Recommend me a laptop.

2009-01-23 11:19:33

#1

JoshP: Banned; +176|5953|Notts, UK

Sup, techsection

I'm looking for a laptop for uni. I start uni in october, and my course is 4 years long, and chances are i'll be skint for most of it- so ideally I want a pretty reliable laptop that's still gonna be useable in 4 years time.

So my first question - what hardware is coming out in the next 9 months for laptops which would be worth waiting for? Also, how much do you envisage prices will drop by between now and September/October?

Secondly - I won't be using this laptop for gaming (other than maybe minesweeper ). However I do like speed, so don't suggest, like, a PIII or something my I also don't need an Operating System (piracy ftw), so if you can scrimp on price and get better components by omitting the O/S or getting Linux - this would be great.

Money- currently, I have about £280. I'll save up a bit/borrow of my parents, but my budget limit is really £400. Obviously as this is a uni laptop, I'll be eligible for student discounts- so if you see these, go for them.

One final thing - I've always thought having a laptop with a touch screen (to take notes on) would be great - which companies make good ones of these, and how much are they?

People who give me good answers - expect large amounts of karmaz and <3 to come your way

Thanks a lot guys

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ideas so far:

URL	Make	CPU	RAM	Screen Size + Res	HDD	GPU	Price
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstor … topic~emea	Dell	Celeron 560 (2.13 GHz, 533 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache	2 GB DDR2	15.4" 1440 x 900	120GB	Integrated Intel Graphic Media Accelerator X3100	£370
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152233	HP	AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile 2.1GHz	4 GB DDR2 (no spare slots)	15.4" 1200 x 800	250 GB	Intergrated Graphics ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200	£400
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/155047	Sony	Pentium® Dual-Core Processor T3400 2.16 GHz 1024 KB L2 Cache FSB 667MHz	3GB 667MHz DDR2	15.4" 1200 x 800	250GB	Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M	£460
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-6446.aspx	Sony	Core2 Duo T5750 2GHz FSB 667MHz	2GB DDR2	15.4" 1200 x 800	250GB	NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT	£400

Last edited by JoshP (2009-01-24 17:13:04)

2009-01-23 11:28:47

#2

liquidat0r: wtf.; +2,223|6891|UK

I can pretty much guarantee that you won't use a touch-screen laptop in lectures for note taking.

I haven't taken my laptop to a single normal lecture. You can write faster and it goes in to your head better if you write it, imho. And writing maths/equations on a laptop is far too time consuming. I do, however, use it in the labs and during problem solving classes (so I can look stuff up on Wiki). I'm therefore glad I purchased a small laptop (13 inch) so I can carry it when cycling up to uni and back, but I guess it doesn't make much difference.

As far as I can tell, people that do bring their laptops to lectures just sit on Facebook, or similar, rather than listening. It might be different for some subjects, but it's certainly the case for Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Oceanography, Economics (all the subjects that my flat mates do - we've talked about it).

There's my completely non-tech input.

2009-01-23 11:33:51

#3

Finray: Hup! Dos, Tres, Cuatro; +2,629|6052|Catherine Black

liquidat0r wrote:
You can write faster

Unless you write at 120WPM liek me.

2009-01-23 11:36:35

#4

Surgeons: U shud proabbly f off u fat prik; +3,097|6754|Gogledd Cymru

Whenever I see someone with a lappy in lectures, they're on facebook, except for this girl, nerdy bitch.

Anyway, £400 isn't really that much for a decent lappy.

2009-01-23 11:38:47

#5

liquidat0r: wtf.; +2,223|6891|UK

Finray wrote:
liquidat0r wrote:
You can write faster
Unless you write at 120WPM liek me.

Irrelevant.

2009-01-23 11:44:36

#6

JoshP: Banned; +176|5953|Notts, UK

Hai, ta for advice so far.

@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.

@ surgeons how much do you think would be enough?

Also, updated the OP with a table (why the massive space , i even followed titch's guide, lol, i'll ask him) fix't

Last edited by JoshP (2009-01-23 11:50:17)

2009-01-23 11:45:58

#7

kylef: Gone; +1,352|6757|N. Ireland

What are you studying? Like liq said, if it is primarily diagram based (as an Economics student I draw as often as I write) then I'd say go with pen and paper. Although if it is more text based then by all means get a decent notebook. To be honest, something reliable like these DELLs would be ample.

