You need a better library.
In the quiet sections of ours I feel out of place if my footsteps are louder than the breath of a sleeping baby deer.
Uni people - Desktop or laptop?
- Thread starter wakayoda
- Start date
You need a better library.
In the quiet sections of ours I feel out of place if my footsteps are louder than the breath of a sleeping baby deer.
I always sit in the library with my laptop and headphones. You mad bro?
But then, it is allowed
Probably a RGU student! Scum!
Perhaps. They merged the law library with the underclasses and it went downhill there.
These are awesome pieces of kit. One of my lecturers last year did everything using one and uploaded it for us all. Fantastic revision tool.
I'm off to uni in a month's time and I'll be taking both. My desktop's case is a HAF 932 so that's going to be fun to get in to my room, and out again at easter, but in reality it's not going to be such a big deal.
I can't do without my desktop and all the benefits it brings (gaming, 23" screen for movies etc) but I don't want to be restricted to my room or the uni's computer rooms whenever I want to do work or browse t'internets, hence the laptop as well.
I can't do without my desktop and all the benefits it brings (gaming, 23" screen for movies etc) but I don't want to be restricted to my room or the uni's computer rooms whenever I want to do work or browse t'internets, hence the laptop as well.
I originally had a P182 and got fed up with taking it to and from uni, so i shoved everything in a Lian Li A05B
Half the size and weight
I'm 100% desktop.
But I think it depends on the uni and if you're living on campus/nearby...
The first one I went to had a ridiculous amount of computer rooms which were available 24/7. Unlike my second uni which was pretty small and undergoing some major building works.. I commuted for this one, so I stayed there all day to make it worthwhile but had trouble getting a PC most of the time. I ended up just borrowing my mums laptop.
But I think it depends on the uni and if you're living on campus/nearby...
The first one I went to had a ridiculous amount of computer rooms which were available 24/7. Unlike my second uni which was pretty small and undergoing some major building works.. I commuted for this one, so I stayed there all day to make it worthwhile but had trouble getting a PC most of the time. I ended up just borrowing my mums laptop.
Last edited:
[TW]Fox;20011253 said:
This...
A SFF computer for your room and a portable laptop for uni work. Its what I did through both my degrees. You can separate your work from play and taking your own computer to uni to work on is invaluable IMO. Not the rubbish lectures thing (I agree, most people with laptops out in lectures are browsing the net) but for working in the library when you need to (no worry about all the rubbish computers being taken or having things set up the way you want) and working with friends/groups.
So in short a laptop is invaluble, on the other hand I wouldn't be able to live without a desktop either. Oh and if you do get a laptop get something around the 13" range so its portable enough to be able to leave in your bag so you can access it whenever you want rather than a larger one that needs a separate bag.
I originally had a P182 and got fed up with taking it to and from uni, so i shoved everything in a Lian Li A05B
To be honest I was considering investing in a smaller case since this thing is vastly oversized for its purpose considering I don't have SLI, or any kind of special cooling kit that could justify the space it takes - but I can't afford it after splurging on said laptop.
Luckily my uni accommodation is quite accessible by road so at least I don't have to lug this steel monstrosity across the campus
Tbh my first uni had hundreds of computers all over the place, never used them though as my laptop was nicer to use. My second uni I used the machines a bit more (8GB quad core xeons with 23" monitors in our own private computer lab) but I still used my laptop more for non technical stuff. There is s lot to be said for having your own desktop set up the way you want and a nice keyboard).
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 33,188
Meh, for me the massively improved function of a desktop hugely outweighs the few very minor positives of laptops.
Firstly Laptops, almost universally are more problematic than desktops, batteries become useless and expensive to replace, loud irritating fan noise rather than low pitch big fans that are almost silent. Big keyboard of your preference(I guess as I still use MS naturals that laptops are a huge step back for me), full size mouse, hugely better screen, size, position, having that split between keyboard and screen.
As someone said, doing "real" work on a train or traveling in general is stupidly hard. I traveled between home and uni a crapload and would use it as a chance to read rather than do actual work.
If you've got the money, a cheap laptop after you have a desktop is the way to go, they do have a few uses, doing group work at someone else's place for instance.
Almost everyone had a laptop with the intention of taking it to lectures and after pretty much one day everyone left their laptops in their rooms from then on
Firstly Laptops, almost universally are more problematic than desktops, batteries become useless and expensive to replace, loud irritating fan noise rather than low pitch big fans that are almost silent. Big keyboard of your preference(I guess as I still use MS naturals that laptops are a huge step back for me), full size mouse, hugely better screen, size, position, having that split between keyboard and screen.
