<p>Over the past year and more, questions always come up about laptops. Everybody has opinions about which is best. Apple vs. Window based laptops? Desktop vs. laptop? The best laptop manufacturers? The best models? The most reliable?</p>
<p>What is missing from all of these conversations is how students really use their laptops on a daily and weekly basis. I want to know the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>When you leave for class, do you toss your laptop into your backpack for the whole day? Every day?</li>
<li>How many days during the week do you bring along your laptop?</li>
<li>When you go to the library to study or to do research, do you bring along your laptop? Every time?</li>
<li>Do you go to the local coffee shop or other WiFi hotspot and use your laptop? How often during the week?</li>
<li>Do you spend much time outside or with friends using your laptop? How often?</li>
</ul>
<p>After the newness wears off and your laptop becomes more like "stuff" to tote around, I really wonder what the true utilization rate is for laptops on a daily and weekly basis. Do you bolt out the door with it or does it sit on your desk, well, like a desktop?</p>
<p>My son rarely takes his laptop to class, although he may take it with him to the library or something from time to time. The main reason he likes having a laptop is that he can bring it home with him at Christmas and spring break, and not lose access to all his programs and saved material. It was also a lot easier to carry when he did overseas study.</p>
<p>No, I've never brought mine to class. I have taken it over to friend's dorms a few times to study, but mainly the big plus of a laptop is it saves space, and is easier to transport between home and school. I've never taken my laptop to the library because there are plenty of computers at my school. The couple of kids who bring a laptop to one of the larger lecture classes play games or surf the web, not take notes.</p>
<p>Laptop usability also differs depending on your major. I'm going to an engineering school next year, and they require that each student buy a laptop from them. They do this because there's a lot of bundled software installed on these laptops (like Matlab, Maple, etc.) that engineers need to use on a daily basis. So they're not used as note-taking machines, they're used as tools to help with projects. This is quite different from your history major who needs a laptop to take notes and write papers.</p>
<p>My laptop never leaves my room. I can think of a few instances where it might be useful to take it, but more often than not, I find it pretentious when people take labtops to class. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>I always carry my laptop with me, but I'm also commuter... As for using it in class, I can (mind you I'm at a CC right now) only think of a few occasions where there was reason for me to use it during class... Typically I still perfer to take notes with pen and paper!</p>
<p>Well, from this thread, it seems that not too many people bring their laptops to class. I'm buying a laptop this summer for the main purpose of using it to take notes in class as I type much faster than I can write. (I'm majoring in Political Science, so I'm assuming that I will have to take lots of notes.) Would it just look weird if I did that? Or do most people actually bring their laptops to class?</p>
<p>I take my laptop to poli sci classes and really boring classes (where I need a distraction). They're absolutely not useful in anything where you have to draw any sort of diagram (econ, astronomy, calc, etc.), however, many people do bring them to history and poli sci classes.</p>
<p>You will probobly find that when you type them, you get more info down but you have to review the material a lot more. People are more deliberate when they write and the notes they take (and beause they write slow, the most important things are captured) are stuck more in memory than typed notes.</p>
<p>Think if how you can be talking to someone on AIM as well as talking to a person. Most experianced typists can do both at the same time while most people cannot carry on a conversation while hand writing something of importance (I dont mean talking during breaks...I mean simultanious)</p>
<p>no computer is free from viruses...if an operating system exists...some1s created a virus for it</p>
<p>Laptops are pretty useful for taking home and stuff...i don't take it to class cuz i'm just lazy and don't like carrying it around....and whenever i do take it i end up on the wireless network talking on AIM rather than listening to lectures...which turns out pretty ugly....otherwise....a few ppl will take their laptops to class though..doesn't make you feel akward or anything...but you'll also notice that the ppl with laptops will rarely be taking notes.....:p........and i don't really take my laptop to the library....cuz....well...i don't go to the library lol....the one time i did i took it :p...but yeah....the main advantage is saving space, portability (when you might be travelling, etc.)...and....you can chill in your bed rather than being cofined to a desk :)</p>
<p>My system has actually worked very well... I will typically write up my notes by hand, and then at another point I will type them up on my computer. You guys would be amazed at just how much you study by making a study guide for yourselves.</p>
<p>seriously!....try making a physics formula sheet on MSWord with your lecture notes....i mean...it takes up a large fraction of your day but it's a good substitute for studying</p>
<p>
[quote]
My system has actually worked very well... I will typically write up my notes by hand, and then at another point I will type them up on my computer. You guys would be amazed at just how much you study by making a study guide for yourselves.
<p>
[quote]
Is Apple really better than Windows? I heard that Apple is free from viruses.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Because Macs (and Linux too) are in the minority of operating systems, people don't bother to write viruses for them. Also, I've heard that viruses can't install programs on Macs because it requires you to enter your username/password every time you instal something.</p>
<p>Macs are actually moving into the minority, they have lost market share in the last couple of years. They used to capture 10% of the market, right now they are at about 5-6%.</p>
<p>There are Mac viruses, but I don't think that there have been any in the wild. And if you think about it, it wouldn't make much sense to write a virus for a Mac, since it would have such limited "damage"</p>
<p>Scagneas: As a business major, you'll need a Windows based laptop since business apps are mostly written for Windows (see the Mac vs. PC thread which was started by a business major).</p>
<p>As for a Tablet recommendation, any of the current Tablet manufacturers can meet your needs. Toshiba, HP, Gateway, Viewsonic, Fujitsu, Motion and soon, IBM all have Tablet models. Typical prices range from $1300 for the second generation Toshiba M205 to $2000 for the upcoming Toshiba Tecra M4. Toshiba also have two new models coming out: the R10/15 which start at $1600. IBM's new X41 will be priced around $2000. There's even an Averatec 3500 selling for around $1000 at CompUSA (be aware that the Averatec has some limitations and have mixed reviews).</p>
<p>In the "Best laptop" thread, I have a post with Tablet PC links which will give you a lot of information about the various Tablet manufacturers. </p>
<p>OSX and linux are not virus free because they are obscure (tons of critical things run on *nix) but because they are better designed. </p>
<p>It is the differance between "Default to on" and "Default to off".</p>
<p>Windows tends to leave a large amount of services enabled by default and a lot of features (HTML Email) enabled and completely unchecked unless the user does something about it. This allows viruses to spread through the system much easier.</p>
<p>As to the market share, care to share a source for your figures? Apple has never held that much market share (unless you are talking 15 years ago which doesnt count as it was pre-OSX and primarily educational market before pc's were as big in the home). Their current market share doesnt even come close to 5-6%. I think you just like making things up to support your opinions.</p>