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Ok...At first I thought that I would definitely be buying a laptop this summer because of portability. However, I have realized that a desktop gives more bang for the buck. I do a lot of CPU and memory intensive stuff so I'd rather have the desktop. I still want the portability, though...does anyone know how cheap laptops can run? I've basically decided that I want both. But...that costs money. I'd take an obsolete one for all I care because I figure all I'd be doing on the laptop would be word processing and such; nothing big at all. So essentially, is it worth it to buy both (as in can a laptop be cheap enough)?

By Roh (Roh) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 08:30 pm: Edit

desktop is generally cheaper and faster than laptops because laptops don't have as much power.

By Moojuice (Moojuice) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 09:03 pm: Edit

I've got a laptop that is as good as any desktop (1 GB DDR RAM, 3.2 P4 Processor, ATI RADEON 9600 PRO, 80 GB HD 7200) for $2500. It's going to last me for AT LEAST my first year of college, maybe through my sophomore year if I don't play a lot of games.

By Vinesun (Vinesun) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 09:34 pm: Edit

ah, I shoulda been more clear...I'm definitely buying a desktop; I just want to know whether i could find a laptop for a very cheap price because I would still like to have some portability.

By Moojuice (Moojuice) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 10:17 pm: Edit

Oh, right. What about a PDA and fold-out keyboard for taking notes in class? My friend does that and it works well for him. You can probably get a really good one that gets internet and prints for $600 or so. It'd be cheaper than a laptop.

By Sbpnoi112 (Sbpnoi112) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 10:20 pm: Edit

scour some of the free classifieds in your vicinity. usually, their are people who buy old laptops in bulk from corporations, refurbish them, and resell them. i found an IBM thinkpad with a PIII processor (all you need for word processing and the like - you can even use winxp) with 384 MB ram and a 7 gb hard drive for $500, negotiated with the guy to get it down to $400, a dvd drive, and an extra battery, but didn't buy it because im holding out for an apple laptop - they are so much more powerful and reliable than windows pcs in intensive stuff, but that's just my opinion...if you can negotiate and look, you can find a basic laptop for mobility.

By Iamthekid (Iamthekid) on Monday, May 10, 2004 - 12:44 pm: Edit

how much does a good laptop cost? What is like the minimum cost ...? And, I have heard that if you buy from a university you tend to get it cheaper? I'm goin' to USC and I don't think they provide you with a laptop, right?

By Icarus (Icarus) on Monday, May 10, 2004 - 06:25 pm: Edit

lol moojuice are you seriously planning on replacing your $2500 laptop after your first year?! That laptop should not be truely obsolete for a while, and as long as you don't need extra hard drive space or you don't fry anything with that P4 (they run pretty hot in laptops), it should last you several years.

To Iamthekid, yes definitely check with your university to see what kind of discounts they can provide. I go to the university across town from you (UCLA - I'm refraining from making some USC jokes here) and the computer store here offers excellent student discounts on Apple hardware, as well as Dell and IBM computers, software, etc. So look into that before going straight to the manufacturer.

By Collegeguy (Collegeguy) on Monday, May 10, 2004 - 09:59 pm: Edit

Mobility is important. Intel officially launched their Dothan processor today so I'd wait until a few weeks before the start of term to buy a laptop. Don't get a desktop replacement - go for a "thin and light" like the IBM T series laptops.

By Pipettewolf (Pipettewolf) on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 12:13 am: Edit

you can probably get a decent used laptop for around 300-400 dollars. This will be good enough to take notes, and run some basic software.

For a brand new one, the cheapest ive ever seen was 600-700 after rebates.