As someone said, doing "real" work on a train or traveling in general is stupidly hard. I traveled between home and uni a crapload and would use it as a chance to read rather than do actual work.
If you've got the money, a cheap laptop after you have a desktop is the way to go, they do have a few uses, doing group work at someone else's place for instance.
Almost everyone had a laptop with the intention of taking it to lectures and after pretty much one day everyone left their laptops in their rooms from then on
I took a desktop and laptop first year and was comfortable with that arrangment. But then I only had a laptop second year and raelised it was much more efficient and flexibile. If there was something the laptop couldn't handle I would be able to find a computer on campus.
Still, I can't decide what setup to have for third year. I think I'm gonna take my 22inch monitor and the laptop and that'll be perfect.
I think you can live on a laptop but it takes some research, I have a solid ASUS machine that runs Photoshop etc, battery lasts up to 10 hours, lightweight/portable, its a beast.
Still, I can't decide what setup to have for third year. I think I'm gonna take my 22inch monitor and the laptop and that'll be perfect.
I think you can live on a laptop but it takes some research, I have a solid ASUS machine that runs Photoshop etc, battery lasts up to 10 hours, lightweight/portable, its a beast.
I did wonder about bringing a desktop, but in the end I decided it would just take up space and be a pain to transport. The portability of laptops attracted me, and so I decided to get a laptop. I suppose I could have taken a laptop around with me and come back to my room for a nice desktop with a great dirty GPU for some gaming and a lovely wall-sized screen, but in the end I thought it would just be a pain, and probably a distraction too. So I thought a powerful laptop would give me the portability advantages, and let me do most of the things a desktop would, even if I have to turn the graphics down on games. I'm just going to bring my laptop (yet to arrive!) to Uni in October, and if a bigger screen seems desirable I'll bring one up for the next term.
(I'll be at Durham starting my Engineering degree this October if you're curious).
I thought that with: 750GB HDD, 6GB RAM, 540M, 2GHz i7 quad core, and a 1080p screen I'll be able to do most stuff I'd do on a desktop, so I'm just bringing a laptop.
(I'll be at Durham starting my Engineering degree this October if you're curious).
I thought that with: 750GB HDD, 6GB RAM, 540M, 2GHz i7 quad core, and a 1080p screen I'll be able to do most stuff I'd do on a desktop, so I'm just bringing a laptop.
Well I have the rig in my sig, and an iPhone, and between them I can do everything I need when I need. Especially using team viewer on the iPhone 
I also built most of my rig at uni, whilst I was there I went from a phenom II 550 with a 5850 in an antec 900 to the beast I have now
I also built most of my rig at uni, whilst I was there I went from a phenom II 550 with a 5850 in an antec 900 to the beast I have now
Probably a RGU student! Scum!
Perhaps. They merged the law library with the underclasses and it went downhill there.
We have a Law Library as well, but I, being an Engineering student, still use the Law one more than the proper library.
U mad bro?
It just seems a less depressing place, our old library was a bit dated and depressing, although the new one looks *awesome* and should be open in a couple of weeks
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 27 Sep 2004
- Posts
- 25,821
- Location
- Glasgow
It's not exactly a fair comparison though is it? You could concentrate the same if you sat down at your laptop computer as at your desktop computer unless there's something odd going on. It's also worth remembering that the laptop gave you the option of working in more places than the desktop did.
Either a laptop or a desktop will be fine for most tasks, you'll manage with what you have available. If you're only going to have one computer then I'd go with a laptop and maybe get keyboard/mouse/monitor/separate speakers should you want them to improve the ergonomics but if you can afford both and don't have any more pressing concerns for your money then there's no real reason not to take them.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Yea, only people who have yet to 'grow out of it' play games.
Most students on here already have the desktop though, its not as if you need to buy another.
All depends on the course and the size of your desk in your room. Plus its can be expensive.
If your doing any games courses or film courses then I would say get yourself a decent desktop and a good monitor.
EDIT: I also don't understand the need to bring laptops to lectures. What happened to pen and paper? Your sitting next to another student of above them and they sit and browse. It was either Facebook or Minecraft (sad eh?) and its nothing but rude and distracting. Most lecturers wouldn't allow students to open their laptops during the lectures!
If your doing any games courses or film courses then I would say get yourself a decent desktop and a good monitor.
EDIT: I also don't understand the need to bring laptops to lectures. What happened to pen and paper? Your sitting next to another student of above them and they sit and browse. It was either Facebook or Minecraft (sad eh?) and its nothing but rude and distracting. Most lecturers wouldn't allow students to open their laptops during the lectures!
Last edited: