Ask Engadget: Subnote or full-sized laptop for university use?
By Darren Murph 
posted May 15th 2008 6:30PM
posted May 15th 2008 6:30PM
We know, the vast majority of you either graduated or got past one more wave of exams this past week, but there's no better time to buy a lappie for school than when you actually have time to enjoy it, right? "I'm looking to buy a laptop before I head off to college in a few months. I know there's too many choices out there in each category to ask for specific recommendations, but I'm wondering how current students feel about their machines. Is a subnote potent enough for university use? Is an ultraportable a better alternative? Or should I get a full-blown 15- to 17-incher as an all-purpose rig? My future GPA is hinging on your responses."
Let's hear it, bookworms. Is that CloudBook / Eee / 2133 Mini-Note treating you alright? Or would this poor freshman-to-be be better off with something larger? Toss out your opinions below -- friends don't let friends buy the wrong computer. If you'd like our readers to study a question of yours, send us an inquiry at ask at engadget dawt com, capiche?
Hi,
I have a Dell 15 incher and an HP TC1100, tablet pc - 10.4 incher....I must say, since I bought my HP...Dell has been collecting dust...because, its really convenient to be able to carry the machine without breaking the back...
I wwould highly recommend to all the guys out here to get a smaller lappy...not less than 10 inches and no more than 12 inches...MSI wind seems like a good option too...
plus all the money u"ll save this way will come handy for pizzas, booze and photocopies of lecture notes in the semester end time ;)
I had an IBM Thinkpad X50 WinCE machine in college, with a wifi card. Worked just find for notes and the battery lasted forever. Very rugged too. An Eee if the closest thing to the X50, with exception that the X50 had a superior keyboard and better battery life.
Currently, I have a last gen G4 ibook and two high end workstations for the heavy duty work. I don't think I would every go to a laptop only solution.
When I went to college I got a 15" gateway laptop and I seriously regretted it. Get a small lightweight laptop something in the 12"-13" range. Believe me when I say, you'll want to take it to class.
I am a recent University Graduate. I found the choice of computing power depended on the program my friends were in. My computer science friends (myself included) were smitten with a 15.4" widescreen notebook. Now if you lug a lot of books around (engineering, law, any of the "ologies") consider an ultralight. If you're an arts student you can't go wrong with a Mac. Basically it depends on your day to day load and how much you're willing to risk back problems haha. that's just my suggestion :)
seriously who brings a laptop to class to take notes.... dont be a noob and use some paper. also if you have a macbook in class you look even more like a tool than you do if you just have a regular laptop. i have a desktop with me at school and i've never felt the need to have a laptop. my school's network storage is more than enough for me to take my work to the library
I didnt really feel like reading all of the comments, because I know what my next laptop will be. I think it depends on what kinda notes you have to take. If you are in a math or sciencey field you might look into getting a tablet PC. They make it a lot easier for writing equations and such. I had one almost all the way through my undergrad and it was great. Granted, if you are looking into using a linux OS there are not very many applications that help here, and of the few there are none are really good. But for windows Microsoft's OneNote is awesome. I would really recommend it. Otherwise, I would look at getting as small and light a laptop as you can get. Also make sure the battery lasts a long time and you can stand using the keyboard. Otherwise you won't want to take it to class with you, and it will just break your back. Just my 2cents, good luck though.
While (almost) all of your comments are helpful, I think comments suggesting the purchase of two computers, even 2 laptops is beyond many of our budgets. I'm going to grad school in the fall and have 600 or $700 max budgeted. Any ideas for those of us with $40,000 in loans?
15.4" Lenovo T61p.
I know this has probably been said, but I would not recommend getting only a subnotebook. If you only have a few hundred bucks to spend you'd be better off getting something with more power and a bigger screen to handle tasks besides simple note-taking or web browsing.
