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Next year at Uni I had applied for a double room, however I found out today I haven't got it cos there have been so many applicants this year. Damn them all.
One of the advantages of a double room is 2 network sockets, and thus 2 networked devices. Things like routers or hubs are strictly banned, and you get chucked off instantly if they suspect you of using one. Also, each socket is linked to a MAC address so you can only change the device plugged into it once a week.
I wanted to get a laptop for Uni as well as my desktop, but I can't do that really now, otherwise one of them wouldn't be networked which wouldn't be much use to me. (I know you can change the MAC address using various tools, but I don't fancy risking it - they are pretty strict at York).
What I can't decide, is whether to get a laptop or not now. My desktop has a lot of advantages over a laptop:
1) I already own it!
2) 2 x 160GB HDDs with lots of (legal) music/films on
3) AMD64 CPU ready for Vista
4) Generally a lot faster than a laptop would be
But a laptop would be very useful to me - not just so I can work outside of my room, but also to use with clients to show them their websites on. I've been looking at the Acer TravelMate 4601WLMi which looks quite nice and fits my budget of around £800.
I've never had a laptop before, and I know a big advantage of a desktop is not having to worry about unplugging everything and replugging everything back in all the time (i.e. cos it's not portable). If I did get a laptop, I'd certainly keep my monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc, and on top of that there are other peripherals - printer, Skype phone, TV-out, network, power etc. Is it worth getting the Acer ezDock thing which means just one plug instead of lots - bearing in mind it costs £185.
Any opinions welcome.
One of the advantages of a double room is 2 network sockets, and thus 2 networked devices. Things like routers or hubs are strictly banned, and you get chucked off instantly if they suspect you of using one. Also, each socket is linked to a MAC address so you can only change the device plugged into it once a week.
I wanted to get a laptop for Uni as well as my desktop, but I can't do that really now, otherwise one of them wouldn't be networked which wouldn't be much use to me. (I know you can change the MAC address using various tools, but I don't fancy risking it - they are pretty strict at York).
What I can't decide, is whether to get a laptop or not now. My desktop has a lot of advantages over a laptop:
1) I already own it!
2) 2 x 160GB HDDs with lots of (legal) music/films on
3) AMD64 CPU ready for Vista
4) Generally a lot faster than a laptop would be
But a laptop would be very useful to me - not just so I can work outside of my room, but also to use with clients to show them their websites on. I've been looking at the Acer TravelMate 4601WLMi which looks quite nice and fits my budget of around £800.
I've never had a laptop before, and I know a big advantage of a desktop is not having to worry about unplugging everything and replugging everything back in all the time (i.e. cos it's not portable). If I did get a laptop, I'd certainly keep my monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc, and on top of that there are other peripherals - printer, Skype phone, TV-out, network, power etc. Is it worth getting the Acer ezDock thing which means just one plug instead of lots - bearing in mind it costs £185.
Any opinions welcome.
We had problems finding a house, and they had some free rooms on campus. :)
You get to stay in the halls in the second year?
We get kicked out after the first.
We get kicked out after the first.
I was at the Uni last year in halls with my desktop, so I know exactly what it was like to have a desktop, and similarly how much use a computer is for the course.
Security-wise, next year I'm top floor, I always lock my door anyway so it should be fine - I'd probably get one of those cable locks for use inside my room.
I think the big advantage of the laptop to me, wouldn't so much be for Uni work, but for web development work, so I can use it with clients, or do web design stuff on the train, or whatever.
Security-wise, next year I'm top floor, I always lock my door anyway so it should be fine - I'd probably get one of those cable locks for use inside my room.
I think the big advantage of the laptop to me, wouldn't so much be for Uni work, but for web development work, so I can use it with clients, or do web design stuff on the train, or whatever.
Couldn't you do ICS from your desktop to your laptop?
Hmm.
I'd say desktop because laptops, being portable, are a delicious target for thieves, especially in libraries and university halls where security is always, always lax. My old halls, for example, had a series of burglaries where people just followed students into the building (supposedly protected by swipecards) and looked for unlocked rooms. They deserved it for being stupid in my opinion. But the management then printed large posters describing this succesful technique as a cautionary tale for the student residents and stuck them to the front door facing the street so that any passing burglars were alerted to the oportunities within.
Also, depending on what you're studying, you might not be using a computer as often as you'd think. I'm doing history and spend 90% of my time reading books. I print out articles from the internet every now and then but I prefer to use the uni printers because they're quicker than mine and can do double sided printing more easily. Every now and then I write an essay - and that's it. A laptop in the library just distracts me and makes it harder to go to the toilet/find books because I have to lug it around with me so it doesn't get nicked. Even if you're doing computing I'd say a desktop is more flexible, if only because it's easier to get Linux running there than a laptop.
