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| Thread ID: 38485 | 2003-10-08 20:47:00 | decisions decisions decisions!!!! | yingxuan (3330) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 181441 | 2003-10-08 20:47:00 | Notebook vs desktop I want to get a new computer at the end of the year.Im in New Plymouth and want to go to auckland or wellington uni. Im not so sure if i should buy a desktop or a notebook/laptop.Desktop are much harder to carry but its easily to be upgraded.I heard from my friend that there are things that laptop cannot download.Im not so sure what she means by that but i think that the downfall of laptop is the screen and able upgrade it. Any help? |
yingxuan (3330) | ||
| 181442 | 2003-10-08 20:52:00 | Laptops are a students right hand. | metla (154) | ||
| 181443 | 2003-10-08 20:57:00 | I've been recently contemplating an upgrade, so I can say this with some conviction - get a laptop. Make sure it's a grunty one, with lots of extras. Even though it might cost more than a desktop, my experience has shown that if you buy a desktop, unless you're willing to expand it regularly, will be un-upgradeable in a couple of years. Despite the "expandability" of the modern desktop, developments in technology and format wars (DVD writers for example, a potential shift to 64 bit processors), will make future upgrades a waste of time. For example - in two years, my mid-range Athlon is so outdated that upgrading to anything worthwile requires gettign rid of everything bar the CD-writer and the DVD rom (and I upgraded to those only last year!) While technology is probably not as rampant as it once was, I wouldn't bank on being able to do much to upgrade a desktop within a few years. Buying a laptop entails no expectation of upgrading, so go for gold, and be happy with mobile computing. Then when you are ready for new technology, sell the old one and buy a new one... Just my two cents worth... Lizard |
Lizard (2409) | ||
| 181444 | 2003-10-08 21:05:00 | but wouldn't be outdated too?Wouldn't a laptop has a less upgraded ability than a desktop? | yingxuan (3330) | ||
| 181445 | 2003-10-08 21:10:00 | Yes, Technology is moving fast, but prices are dirt cheap, as noted in another thread you can do an almighty upgrade for a few hundred dollars. I would certainly recommend a laptop to a student for the sake of mobility but if the computer is going to be stationary then a desktop has a huge advantage over a laptop. |
metla (154) | ||
| 181446 | 2003-10-08 21:11:00 | If you want to continually upgrade, by a desktop. If you want the portability you will need at Uni, buy a laptop. They (laptops) are not that expensive now, and it will be much more convenient. Just never assume you can upgrade a laptop, usually you cant. You won't need to for Uni studies anyway. The money you save in the first year or two by not upgrading will buy a new desktop PC. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 181447 | 2003-10-08 21:18:00 | Yes it would. What I'm saying is that unless you've got money to burn, then forget about upgrading in the future. If you buy a desktop now, then you have about 1 year to effectively upgrade the computer, and then your stuck with it. I'm saying that upgrading is over rated, unless you have the cash to replace the motherboard, cpu and ram every other year (at which point you could probably buy a new computer). If you're going to be in that position, then go for a top end laptop, and forfeit the urge to upgrade. The laptop is portable (great for lectures), won't take up a lot of space in a small room, and if you get one with a DVD drive and a good mobile graphics chipset, you can offer DVD playback for the flat by hooking up to the TV. Both will become outdated, but my opinion is that laptops hold their value and perfomance longer than desktops - upgradeability be damned. If you like tinkering, modifying and upgrading (researching, buying and then fitting the new toys), then your question's been answered. However, I think a student is better served by a decent laptop. In rough terms, you could spend $3000 on a great system - either laptop or desktop - and it would meet most of your needs for a three year degree. With a laptop, knowing you can't upgrade it effectively, you wouldn't feel compelled to spend money on it, and it would equate to $1000/year. If you buy the desktop, you will want to buy that new graphics card ($300-$500), a new processor ($300), more RAM ($200) and bigger hard drives ($200-$400). You add those costs up, and a desktop becomes pricey. You can upgrade the HDD in a laptop if necessary, and still have change left over 2 cents just inflated to 4 cents Lizard |
Lizard (2409) | ||
| 181448 | 2003-10-08 22:55:00 | Go with a laptop I reckon. They are becoming cheaper and more popular all the time and almost as good as a desktop, except for upgradability. As stated by Lizard you can upgrade the HDD later on and also add more RAM. These days most of them have pretty much everything you could want - USB2.0 - LAN - Modem - DVD/CDRW - 15" screen etc. I was also told that in August, laptops outsold PC's in NZ for the first time! |
CYaBro (73) | ||
| 181449 | 2003-10-08 23:21:00 | The lappys sold by Noel Leeming et al seem to be well priced in comparison . $2000 - $2200 +GST or thereabouts buys a P4 class with hi-res screen, DVD ROM, CDRW, etc etc . Have now set 4 up in total . They have sold very well, many people are buying them instead of desktop replacements . The comments on upgrading above are correct . Its usually cheaper to ditch the desktop and start again . Having a laptop as well means you can keep fixing the desktop until its properly broken, and still have a working computer . |
godfather (25) | ||
| 181450 | 2003-10-08 23:34:00 | At this point in time todays computers have more grunt than the average user has a use for (possibly excluding hard core gamers and graphics users) . A laptop purchased now with 256mb ram and a 2 . 4 ghz processor ought to last for years before an upgrade is necessary . Computers get upgraded in order to play the latest software and apart from games and possibly graphics it ought to take a long time before todays PCs can no longer slug it out with the software of the future . After all, what more can they possibly do to Office to require more power? Bloat, yes, but power? OK, these words may come back and bite me on the bum in three years time, but realistically only the hard core gamers and compulsive upgraders will be needing a new computer that soon . The average user will still be completely satisfied with the PC they bought today . Go for a laptop - the highest specced one you can afford . ;-) |
Fire-and-Ice (3910) | ||
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