gtp405

So I know you've seen a trillion threads about "do I need a laptop?" but I'm wondering if I can get some opinions about my specific situation. I posted this on another forum I go to regularly but I felt I'd get a good answer here as well since this is a college forum. So....

At the end of this semester I will have an associates of science and will be heading off to a university to get a BS in mechanical engineering. When I graduated high school in 2007 I was given about $1300 for something for school. Everyone I knew bought a laptop with their money, but since I was going to a community college a few minutes away from home I felt there was no need to buy a laptop. I have a good desktop at home and that worked for then. Plus I figured when I did go to college I would get a laptop and it would be two years newer. That, and I'm Swedish, extreme saving is in my blood!

So, my first issue is do I need a laptop, or will a laptop make things much easier? I looked at the class list and it's 6 classes a semester, at least 18 credit hours, balls to the walls classes. Any help is great.

So, why the rush? Well, looking at various laptops, I found a MacBook Pro. That thing is unbelievable. All the other laptops look like toys. The trackpad is awesome, the design is awesome, screen is sweet, battery life is good. It's basically something that would be really nice to use, vs the laptops I've used with small and sticky trackpads, plastic bodies, etc. So if I'm going to get a MacBook Pro, I might as well buy it today, $100 off and a free iPod. I have an iPod, it's awesome but it's dying and I use it constantly, so that is a great added bonus.

Here's my situation. In January I will be living in or near DeKalb to go to Northern Illinois University. I'll have an apartment with one other guy, and I will be a decent walk/short drive from campus. I have $1300 in a shoe box for this, and make somewhere around the low $20,000's per year. So money isn't great, but not tight either. Rent will be around $400 - $500 per month for me but I've got enough in savings to cover rent and most expenses for at least a year. I will have a decent desktop there that I built at the end of 05. AMD 64 bit 3500, nice gigabyte motherboard, nVidia GeForce 6600gt, a gig of ram, etc. Enough to run what I need. But, it's stuck to the wall at home, no computing in the library, nothing in the labs, etc.

When I was at the community college I took physics I and II, and it sure would have been nice to have a laptop in there, but not necessary. Seems like it would also be good for matlab labs, and other various things where we run any kind of software. I already took solidworks, but what about AutoCad and maybe some programming classes? I do remember a couple times having to hurry up and run home to use my computer, then get back before a class, that was annoying.

Also, I'm wondering about visits home. Since my desktop will be at my apartment, it will be great to have this with me to get stuff done if I come home for the weekend.

So give me your thoughts and opinions, it all helps! Do you think I'll have time to run back and forth to my apartment to use my desktop? I know there will be public computers but I'm not too big a fan of those. What are your thoughts on my need for a laptop, and about spending more on the MacBook pro? If I'm going to buy the MBP, it's gotta be before midnight tonight.

Thanks!!

Lergnom

Autocad still reqs Windows so you'd need to run it in bootcamp or with parallels or vmware.

Other than that, buy what you want because you'll get a lot of pleasure from it.

OperaDad

Since you know the school you will be going to, find out from the Engineering Department what they recommend, especially to run their engineering applications.

1) Is your desktop fast enough? If not, then you will need a new computer anyway.
2) If your desktop is fast enough, is there any benefit to having a portable computer to run the engineering applications? If so, then you may want a portable.
3) What platforms do the programs run on? Mac or Windows? That will drive which portable.

If your desktop is fast enough and adequate, then you might be able to get by with a cheap notebook (netbook?) just to take with you to class for notes, e-mail, word processing, web surfing, etc.

Since you have a desktop, you might think about the file compatibility/transferability issues if you buy a Mac. Also, you will have to be conversant in two different sets of OS's and Applications - not the worst thing in the world, but still a hassle.

You also may want to wait for the Christmas Sales, and also if your school has a student discount for computer purchases.

Chipmoney

The desktop might have been considered good about 5 years ago...

arklogic

For a 1000$ desktop vs a 1000$ laptop, the speed is going to be noticeable. Personally I prefer a desktop by leaps and bounds.