcat without stuttering. I have no problems with it except for the fact that it's not portable. Do I need a new laptop in college as an incoming CS major? Will I need to lug my laptop around?</p>
<p>Your college can tell you whether your laptop is good enough for your major, as they may have minimum requirements. As for lugging it around, yes, you will need to do that. Most students find it easier to have a lighter laptop, but it’s not needed.</p>
<p>Hardwarewise, you have a decent laptop which can last you at least 2…if not 4+ more years. </p>
<p>Only issues I see is the bulkiness of the 17" notebook. </p>
<p>Just looked up your model on amazon and it said the notebook weighed around 9.9 pounds. That weight may be heavy by today’s standards, but back when I was in college…my first notebook with ac/adapter and battery weighed in the neighborhood of 11-12 pounds…and I lugged it everywhere with my textbooks/notebook. </p>
<p>Sometimes for 2-3 miles if I was walking to someone’s off-campus apartment for a visit.</p>
<p>My second notebook weighed the same as yours…and only had a 12.1" screen.</p>
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Uh, that’s a little far to be hoofin’ it. Competitive runners cover that distance in 10-15 minutes. So lets say you’re power walking pretty good for 2.5 miles . . . it would take you about 50 minutes. Almost an hour. Of just walking. To visit a friend. With an 11.5 lbs computer (and books?). The average speed of a walking human is 3 mph and it is recommended that fitness (or power) walking gets you 1 mile in 17-20 minutes.</p>
<p>Off topic, I know, but running xcountry and track in HS and going on insane hikes in the military I can guage distance and time pretty well so this one threw me.</p>
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<p>True. That’s what I had to do to visit some friends off-campus considering I attended college in a rural/suburban area with sporadic public transportation and no car. Also, didn’t want to inconvenience them to drive me to/from dorm…especially considering I figured I needed the exercise and I wasn’t doing that on a weekly basis.</p>