Laptop for uni (1 Viewer)

[artist91]

Starting uni next year and the old Dell Inspiron 8600 is about to die let alone the size of a small car so I'm in the market for a new laptop.

Not sure about PC or Mac, would love to go Mac but a little hesitant seeing as I'll be doing architecture and I've heard Macs don't run CAD programs.

I'm looking for something small and light and pretty!

I don't play games it'll mostly be used for internet, word, photoshop and cad programs.

Suggestions?

 

[AsyLum]

Whats your price range?

 

[darkwolfzx]

i was about to think sub notebook, but then I realised you were in for CAD design...

My asus f5n is not a bad machine. It went for a little more than 900.

Specs:
AMD X2
2GB RAm
120Gb HDD
Geforce 7000M graphics
14.9" widescreen

 

[emytaylor164]

http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=177199
this is a thread that is going at the moment with a simlar question might be worth a look.

I would look at the software that you will be using and then think of whether it is even compatible on a mac if it is not you can windows running through boot camp anyway.

Try both and see what you like.

 

[shinji]

i was about to think sub notebook, but then I realised you were in for CAD design...

My asus f5n is not a bad machine. It went for a little more than 900.

Specs:
AMD X2
2GB RAm
120Gb HDD
Geforce 7000M graphics
14.9" widescreen

pretty good deal.

Although, the Geforce 7000m isn't that much of a great gfx card. how's the battery life on it?

 

[darkwolfzx]

when first bought, up to 3 hours on low power settings

High Power settings can last up to 1 and a half.

 

[artist91]

Price isn't really an issue. I've been stuck with this old machine for years freezing and crashing daily so my parents are more than happy to help out with $

 

[aussie-boy]

maybe the dell xps m1330?
i dont know if that screen size will be big enough for CAD work, but anything bigger is no longer 'small and light'
its a shame that you cant get the new aluminium macbook coming out next week - had it had not been for the CAD that machine would have been perfect

 

[artist91]

I was going to ask somebody's opinion on the M1330. I was thinking either that or a VAIO CR if the Mac wasn't going to work out..

 

[mr_brightside]

Considered getting a desktop with a large display then using a sub-notebook for uni?

 

[artist91]

What's this new alumininum mac?

 

[artist91]

Considered getting a desktop with a large display then using a sub-notebook for uni?

Yeah but I lie on my bed with my lappy to study so it would be seriously a struggle for me to sit at a desk lol

 

[mr_brightside]

What's this new alumininum mac?

.

Yeah but I lie on my bed with my lappy to study so it would be seriously a struggle for me to sit at a desk lol

Thats bad for the following things;
study, posture, sleep habits, laptop

Desk. Get one and use it.

 

[artist91]

Different things work for different people. I achieve my best marks working like this so meh i'll be a hunchback.

 

[AsyLum]

Different things work for different people. I achieve my best marks working like this so meh i'll be a hunchback.

Take care of your back now when you're young, take it from someone who had bad habits and hunching and now has back/shoulder problems (though slowly being made better, can't really 'fix it').

Especially with the increased hours you'll be working at uni, particularly with design software.

 

[white ferret]

ouch. ur study positions sound rather painful! coz my shoulders start hurting after a while if i lie on my stomach reading/studying.

hp pavillions are great for design. ^^. and theyre pretty too. mines in the dv6000 series (cant rmb which model), and has a widescreen, which would prob be good for editing? but with the 15.4" (i think) screen, it's rather heavy.. around 2.5kgs?

 

[AsyLum]

Yeah anything in the realm of 15" is going to be heavy to lug around, looking back at it, I should've probably stuck with a 13" or smaller.

 

[Forbidden.]

what the fuck they can be so distracting ... someone was watching youtube videos on clumsy athletes and other sports accidents during a lecture

 

[ChockoRepublic]

what the fuck they can be so distracting ... someone was watching youtube videos on clumsy athletes and other sports accidents during a lecture

is there an internet connection that you can connect to at uni?

 

[aussie-boy]

new macbook is speculation, but its a near certainty and should come out on september 9: http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/04/16/235810-aboutme2_800.jpg

i dont see how you can do cad work which needs a mouse when lying on your bed

the m1330 has been very highly rated and you can choose your configuration - personally i have the m1530 (its big brother) and my only complaint is the screen i have - though the 1330s have LED screens so will not have this issue at all

and if price is no object, get a 20"+ monitor to hook your laptop up to... for an extra $400, your m1330 will be perfect for any large screen design work

also, vaios are a waste of money