Viewing Thread:
"Buying A Laptop"

Right, well now that I'll be travelling a lot more, I need a loptop. Well; want a laptop. In any case, I'm just wondering quite how much I'm expected to shell out on a decent laptop - preferably, one that can play games.

Now, I've always had my eye on an Apple, only I don't have a clue about their position with games... Even so, how much for your basic Aple laptop? Are powerbooks the way to go?

-- Also, can Mac's "interface with" PCs? As in, say I have a couple of .doc (or would I have to use .txt?) documents, could I transfer them to and fro?

Finally - wireless networking. What's up with that?? Say I'm in Europe, got my wireless card plugged in, and... What? Can I surf broadband style like I can at home? Is it still on the same monthly package - as in do I have to pay extra?

(All I want to do is use my iPod, Photoshop, take pictures and play WoW on the go... Is that too much to ask?)

Yer I would also like to be able to have my laptop with me when I go home, which I will be doing quite often I think, as I won't be that far away.

I'm doing anthropology, so I will probably end up spending a year away somewhere, and I don't really want to have to take a desktop to New Zealand.

phi11ip wrote:
> YOU DO NOT NEED A LAPTOP FOR UNI.

I wouldn't just be using it for Uni though.

It'd be for reasons beyond the boundaries of the Uni itself, especially for times I have to come back home for the holidays/christmas etc.

I don't need to explain myself, but there is reasons why I need a laptop instead of a desktop that are beyond my control, they are mainly to do with the enviroment I will be in when I am not at University.

gerrid wrote:
> No, YOU don't need a laptop for Uni.

I don't know anyone who needs to have a laptop for uni. So many people bought them thinking that you'll be taking them to lectures and stuff like that when they never leave the room and they're only used for 'desktop-stuff' like games and, um, work.

What course are you doing too? Because taking laptops on field trips doesn't sound like the most sensible of things to do...

phi11ip wrote:
> YOU DO NOT NEED A LAPTOP FOR UNI.

No, YOU don't need a laptop for Uni. You don't even know what I'm doing. A big ole desktop isn't exactly going to help me when I have to go out and do fieldwork, is it?

phi11ip wrote:
> Oh, and you don't need laptops in lectures. Only one person brings one
> in, and that's so they can watch films while the boring Russian
> lecturer bores us.

What a fantastic idea.

gerrid wrote:
> I imagine a desktop wouldn't be very good for travelling around
> Europe.


Aha! I could always get a nerdy Lan-Party back-pack and travel around asking people if they know how to create Embedded Leather Bracers with a moon crystal.

Oh, and you don't need laptops in lectures. Only one person brings one in, and that's so they can watch films while the boring Russian lecturer bores us.

Use a pen and paper.

lcarus wrote:
> It's part of the new student culture.
>
> "Oh my, I'm a proper student! With... a LOAN!!! List of things
> to buy: Numero Uno - LAPTOP. What? My current PC is barely a year
> old? So what, STUDENT STATUS!"

Then there are the n*bs that play games on their laptops mid lecture, the sad thing is they think it makes them look cool.

Plus laptops are easier to steal, and they cost absolutely loads to insure. You're looking at around £60 for a laptop that's worth £1400 on top of the room insurance.

You don't need to insure desktops seperately.

It's part of the new student culture.

"Oh my, I'm a proper student! With... a LOAN!!! List of things to buy: Numero Uno - LAPTOP. What? My current PC is barely a year old? So what, STUDENT STATUS!"