My setup for next school year will be a subnotebook for mobility and my desktop PC for anything and everything else (lots of CAD, hi-def movie playback, Photoshop, various games, etc.) and I think that will be sufficient.
i got a macbook and i agree with what everyone else said about carrying it around campus. if i had another chance, i wouldn't have gotten office for mac. there was a recent tip on apple's hot news feed that says you're able to save iwork files as .doc compatible. i'm not sure about .ppt though. but yeah, full size is good and macbook if possible.
I'd go full size if i were you. Mac if your campus will support it and otherwise windows, there's always the option of linux within a partition if you're into that too. Works great for me and allows me to be happy and still work with my university computer labs when necessary. Don't go too huge though on those monitors, it can get heavy to lug around.
My uncle gave me some advice a while back when I was considering purchasin a sidearm: buy as big as you can carry, that you will carry. In other words, a bigger gun isn't going to help you when you leave it at home because it was too heavy.
The same goes for laptops. A 17" monitor may look great on your desk, but you will think twice before lugging it around campus. I'm personally enamored with my HP tx2000z tablet. At about 4.5 lbs, I still leave it behind when I'll be walking far. Anything heavier would just stay at home, I'm afraid.
If you have the option, an eee and a desktop would make a great duo. But the new HP 2133 with a mouse/keyboard and second monitor to go on the desk would work as well.
Once upon a time, I had a huge laptop. The thing sucked down power and was so slow, even though it had fairly good specs. The only reason I kept the thing around was for gaming, and I don't have time for that in school, anyway. That one didn't leave my room unless I was flying somewhere, and even then it was a pain (not to mention that I usually have my PS3 with me as well).
I got a MacBook last fall and I don't intend to go back to PC, ever. It's good enough for taking notes in class, runs smoother, and has the little iSight camera which is nice when I haven't been able to see my fiance for a couple of weeks. It also doesn't weigh 8 or 9 pounds like the other one did.
I know I got a 13.3" macbook this past spring when my old 15.4" (non-widescreen) machine's hdd crashed.
The 13.3" size is wonderful, It's easy to carry around campus or bring on the train to work. The screen isn't too small to do work on and neither is the keyboard.
When doing longer sessions of work, I work in either my dorm or a CS lab. In my dorm I use both my laptop monitor and an external 19" monitor (with mouse and keyboard, though frequently use my laptop's keyboard). In the CS lab, I usually work simultaneously on a lab machine and my laptop, coding on my laptop and using the lab machine for online referencing.
I'm not really a gamer anymore, and the switch from Linux to Mac was perfectly smooth. A few things irritated me, like the difficulty in showing hidden files in Finder, though once you find the command to change that, it's not a real problem.
One thing I might have done was not get the integrated graphics, though this would be a definite if you intend to game on the mac.
I'm a fan of the 13.3" size, what OS you choose...well that's up to you.
@adam
[[oh and probably nix the linux, as that's just going to be a little bit of a hassle to deal with all the file formats and such.]]
I have Abiword (free word-processor) on an OLPC XO-1. It actually comes with the machine, along with the default word-processor, Write (which is based on Abiword). Rename one file, enter Write, hit CTRL-N, and bingo. Instant full-featured Abiword. I use it to take real-time meeting minutes and save them in .doc (Word) format.
If I can do that on an OLPC XO-1, which has barebones specs to keep the price low, then anyone can do the same on other Linux machines with more powerful specs.
The Lenovo x60s I have is absolutely perfect for school, I take it to all of my classes without any burden. So I would recommend getting one of these or their new x61s.
This parent with two kids in college suggests that students consider a few issues. First, laptops are a frequent target of theft on college and university campuses, so don't put a ton of cash into one; you may want to avoid that new Dell XPS that will allow you to game on World of Warcraft while you are inbetween classes. Save that experience for a desktop computer which is more difficult to steal. Also, the larger the laptop the more difficult it is to store in places that might be more secure than others. Finally, in terms of brand, consider the direction you wish to pursue in terms of careers when considering what type to buy. If you are going into graphic art and design you should get a Mac. On the other had, if you are going to work in some corporate/business, you best be familiar with a Windows based environment.
