My son will be attending UMD this fall for CS. Might I say YAY!!! Was hoping he would choose UMD with their amazing CS program! We went to a class during admitted student day and most had a small laptop. The website doesn’t tell you what to get, but we would like to know opinions from students what specs they thought were helpful. Since he’s a computer nerd, my son does have a very powerful laptop (he uses it for gaming too) but its too big to carry around. Would love some suggestions.
The Razer Blade Stealth is a great option, in my opinion. It gives you an ultrabook form factor (12.5 inch screen, 2.75lb weight, half inch thickness) with a pretty great amount of processing power, not to mention the ability to hook up to an external graphics processing unit (GPU) while at a desk to achieve desktop-levels of computational capability. (good for graming) If your son is happy with his current gaming rig and simply wants a device for academic use, a Surface Pro 4 with a Type Cover (keyboard case) is a great option. It is primarily at tablet, but can be used as a laptop would with the addition of said case. The price for these two systems is about the same at $999 by the time you include the cost of a case for the Surface. It’s really all about what you want. There are many different options in the thin and light category of computers.
In my opinion, have your son wait until a month or so into school to see how he uses a computer. By this, I mean does he find himself studying in his dorm or the library, taking his laptop everywhere or just to class. When I got to school I had a 4 year old MacBook Air. I knew I would need to upgrade, but I wanted to see what my needs were first hand. Now, I have an iMac that I use for 90% of my work, and take an iPad with me to class since all I need to do on the go is take notes, type emails/messages, and read. If your son is an avid gamer, he should know quite a bit about computer specs and different models, so ultimately he should decide what he’s comfortable with.
Additionally, don’t think that you need to spend a thousand dollars on a computer for school. Laptops like the Dell XPS 13 can be had for $750 or even less when on sale. Definitely wait for a back to school or other holiday sale before buying. If you decide to go the Mac route, I advise using macmall.com or bhphotovideo.com. Both offer usual discounts of $100-250 on most Apple computers, plus the advantage of no sales tax (not thought about often bu on a $1,000 computer is $60) and free 2 day shipping. Sorry for the long winded answers, but I hope I have been of some assistance. Good luck to your son on his future endeavors!
Thanks for the long winded answers!! Will share with my son and husband. Husband talking about waiting to see what his needs will be and maybe get something black Friday. My son is thinking he won’t need anything with the same specs as his current laptop but isn’t sure what he need. Are you both students at umd, parents?
I honestly just have a macbook early 2015 versions
Congrats on the decision and welcome to Terp Nation! Your son made a great choice!
FWIW, I would at least wait until orientation so you have the opportunity to inquire about the current recommended minimum specs for CS.
Four years ago, we bought our son a Mac through the university as they have a special arrangement that if you buy through them and something should happen that you need to get your computer repaired, they supply you with a loaner. It’s a pretty nice insurance policy. Dell is the other option to purchase for that arrangement.
http://it.umd.edu/act/index.html
http://it.umd.edu/techsavings
http://it.umd.edu/techstore/index.html
My son also recently bought himself a Surface Pro which he takes to class with him for taking notes. (Don’t ask me details of whether it’s a 3 or 4 or where he bought it as I have no clue - as I said, he bought himself - internship $ comes in handy!). He says the Surface Pro was a great purchase and he really enjoys using it.
I was a student at another 4 year university that’s transferring. Even as a Mac/Apple fanboy I agree with maryversify, the Surface Pro 4 is a great option. (Roommate had one and I got to use it a lot)
Will be taking all your advice, will wait for orientation, check sales, see what options UMD has, and look at the machines suggested. Thanks all for taking the time to respond!!