<p>I realize it doesn't have to be special, since the computer labs will have what I need, but I don't really know what to get at all. My dad is offering to buy me a laptop next month to use as I head off to college. I want it to be durable and something that will serve me well for at least the 4 years in college, but also cost effective. My parents are somewhat tight financially, so he is making a generous gesture, so nothing expensive.</p>
<p>I just want it to be fast and efficient. Hard drive space and video card specs aren't of importance to me. I manage hard drive space well, so I don't really use a lot. And I hate gaming on laptops, so no uber video card necessary.</p>
<p>Either Lenovo Edge 14" or MacBook
I think Lenovo is more durable as it can be opened and customized easily.
You can find many discounts and coupon through simple search.
But if you want the combo (MacBook +iPod I think) that Apple offers, that would be anther choice.</p>
<p>When I brought Edge I spent only $640 with a discount + coupon (originally around $6xx). This final prize is post-tax and post-shipping cost. If it wasn’t discount + coupon it would end up around $750 - $800. Tax and shipping killed me lol.</p>
<p>Lenovo’s Edge is a new extension of the original IBM ThinkPad series. It is a lot cheaper but the cooling and the durability is very good. The original ThinkPad series (X series) is a bit expensive, but a lot lighter than Edge.</p>
<p>If budget is an issue, I’d say get the Edge.</p>
<p>i was looking at the lenovo u, v, or b series. i’m looking for an ECE laptop as well, though i have already got an external 19" monitor.
is the resolution an issue?</p>
<p>No. The resolution is not an issue. But if you do have a larger monitor it would be nice because sometime small font gets me frustrated (well on the other hand I am using a 23" at home and it gets me super frustrated because everything is left-align due to the large resolution).
A 19" monitor will be very fine.
The reasons why I choose Edge over other series are, 1) it is a lot cheaper, and 2) the heating and durability is better than most of the computer out there.
The weight is heavier than its X Series counterpart, but they are far more expensive.</p>
<p>My professor uses the U series (ideaPad), because he uses it for light programming and he carries with him all the time.
It is really up to you. I mean HP, Dell will just be fine.
All those Turbo technology will not help you at all. They are made for intense practical use. So just keep in mind that budget, customer service should be taken into account first. I3, I5 will just serve you fine. I have i3 as a matter of fact. I didn’t want to spend an extra $100 to get i5.</p>
<p>I would get Intel over AMD. You can still program assembler on AMD with the same intel instruction sets… the mainstream instruction will be the same. Unless you get to very deep…
So I’d get Intel just to save the trouble. A 2G memory is enough, and usually that’s what comes with the laptop by default today.</p>
<p>I use my laptop only when I need to. So if you are away from home, then double think before you purchase one.</p>
<p>I used to have an SSD (an extra $110) but it died a month ago. ****ed me off (I got it off from newegg). Anyway. I am using the 5400RPM hard drive that came with the laptop. Running WINDOWS 7. Smooth.So hard drive upgrade isn’t necessary at all. On that SSD I ran XP, which is even better (I am still using XP Pro at home) It’s better LOL
okay. any specific questions just ask. That;s about it.</p>
<p>Again, you have to think about what you are going to do with your laptop. Keep in mind most consumer level laptop ($500 - $700) will perform the same. So budget, customer service, reputation, heat and durability should always be on top of the list. Hardware upgrade is usually unnecessary unless the additional charge is reasonable. </p>
<p>Oh I forgot about the warranty. It is extremely critical. I was only given 1-yr. But since it is a light use I didn’t mind. I use it all the time when I had it with me though.</p>
<p>Thanks jwxie. Any other suggestions? I don’t expect to use it heavily, or even if I do, nothing too intense. I’d still like it to be versatile though.</p>