<p>Lots of people told me Lenovo, especially their top of the line W mobile workstation. But that thing is heavy, do you think 5.61 lbs is okay for a mobile workstation?
i was also thinking mac, but i dont think many engineering apps are useable on a mac.</p>
<p>you can run windows on a mac</p>
<p>My thinkpad weighs in at 7lbs with an extended battery. It is not that heavy, in fact its about equal to my physics textbook in weight(if not less).
The thinkpad is just a beaut when I throw everything I can at it from running electrical simulations while at the same time as playing Bad Company 2 or just sitting quietly even at max cpu load(awesome fan tech inside that will not ever bother you).</p>
<p>I’d recommend that you get a netbook and a small desktop, considering your concerns about weight.</p>
<p>At the right places, you can find a good netbook with excellent battery life for under $300. It’ll weigh under 3lb and you’ll be happy carrying it all over the place.</p>
<p>On the other end, get a desktop in a small form factor. These usually come in at about 1/3 the volume of a standard mid-tower case and you’ll have no problem finding a place to put it even in a cramped dorm room.</p>
<p>The result:
- Under $300 on a netbook that you can easily carry around
- $500 for a system that beats out a $2000 laptop by more than 2x in terms of simulation speed
- Total cost that’s much cheaper
- Workstation that’s more comfortable to use, when you’re home</p>
<p>You can establish a remote desktop (or SSH) connection to your desktop if you set it up correctly.</p>
<p>With that being said, I have a Thinkpad T500, and I’m getting rid of it because it’s a pain to lug around. With a 9-cell battery, it weighs in at over 6lb. However, it’s survived a lot of abuse. It’s easier to pad up a netbook well and stuff it in my backpack though. :)</p>