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Computer for university
- Thread starter gameguy3001
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Well, let's see....at my uni, you can compile code on a ~250 CPU, 700 gigaflop cluster, or your personal laptop. You decide 
While your university may not have such a beast of a cluster, I'm sure they offer something that beats the living crap out of any personal machines.
I'd go for portability over speed, and get a MacBook. Its still plenty fast for what you need and it's easier to schlep around campus
While your university may not have such a beast of a cluster, I'm sure they offer something that beats the living crap out of any personal machines.
I'd go for portability over speed, and get a MacBook. Its still plenty fast for what you need and it's easier to schlep around campus
I will also be entering first year university this September... i am in the market for a new laptop this summer.
Been thinking Macbook Pro, but I am starting to think I dont need such a machine. Macbook seems the best at this point. I am going into General Science, and possibly professional school later on.
The only thing I don't like about the Macbook is the screen. It doesn't seem as bright, rich and crisp as the Macbook Pro.. I have been spoiled by my 19 inch HP LCD...
Been thinking Macbook Pro, but I am starting to think I dont need such a machine. Macbook seems the best at this point. I am going into General Science, and possibly professional school later on.
The only thing I don't like about the Macbook is the screen. It doesn't seem as bright, rich and crisp as the Macbook Pro..
I have been spoiled by my 19 inch HP LCD...Calling all COMPUTER SCEINCE and MIS MAJORS and all others with an opinion
I'll be returning to college next month and I'm getting a new Mac before I do it. I'll be double majoring in Computer Science and Management Information Systems. I was all set to pull the trigger on a new MBP...2.4ghz, Applecare, parallels, windows xp, carrying case. I then noticed that it was above 2800 or 2900 depending on the case.
The point is I have more than enough of my own money to do it. But the question becomes -should- I spend that much on that computer? I've dreamed of faster computers (mac especially) since drooling over my friends 1.67pb when I was on my first and only mac to this point my 1.2 ghz 12" iBook g4. I won't be living at the dorms or anything like that.
I'm replacing the iBook because since I took it apart to install a new hard drive it hasn't been the same (go figure). It now does not function with the battery in it.
I have a 'home-brew' AMD Opteron 170 (I think its a 170, its the 2.2ghz dual core) with 1gb of ram (which will be 2gb when I get back from my summer in Spain). Its got, IDK, 500gb or so of various HDDs. XP, Linux. This is a TINKERING only system. It doesn't function well for daily use (the way that I have set it up) and I won't use it that way.
Gaming is done on my 360 and/or Wii. Period.
Also, for those that may sell on eBay, I won't. Once it's mine, it's mine. I don't want to go to the trouble of selling it on eBay and ordering a new one
Should I go for the best that I can buy, something that I hear a lot of around here? A $2,900 MBP with a s***-ton of bells and whistles. Or go with a sensible Blackbook with a lot of bells and whistles for around $1900-$2000? Will the extra power or separate graphics come in handy, or is it overkill?
Help me out!
spjoneSi
EDIT: I boo-booed the price of the Blackbook. A Blackbook with me uprgrading it to 2gb of ram and the other stuff is about $2100...my bad.
I'll be returning to college next month and I'm getting a new Mac before I do it. I'll be double majoring in Computer Science and Management Information Systems. I was all set to pull the trigger on a new MBP...2.4ghz, Applecare, parallels, windows xp, carrying case. I then noticed that it was above 2800 or 2900 depending on the case.
The point is I have more than enough of my own money to do it. But the question becomes -should- I spend that much on that computer? I've dreamed of faster computers (mac especially) since drooling over my friends 1.67pb when I was on my first and only mac to this point my 1.2 ghz 12" iBook g4. I won't be living at the dorms or anything like that.
I'm replacing the iBook because since I took it apart to install a new hard drive it hasn't been the same (go figure). It now does not function with the battery in it.
I have a 'home-brew' AMD Opteron 170 (I think its a 170, its the 2.2ghz dual core) with 1gb of ram (which will be 2gb when I get back from my summer in Spain). Its got, IDK, 500gb or so of various HDDs. XP, Linux. This is a TINKERING only system. It doesn't function well for daily use (the way that I have set it up) and I won't use it that way.
Gaming is done on my 360 and/or Wii. Period.
Also, for those that may sell on eBay, I won't. Once it's mine, it's mine. I don't want to go to the trouble of selling it on eBay and ordering a new one
Should I go for the best that I can buy, something that I hear a lot of around here? A $2,900 MBP with a s***-ton of bells and whistles. Or go with a sensible Blackbook with a lot of bells and whistles for around $1900-$2000? Will the extra power or separate graphics come in handy, or is it overkill?
Help me out!
spjoneSi
EDIT: I boo-booed the price of the Blackbook. A Blackbook with me uprgrading it to 2gb of ram and the other stuff is about $2100...my bad.
spjonesi, what resolution monitor are you used to using? For a lot of people, screen resolution is the biggest difference between the MB and MBP. Some people find the MacBooks's 1280x800 screen limiting (not me though, I'm used to a 12" PowerBook).
Also, how long do you plan to use your next laptop for? If you'll be buying another new one in a year's time, go for a MB, but if you want to keep it for 3 or 4 years, a fully loaded MBP will be better.
Or maybe you could consider the 2.2GHz MacBook Pro, if you aren't doing anything especially demanding on the processor or graphics card, and save some money, but still have the Pro features, e.g. 1440x900 LED backlit screen, backlit keyboard, firewire 800, etc.
Also, you could save more money by buying from the refurbished store, buying 3rd party RAM, or checking if you qualify for the student discount, and free iPod nano and printer promotions.
Also, how long do you plan to use your next laptop for? If you'll be buying another new one in a year's time, go for a MB, but if you want to keep it for 3 or 4 years, a fully loaded MBP will be better.
Or maybe you could consider the 2.2GHz MacBook Pro, if you aren't doing anything especially demanding on the processor or graphics card, and save some money, but still have the Pro features, e.g. 1440x900 LED backlit screen, backlit keyboard, firewire 800, etc.
Also, you could save more money by buying from the refurbished store, buying 3rd party RAM, or checking if you qualify for the student discount, and free iPod nano and printer promotions.
I'm super used to my little iBook for its resolution...1024x768.
I'd like to think that I'm buying for the next 3 years. I'll have to be using this for the next 2.5-3 years, since my wife is going to be the working one in the house, I don't think she wants me spending her hard earned $ on a new computer for myself every two years
The 2.2 is an option for sure. I'll look into that. The one thing that I will need is more hard drive space. I always think that I can get by with X number of gigs, but it never works. So at least 160gb is a must.
I do qualify for the student discount, but purchasing through macmall adds a $150 rebate plus I don't have to pay for sales tax. So I save about $50 total on it.
As far as the refurb store. It is a possibility that I had not thought of...I'll check it out now and keep my eye on it. I know it updates frequently.
Anybody else with an opinion please check in...I'm open to options at this point.
spjoneSi