What kind of computer to bring?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - San Diego
1

<p>UCSD website says student desks are 3'6" wide and 2'6" deep. That seems plenty big. Lots of room for a mini-tower and 20" LCD? What's the most popular setup? Laptops with external LCD and keyboards when used in dorms? How about Mac's vs PC's? Need to bring own printer? Is there student discount pricing for computer stuff through UC?</p>

2

<p>Bring whatever you want except a CRT. The desks are far too small if you actually want to have room to work on your desk IMO.</p>

<p>Macs vs. PC's... that's a whole other can of worms you may not want to open ^____________^</p>

3

<p>Do classes generally benefit with laptops, or are they unnecessary? I've been wondering if I should make myself a computer or just buy a laptop.</p>

4

<p>Laptops are more convenient than desktops since they're portable, can be taken to the library, dining hall, labs, or other places, can be used while sitting on your bed, can easily be taken home on breaks/visits, etc.</p>

<p>I'd recommend a laptop vs desktop for a college student even if it's never used in the classroom (many don't take them to class).</p>

5

<p>What major are you? If you're not going to be in many science-based classes, laptops can save your life. In fact, a LOT of students use laptops to take notes during lecture, especially since most professors use computers to display a LOT of information at a time.</p>

6

<p>"If you're not going to be in many science-based classes, laptops can save your life"
y would laptops be any less helpful in science classes? (besides lab classes for obvious reasons).</p>

7

<p>

Bingo. I've only had one class where I actually brought my laptop, but having a laptop is a real boon in other areas as uc dad pointed out. For example, I had a research project with two other students, and it was incredibly useful that we were all able to meet in one spot with our laptops (I can't imagine how we would've gotten anything done without laptops).</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
"If you're not going to be in many science-based classes, laptops can save your life"
y would laptops be any less helpful in science classes? (besides lab classes for obvious reasons).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>... it would take more time to draw up tables and graphs on a computer than it would on a sheet of paper. It would also be more time consuming to write out equations than simply writing it down.</p>

9

<p>o ok, i guess that makes sense</p>

10

<p>just wondering...would a full tower case too big for the room?
I don't want to buy a smaller case just to fit it...</p>

11

<p>Desktops, including full towers, are fine.</p>

12

<p>I would bring a Mac Book Pro and then a high gaming PC!</p>

13

<p><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHSjPeEV9_U%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHSjPeEV9_U&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>You can see my desk (the far one with the TV on it). My tower is sitting on the floor adjacent to my desk on an anti-static mat with my 20" LCD Monitor on top along with my keyboard. There's also enough space on there to place my 15" TV + PS2 and my MacBook there.</p>

<p>If you need another picture to show you the configuration, I can provide those, too.</p>

14

<p>Are there lots of common use printers easily available? (We'll be in Sixth College.) Or maybe you don't want your stuff easily seen by others? Do you submit homework via e-mail for a lot of your classes?</p>

15

<p>I have never been able to send my homework in via email. You send in an electronic copy to turnitin.com to scan for plagiarism, but that's about it. </p>

<p>There are printers all over campus. You can find a couple places where you can print for free (if they're not being watched) but for the most part, it's .05/pg.</p>

16

<p>There are dozens of Imprints (UCSD's copy/print branch) around campus.</p>

<p>If you're like most students, however, having your own printer is invaluable because you'll probably procrastinate and will be printing out your essay a few minutes before your deadline.</p>

17

<p>wouldn't PCs be better than Macs because it's more convenient? more people use PCs than Macs... well from what i've noticed. besides, since i've never had a mac before, i don't really know how to use it. i think the only benefit about a Mac is that there aren't as many viruses that can get through Macs than into PC's. </p>

<p>and since i'm a procrastinator, getting my own printer would be very useful. :) but to save ink, if i don't procrastinate (HAAAA!), and if i'm not lazy enough to walk to the library or something, then i guess i'd go use the printers that are available on the campus. </p>

<p>well now that i think about it, i'm gonna live off-campus anyway, so i sure need my own printer.</p>

18

<p>Since the UCSD bookstore is an authorized Apple dealer (and constantly holds sales on Macs), a lot of students--perhaps around 20% from what I've seen--seem to take Macbooks to lectures. I know that in my suite in Muir this year, 5 of the 11 guys had some kind of a Macbook (2 White Macbook 2.0gHz, 1 Black Macbook 2.0gHz, 2 Macbook Pros).</p>

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<p>how cheap do the macbooks actually go for during these sales? im deciding between a pc notebook and a macbook. the only thing keeping me from buying a macbook is its price.</p>

20

<p>i'm a math major so i figure bringing a laptop to class to "take notes" won't work too well...</p>

<p>i'm just going to bring my home built pc and buy a 19" lcd</p>