College - Laptop or Desktop?

Search around there have been a few threads on this exact topic that might help you out.

As for me, i just finished my freshman year in college, and i bought a laptopas well as brought my custom desktop. I rarley used my laptop. My adivce to you is to go with a desktop, and get a real cheap laptop, because it did come in handy a few times to go to the library to type a paper every now and then.

yeah espeacially if your going to be gaming. Get a really good desktop then get like a 500-800 laptop

Although I have a laptop, I still use it as a desktop replacement and never once have I taken my laptop to a class. I'm a senior computer science major by the way.

I would assume, since it is a college/university, that their computer labs and whatever is available in the library is more then enough for research and simple word processing.

Only reason why I chose a laptop over a desktop is for that occasional trip home or to a lan party, etc...

If you'd rather go with desktop performance, just go with it.

This is going to sound crazy... but I would not listen to others. Only you know your life and how you work.

I needed a laptop in school. Then again, I had a car and money so I was never in the dorm (actually only in the dorm a short time... then moved into a house). Anyway, I was never tied down to a desk. I never play video games either, that is a consideration.

I knew some cats who never left the dorm... they did not need a laptop. Plus, for power, most schools have a lab available... some people really don't need a computer.

thats what i will do

My opinion is a little contrary but it comes under conditions of my situation. I am a commuter student (graduated this year going back for a masters) The computer labs at our school are often crowded and do not really allow you enough time to really get a lot of work done. I find it easier to have one computer to bring with me to school and use and print on the printers i can get on. There are advantages to having a computer with wireless internet on a wireless campus...

Now the only time i really heard a resident student praising a laptop over anything else was that it was easier to carry up the 8 floors of stairs to their room than the desktop and monitor, etc was.... Minor thing. But it was also easier to take (and keep the comp secure by removing it from the dorm) on vacation and breaks. That being said the laptops were also one of the most stolen items in the dorms. There was only one reported theft of a desktop and it was one of those compact systems....

So being that you will be a resident student...go with the desktop. Get a lappy if you have money to spare and feel you want it. But in a dorm situation, you should be fine with a desktop.

Whoops, wait, you are going to be a resident, not a commuter, right?

also.... do most of ur subject's assingments, require a presenations, a fair few of mine do, where you need a laptop to show the powerpoint presentation. this was a major reason in my getting a laptop. i never really bring my laptop into lectures, classes, but when me and other frineds go out studying, i would bring a laptop and we can view all the lecture slides/notes off the computer!

I started with a desktop, but ended up giving it to my brother and buying myself a laptop after my sophmore year. I bought a really nice desktop with the idea that I would be gaming a lot, but I really ended up not even playing games on it too much. I play WoW every now and then and my E1505 is more than enough to handle it.

But really I would say that you don't need a laptop. I go to UGA and find that only a few people bring them to the 150+ size classes, and maybe 1 bring them to the smaller classes and I'm in a business major so we have to use laptops quite a bit.

But really I wouldn't buy a laptop for college with the idea that you will be bringing it to class everyday. There are computers at college with all the programs that you need, and also I know that you need to be on our network to submit some types of school work and I don't know how to set it up on my laptop so it's actually easier to just go to a school computer and use it for projects.

yea, not many plp brnig laptops into elctures etc...... but i ams aying wen u are in the tutorials 9smaller classes), and u have a presentation, we always sue powerpoint to support us, and u need a laptop for that

My Freshman year, I had my normal computer and my dad's old laptop (300MHz with 128MB RAM). I never really used the laptop because it sucked so much, and I used my desktop in my dorm room for pretty much everything. The only downside I really saw when I had that situation was that during the breaks (Thxgiving/Winter/Spring), my computer with all my stuff on it was at school (yeah, I could have taken the HDD's out and brought them home) and then when I came home, the only computer I could really use was a really really old computer (forget what speed, but it was about 500MHz, compared to my 1.7GHz at the time). I got a laptop spring break from Costco to try out having a laptop and then liked it. We eventually returned that laptop about 6 months later about when I got my 700m, and then later, I caught a deal on an XPS2 (40% off was a good enough reason at the time), and ever since, I've been using these two laptops. The nice thing about having a decent laptop is that you can pack it up and bring it wherever you want whenever you want.

Yeah, as for laptops being stolen, I know someone in my dorm who had his laptop stolen. It was a pretty nice one, and I'm not sure about the circumstances, but yeah, it does happen. The XPS is locked to my bedframe pretty much all the time just as a deterent. It's also usually under a pile of papers when not in use, so it's not as visible as say the TV in my room. So, yeah, basically, I can't live without having my computer stuff (games, files, etc) without my for breaks, winter break especially, because like 3 weeks without a decent computer to play games, check email, etc, without having the computer freeze up and crash, is a nice thing.

The only real reason you'll want a laptop is lack of space. I had a large desktop and a 17" CRT for three years of college. If you can get away with an LCD monitor and a desktop. then you'll be fine. If you need to print stuff out at labs, email it to yourself or get a flash drive. If you need to do a presentation, they usually provide the laptop, or a media center does, or I borrow from a friend. Either way, you don't need one at all.

A few thoughts.

1. I don't know what you are studying, but I was an engineering (CS) student and made it through my entire college career with a budget notebook and it didn't hamper me at all until the last semester when it finally started to really show its age, a budget model (Dell B130 for example) is a fine notebook for school - believe me, you will probably need the money you save.

2. Power vs. portability isn't the big deal it once was. If you plan on gaming alot (I can't recommend this during school ) then a destop is the way to go, pl;us put a TV card in it and get a nice display and it can double as a TV and with a decent set of speakers as a stereo if you are staying on campus.

3. If you are commuting, a laptop will be very handy. Lab time can be hard to come by and limited. even if living on or near campus you have the option of working in lounge areas, the caffiteria, outside, a classmate's place, etc.

Just a couple of things to think about. Good Luck!

If you can build a computer, then I'd suggest you build a Small Form Factor computer (SFF). Their smaller than your average desktops, and are perfect for dorms, where space is very limited. The best part about it, is that you can build a decent gaming machine for about $1,000. Couple that with a LCD screen and it'll last you a few years. But if you want a laptop, then get a cheap laptop (I got mine for $200 and its perfect for me when I don't need my desktop).

I'm going to get a decent laptop that is portable (such as the Asus Z96J or a Wxx series) and use that for everything in college for the next couple years. Then the summer before my junior year (as the lappy ages) I'm planning to build an SFF or maybe a normal system depending on where I'm staying and retire the lappy to notetaking, breaks, mobile DVD etc.