Regardless of operating system find one that you are comfortable carrying and using. Macs and PCs are great for what each is hyped for so weigh whats more important to you (speed, size, hard drive capacity, weight, screen) and get a machine that is geared to you're comfortable with so try to play with the machine before you buy it if you can to see how much you like it. The other thing to consider is how long you plan to have it for.
12" mini notebook. The PBG4 12" was perfect. Add screen, mouse and keyboard at home. The usefulness of a computer increases dramatically if it is available. Thus, carrying it all the time is a large plus. To do this one needs a compact solution.
i just graduated from georgetown law. i started with my 15in sager laptop that i bought in undergrad. that thing was huge and i got tired of lugging it around. when i upgraded i built a desktop and bought myself an eepc 4g a few weeks after they came out. i really like the setup. the eee is perfect for taking to class. however, it would be insufficient on its own. it's really more of a mobile companion computer even though it was used more than the desktop. by building a desktop i was able to get both computers for just a little over $1,500 and have a geforce 8800gt and 21.6in lcd monitor. if the eee were to cost any more, i wouldn't have been able to do it. it depends on your needs. i wanted performance and portability. the low cost of the eee meant that it was affordable to get two computers and not have to compromise on both in a single machine.
if i were you, i'd have my eye on the msi wind. it's 10in led backlit screen should be nice, and the linux version will still be at a low enough price point. the one advantage to the small screen is that it results in less im and web surfing in class to pay more attention to the discussion.
Make sure you get the biggest battery available for whatever model you buy machine, get the manufacturer's next business day warranty (preferably for at least 3 years) and consider buying the accidental damage warranty to run concurrently with the regular warranty. Dell's regular warranty service stinks but the next business day option on their latitude series is pretty good. Lenovo (IBM) has excellent business warranty service. Best warranty service typically comes with business class machines (Dell Latitudes, Lenovo X, T series, I don't know what HP and Toshiba do these days and while Apple machines look nice, imho they do not represent a good value). Buy an inexpensive HP laserjet and you'll save money on ink cartridges or having to find where your print job is on the campus printers. Oh, if you're strapped for cash, don't fret. Four $500 laptops (one each year) are a good alternative to one $2000 laptop at the beginning of college. Oh, please don't waste your money on extended warranties that are not from the manufacturer. Best Buy and their ilk are worthless!
I've actually got a big rig (XPS M1730) and a Sony VAIO (T350-P).
Being that I'm at Georgia Tech, I find very good uses for both. I take the VAIO to my classes since it's lightweight and it easily carried. While my DELL MONSTER stays at home on my desk.
When I HAVE to get something done, I bring my DELL. For example, large projects where we've got Excel crunching millions of data points. My VAIO will come to a screeching halt.
Another quick tip...use Windows Remote Desktop. If for some reason I need to get onto my desktop while I'm in class or in between, I just MSTSC over to it and voila.
Hope this helps! Good luck in the Fall!
Im in a similar situation.
I begin a program that my school offers that will allow me to start college in the afternoon, and finish up highschool in the mornings. It was either this, or early graduation in two years. Im choosing this.
Anyways, Im looking at the 2133 or possibly an Eee.
I just like the idea of it being significantly smaller, and easier for me to take with, especially since Ill be using it alot, and doing quite a bit of work in my 1.5hr lunch break, so that I can manage to keep up with two seperate course loads.
I dont really need a high-powered laptop, because I already have my desktop at home, and Im running 4gb of RAM, and a Phenom 9600, and its running amazingly.
I figure I save $100 getting a MiniNote, and I get a smaller product. Sure, it wont be powerful enough to play games on, but its for school, its not really for gaming, thats why I have my desktop at home.
