Buying a 500-700$ notebook for college. Or should I? - Hardware & Software

I tried asking in some other thread but got no answer. Bascially I'm looking for a versatile notebook withing 500-700$ price range (a bit hard to specify, because of currency differences) and I'm almost decided on Lenovo IdeaPad Y570. Thing is - I still have lots of time to decide (up till September/October) and I'm not sure if I should just go ahead and buy it right now or wait until Ivy Bridges/Windows 8 become more popular. Of course if there's some better option please do tell me. Thanks for your help in advance.

What will you be using the notebook for? Will you be bringing it to lectures with you, or will it mostly just stay in your room? I'm just asking because I bought a laptop for university and when I got there i realised I never took it outside of my room, never used it in lectures, and never took it to the library as it was fully stocked with PC's. I wish I'd saved the money and just used the money to build my own desktop. If you will be taking it to lectures and you do need a portable computer, I'd just wait. You don't want to buy it now to find out later in the year that there are better alternatives available for the same price you bought the IdeaPad for. If there are no better alternatives when the time comes you HAVE to buy a new notebook, then you can just buy the IdeaPad you have your eyes on now, and for all you know it could have dropped in price.

Thanks for your opinon. Normally I'd also prefer a normal desktop, thing is I believe I'll have to bring it with me to the lectures. The decision would be easier if Microsoft stated the exact release date for new Windows.

Haha, yeah I was on PC Advisor and noticed they are keeping their cards close to their chest in the case on a release date. I think your best bet is to probably wait it out for a while and see if Microsoft do give an exact release date in the not too distant future. Like you said, you have a bit of time before you have to commit to a purchase. If there is no sign of Windows 8 when you come to have to purchase, you could always buy a notebook and when Windows 8 comes out put all your work onto an external HDD so you don't lose it and upgrade.

[QUOTE=Lance99;36467392]Thanks for your opinon. Normally I'd also prefer a normal desktop, thing is I believe I'll have to bring it with me to the lectures. The decision would be easier if Microsoft stated the exact release date for new Windows.[/QUOTE] If your lectures contain a lot of writing and you can't write in shorthand/write fast enough, then I'd advise getting a laptop. As Meekle said, wait closer to when you start as you won't know if you'll actually need one or not. If you are doing something like maths, then it's actually better to use pen and paper, whereas physics will be more writing based and you may need a laptop.

I'll study both of these subjects and I suppose I'll also have to make some designs, so laptop is pretty much a must-have. I only wonder if I should wait for new thingies like Windows. Thanks for your input!

No, windows 8 is like turning your PC into a freakin console... Windows 7 is fine and will be for awhile, and ivy bridge on a laptop would kinda be worth the wait but the last gen sandy bridge is still very very nice.

You don't need a laptop for a lecture. Most lecture halls don't give you a lot of room, so a laptop will take up the whole space. On top of that, it's real hard to just take notes in a really boring class on a laptop. I tended to stumble a bit. What if you have to draw a diagram or a table in a fast paced class? Near impossible. If you truly think you will benefit from it, get it, otherwise just bring a notebook and pencil.

[QUOTE=Lance99;36473386]I'll study both of these subjects and I suppose I'll also have to make some designs, so laptop is pretty much a must-have. I only wonder if I should wait for new thingies like Windows. Thanks for your input![/QUOTE] Some stores (I saw the offer on best buy's website) will let you buy a computer running Windows 7 now and let you get Windows 8 Pro for $15 or something like that.

[QUOTE=QuikKill;36481093]You don't need a laptop for a lecture. Most lecture halls don't give you a lot of room, so a laptop will take up the whole space. On top of that, it's real hard to just take notes in a really boring class on a laptop. I tended to stumble a bit. What if you have to draw a diagram or a table in a fast paced class? Near impossible. If you truly think you will benefit from it, get it, otherwise just bring a notebook and pencil.[/QUOTE] The average notebook takes up as much, or maybe even more space then a small laptop and then you have to think about the ammount of space you take up flexing your arm and sticking out your elbow, with a small 15 - 17 inch laptop you take up 1 squared ammount of space and you just type.

having a laptop in uni is very important for me. For allowing me to work annywhere: Bus, outside, annywhere my group is working with the programs and data that is on my laptop. Also since I do mechanical engineering and mechatronics its important that I can bring my computer to test locations and near projects. Added + is that its a mobile jukebox at party's and a PC you can bring with you for when you go on exhange or traveling. Seriously buying a good laptop has been a very good choice [U]for me[/U] in comparison to upgrading my game pc.

[QUOTE=Zerokateo;36482415]The average notebook takes up as much, or maybe even more space then a small laptop and then you have to think about the ammount of space you take up flexing your arm and sticking out your elbow, with a small 15 - 17 inch laptop you take up 1 squared ammount of space and you just type.[/QUOTE] Then you got to lug around a laptop all day, worrying about people stealing it, and trying to draw something on a notebook with a laptop on your desk is challenging. It's really up to the person.

[QUOTE=QuikKill;36483028]Then you got to lug around a laptop all day, worrying about people stealing it, and trying to draw something on a notebook with a laptop on your desk is challenging. It's really up to the person.[/QUOTE] If you seriously cant lug around a small 10 pound or less laptop thats pretty sad. You don't have to worry about that shit at college as long as you keep it in your dorm room when you're not in class. Shut the laptop and put said notepad on desk.

[QUOTE=Zerokateo;36515075]If you seriously cant lug around a small 10 pound or less laptop thats pretty sad. You don't have to worry about that shit at college as long as you keep it in your dorm room when you're not in class. Shut the laptop and put said notepad on desk.[/QUOTE] Try carrying your calc, chem and physics books and notebooks around + a laptop. It gets tiring carrying 50 pounds of crap with you all day. And perhaps maybe in your perfect small town college you don't have to worry about it, but I live in Milwaukee, and you do have to worry about it. You should stop being so narrow minded and realize that there are other situations other than what you have experienced.

[QUOTE=QuikKill;36515702]Try carrying your calc, chem and physics books and notebooks around + a laptop. It gets tiring carrying 50 pounds of crap with you all day. And perhaps maybe in your perfect small town college you don't have to worry about it, but I live in Milwaukee, and you do have to worry about it. You should stop being so narrow minded and realize that there are other situations other than what you have experienced.[/QUOTE] Not being narrow minded, being realistic. And the closest college to me is Texas A&M, pretty big college if you ask me. I wouldn't have a problem carrying around 50 pounds everyday, then again I was raised in a military family and I'm a boyscout so I'm always moving and carrying heavy stuff.

[QUOTE=Zerokateo;36515843]Not being narrow minded, being realistic. And the closest college to me is Texas A&M, pretty big college if you ask me. I wouldn't have a problem carrying around 50 pounds everyday, then again I was raised in a military family and I'm a boyscout so I'm always moving and carrying heavy stuff.[/QUOTE] I get your point, I'm not saying me, I'm going to be entering the rotc program next fall, but some people here might have issues. And milwaukees crime rate is one of the highest in america.

I bought a laptop for college and then never brought it to class. I preferred having a paper notebook. But laptops are extremely helpful if you want one, helps you type down a lot more than you can write. It's up to you, but if it's just for lectures or whatever, don't spend $500+ dollars on it. Unless you want it to be a gaming laptop or something then just get something cheap that runs word processing.