Edit: just noticed your new post. Physics = diagrams = pen. Have you used a stylus before? They are fine for the occasional typing but no way suitable for longer notes. A keyboard or pen would be much, much better.

Edit 2: remove your first [TR] tags to get rid of all that space.

Last edited by kylef (2009-01-23 11:49:00)

2009-01-23 11:49:44

#8

JoshP: Banned; +176|5953|Notts, UK

kylef wrote:
What are you studying? Like liq said, if it is primarily diagram based (as an Economics student I draw as often as I write) then I'd say go with pen and paper. Although if it is more text based then by all means get a decent notebook. To be honest, something reliable like these DELLs would be ample.

Edit: just noticed your new post. Physics = diagrams = pen. Have you used a stylus before? They are fine for the occasional typing but no way suitable for longer notes. A keyboard or pen would be much, much better.

Hmm, ok. Thinking about that, I might get a lower powered netbook w/a longer battery life (as most of the time i'd need a computer, I'd use my desktop.) Regarding the dells - see my new epic table in the OP I made an ok-ish one (with ubuntu to save money ) although it does have a crap CPU....

edit: oh, i did it by removing all the line breaks between the tags

Last edited by JoshP (2009-01-23 11:51:03)

2009-01-23 11:50:42

#9

kylef: Gone; +1,352|6757|N. Ireland

JoshP wrote:
kylef wrote:
What are you studying? Like liq said, if it is primarily diagram based (as an Economics student I draw as often as I write) then I'd say go with pen and paper. Although if it is more text based then by all means get a decent notebook. To be honest, something reliable like these DELLs would be ample.

Edit: just noticed your new post. Physics = diagrams = pen. Have you used a stylus before? They are fine for the occasional typing but no way suitable for longer notes. A keyboard or pen would be much, much better.
Hmm, ok. Thinking about that, I might get a lower powered netbook w/a longer battery life (as most of the time i'd need a computer, I'd use my desktop.) Regarding the dells - see my new epic table in the OP I made an ok-ish one (with ubuntu to save money ) although it does have a crap CPU....

A personal rule of tech, which I'm sure many will disagree with is: if you can wait, wait.

2009-01-23 12:29:09

#10

liquidat0r: wtf.; +2,223|6891|UK

JoshP wrote:
@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.

I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.

2009-01-23 12:36:25

#11

JoshP: Banned; +176|5953|Notts, UK

liquidat0r wrote:
JoshP wrote:
@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.
I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.

Ok, ta. I'll bear that in mind

Oh yeah, where do you do physics at? My top two choices are Imperial and Warwick, I'll go to Imperial if i get the grades (i think, not really fully decided yet)

2009-01-23 15:03:49

#12

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6461|Winland

liquidat0r wrote:
JoshP wrote:
@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.
I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.

I use my laptop for fucking everything in school. I can't stand having those piles of papers to hunk around in my bag. And if you're good- erm, not bad at typing, you type faster than you write. Perhaps not long-arse equations, but normal note-taking is faster.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-23 15:05:33

#13

kylef: Gone; +1,352|6757|N. Ireland

Freezer7Pro wrote:
liquidat0r wrote:
JoshP wrote:
@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.
I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.
I use my laptop for fucking everything in school. I can't stand having those piles of papers to hunk around in my bag. And if you're good- erm, not bad at typing, you type faster than you write. Perhaps not long-arse equations, but normal note-taking is faster.

Note taking in physics = diagrams, though.

2009-01-23 15:07:56

#14

JoshP: Banned; +176|5953|Notts, UK

Freezer7Pro wrote:
liquidat0r wrote:
JoshP wrote:
@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.
I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.
I use my laptop for fucking everything in school. I can't stand having those piles of papers to hunk around in my bag. And if you're good- erm, not bad at typing, you type faster than you write. Perhaps not long-arse equations, but normal note-taking is faster.

See I am a reasonably fast typist (just not that accurate ) but people are right about physics, and seeing as i'll be doing solely physics for 4 years, well, meh, i could always just write the equations and shit on paper i suppose. But still, I need a laptop first So get suggesting

2009-01-23 16:32:53

#15

Wallpaper: ☺; +303|6258|The pool

Netbook? Not the fastest things, but theyre small and have pretty good battery life

Cheap too

My flickr

2009-01-23 17:02:32

#16

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6831|NYC / Hamburg

I've been using lappies in school and university for ages now (PIII era). They are great for when you take notes in text form, but the second you have to write formulas and diagrams you're better off with pen and paper

_{once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.}

2009-01-23 17:05:52

#17

JoshP: Banned; +176|5953|Notts, UK

Okayz, so imma have pen + paper + laptop, sounds good

First person to reccomend me an awsm laptop that i go on and buy gets karma'd every day for a week!