The only reason I could see for getting a desktop replacement for school would be if you werent planning on taking that desktop with you when you went away for school. If you still have your desktop, there is no reason to shop for a desktop replacement.
the essentials for a college student's setup:
-14.1" notebook at largest, especially if your uni encourages lappys in class
-docking station
-19"+ monitor
keyboard and mouse, preferably wireless.
-If you are a gamer you can bring your rig as well
I had this full setup my freshman year in the dorms. I kept my rig under my desk (though I found out college parties own any gaming that could be done, i maybe used my rig a half dozen times), kept my docking station on top of the mini-fridge next to my desk, and had the keyboard and monitor on the desk. This way I could easily consolidate everything in a small place if I needed a clear desk (think pouring surface).
Good luck with unit mate!
I would recommend a convertible tablet pc. I have had a gateway tablet for the past 6 months and absolutely love it. I take all my notes on it and it is a great way to stay organized. They are also really good for giving presentations.
My vote is what I use for work now - a subnotebook for travel, and an external dock when I get home with a 21" widescreen monitor, fullsized kb and external hard drives.
I recommend the lightest and smallest laptop that will handle the software you use. I have had two types of laptops during my education. As an undergraduate, the school issued a 15" acer travel mate (Medium size, 5lbs). As a graduate student I was issued a 17" HP Pavilion (BIG, HEAVY). The bigger one handles CAD, Simulation, and Math programs just like a good workstation, but then again it feels like you are carrying one with you.
To decide what is best for you, consider what you may need/want to use on the computer.
The basic software needs for a college student include an internet browser (firefox), spreadsheet (like excel), word processor (like word), PDF viewer, and presentation software (like power point). If this is sufficient, definitely get a subnote.
If your degree is in a math, science, or computer related field, you may use CAD, Simulation, Video editing, and other more demanding software. Also true if you just want to play the newer video games. In this case, you will need to get a real laptop (try for a 14 incher under 5 lbs).
If you are serious into gaming, multimedia (Video editing, PVR), or want a desktop replacement with a screen that doubles as your TV then look at the big guys (17 inchers).
Keep in mind that the laptop you buy will only last you about four years anyhow, so don't stress or spend too much. After 8 years between the two laptops I have used (and a PhD salary), I am now looking at Asus's F8P or V2S series.
I just made the switch from a Dell e1405 to a MacBook. I still have my Compaq desktop so I can use XP whenever. My dells screen crapped out unfortunately and I am starting to do a lot of photo editing and the photos tend to look a lot crisper and nicer on the mac. i know i can do all that on a PC (i do have CS3 on my desktop) but the mac is just too user friendly. i say get what you like, get what you need it for, and factor in the price.
I am starting college in 2 months. With all of the stuff i have to carry around, it was important for me to find something i could put in my backpack so i would not have to buy a dedicated case for it. I chose the oqo model 02 with BT keyboard and mouse. I have really good eyes and have no problem typing a paper on a 5 inch screen, but most other people would. So, anything light and small enough to fit in your backpack would be idea. I would suggest a Eee 9 series lappy. same dimensions as the 7 series, but the screen is 2 inches bigger.
Another vote for Apple. I've had my 12" ibook for going on three years now, it's eminently portable and except for one defective intelliboard that was replaced under warranty, I've had NO trouble with it whatsoever. No viruses, trojans, etc. like somebody above said.
No constant changes in software. I love it!
In fact it's working so well, I've been using it as my full-time computer. Am ready to upgrade so I can get Parallels, but I'll get an iMac for that, and keep this one to carry around.
Price? The ibook cost me $999 in 2005 (and basic Apple laptops are still not too much more expensive). I bought it on the advice of a friend. Have been grateful for that advice ever since.
And it's so EASY to use too and comes with lots of cool stuff already built in.
A bit of a pain that people "out there" tend to assume you have a PC and don't often make versions of stuff for the Mac, but, well, that's not an issue anymore with the new ones...