<p>i just got a sony vaio...what's wrong with them?? ahh!!</p>
<p>don't get a dell, trust me. I hate mine.</p>
<p>Wow, what's the hate on Dell?</p>
<p>Anyway, Dell tends to have a not-as-good reputation since they have lines of computers from the cheap crappy clunky chunks all the way to their streamlined high performance systems. It's just that since Dell is the most cost-effective option on the market, most people opt for Dell when they want more economical options and thus get more... economical quality.</p>
<p>Besides, most software problems (ie slow speed) are due to the user's own faults.</p>
<p>But anyway, I digress. You will not need a notebook for taking notes unless you absolutely detest pen and paper or writing by hand. Whenever I'm in class and someone has a notebook, he or she is fooling around 99.917634% of the time. Hell, there was even one case when someone was watching an anime while in math with headphones.</p>
<p>Vaios are sleek, nice, and generally high-performance. They also have a reputation for having only modest build qualities unfortunately and are definitely overpriced.</p>
<p>You should also check out ASUSTeK, a Taiwan based company that specializes in motherboards. Not very many people know about them. They have laptops everywhere from your low-end economical options to lightweight ultraportables to high-end performance systems. ASUS barebones are also really good and cost-effective. Downsides? No accidental damage warranty (in fact, warranty terms are strict), and if you get an Ensemble notebook (you'll know what this is if you look into ASUS laptops), you'll have to ship your computer to California to get it repaired.</p>
<p>As previous posters have said, it's better to avoid Compaq/HP. If you get one you'll know what I mean.</p>
<p>Lenovo Thinkpads can be... reasonably priced if you opt for not the higher end systems.</p>
<p>You can't go wrong with macbook (pro). But I hate mac and refuse to even look at one. Oh, and if you're into DC++, I don't think it works on a mac.</p>
<p>Wow, this is my first post in a while, enjoy your laptop hunt!</p>
<p>I'm thinkin about a 14 inch HP pavilion right now thats pretty well equipped. If I do find that Vista is sucking up too much CPU i'll probably buy 2 gigs of ram online in a year maybe.</p>
<p>Dells are fine I think. Vaios too. But they're both overpriced.</p>
<p>Acer has many quality issues which my friend who has one often complains about so I'm shying away from Acers and probably the other smaller brands too. The warranty is something I'm looking for too so... yea, pretty much.</p>
<p>I just really really wish Vista was not as... sucky? is that the right word?</p>
<p>Why don't you like the sony vaio and which model are you talking about in particular- i was thinking about the sony FZ. thanks in advance</p>
<p>Will these be compatibility issues with Windows Vista if I bring a computer with it there?</p>
<p>^^Why would it, most people buying a new computer today will get Vista. If you get it now you won't have to upgrade later. Hopefully, windows releases an update and better drivers soon...</p>
<p>i will be a sophomore this fall and had a desktop this fall, a laptop is a must... </p>
<p>i bought a Sony Vaio C Series (VGN-C210E) and it seems to be the right size, and is sleek...</p>
<p>mostly everyone has one of those dell laptops... </p>
<p>acer laptops are probably the cheapest, and best bang for your buck, but they arent that pretty looking...</p>
<p>Macs are ok, but mainly for those who do nothing more than type, pictures, and stuff like that</p>
<p>i will warn you freshman that courseEnroll may be a pain in the butt with Windows Vista...just like it was with Macs my freshman year...</p>
<p>just bring something you feel comfortable with...</p>
<p>What type of laptop should I get - a pc or mac? I prefer macs but I am not sure whether I may use one for engineering apps. Can anyone help?</p>
<p>What do you people think of asus laptops?</p>
<p>I am a big fan of ASUS myself</p>
<p>ASUS laptops are reliable and cover everywhere from 11" tiny ultra ultraportables, to 17" media monstrosities, to 14"-15" graphics powerhouses.</p>
<p>The laptops are also not overpriced (with some exceptions) and again, price ranges anywhere from triple digits from the economy notebooks to well over 2,000 for the powerhouses. They will have the type of notebook that you are looking for.</p>
<p>Pros: Reliable, well-built, durable, wide choice, fairly cost effective etc. etc. Overall a great brand of notebooks</p>
<p>Cons: Not a huge powerhouse in any category (I'll elaborate further), strict warranty terms.</p>
<p>Elaboration: ASUS notebooks are great all around, but they're top of the list in few things. Examples: </p>
<p>ASUS is durable, but Thinkpads are more durable.
ASUS has sleek and aesthetic looks to them, but arguably lose to macbooks and VAIOs</p>
<p>ASUS is cost-effective, but Dell is much more so.</p>
<p>ASUS can be very powerful, but if you want a hardcore gaming machine, either get a desktop or a ASUS VX2 or look elsewhere (or you could go for the W3 series).</p>
<p>Sidenote: ASUS is by far the #1 motherboard producer in the world (#2, #3, and #4 combined don't sell as many as ASUS) and the produce notebooks for other companies like Apple. They know how to make notebooks. Period.</p>
<p>Macbook, from my experience, sucks. Whenever you try to open a powerpoint via internet, it doesnt work, unless you transport the file via USB, which is extremely inconvenient. Though macbook seems slick and smooth, its quality aint too good.</p>
<p>Mac's are fine at Cornell. Just this year, they started to use Office 2007 so there were some compatibility issues. Now, with the release of Office 2008 for Mac, all problems should be solved. Other than that, there are some classes such as HA 174 where a Windows based computer are helpful, but not necessary.</p>
<p>I'm glad to hear that tlee, I love my MAC and everything about it and was hoping it would be OK when i transfer to cornell in the fall</p>