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Back to school laptop recommendations

post #1 of 142
6/26/10 at 3:18am
Thread Starter 

1. http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=High+performance&series_name=dv6zse_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks/High_performance/dv6zse_series

 

2. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11539384&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|84&N=4001604&Mo=43&No=14&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4797&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

 

3. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11533247&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|84&N=4001486&Mo=1360&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=84&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

 

I need your help in choosing a notebook PC for the purpose of returning back to undergraduate school. I have been accepted to New Jersey Institute of Technology (http://www.njit.edu) and my two majors will be Information Technology Network Security and Mathematics Cryptology and Cryptanalysis. My budget is $700.00 USD excluding shipping, handling, and NJ tax. I need this computer by August 2010.

 

What do you think about the Hewlett Packard DV6 Select Edition or Acer especially for the URL that I provided from Costco? My usage patterns will be Matlab, Microsoft Office 2010, programming, anti-virus, and other tools including web surfing, e-mail, and playing chess during Sundays.

 

I would appreciate opinions from members especially if you do happen to own a relatively brand new HP DV6 Select Edition or Acer. Thank you.


Edited by Welly Wu - 6/26/10 at 5:11am
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post #2 of 142
6/26/10 at 8:37am

Not a comment on those specific laptops, but a comment on modern laptop screen resolutions.  Everything now is wide to match HDTV resolutions.  Wide at the expense of height and total screen square inches.  Those laptops have a screen height on 768 pixels.  That is so 20 years ago when high res monitors had a resolution of 1024x768.  I thought we had moved on from that.

 

In programming and writing and reading web pages and reading documentation the height is important.  You want as much height as possible so you can see more lines of text.  Otherwise you're always scrolling up and down.  In programming the more lines of text you can see in the editor the better.  It is more difficult to keep thoughts and algorithms in flow when you have to constantly scroll up and down to see what just off the top or bottom of the page.  Living in the world again of 768 pixel screen heights is not progress.

 

An old LCD desktop monitor that can rotate to portrait mode could be a good addition for when you're working at your desk at home.  Something like an older 1280x1024 monitor that can be rotated to portrait.  Use it as a secondary monitor with the laptop when you are at your desk.

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post #3 of 142
6/26/10 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 

Ham Sandwich:

 

I have to agree with your comments, but I am still doing a lot of research and I can not find a laptop with anything other than 768 pixels for screen height that is within my budget. Actually, I do have more money to spend on a laptop, but I do not want to do so.

 

The Acer is superior to the HP in terms of features and hardware specifications in my humble opinion.

 

There is a PC Magazine review of the Hewlett Packard DV6-3013CL here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2364553,00.asp . It is nothing special according to Mr. Delaney who reviewed this PC. I am trying to find a review on the Acer model, but nothing is available as of yet.

 

What do other members think? Am I missing another brand's PC for $700 which I should consider?

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post #4 of 142
6/26/10 at 10:28am

If you're going to be doing programming on your machine I would suggest a Lenovo Thinkpad series laptop, which have keyboards that are among the best in the business. Avoid the R/L/SL series laptops since they tend to be thicker and of lower overall quality. Unfortunately Thinkpads are on the expensive side and you'd need to check the Lenovo Outlet or Ebay to meet your budget. 

 

Many schools offer discounts through Lenovo and they almost always have coupons for discounts of 10% at the very least. Just google "lenovo coupons" to find them. My W500 was about 45% off after stacking two different discounts.

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post #5 of 142
6/26/10 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 

MCC:

 

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+-+Thinkpad+Edge+Laptop+/+Intel%26%23174;+Core%26%23153;+i3+Processor+/+14"+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black+Glossy/1032458.p?id=1218211702907&skuId=1032458&st=lenovo&contract_desc=null

 

BestBuy has this available on their expanded online assortment store and it meets their professional series lineup. It does come with Windows 7 Professional 64bit edition which is required by NJIT.

 

I may have found the right notebook PC for my back to school needs. This looks to be a winner.

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post #6 of 142
6/26/10 at 11:36am

Quote:
Originally Posted by Welly Wu View Post

MCC:

 

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+-+Thinkpad+Edge+Laptop+/+Intel%26%23174;+Core%26%23153;+i3+Processor+/+14"+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black+Glossy/1032458.p?id=1218211702907&skuId=1032458&st=lenovo&contract_desc=null

 

BestBuy has this available on their expanded online assortment store and it meets their professional series lineup. It does come with Windows 7 Professional 64bit edition which is required by NJIT.

 

I may have found the right notebook PC for my back to school needs. This looks to be a winner.

 

I forgot about the new Edge series- they're more consumer oriented and that might just be what you need. It does have a different style of keyboard however- I haven't tried it myself but I've heard it's also very good.
 

Also, I've checked and your school DOES provide discounts through Lenovo but Best Buy has better specs for the price on that particular model.

 

Edit: I find it very interesting that your school requires Windows 7 Pro x64. My school, ISU, fully supports and even encourages the use of alternate OS's like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (free for students) and Mac OSX, or older OS's like XP. I myself run Windows 7 now though after two years of exclusive use of Debian and Ubuntu.


