<p>I will be starting engineering school at Cornell in the fall. I will probably major in either mechanical engineering, information science systems and technology, or operations research and engineering. I currently have a 3.5 year old Apple MacBook Pro and have always been a Mac person however I see windows as being a much more practical system for school and work after.*
Right I see myself with 3 choices.*
1) Start school with my current MBP and take the first semester to see what would work best and purchase during winter break.*
2) Get a windows computer now and fully learn how to use it before school starts. 3)Just get another MBP sometime between now and school.*
As for windows laptops what would be best. I'm thinking a Lenovo w520. I want something fast and reliable just like everyone else. I don't have much experience with PCs so any other laptop recommendations?*
I'm afraid be switching computers in the middle of the year might be tricky and it's easier to just start with one. Does any one else have<em>Experience with with starting with an old computer to gauge what's best?</em>
Also with the PC would strongly consider getting an iPad to go along with it. My mom has one and unlike many I see a real value in it. But that would definitely wait till after the first semester. Anyone have experience with this?*
In the end based on experience which choice would you advise and what PC would you recommend.*</p>
<p>One thing to consider is that a laptop lifespan is usually around 4 years.</p>
<p>But if you really liked macs, you could buy a mac and just install windows on it so you can use windows programs when you need to and use the mac os for everything else.</p>
<p>the w520 is pretty much 16 inches. I would recommend a 14 or 15 for college. You will thank yourself later. The you usually get better battery life with smaller lifetime and they a lot easier to carry around. As far as what type, you can’t go wrong with Toshiba, Sony, or Lenovo laptop. When I use to repair computers, these were the laptops with the least motherboard issues.</p>
<p>As far as the ipad, it is just personal preference. It is not really practical to have for strictly college work since you can not have multiple programs open but is still a very nice device that can have its uses. One being e-books if you don’t mind reading from a device.</p>
<p>As far as when to do it. Do it when ever you get tired of your current macbook. The transition to windows now is a lot easier than in the past. So you will be able to learn a lot of it on the fly really.</p>
<p>When I was a freshman, I had an old desktop freshman year. My biggest gripe was that it was slow. I replaced it sophomore year with a laptop.</p>
<p>W520 is a monster. I had tried the older model when I was in high school. Heavy.
If you ever want a Lenovo laptop, and if you can spare some money (W520 will cost you $1300+, with tax and shipping at least $1500), you have a few choices:</p>
<ol>
<li>Thinkpad edge</li>
<li>X-Series (yes, the original IBM ThinkPad)</li>
<li>Y-Series</li>
<li>T-Series</li>
</ol>
<p>I think MacBook Pro is a nice machine too. If you have been a Mac user, it may be a good idea to actually continue to use Mac. You can bootcamp Windows. If you are in engineering, the chance of using software that is not runnable on Mac OSX is like the probability of end up in a car accident when you are actually at home. Do you understand? It is possible that the car can end up crashing into your house… That kind of software is either very old, or are very expensive to obtain (now speaking of illegal way… LOL)</p>
<p>iPad is really a personal thing. It is like asking me “XBOX, WII, DS, PS3, or iPad?” Get one if you want. It seems to me you are pretty wealthy!!!
I’d save the money and get through your freshman year first (at least your first semester). After you have made friends, you can decide whether you need more stuff…</p>
<p>I also used my old laptops (actually 3…) when I was freshman. Powerbook !! Acer, and Toshiba Satellite. They were okay. Powerbook was a nightmare because it was so old… and it was Mac so there was no way to use newer software. </p>
<p>I think if you are an old Mac user, you should consider an upgrade of your OS X. My old laptops all survived the 4-years life span. It’s all about luck.</p>
<p>I agree that a 15" is minimal. 14" is okay, but still too small if you do a lot of programming… or if you have a large monitor at home, please bring it to your dorm. Hook it up to your laptop when you are back to dorm, then it doesn’;t matter whether you have 13", or 14"</p>
<p>** Thinkpad users… You have to be comfortable with using the red dot. Mouse is okay… but after a while you will love using the red dot!!</p>
<p>As someone that owned a first gen core duo 2007 Macbook pro, I can tell you that you do not need another computer, unless its not a core duo. I only sold mine to my friend to get the new 13in model. All you have to do is get a new Apple battery, max out the RAM and you are good to go. </p>
<p>Mech E you can run your CAD/CAM software through bootcamp just fine. The other majors it wont matter what kind of computer you own. </p>
<p>I personally wouldn’t get an iPad. For that amount of money, you can just double it and have a new macbook pro that will last you another 4-5 years. </p>
<p>You don’t need a new computer right away, if at all. Your’s will work fine. Just get a big external monitor and you will be fine for college. Don’t buy gadgets and gizmos that you don’t need.</p>