Laptops or home computers? School starts in two weeks, I am torn between the two and I need help choosing.?

Question

I'm a junior in college, I enjoy gaming but don't im very much. It will be used for shcool some but mostly for fun. I do not travel that much but i can see how convienent it would be to take a laptop with me wherever I go. other than convience what are the pros and cons of both?

I have had personal computers in the past that were hand me downs, so this will be my first brand new one. all advice will be appriciated.

Answer 1

If you want to game on a laptop, it will cost you $2,000+ and it will EAT batteries die to the graphics card.







You can build a seriously fast gaming PC for $800 through newgg.com.



$76 - Penitum e2140 (uses the Core 2 chip design)

$40 - 120mm heatsink / fan for the CPU, lets you overclock from the stock 1.6ghz to 2.8ghz+

$130 - Gigabyte P35 motherboard (upgradeable to Quad core)

$75 - 2gb DDR2-800 RAM

$250 - Nvidia 8800GTS 320mb video card

$44 - Cooler Master Centurion case

$80 - 320gb Seagate SATA hard disk

$85 - 500watt+ FSP, OCZ, Hyper, etc. level power supply

$30 - DVD burner



The above will play any game at MAX settings.



It's very easy to put a PC together, I mean do you really think the people on the assembly lines at Dell/HP warehouses are skilled?

There are plenty of instructional videos on youtube.com and great help forums at anandtech.com and tomshardware.com.





OR





Laptop prices have became quite reasonable over the last year, and catching a good sale will make it downright cheap.



Looking through the Sunday ads, this is easily the best for the money at $449 (after rebate)

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Compaq-Presario-15-4-Widescreen-Notebook-PC-F572US/sem/rpsm/oid/185304/catOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

It has:

AMD Dual-core CPU (2 processors in one)

1gb of RAM

DVD / CD burner

80gb hard drive

wireless internet



This one from Office Depot is also a steal at $479 after rebate, with all the same features, just using an Intel CPU instead of the AMD:

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=630065&Ntt=a135-s4666&uniqueSearchFlag=true&An=text



Honestly, spending $7,8, or even $900 simply gets you a 120gb hard drive 2gb of RAM (with a SLIGHTLY faster clocked CPU).



And as you can see:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=laptop+RAM+install&search=Search

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208300

Upping the 1gb of RAM to 2gb is only $38.



And 80gb's of hard drive space is enough for pretty much everything someone would do on a laptop. Now if she's a movie pirate or something, she might want some more space lol.



If you have any questions let me know.

Answer 2

You will get more bang for your buck from a desktop - a comparable laptop will probably cost 50% plus more and I am not sure any are really up to the latest games.



A PC is easier to upgrade and additional storage is a simple task to install. You can also upgrade your graphics if and when something better comes out you can afford.



As someone who often has a laptop with them I would say that the weight can be a pain at times. Battery life is also an issue and will diminish over a period of 2-3 years.



Have fun.



wanderjahre

http://www.satangc.blogspot.com

Answer 3

Here are some things you might think of considering: 1. School & Environment Atmosphere - Which do you enjoy the most? Do you think you can get along with the students there? Is the competition high in the school, and do you think you can handle it? You might want to evaluate the area outside of school as well. Is dangerous, or is it safe? Are the people in the area friendly? 2. Program - Do you like the way the teachers teach? Which do you prefer - many chances of performance or not so much? By the way, you can also major in performance then get a degree in education in master school. Double major is a lot of work. 3. Financial Issue - Do you need the scholarship? Can you afford living outside of school? This can also lead back to the environment problem: Are things expensive in the area? Best wishes in your future college career!

Answer 4

I've had the chance to use both in the past, I would suggest laptop. It's more pricey compared to desktops but if you're the only one paying for this...you can get good deals like 0% interest for 12 months payment. Also, since you are a gamer, try the AMD Turion technology laptops. Convenience is pretty much the leverage. Think of bringing it to school for slide presentations in projects plus you can do wireless connection with laptops in internet cafe's or coffee shops. Plus you'll be the cooolest kid in school.

Answer 5

I would go for a laptop, if I were you. The main reason is that it is mobile- you can bring it anywhere, so you dont have to be stuck in your room when you have to do research or schoolwork- you can go out, bring your computer with you and do your work.



Besides, there are many cheap laptops in the market today- just go for one that will provide for your basic needs. You can just buy accessories when you want to upgrade the activities you can do on your laptop.



Yahoo recently had this article on laptops for students- just check out the links below.

Answer 6

get a laptop , but get one that has a good graphics card, some good rma (2gb), a good processor speed, and some good screen size. Also, make it hold at least 160 gb. its better cause you dont have to go to the same place to use the computer all the time, and you can use it during those holiday drives when you get bored. also, get some batteries for the road. but thats if you get your laptop. and the best bit is, portable, no wires!!



SUP 2 U NOW, BYE!!

Answer 7

When you go to college, how often can you use their computers? If you can't use if that much, get a laptop. If that's not enough for games, just get a stronger than normal laptop for gaming. There are such things as gaming notebooks, you know. Check out Alienware Notebooks, they are all gaming capable.

Answer 8

it all depends on ur budget i bought a 2000$ laptop that is the equivalent to a 1000$ computer but u can get laptops as good as computers they just cost more

Answer 9

Are you referring to home computers as desktop computers? If so, you should get a laptop because it's portable and convenient, and if you're going to college, you're better off getting a laptop.

Answer 10

LAPTOP! laptop laptop laptop! ooo, laptop! whilst PC's are all well and good...you cant take them with you wherever you go. and its a pain to move them from whatever set up spot. and if they crash or whatever n need repairs, you have to dismantle EVERYTHING, n carry it all to the shop place. quite annoying



there really arent many cons about laptops...except they can get quite hot underneath if you keep them on your lap. for that reason, i always try and put mine on a flat surface or a board on my lap so the air can circulate n it doesnt burn out. also, if you spill stuff on the keyboard it'll ruin the lappy itself, whilst you dont often have that problem with desktops.



all in all though, laptops rule!

Answer 11

I have never had a laptop that I liked, If having your files with you is important then buy a thumb drive.

Answer 12

I suggest you buy a laptop with more options on it like big hard drive capacity and higher video graphics and a fast processor about 2GHz or higher in speed that should do, for your gaming and other work as well, if you can afford it. and you can easily take it with you.

Answer 13

How have you gotten by in college without a laptop? What is a home computer, do you mean desktop?

Answer 14

go for laptop...today's laptop have much reliabilty and they work for professional as well as gaming purpose!!





will even get a resale value atleast better than desktop





dhruv

Answer 15

Deff. A laptop so u can carry it around

Answer 16

laptop is the appropriate