Edited by MCC - 6/26/10 at 11:41am
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post #7 of 142
6/26/10 at 12:02pm
Thread Starter 

MCC:

 

Thanks for your help so far.

 

I too find it quite baffling as to why NJIT requires all of their students to use Windows 7 Professional 64bit, but that is the university's computing requirements. They recommend a Dell Latitude E6510 as it is supported on campus and comes pre-installed with not only Windows 7 Professional 64bit, but with their NJIT software bundle (i.e., Microsoft Office, Matlab, programming, anti-virus, and other tools). I can buy any computer that I want to and either download or borrow the CD-ROM for the software bundle, but I am solely responsible for installing the appropriate drivers and software myself. It is a good thing that I am CompTIA A+ and Network+ certified so I know what I am doing in case of technical support.

 

The Lenovo IBM Thinkpad is a good computer, but I need an Intel Core i5 CPU, 2 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM, 160 gigabyte 7,200 RPM hard drive, a dual layer CD/DVD burner drive, 802.11 b/g/n certified Wi-Fi, 10/100 Ethernet port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, and a multi-format Secure Digital card reader. NJIT requires this as their baseline computing requirement.

 

I hope that there will be some special back to school deals to be had come late August or early September.

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post #8 of 142
6/26/10 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 

I love Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and I am running it right now on my Toshiba NB205-N310/BN netbook computer. I plan on installing it on my new PC despite the fact that my father objects to it. Oh well.

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post #9 of 142
6/26/10 at 12:29pm

So, my own laptop fails to meet the baseline since it has a Core 2 instead of a Core i5. If I went there I would have to replace my otherwise perfectly good machine (4GB DDR3 RAM, ATI FirePro V5700 switchable graphics, 320GB 7.2k HDD, GigE, 802.11n, etc.) because I have a slightly older CPU μArch. Amazing...

 

Their spec shouldn't be difficult to find for newer machines, but the fact that it edges out slightly older but just-as-well performing hardware is puzzling to me. Further example of the throwaway society we live in.

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post #10 of 142
6/26/10 at 12:51pm
Thread Starter 

MCC:

 

Did I mention that NJIT is currently revising its baseline computing requirements this summer for the upcoming fall semester for its students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels?

 

This means that the Dell Latitude E6510 and E6410 are going to be obsolete recommendations in a few weeks time.

 

I think that I am going to have to go with the Acer just to ensure there is enough future proof computing power and capacity to meet NJIT's requirements. It packs a lot of computer for such a low price. Of course, I will have to buy Windows 7 Professional 64 bit upgrade afterwards on my own dime, but at least I will be a Federal Work Study student on campus.

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post #11 of 142
6/26/10 at 1:06pm

Check to see if your school has a MSDNAA subscription for students. My copy of Windows 7 was free through that program, as are Server 2k8 R2 Enterprise, Exchange, etc.

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post #12 of 142
6/26/10 at 1:40pm
Thread Starter 

Yeah, I was thinking about that so I will ask my professors or the IT department at NJIT. They probably do have MSDNAA subscriptions for faculty and students.

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post #13 of 142
6/26/10 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MCC View Post


Their spec shouldn't be difficult to find for newer machines, but the fact that it edges out slightly older but just-as-well performing hardware is puzzling to me. Further example of the throwaway society we live in.


Conspiracy theory: The spec was defined by Dell so everyone would be forced to buy a new computer even though they have a perfectly functioning and otherwise adequate laptop.  :)

 

I'm also in the looking for a laptop.  I'm not liking what I see in the current crop of laptops.  Everything has gone wide screen format.  That's great if you use the laptop for entertainment playing YouTube and DVDs.  If you want to do productivity type things you want tall rather than wide.  FireWire is also getting harder to find (and more expensive to find).

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post #14 of 142
6/26/10 at 2:50pm
Thread Starter 

How are Acer notebook PCs? I know they are quite popular in Europe and that they offer a great value in terms of price to performance ratios go. I am going to be commuting by bus to and from my home and the NJIT campus in Newark, NJ. So, I am expecting a little rough handling while in commute.

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post #15 of 142
6/26/10 at 4:51pm

I was in somewhat of the same predicament a couple years back when I was scheduled to begin my courses. Having to upgrade my laptop to meet the pretty advanced hardware requirements and all...

 

I ended up just building a PC as my main station and bought a nice netbook (MSI Wind U100; mostly because it's hackintosh-able and linux friendly hah) as a complement. I like the combination and find that I don't think I would like to have to rely on a laptop solely. 

 

I'm doing a CS major with a Secure Computing and Networks minor, which is similar to your fields, and as you know that results in a lot of programming. You're going to want as much screen real estate as you can possibly get. Then that is when you start going into the 17", etc. and brings up the question if you are willing to lug something of that heft around campus all day (seeing that you are going to be commuting and all). I find that a stationary PC (I use a 32" TV as my monitor) and a netbook for text editing on the go checks all my boxes. 

 

With your budget a $150 netbook and $550-600 doesn't look too bad.

 

I don't know just throwing things out there. Just something to think about. 


Edited by Surreal. - 6/26/10 at 4:54pm
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