<p>I am working on purchasing a laptop at the moment. I am debating between the HP envy 17 or the HP envy 14. The 17 is a large 17 inch laptop and the 14 is a 14.5 inch laptop. I really like the power of the 17 to replace my old desktop for gaming, but I like the battery life and portability of the 14. My question is, what are the average size of desks at Cal Poly? Do any previous students have recommendations on laptop sizes? Has anyone had any experience at Cal Poly with a 17 inch laptop?</p>
<p>You can get some idea of the desk sizes from here (click on dimensions …)</p>
<p>[University</a> Housing - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://housing.calpoly.edu/oc_futr_frsh_where_live.cfm]University”>http://housing.calpoly.edu/oc_futr_frsh_where_live.cfm)</p>
<p>My son has a 17" HP and hasn’t complained about it being too big. He does not usually take it to class, but does take it to the library, UU, etc. He also will bring the power cord if he feels he will be using it for a long period of time.</p>
<p>In Cerro Vista the desks are 2 ft deep, 4 ft wide and 23 " tall. They seemed pretty cramped to me. My son has a 15" laptop along with a separate (larger) monitor.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. What are the desk sizes like in the classrooms? I have also been hearing people say that most people end up not even using laptops in classrooms, is this true?</p>
<p>Yeah, most people don’t use laptops in class. Most of the desks in the classrooms are pretty small, so it can be hard to fit more than a notebook on the desk.</p>
<p>A netbook sounds like it would fit fine, though. We’re thinking that an HP netbook and a desktop will be what we get for our daughter.</p>
<p>Why a desktop?</p>
<p>My son never takes his laptop to any of his classes or labs. He just bought an iPad and seems to carry that everywhere. He didn’t get the data plan so depends on wireless to connect to the internet.</p>
<p>I am considering getting a notion adam ink when it comes out for a note taking tablet. With that Pixel Qi screen, nvidia tegra 2, android, and 7 hours of battery life, it would be perfect for classes.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t suggest a 17" laptop. I have a 15" and I hate carrying it around. It’s a powerful machine, but I don’t get enough battery life for general tasks. I suggest a netbook and external monitor+mouse+keyboard. Bring your PC if you insist on gaming. Gaming notebooks offer little value for the money and are not as portable as you’d expect.</p>
<p>I rarely carry my laptop, myself. I actually find that I concentrate better when I’m not near a computer or TV.</p>
<p>Oh, I didn’t answer your question. I don’t have measuring tape with me but the desks they use in PVC are roughly an armlength wide and 2 armlengths long. That’s enough for a laptop, small printer, and lamp while retaining some deskspace. A notebook actually takes up most of your deskspace since the keyboard is permanently attached. I use a wireless keyboard so I don’t have to shift my laptop toward me each time I use it.</p>
<p>** gotpeter asked: Why a desktop? **</p>
<p>My husband got a great deal on a Dell Business desktop through our older daughter’s place of employment. They’ll be setting up office in their new building in Sept. and ordering all new computers. They gave the employees’ families an opportunity to purchase computers at a discounted quantity rate.</p>
<p>Now we’re trying to decide upon something like an HP netbook or a smaller laptop for toting around.</p>