I'm going off to college next august and am in need of a laptop. Mainly a PC because i need it for all the applications we use in the engineering dep. So what are your guy's thoughts? what should i be looking for? I keep thinking with the intel chips apple can run any PC app, is this true? price isn't really a matter just has to be reasonable and something thats going to be fast, good on graphics, lots of memory, and whatever else a laptop needs. Thanks for the help, computer specs aren't my best area.

 

ive got a dell inspiron 6000, they dont make it anymore but you can get the same guts in a
new one. its been a great laptop, it was $1800. i suggest that you get all the warentee's possible. i have the accident ,and extend, that pretty much why it was so expensive. and its worth it, my hard drive took a dump the day before thanks giving a year ago, dell sent me a new one and every thing to install it. they walked me through it all. it was easy.

but if your in engineering your gonna want XP not vista.

 

Ask the engineering dept at the school what best runs their software, inquire about their educational discounts, and don't forget to bring a backup computer because ALL computers fail sooner or later. There is room in any dorm for a desktop (which have better ergonomics than any laptop unless you use an external keyboard/monitor/mouse) and the desktop peripherals can be shared with a notebook using a cheap KVM switch.

The Mobile Computing Outpost in the Ars Technica forums is a great place to post your question AFTER you know what specific software you'll be running.

The nice thing about the internet is that you can teach yourself quite a bit about computers. Gonna be an engineer? Start now.

 

Don't buy an apple if you're going for engineering.....I've had good luck with dell....buy one with the biggest screen you can get (within your price range) and also lots of memory..

 

Go with an Asus or MSI better components on there stuff and can take a beating better then a Dell or any other brand...
Trust me on this..My German Shephard has killed my Compaq and the Asus he has knocked it off the bed and desk and rip the cord out and still looks and works like new..

 

If you have time to order online take a look at
Alienware Computers – Custom-Built Gaming Desktops and Notebooks

 

Ditto on the above...

Definetly check with the school.. Not only do they have discounts, but some schools require you to purchase a laptop through them.. This way when iot breaks they just hand you another one right away..

 

Over priced and over rated and real poor customer service...
Search it..You will see what I mean

 

What college will you be attending & what engineering degree are you considering? Will you be downloading movies? Will you be doing any computer gaming, if so what game/games do you currently play?

Are you ok with a printer? My son shared one with another student the 1st 2 years before he bought one.

 

If you want something that will also last and work in the field once you graduate, get a Panasonic toughbook. They are sealed to be water proof, dust proof and real shock proof.
Also go online and download a free program called engineering power tools, you'll find it very handy. You can also purchase an expanded version if you like it, but the free version is very useful.

 

I bought a refurb on ebay for $349. The guy must work for an IT dept or something cuz he has a few of them. I liked mine so much now 6 of my friends bought from the same guy. Not a lemon in the bunch.

I will PM you his Ebay link.

 

Thanks for the help guys i'll look into what the school has. and i'll talk to my friend whose working as a CM major up there now. In the fall i'll be attending Chico State and probally get into the civil engineering and through that possibly structural or soils, but still not sure yet.

 

Stay away from Gateway. Their customer service isn't even good enough to be considered a joke. (I'll send you a copy of the 2 week correspondence if you don't believe me).

I had an issue with my Dell when it was new, and after I figured out how to use their online help chat they walked me through the process to fix it. The next day I got a phone call from someone making sure the problem was resolved, and he left me his phone number and extension to call in case the problem came back.

That kind of support is why I've bought 2 more Dells for work.

 

Once you get the laptop, make sure you get accident protection.
i had $2k worth on mine, for $64 a year. www.safeway.com
my HD went after i dropped it several times and they just installed a new one.
i should have it in my hands tomorrow...unsure if they had to install a bigger one...and i'mcrossing my fingers that they installed the CD burner, etc software.

 

Chico State offers deals on Dell & Apple but there are no recommendations by 'The College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management'. I like the Dell XPS 1530 as it comes with a video card vs. an Intel integrated video chip on the motherboard. Just click on your bookstore link. It has links for Dell & Apple so you will get your student discount. I don't recommend Apple simply due to price. If you don't mind the cost, Apple is just as good as the others & they look really cool.

If you have budget in mind, that would help. I am using a $400 laptop now but a low cost laptop probably will not be enough for your 4 years at Chico.
Also, do you type fast enough to use it for taking notes during classes?