Calling the college students.........

Finally getting close to buying and I'm still wondering on what I should do. Background first, I'm going to be a Pre-Med Biology major at U of I this fall and I'm still debating if I want a 15.4'' or 17'' notebook. The two that I have been researching the most have been the Asus G1S and Asus G2S. The G1S is stated to be 6.84 pounds while the G2S stands at 9.7 pounds.

Going through my schedule, I have a Calc class in the morning that is done completely online but you have to use the school's computers. I have a Chem lecture and lab, same goes for Microbiology. Everything else doesn't involve me using a computer. Seeing as my schedule doesn't actually require me to take the computer to class at all, I'm leaning towards the 17''. I figured I'd keep it in my dorm room for the most part while taking it to the library, labs, or lounge areas in my building. I'm asking if there is something I'm missing that will show me that the extra mobility of the 15.4'' will be better for me rather than the 17''.

I'm asking for the other college students here, what have your experiences been like with either a 15.4'' or 17''? Was having either the better choice or a nuisance carrying around campus? Was it hard handling the computer with the rest of your supplies meaning textbooks and other accessories?

 

You'll regret getting 17" if you plan on carrying it to class.

 

Even if you don't anticipate bringing your notebook to class you will want the option of being able to bring it with you anytime. When I first came to college a few years back I had a beastly 15.4" at about 7 pounds, which I brought to class every now and again, the main reason I would not bring it is because of poor battery life. The size was alright for travel but if I had to bring any type of books along it became quite a trip and I would end up just carying my note while my books where in my bag.

My suggestion, deff opt for the 15.4" as the post above I think you will regret a 17". Keep in mind even though you don't plan on bringing it to class this upcoming semester what about future semesters a year or two down the road?

 

well, you have to consider in addition to the weight of the laptop all your other stuff, such as if you use an external mouse, the AC adapter, an extra batter, etc etc.

I go to the University of California, Merced (newest campus, WiFi everywhere XD), and I really love my T60 in that it provides perfect portability.

The one thing I would say to not getting a 17" is that most desks, at least the fold-out ones that we have here will not comfortably fit a 17". A 17 will generally hang over the side. At the library or labs you probably wont have a problem since your university has huge desks or tables, but when it comes to sitting in a class or in a lounge area the increased size may make it cumbersome. it also depends upon how you plan on carrying your laptop - to my knowledge they do not make a slipcase for a 17" to put in a backpack - but if you put it in a backpack you have to have a pretty *big* backpack... As for a messenger bag like how most people carry them, the 17" bags are also pretty big.

Another thing that you may want to consider is battery life. Granted, 17s will have bigger batteries to compensate, but a 17" i'm sure will not last as long as a 15.4" in terms of battery life with some kind of extended battery, further increasing the girth and weight of the whole "package".

I would only say that you should go with a 17 if you do a lot of work that requires a lot of power and screen space, and are constantly in a more stationary position that is easily accessible to an AC outlet. otherwise, I'd say stick with a 15.4.

Btw, i dont like the G1's green strobe lights. It's distracting. Go with a T60... you'll get a lot of oohhs and ahhhs from the geeks, like me lol

 

I agree, plus there is a 3 lb difference between the 2 and then you factor in all of the other school stuff you have to tote around and as thegsrguy said, it will add up, even if it your not carrying it around all day.

 

I have a 17" notebook and I really don't regret it.
If you plan to carry it around a lot you should consider the smaller notebook. Keep in mind a 17" notebook is called a desktop replacement. It's main purpose is to sit on your desk but it has the advantage of being portable (compared to a desktop).

This is exactly what I do and I love my 17" notebook. I would never ever get a smaller one (personal preference). So it's really up to you and what you would like more.

 

I don't know much about the Asus G2S but when I was in college (2-3 years ago) my roommate got a 17" Dell XPS. Generally it wasn't an issue until exam period. He would take it to the library to study and people would laugh at him/give him evil looks because he would turn the thing on and the fans would sound like a freaking windstorm rolling through.

I'd say you also need to consider fan noise if you plan on using this thing in public...

 

lol yeah one of the biggest issues that i could forsee is the distraction you might cause for others - which might cause some commentary. if you get a big monster laptop with big monster fans, its gonna make big monster noises.

i would recommend getting a laptop that you know will be quiet; that isn't going to have obtrusive green strobe lights, that you could conceivably use on a plane, that has enough battery life to be useful when you need to use it unplugged.

5.4 lbs - MACBOOK PRO! *runs away*

 

Oh man, I remember seeing a 17" MBP on an episode of Hidden Palms last week - thing looked like a freaking clipboard in the woman's hands.