I'd say desktop because laptops, being portable, are a delicious target for thieves, especially in libraries and university halls where security is always, always lax. My old halls, for example, had a series of burglaries where people just followed students into the building (supposedly protected by swipecards) and looked for unlocked rooms. They deserved it for being stupid in my opinion. But the management then printed large posters describing this succesful technique as a cautionary tale for the student residents and stuck them to the front door facing the street so that any passing burglars were alerted to the oportunities within.
Also, depending on what you're studying, you might not be using a computer as often as you'd think. I'm doing history and spend 90% of my time reading books. I print out articles from the internet every now and then but I prefer to use the uni printers because they're quicker than mine and can do double sided printing more easily. Every now and then I write an essay - and that's it. A laptop in the library just distracts me and makes it harder to go to the toilet/find books because I have to lug it around with me so it doesn't get nicked. Even if you're doing computing I'd say a desktop is more flexible, if only because it's easier to get Linux running there than a laptop.
Well unless you really think you need a laptop, stick with your desktop. The only reason to get a laptop is if you don't have much space, or because you think you'll be moving around a bit.
If you really think that you're gonna have use for a laptop outside your room, and that it justifies the extra £800, then go for it, but lots of people who go to Uni say you really don't need a laptop at all (well, phi11ip says that anyway). You can always take your desktop for the first term, see if it meets your needs, and, if not, get a laptop at christmas.
If you really think that you're gonna have use for a laptop outside your room, and that it justifies the extra £800, then go for it, but lots of people who go to Uni say you really don't need a laptop at all (well, phi11ip says that anyway). You can always take your desktop for the first term, see if it meets your needs, and, if not, get a laptop at christmas.
Next year at Uni I had applied for a double room, however I found out today I haven't got it cos there have been so many applicants this year. Damn them all.
One of the advantages of a double room is 2 network sockets, and thus 2 networked devices. Things like routers or hubs are strictly banned, and you get chucked off instantly if they suspect you of using one. Also, each socket is linked to a MAC address so you can only change the device plugged into it once a week.
I wanted to get a laptop for Uni as well as my desktop, but I can't do that really now, otherwise one of them wouldn't be networked which wouldn't be much use to me. (I know you can change the MAC address using various tools, but I don't fancy risking it - they are pretty strict at York).
What I can't decide, is whether to get a laptop or not now. My desktop has a lot of advantages over a laptop:
1) I already own it!
2) 2 x 160GB HDDs with lots of (legal) music/films on
3) AMD64 CPU ready for Vista
4) Generally a lot faster than a laptop would be
But a laptop would be very useful to me - not just so I can work outside of my room, but also to use with clients to show them their websites on. I've been looking at the Acer TravelMate 4601WLMi which looks quite nice and fits my budget of around £800.
I've never had a laptop before, and I know a big advantage of a desktop is not having to worry about unplugging everything and replugging everything back in all the time (i.e. cos it's not portable). If I did get a laptop, I'd certainly keep my monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc, and on top of that there are other peripherals - printer, Skype phone, TV-out, network, power etc. Is it worth getting the Acer ezDock thing which means just one plug instead of lots - bearing in mind it costs £185.
Any opinions welcome.
One of the advantages of a double room is 2 network sockets, and thus 2 networked devices. Things like routers or hubs are strictly banned, and you get chucked off instantly if they suspect you of using one. Also, each socket is linked to a MAC address so you can only change the device plugged into it once a week.
I wanted to get a laptop for Uni as well as my desktop, but I can't do that really now, otherwise one of them wouldn't be networked which wouldn't be much use to me. (I know you can change the MAC address using various tools, but I don't fancy risking it - they are pretty strict at York).
What I can't decide, is whether to get a laptop or not now. My desktop has a lot of advantages over a laptop:
1) I already own it!
2) 2 x 160GB HDDs with lots of (legal) music/films on
3) AMD64 CPU ready for Vista
4) Generally a lot faster than a laptop would be
But a laptop would be very useful to me - not just so I can work outside of my room, but also to use with clients to show them their websites on. I've been looking at the Acer TravelMate 4601WLMi which looks quite nice and fits my budget of around £800.
I've never had a laptop before, and I know a big advantage of a desktop is not having to worry about unplugging everything and replugging everything back in all the time (i.e. cos it's not portable). If I did get a laptop, I'd certainly keep my monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc, and on top of that there are other peripherals - printer, Skype phone, TV-out, network, power etc. Is it worth getting the Acer ezDock thing which means just one plug instead of lots - bearing in mind it costs £185.
Any opinions welcome.