<p>Mac or PC? And would it be better to get one medium sized one or a small light one for carrying around and a larger one for desktop?
Thanks for the input in advance!</p>
<p>a lot of people buy the computer connection x-series Lenovo and portable Dells not sure what they are called. Some students will also get the macbook airs</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that in most cases you will be carrying that laptop around with you for a good 3-4 hours at a time, I’ve seen most people go for portable and light versus the medium sized and/or heavy laptops</p>
<p>[Dell</a> - Dell - Dell Laptops](<a href=“Computer Connection | Business Services”>Computer Connection | Business Services)
^link to computer connection</p>
<p>Macs are very popular at Penn, though I still just don’t understand why (aside from the fact that they are a) trendy and b) expensive). If you’re in Wharton, definitely get a PC, since you will be using a lot of Excel, and the Mac version of Excel is just a pain to use.</p>
<p>Personally, I am a major fan of Lenovo. I just got a Lenovo over the summer, and it is great - very little bloatware, and the bloatware that is there is actually pretty useful! </p>
<p>A couple of other things you might want to consider to be ahead of the game… Apple announced yesterday that it will have a textbook app for iPad, which will make textbooks cost around $10-15. In nine months, I anticipate this app to expand greatly, and you might actually be able to justify the cost of an iPad by weighing it against the cost of purchasing paper textbooks. That said, I know I can’t effectively read books on a screen… needs to be paper, so you should keep that in mind.</p>
<p>Also, netbooks were gaining popularity during my junior and senior years. I would consider one - you can pick up a basic netbook for $150 at Best Buy. If you are planning to use a laptop in class (again, i guess I’m old fashioned… I need to physically write notes in order for them to mean anything to me, so I never took a laptop to class), I would consider a netbook. If you make a significant investment in a nice laptop that will stay relevant for four years, a netbook will help keep your investment in top condition. Theft is an unfortunate reality on campus, and it is much better to lose a netbook worth $150 than to lose a laptop worth $800! In addition, netbooks can be very bare bones - a web browser and a word processor are all you really need, and with very few background processes, your battery life will be pretty good.</p>
<p>In short, I recommend Lenovo laptops; if you are thinking ahead, an iPad or other tablet device may be an investment rather than an expense; if you get a nice laptop you want to keep in top condition and if you will be using a laptop to take class notes, consider a netbook.</p>
<p>Do you recommend not buying any new technology if you already have a Macbook Pro? I got one 1.5-ish years ago; I don’t see the point of buying an iPad or a little netbook. The textbook idea sounds very appealing, but I love writing/marking in my textbooks (in paper, hard-copy).</p>
<p>lol that is just a lie, HafsaRox. It is a high percentage, but no more than 40%.</p>
<p>hardworking21, if you already have a good computer, there is no reason to get a new one.</p>