I'm sure you can use a MBP and convert it to Win XP using Boot camp. You'll get a lot of Oohs and Ahhs... just have to sacrifice your soul, your next 2 children, and the title to your house.

 

Minimalism is the way to go. I'm going to try just a pen and pad for the start of year 2 in September

Now to be helpful Law lecturers believe in pen and paper - we don't do laptops in class or lectures. Library has plenty of computers or you can bring a laptop. I could have got a 17" as my laptop never actually left halls... but then again I wouldn't have liked the extra weight

If I am being honest, even 15.4" could be too much when adding books and supplies. I think Apple were onto something in choosing 13.3" mac books. Swe-eet spot

 

True, my cousin has a Sony SZ430 which is a 13.3. as well - she loves it and i personally think its cool that its so thin and light. My problem is the resolution though =[

 

I bought a 17 inch before freshman year of college because i thought i would just carry it around my dorm and once in a while to the library. But after a few years, I am just getting a 14 inch because it is a hassle to carry around campus which is a necessity for me because I am usually on campus all day before heading back to my room. I would go with the 15.4 just got the extra portability if needed

 

I'd suggest a smaller laptop as well. You'll be in college for 4 years or so - and it's unlikely you'd switch laptops during that time (although possible if you're rich I guess). In any case, there definitely may be times when you want to carry the thing around, either to the library or the quad or whatever. Also, as you mentioned, if classes in your school are already being taught via computer only, then it's quite possible that in the later years you'll encounter classes where having a portable laptop is extremely useful, if not required, depending on your major.

Finally, although this is rare for undergrads, a large number of graduate schools, especially law and business schools, are requiring a notebook - some have gone so far as to say that you absolutely MUST use a laptop for all your exams. However, even undergrads strongly advise students to have a notebook - you should buy keeping in mind that portability will be important even if you don't plan on taking it to class your first year.

 

Yeah! UC Merced! Gotta Represent

 

I was in a similar dilemma. I am required to have a notebook for second year Architecture. Now having to run CAD and similar graphic oriented programs, I wanted the 17" for the screen size & resolution. I originally wanted a 17" Macbook Pro (running Windows via. BootCamp), but the prices were too high for a similarly priced Dell. I also realized I would be carrying it back and forth every day, and then physical size and weight became an issue. I then looked into 15.4" notebooks, but the resolution is too low for my liking. Then Dell announced the Inspiron 1520 series with WSXGA+ resolution.

The weight is a bit high on the Dell, but the 15.4" with 1680x1050 resolution is the answer to my needs, as I have the graphic resolution of most 17" notebooks in a smaller package. Anything smaller than a 15.4" would be useless for regular graphic work in my case. When I'm home I plan to run the laptop on my 22" external.

 

Wow, thanks for the replies. Got a lot of good info here. I didn't think about exams at all. Is the G2S really that loud that it would disturb others at the library? Is the G1S better at this, or even the V1jp?

As much as I love playing around with Mac's, the low-end Mac Pro is too expensive for the specs while the Mac is too small at 13.3''. I'll probably end up getting the G1S or V1S if it gets refreshed faster(I need an nVidia graphics card for Ubuntu). I just can't get over how great the screen is for the G2S. After hearing about problems with the grainy screen and running at very high temps for the G1S however, I've been hesitant to make my final desicion.

Does anyone know if I can go to Best Buy and bring my own DVD's to use on the G1S. I want to play around with the screen and see if it's to my liking for watching hi-def movies.

 

i do not know personally about the ASUS laptops in terms of noise, but I am pretty sure that in general if you want the quietest laptop around that would be a macbook pro, lol

jeesi3k3 - you go to UC Merced? o.0 ?

 

I never carried my books to class in college, all you need for class is a pen and notebook, or if your prof post lecture slides on line you don't even need that, just make sure you talk in with cloth on.

It still puzzles me why ppl study in the library before finals

 

wow has anyone ever herd of a backpack...... lol.....carry it around campus.........

i was in the same boat about 15.4" or the 17" notebook i ended up the dv9500t

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Mobile-Edge-Securepack-Backpak-MEBSP4/sem/rpsm/oid/162961/catOid/-13025/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do


This is a tight backpack..!!!!

 

think about this too - 17" laptops dont fit too well on desks in college classes, i dont know if u like your arm room or anything but with a 17", there will be no room for nothing

 

My suitemate for one year had a smallish macbook but had a larger external monitor for when he was in his room. If screen size is that big an issue for you, it might be better to just get a nice LCD screen so that you have something nice to come back to after a hard day of classes... You can get pretty decent monitor up to 22" for under $250.

 

You can carry the 17" to class if you want... 10lbs... thats nothing... If you find it too heavy, hit the gym!

