<p>I'm going to major in cs (entering freshman in fall 2013). I want something that runs fast and has a lot of storage (wont lag because it has too many programs in it). I've heard Dell Alienware is the ideal laptop for a cs major. But I feel like it's a bit overpriced. Any suggestions.?</p>
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<p>1.) There is a difference between hard drive storage and RAM storage. Hard drive storage is the amount of space you have to store all your programs (these are the ones that range from like 250gb to 2tb or so, for laptops). Hard drive storage has no impact on the speed of your computer whatsoever (unless you reach the limit of storage, which is extremely unlikely for students who aren’t obsessive about storing thousands of videos on their computer). RAM however, does have an impact on how fast your programs run, but not nearly as much as the processor does. RAM basically impacts how well your laptop can multitask, and that’s pretty important for a CS Major, so get a computer with at least 4GB of RAM (8GB if you’re one of those programmers that run multiple OS’s, IDEs and compilers at the same time, but you probably won’t need it if you’re just starting CS).</p>
<p>2.) If you want a computer to run ‘fast’ you’ll need a decent processor, so I’d recommend an i5 Processor (performs much better than the i3, and the i7 for laptops is a terrible deal for the money).</p>
<p>3.) Alienwares are gaming laptops. I don’t know where you got that information from, but they’re mainly bought by teenagers who want to look cool in front of their peers (the computer equivalent of Beats). If you do want to game on your laptop, you’ll need a dedicated Graphics card, and Alienware might be the right choice for you, but you’ll have a vastly underpowered laptop compared to a student who spent the same amount of money as you, without opting for a GFX card.</p>
<p>Recommendations:</p>
<p>Macbook Pro - If you want to develop for iOS, are fine with spending over 1k, and have a bunch of apple products.</p>
<p>Inspiron 15R - An i7 Processor, but it’s the newer version so it’s pretty good. Couple hundred bucks cheaper than the Macbook.</p>
<p>Asus UX51 - If you don’t care about money and don’t want to upgrade for awhile. (Has a really nice GFX card too).</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. What would you say about the hp envy m6.? With windows 8 on it.</p>
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<p>@sluchy523</p>
<p>Sent from my HTC One X using CC</p>
<p>Which version? Post a link please.</p>
<p>There’s one with an AMD Processor and an Intel.</p>
<p>It’s the hp envy m6. I5 Intel processor. @sluchy523</p>
<p>Sent from my HTC One X using CC</p>