laptop or desktop

[pdepapas]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello,
I am currently in California, and I will be attending dental school in Boston next fall. For those of you with experience, should I purchase a laptop or a desktop? I think my school doesn't require a laptop. My dad is suggesting that I purchase both. Is that really necessary. I thought that a laptop would be more convenient, but after reading the posts on this thread, laptops seem quite unreliable. My sister suggested that I purchase a desktop since they're cheaper and ship it to Boston, but my dad suggested to just buy a desktop in Boston. I know this is a silly question, but should I purchase a laptop, desktop, or both? Or should I just ship over my old desktop that I have now and buy a laptop?

and which kind of laptop is good?

Thanks for any input.

 

[UBTom]

Several things to consider when making your decision:

1) Are you computer-literate enough to be able to troubleshoot things on your own and proficient at adding upgrades? If yes, then you can buy both a desktop AND a laptop. If no, then you should choose just one-- It's hard enough to troubleshoot just one computer, let alone two.

2) Is mobility important? Do you want to be able to take it with you everywhere you go (especially if the school you are going to has wireless access points)? If mobility is important, then you want a laptop (or both if you are skilled with troubleshooting). If not, desktop.

3) Is performance an issue? Dollar for dollar, desktops are more powerful than laptops. For the amount you spend on a medium-powered laptop, you can get a REALLY kick-ass desktop rig. So if things like CPU speed, amount of RAM, amount of HD space, superfast/nice-looking 3D graphics capability are important to you, then you want to get a desktop (or both if you are good at troubleshooting).

Answer those three questions above and you should be able to arrive at an answer.

My preferences: I'm a POWERMONGER and I know how to troubleshoot computers inside and out. For my situation, I got a REALLY powerful self-built desktop rig, and a medium-powered ultralight laptop for carrying around. Because of my desktop rig's power and upgradeability, I don't have to have a powerful laptop so it could be the lightest, cheapest model available.

HTH!

 

[ItsGavinC]

If it were my decision, I'd get both.

I have a desktop/laptop setup, and it's been wonderful. Couple that with a wireless network based around a T2 line, and you're cooking with gas.

I do most of my work at my desktop, although I spend a fair amount of time with my laptop in the living room.

At school, of course, I'm on my laptop for 8 or 9 hours each day. The wireless network at home makes it easy to sync all the information, and provides me with a good backup copy of all my documents should one computer fail. Of course, our laptops have had some major problems this semester, so I'm assuming it will be the first to go.

 

[Comet208]

Tom is more than right. However i look at things a bit differently since i already have a mobile life and limited space to put a desktop in. I invested in a very good custom-built laptop and its been great for me. knowing how to trouble-shoot laptops also comes very handy when you HAVE to rely on your laptop for almost everything that you do.

Comet

 

[pdepapas]

Thanks for your responses.

Yes, I am a bit computer illiterate. I just know how to use word processing and internet. Other things concerning troubleshooting, I usually rely on my brother or dad. When everything fails, I tend to just reboot everything. I think getting a laptop is most convenient since it's easy to move around. Hopefully, it is not more prone to problems than desktops. What brand of laptops is good? From another thread, I read that Dells are unreliable.

 

[ShawnOne]

I love Sony, although they are NOT cheap. check out www.sonystyle.com

 

[dr_benj]

As far as reliability and performance for the money, i think toshiba makes the best laptops.

 

[UBTom]

As Shawn and Benj mentioned, Sony Vaios and Toshibas are nice. Which reminds me to mention: If you want to go with a laptop, it's a good idea to 1) buy from a reputable brand with readily-available support, and 2) get a good warranty package.

More often than not a laptop WILL get dropped on the floor accidentally no matter how careful you are. Back a few years ago while I had a trusty IBM Thinkpad 600X, I had a 3-year warranty and boy did it come in handy... 2.5 years into my ownership, I accidentally dropped it and busted one of the LCD screen hinges. IBM Fed-exed me a box with a prepaid shipping label, I packed the thing in and Fed-exed it back, and 5 days later it was Fed-exed back to me fully repaired and I didn't have to pay a dime during the episode. Which explains why I'm partial to ThinkPads myself.. Sony and Toshiba are reputable to this level as well (with similar warranty packages available I believe).

Today I just took delivery of a ThinkPad X31 ultraportable. SWEET... 😀

 

[StarGirl]

if you get a lap top then you definately don't need a desktop...

i took my old desktop w/ me (cross country). i did this because I couldn't decide if i wanted a lap top or to just use my lap top (which I loved and was a gift from my friends). And it was just easier to have a lap top, so two or three weeks into school, my bro bought me a lap top and I don't think I'll go back to a desk top. I have a dell. The only thing different I would do is to buy something lighter. It's hard carying something the weights nearly 1/10 (well not exactly...) of your weight on top of everything else. But then again maybe you're stronger 😛

you have plenty of time...unless you're certain you're going to be in Boston...and even then, you should wait until the summer to make your purchase...the price will go down and you'll be able to get more for you money....