<p>What is a recommended laptop computer processor and memory size, hard drive size etc for someone (me) entering the major computer engineering? Thanks</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter. Actually I’ve been told a number of time you probably don’t need one in that the school provides ample facilities and access.</p>
<p>is 2.66Ghz with 6MB L2 cache with 4GB of DDR3 memory with 320gb @ 7200rpm with 512mb ATI 3650 overkill or just good enough to support all the programs we’ll have to use? I’m going to get a laptop so looking into the Dell Studio XPS 16.</p>
<p>My I’m a 3rd year CSC, and my primary machine is a laptop I bought when I was a freshman at. It has PLENTY of power nearly everything I’ve done so far. So, specs… 1GB of DDR2-SDRAM (@533 Mhz, according to lshw), Intel Core Duo (NOT Core2) @ 1.60 Ghz, 80Gb HDD and an nVidia GeForce GO 7300 with 128 Mb Dedicated video memory (plus up to another 128 in system memory, last I checked). It’s a bit better than many of the labs… But that is slowly changing. </p>
<p>Realistically speaking, you are mostly going to be using your notebook as an SSH terminal. For that, a little netbook would do just fine, if you can deal with the keyboard. If you do your programming on your own local machine, OR if you are living in the dorms, I VERY HIGHLY recommend you set up a Linux install on your computer. CPE’s have a few hardware classes that use some oddball Windows software, so you will probably want to keep your Windows install around just for those as well (ie, dual boot). The local Linux users group (CPLUG) does an event near the start of every quarter called Free your Machine, where we install Linux on folk’s computers for them.</p>
<p>I see on the Resnet page that 64-bit Vista will now work, but is not “officially” supported. Do many people run with 64-bit Vista or is it problematic? It seems that most newer PCs/laptops (4 Gb RAM or greater) run with the 64-bit os. Thanks.</p>
<p>[Software</a> Information: Microsoft Windows - ResNet - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://www.resnet.calpoly.edu/wininfo.html]Software”>http://www.resnet.calpoly.edu/wininfo.html)</p>
<p>edit: not trying to open a linux vs. windows debate. we were told by an Engineering prof (not Comp Eng.) during the open house that this is mainly a windows campus and I was leaning towards getting a windows laptop.</p>
<p>The CSC/SE department is nearly entirely unix based. There is a Windows server that does LDAP for login, there’s a windows terminal server, and ONE of the labs is dual boot. Besides that, everything else is Unix… CPE’s have to a lot of CSC classes, so they get an account on our servers.</p>
<p>If you are running Linux in the dorms, you don’t have to deal with the annoying Cisco Clean Access garbage. Which is nice…</p>
<p>I am going into CPE as well, but I’m a mac user. Would it be alright if I installed windows and linux on my macbook pro using fusion?</p>
<p>Fusion? That’s a Virtual Machine right? </p>
<p>Personally, I’d rather run the stuff native. But, that might just be me. It should be easy enough to set up with bootcamp or equivalent. You might not even bother with Linux… It’s still nice to have, but OS X is Unix. You have bash terminal and all of your tools (gcc, gdb, etc.) which means you can do most of your CSC/CPE work in OSX. </p>
<p>I should point out that I’ve heard rumors that the Cisco Clean Access client will be gone sometime next year for those on most of Campus. Resweb…err… Resnet will still have their CCA system enabled for sure. I know they require a client for macs, but I’m not sure if they require all of the weird anti-spy ware and anti-virus stuff. </p>
<p>Oh, according to my current roomate, 64 bit vista works just fine… Or at least it did when he was in the dorms. I never tried it myself.</p>
<p>Yeah fusion is the virtual machine. The reason why I brought it up
was because I could just open windows from within OS X without having to restart my system. But you don’t recommend this? </p>
<p>So either way I should be okay with my mac and not have to get a pc or anything for school?</p>
<p>My stepdad is worried that a mac wouldn’t be suitable.</p>
<p>But you recommend installing windows through boot camp then? It should be fine?</p>
<p>The reason I’m a bit worried about just using a VM is some of the oddball hardware that CPE’s use from time to time. Namely, the “Nexys-2 Board” from Digilent. It has a boot loader that is apparently windows only. If the VM can emulate the USB ports, it should be fine… If a bit slow.</p>
<p>These days, a Mac is just another Intel box. There is really not that much difference in hardware. So, you ought to be able to run windows just as easily as if you had a ‘PC’.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for helping me out. I really appreciate it! I might have some more questions later on as I do more research. If I do have more questions, may I ask you again? </p>
<p>Thanks again!!</p>
<p>So after I posted that I found this on vmware’s website. </p>
<p>USB Device Support
VMware Fusion offers complete USB 2.0 supporteven for proprietary video cameras, GPS, Bluetooth, and other devices that only work in Windows. You can even use your Macs built-in USB devices, like the iSight camera and Bluetooth radio with your Windows applications.</p>
<p>So I think the CPE hardware would be okay? I saw a YouTube video where this guy said that it isn’t an emulator so I wouldn’t lose significant amounts of speed. But it is just a guy on YouTube… Ha. He was running fusion on his mac and said fusion had access to the hardware…</p>
<p>So I think I would be okay, but I know if you were me you would rather run windows natively. What’s your take on this? Thanks again!</p>
<p>Yes there will be a preformance hit. It may not be emulating the CPU (heh, I, got to write a very rudimentary program to do just that in CPE 315) but it is emulating a bunch of other hardware. Fusion might have direct access to the hardware, but it’s guest OS, by definition, does not. </p>
<p>The real question is, do you care? You only need this board in three classes (CPE 129/169, CPE 229/269 and CPE 329/369). I’d say, just run whatever is more convenient for you.</p>
<p>Glad to hear 64-bit vista works fine … thanks for the (earlier) update.</p>