 

Well, plus the adapter and whatever peripherals you carry. Also if you're the type that carries books to class (not necessary in college, but quite necessary in certain graduate and professional schools), that's another 10+ lbs at least.

A lot of the problem of a 17" isn't the weight, but the sheer size of it. It's flat and wide - it'd be a different story if it were 10 lbs but compact so that you could simply fit anywhere. If you want to keep your hands free, this means investing in a larger bag and sleeve - and it's just bulky carrying something so disproportionate around all day, not to mention it takes a lot of space away from other things you might need to carry (books, redwells, file folders, etc.).

Then, as mentioned, there's the problem of fitting it along with the other stuff you need on your desk, depending on how big the desk is in your classrooms.

 

I was thinking about getting a 17" (I'm headed off to college this fall as well) but decided on a 15.4"...and let me just say I am really glad I did. The 15.4" is much bigger than I had anticipated.

 

"U of I"... Could you perhaps be a bit more specific?

Edit:

I attend UIUC and am waiting for Dell to ship my 15.4". 17" is way too big and I am hoping that 15.4" won't be too big. A friend of mine says he ditched his 15.4 for something much smaller. I also have other friends who say 15.4 is the best, so I guess personal preference and usage is a large part of it.

As for getting another monitor to use at home, that is a no-brainer. I run dual monitors on my desktop and will use one of them with my new laptop. One of the reasons I wanted a bigger laptop screen is when I'm home with the monitor, I want maximal productivity on both monitors, not just the one.

If you are going to UIUC, ditch bio and do computer engineering/premed. That is what all the cool kids are doing

 

Consider this: are you ever going to want to go away somewhere to a conference or something in the middle of the semester? If the answer is yes, and you're likely to have a long period of time on a bus or plane, then don't get anything larger than a 14" screen - they're the largest that you can realistically use in either of the places I mentioned.

If you're really needing that little bit of extra real-estate when you're at your desk at school just get a 17" or 19" monitor and position it above where you're resting your notebook. It'll give the loads of screen-space while giving you the ability to travel with your notebook. Even if you just go with a 17" notebook, I'd recommend another monitor - I've found that having a secondary one has caused my productivity to skyrocket. Best of luck in school!

 

I agree with foxstick here, just get a 15.4" notebook with a decent graphic card and dock it at your dorm. You should also ask the Asus forum what kind of dock you would need to plug in a 22 inch monitor along with external usb stuff and speakers.

When you want to be mobile you wont be encumbered by a 17 inch monster. I don't think I would want to do work in the library with a 17 inch notebook flashing lights and fans going crazy trying to keep your SLI notebook cool.

Not to mention desktop LCDs are better then notebook LCDs.

 

You guys bring up a really good idea with the smaller notebook combined with the external monitor in the dorm. I'm gonna be on the prowl for a nice 19'' or 22'' moniter because with the $100 or so I save by getting the G1S, I can use that to get a better moniter. Pricewise, either option will cost me the same amount. Plus watching movies and tv shows will be a lot better. Thanks guys!

 

You guys bring up a really good idea with getter the smaller notebook along with a nice external monitor for the dorm. Does anyone have a good suggestion for a 19'' or 22'' monitor for around $200?


To squeekygeek....Yeah, I'm going to UIUC as well. I realized when I was signing up for classes that biology was definitely not my thing so I'm going to try and change my major as soon as possible. I never thought about doing computer engineering/pre med because I thought I would need a more science oriented major for med school. I'm going to be staying at Carr Hall on Pennsylvania Avenue, what about you? This won't matter to you if you're an upperclassman.

 

So, for those that have already spent a year in university, is it really all that necessary to take a notebook to class? I'm a history student, and I detest reading things on a screen.

Is it unreasonable these days to just leave my notebook on my desk and take a pen and paper with me to class?

 

I've gotten by just fine for 4 years. I'm just now getting one because it's nice to have, but you definitely don't need one. And this is coming from a computer engineering student... It's not like you'll have big programming projects!

 

I've owned notebooks for years, and haven't ever used one while in class (i'm a philosophy major). That said, once the class is over and I have access to a computer I've been putting my notes in a wiki so that my thoughts are organized and searchable - that might be something to think of doing if you have the bit of time it will take. If you get a class involved in working on a wiki for the course, you can develop some wicked study notes!

 

As mentioned, for undergrad, unless your major requires you to use one, laptops aren't a "necessity".

That said, it depends heavily on the professor and class. Some history and poli-sci professors, especially in small seminar classes, give out tons and tons of articles to read via the library online and require you to have them during class to discuss them. Your options are to either have them on your laptop, or print them all out (the printer bill gets REALLY high when you need to print out 400 pages for each class each week).

I went the printing them out route, and then the laptop route, and then "pretend I have them with me when I really don't" route when my laptop broke down.