Laptop for College

MaianTrey · 11-20-2007, 10:34 PM

I am in need of a laptop for January when I transfer to Texas Tech, and I built one on Dell.com, an XPS. I know, the majority here advise against getting a Dell, but in all honesty, Dell is really all I know, since my family doesn't really stray away from Dell all that much. We don't really have any problems with them either. Anyways:

1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the laptop?
Budget isn't really an issue, but I don't really wanna spend too much. I kinda went into this knowing that Laptops generally cost a lot more than Desktops, and the pre-built that I have picked out is a hair over $3000.

2. Screen: What size screen do you want, and do you need widescreen?
Preferably a 19" screen. I don't really need/want a Widescreen either.

3. Brands: Are there any brands you want or don't want to buy?
Nah, not really... I'd almost prefer a Dell, but that's also why I'm here asking you gurus for your experienced opinions :P

4. Mobility: How much will you need and how long does the battery need to last?
Eh, not sure. I just need it for Architecture, and I'm guessing I'm gonna be taking it to class and back to my place of residence every day, but outside of that I'm not too sure.

5. Durability: Does this laptop need to be sturdy or durable/semi-durable?
As a result of the answer to number four, it probably needs to be semi-durable at the least.

6. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this laptop and if so, how much?
Probably a bit of multitasking between programs with high RAM requirements, but I'm not too knowledgeable on what I'm going to be doing in the future, so don't hold me to that.

7. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?
I can't live without games. Newest one being Call of Duty 4, and I'll definitely be getting Starcraft 2 and Project Origin (FEAR sequel) when they come out.

8. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or multimedia encoding?
I'm not sure on this one. I'll be an Architect, not sure if calculations fall into this category.

9. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?
Same as above. Probable need a bit of storage space. On my pre-built that I had picked out, I had 250GB of HD Space.

10. Optical Media: Will you need to burn any optical media like CDs or DVDs?
I'll probably need/want to burn CDs. Not sure on the DVD part.

11. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?
I'm probably gonna end up choosing Windows Vista Ultimate.

12. Location: What country do you live in?
I'm in Mansfield, Texas currently, and Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas.

**tosh9i** · 11-20-2007, 10:36 PM

19 inch screen? Are you talking about a laptop or a desktop

MaianTrey · 11-20-2007, 11:28 PM

Oops, that's my fault, 17" is the correct dimension. 19" is what I have on my Desktop, misread the dimensions on the website.

11-20-2007, 10:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
MaianTrey Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 133 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x64 SP2 My System	Laptop for College I am in need of a laptop for January when I transfer to Texas Tech, and I built one on Dell.com, an XPS. I know, the majority here advise against getting a Dell, but in all honesty, Dell is really all I know, since my family doesn't really stray away from Dell all that much. We don't really have any problems with them either. Anyways: 1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the laptop? Budget isn't really an issue, but I don't really wanna spend too much. I kinda went into this knowing that Laptops generally cost a lot more than Desktops, and the pre-built that I have picked out is a hair over $3000. 2. Screen: What size screen do you want, and do you need widescreen? Preferably a 19" screen. I don't really need/want a Widescreen either. 3. Brands: Are there any brands you want or don't want to buy? Nah, not really... I'd almost prefer a Dell, but that's also why I'm here asking you gurus for your experienced opinions :P 4. Mobility: How much will you need and how long does the battery need to last? Eh, not sure. I just need it for Architecture, and I'm guessing I'm gonna be taking it to class and back to my place of residence every day, but outside of that I'm not too sure. 5. Durability: Does this laptop need to be sturdy or durable/semi-durable? As a result of the answer to number four, it probably needs to be semi-durable at the least. 6. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this laptop and if so, how much? Probably a bit of multitasking between programs with high RAM requirements, but I'm not too knowledgeable on what I'm going to be doing in the future, so don't hold me to that. 7. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? I can't live without games. Newest one being Call of Duty 4, and I'll definitely be getting Starcraft 2 and Project Origin (FEAR sequel) when they come out. 8. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or multimedia encoding? I'm not sure on this one. I'll be an Architect, not sure if calculations fall into this category. 9. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? Same as above. Probable need a bit of storage space. On my pre-built that I had picked out, I had 250GB of HD Space. 10. Optical Media: Will you need to burn any optical media like CDs or DVDs? I'll probably need/want to burn CDs. Not sure on the DVD part. 11. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? I'm probably gonna end up choosing Windows Vista Ultimate. 12. Location: What country do you live in? I'm in Mansfield, Texas currently, and Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas.

11-20-2007, 10:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
tosh9i TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,837 OS: Windows XP	Re: Laptop for College 19 inch screen? Are you talking about a laptop or a desktop

11-20-2007, 11:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
MaianTrey Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 133 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x64 SP2 My System	Re: Laptop for College Oops, that's my fault, 17" is the correct dimension. 19" is what I have on my Desktop, misread the dimensions on the website.