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My daughter is off to college in September (studying biotech) and she'll need a computer. We visited a few campuses and everyone has a laptop. Should we go for the standard size laptop or pay a little more and get one of the ones with the 17" screen:
Positives
- Easier to see; no need for a separate monitor
- Larger keyboard
- Has the numeric keyboard on the right side
Negatives
- Shorter battery life (but she won't be on plane; AC is all over campus)
- Bulkier
- Heavier
Dell and HP have some nice 17" laptops. Any recommendations?
My daughter is off to college in September (studying biotech) and she'll need a computer. We visited a few campuses and everyone has a laptop. Should we go for the standard size laptop or pay a little more and get one of the ones with the 17" screen:
Positives
- Easier to see; no need for a separate monitor
- Larger keyboard
- Has the numeric keyboard on the right side
Negatives
- Shorter battery life (but she won't be on plane; AC is all over campus)
- Bulkier
- Heavier
Dell and HP have some nice 17" laptops. Any recommendations?
Macs and some HP come with 17 inches.
But portability is more important with a laptop. A 17 incher is going to be a pain to carry around.
The following model from Dell is tailor-made for students in the technical domains like engineering, bio-tech and research.
Dell even lets you intensify the config if you prefer more memory and higher processor speed.
Dell Precision M2400 Mobile Workstation
Dell Precision Mobile Workstations
Laptops for specialized professionals in industries such as design, engineering, architecture, and finance, or businesses who run demanding applications.
I would take the weight into account. I took my notebook everywhere with me while in college. Between the computer and my books, it was a heavy load. During that time, I always wished I had a lighter computer.
Thanks to all. I found the college's requirements/recommendations online so that helps. Talking to a few people, the 17" is too large and I should get something smaller/lighter....
in a university there should be plenty of computer labs she could use.
after she gets into major, she will have access to her own department's computer lab, which is in same building as most of her classes are, I went thru my undergrad without laptop and did not feel any inconvenience with it. However now I'm in grad school, a laptop comes in much more handy than before
to me, laptop is a luxury item for undergrad------of course it depends on how easy can you afford one, also depends on her major.
I would highly recommend against a 17inch laptop.
I have a 15.4 (or 15.6, can't remember) laptop and I hate it too.
I would honestly look for a 14.1 inch if I could find one. They tend to be a couple hundred more than the 15inchers and about the same price as the 17inch ones...
Having a big laptop is cool for a few days, or weeks, when you want to watch movies, play games, etc...but once the semester is in full swing and you realize what a pain it is to lug around such a big laptop, you realize how much it sucks...
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