Type of Computer for Comp Sci Major

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I am interested in getting a laptop before I go to college, but I have no idea what to get. I am planning on majoring in Computer Science (and maybe double in Math as well.) I really have no idea about computers at all, so if you recommend something, a link to a website would be nice. These are my only requirements:</p>

<ol>
<li>built-in Web cam (my mom wants to give it a try)</li>
<li>under $1000</li>
<li>Linux? (I hear that is suppose to be good for programmers and a couple of my colleges have recommended that and/or Windows 7)</li>
</ol>

<p>Could you also say what isn't included in the "package" that is required (like anti-virus or something.) If this should be in a different section, that would be great to know to.</p>

<p>Thanks again,
Eddie</p>

2

<p>If you want something that’s pretty durable, I’d go for a Thinkpad. A T400 can go for under $1k, or you could pick the next model line below that (I think it’s the R series). They do have available webcams, so that should be good.</p>

<p>Thinkpads are also good when it comes to Linux compatibility. For wireless, just go with the Intel wireless cards, as they are usually well supported (the old Thinkpad wireless cards used to be decent, but I’m not sure what chipset they’re using anymore). Once you get the laptop, just grab a copy of a Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu) and you can dual-boot it with Windows. </p>

<p>For Antivirus, you can typically pick up a freely available one, such as AVG or Avast. No problems there.</p>