2009-01-23 17:09:44

#18

Brasso: member; +1,549|6894

max wrote:
I've been using lappies in school and university for ages now (PIII era). They are great for when you take notes in text form, but the second you have to write formulas and diagrams you're better off with pen and paper

qft. also, sometimes you just want to organize your notes in a different way than can easily be done with word. pen and paper are fastest overall.

"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"

2009-01-23 17:10:05

#19

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6831|NYC / Hamburg

nothing beats a thinkpad when it comes to typing. Seriously awesome keyboards

_{once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.}

2009-01-23 17:13:14

#20

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6764|so randum

Freezer7Pro wrote:
liquidat0r wrote:
JoshP wrote:
@ liq (woo i'm doing physics too ), I certainly agree that I wouldn't type in lectures, but why don't you think a touch screen would be good?Personally I think writing with a stylus and a laptop would be much more convenient than using pen/paper.
I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.
I use my laptop for fucking everything in school. I can't stand having those piles of papers to hunk around in my bag. And if you're good- erm, not bad at typing, you type faster than you write. Perhaps not long-arse equations, but normal note-taking is faster.

i type pretty well, but when i'm in lectures, i'm not writting essays, i'm quickly taking down the most relevant points, figures, facts and diagrams.

It is 100% easier with pens and paper, it allows you to express and order your ideas a lot faster.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-01-23 17:13:43

#21

Noobeater: Northern numpty; +194|6711|Boulder, CO

Well I plan on getting a netbook (of about 10") which i can then use if i feel i want to. I plan to do earth and environmental science so i will be writing alot but i have the feeling there will be some diagrams too...

Also i can type faster generally than i can write. Damm ye shit handwriting

EDIT: Thinking along these lines.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150183

Only thing is that it lacks a disc drive but i'll have the desktop in my room anyway.

Last edited by Noobeater (2009-01-23 17:16:44)

2009-01-24 06:48:40

#22

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6461|Winland

FatherTed wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
liquidat0r wrote:

I just think you'd be better off with a pen/paper.

Put it this way, out of 130 students in my Physics lectures and 200 in maths: Not one person uses a touch-screen and only one, maybe two people use laptops on occasions.
I use my laptop for fucking everything in school. I can't stand having those piles of papers to hunk around in my bag. And if you're good- erm, not bad at typing, you type faster than you write. Perhaps not long-arse equations, but normal note-taking is faster.
i type pretty well, but when i'm in lectures, i'm not writting essays, i'm quickly taking down the most relevant points, figures, facts and diagrams.

It is 100% easier with pens and paper, it allows you to express and order your ideas a lot faster.

No, not really.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2009-01-24 06:53:41

#23

Finray: Hup! Dos, Tres, Cuatro; +2,629|6052|Catherine Black

liquidat0r wrote:
Finray wrote:
liquidat0r wrote:
You can write faster
Unless you write at 120WPM liek me.
Irrelevant.

Not really. If I can type at 120 WMP, and I can write at 40WMP, I think I'd be faster typing than writing, right?

2009-01-24 06:54:59

#24

Surgeons: U shud proabbly f off u fat prik; +3,097|6754|Gogledd Cymru

Finray wrote:
Not really. If I can type at 120 WMP, and I can write at 40WMP, I think I'd be faster typing than writing, right?

120 Windows Media Players???!?!?!?!

HOLY SHIT

2009-01-24 07:03:26

#25

Noobeater: Northern numpty; +194|6711|Boulder, CO

Indeed, he's that awsm a typist he can type out the entire code base of windows media player one hundred and twenty times in one minute.

BF2S Forums Recommend me a laptop.

liquidat0r wrote:

Finray wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

kylef wrote:

JoshP wrote:

kylef wrote:

JoshP wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

JoshP wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

JoshP wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

JoshP wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

JoshP wrote:

max wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

JoshP wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

Finray wrote:

liquidat0r wrote:

Finray wrote:

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