<p>When considering laptops, how important is portability in college? Where do you bring your laptop around and how often? How big/heavy is it?</p>
<p>I'm asking because I currently have a desktop which I would love to bring, in which case I would buy a portable laptop. Or, if portability isn't important, then I would just get a powerful and bulky laptop. I'm planning on doing light programming and some gaming.</p>
<p>Well…its all about your personal preference…how portable do you want? I have an Alienware M15x and it weights about 10 pounds…now that isn’t a lot for me but some people find it an issue.</p>
<p>I would think portability would be a huge advantage in college; otherwise you are tied to your dorm room and university computers. A portable laptop would be helpful if you travel, if you take the computer to class, if you are working on a group project, if you want to use your own computer at a library or a study lounge.</p>
<p>Remember how many books and notebooks you have to carry.</p>
<p>Starting off it might not be too important since basics aren’t incredibly time intensive. As you progress in your field of study, you’ll need to work more and more on the go so you can get things done. Thats the time for a laptop. It was for me at least. If you’ve got a reliable desktop, bring it. You can save the cash now and get you something better down the line when you need it.</p>
<p>Well, I guess the next part of my question would be: What specifications (screen size, weight, battery life, etc.) would you consider to be good for portability?</p>
<p>The only experience I have with a laptop is my old Dell Latitude D610. I think it has a 14" screen and weighs 5-6 lbs. It’s so worn out that battery life is a joke, <1 hour on lowest settings. So this is probably on the more portable side of the spectrum. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>If you are using a Dell Latitude D610 and have never replaced the battery, then the battery life would be a joke. I would expect that the computer is at least 4 years old by now. You should be able to replace the battery and have about 3hours of battery life. Most of the portable laptops weight about 4.5 pounds and have a 13-14 inch screen.</p>