MELBYMOM

will need to get a new laptop in the fall for D. Any recommendations please?

*Brahmin

ya and any warnings about certain majors, programs and laptops please

charlesjeon

the hp tx2000z series seems nice.
I honestly am a Power user,
use two computers: desktop vs laptop.

Well, having used over ten laptops,
I think the main purpose for purchasing a laptop is for mobility.
After all, its MOBILE Computer anyway.

Tx2000Z has good specs well not for apps that require alot of power such as Photoshop CS3 or cad programs,

but I think the tx2000z has everything that a student needs.
Its 12.1 and weighs about 4.3lbs.
It has tablet functions as well, and nice price too!
Check the review @ cnet.com

HP Pavilion tx2000z Laptop reviews - CNET Reviews

charlesjeon

Not 4.3 but lets say about 4.6.
Even though it may seem kinda heavy,
I dont think it's too bad for the price.

How about Sony SZ series?
they are 13.3" wide with decent specs, and weights about 4.4 lbs.
They are little bit more expensive than the tx2000

charlesjeon

I am assuming that she will go to library often and use her computer there.
My assumption is that she will probably do some C++ programming as well,
but nowdays the any computer will be overkill for C++....

I think weight of the laptop should be more important than anything.
Personally I use Fujitsu P1510D, 8.9" tablet that weights about 2 pounds.
I take it anywhere!
I do most of the work on my desktop though.
Thats my story, but I think the worst option for purchasing a laptop is
Desktop replacement.

Honestly, Desktop replacements are huge, and buying the same specification
of a desktop works out much better, cheaper as well.

Any other questions, please PM me!
Also check out
Deals2buy: Everyday hot deals and coupons
DealCatcher: Free Online Coupons Dell, Amazon, Best Buy, Overstock
They sometimes have great dell/hp laptop deals too.

aibarr

Anything that I couldn't do with my MacBook I would have done on a lab computer, which has all the required software on it anyhow. As mentioned in another thread, engineering software is expensive and it's usually not worth it to own your own copies... the school or your future employers will provide you with whatever you need. So, whenever you're doing heavy engineering computation, you'll probably be using lab computers anyhow.

Beyond that, I'd say it's your daughter's personal preference. Only things I didn't use lab computers for were taking notes, e-mail, internet, and photo editing.

viciouspoultry

Depends really on the type of engineering major. If you need something that runs Mathmatica/Maple, CAD, or Heavy compiling you're going to probably need a fairly powerful desktop/laptop. If you are not required to use those programs then I wouldn't worry about it and just get a nice and light laptop.

Another good website to use is:
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!

You can find some great deals there.

aibarr

Students typically aren't expected to own or purchase this sort of (very expensive) software, and it's much more cost effective to do what pretty much everyone else does... use a lab computer for work that requires such programs.

RacinReaver

All the schools I've been involved with so far (two highly ranked and one tier 2/3) provided Mathematica/Matlab/Maple to students either free of charge or for a nominal fee. Some provided personal versions of more engineering based software, and others didn't.

As for what your daughter should get, that's really up to her and her computer using habits. If she's a casual user that doesn't feel attached to her computer, she might not even need a laptop. If she loves to play games or use things that are more computer intensive, a desktop should definitely be recommended. If she likes working on a full-sized computer while at home, but wants some portability, she can get a more modestly priced laptop for mobility and a desktop for doing larger chunks of work.

I'd say wait a semester and see how she feels about the need for a laptop. I got one prior to going to college and regret my purchase. Any time I wanted to work on the go, I was much more comfortable sitting in a computer lab with a powerhouse computer than my heavy midrange laptop.

Also, if she does get a laptop, buy an external harddrive for her to back up her homework/data up on. Laptop theft is fairly common at most colleges, and it isn't so much the monetary cost that hurts so much, it's the loss of many many many hours of hard work.

UCBChemEGrad

A used Apple iBook...in candy orange.

*Brahmin

How is the option of having only a powerful laptop and no PC. Is it still preffered that students have those kind of software, like Maple and CAD? Isn't it still more convenient to do your work whenever you want and in the dorms? From what has been said, it seems like students do almost no school work in their laptops (other than note-taking). Am I right?

RacinReaver

It varies from student to student.

I don't know any students here in grad school that take notes on computers, though. Everyone still uses a pen/pencil and paper.

Lacero

The smallest affordable laptop possible without compromising screen real-estate much would be good (12”-15.4”). Anything with 2 gigs of ram or Vista Home premium should do. I think all Mac’s are powerful enough.

Maple isn’t too power hungry. I doubt there will be so much CAD work given that one would really need copy. To be on the safe side, a laptop with a dedicate graphics card should work.

lkf725

Very few students in my son's class ever took notes on a computer.

You might consider this. Get some laptop and then get auxiliaries that may help. A full size keyboard and a mouse are nice. Also, you may find that a wide-screen monitor is helpful for your drawings. With a laptop-size screen, sometimes you can't see your whole drawing at once, or else the actual drawing is really small because of your tool bars.

Some programs that I know my son made use of were Matlab, Maple, CADD and Solidworks. Make sure your purchased machine can handle these. In fact, your school probably has recommendations...check with them.

aibarr

I did because I type and draw on the computer faster than I can write and draw on paper. Downside was that everyone always wanted to borrow my notes.