Starting part time MSc soon - which laptop?

[mintymellons]

Help!

My last experience of higher education was 16 years ago when I did a PGCE and prior to that 20 odd years ago when I did my degree.

I’m aware that I’ll need a laptop for lectures etc but don’t know what to buy. I think the laptop we have at home is too big to be lugging around as it was never intended to be anything portable!

Obviously I don’t want to spend a fortune but need something that will do the job.

What do others use?

My other tech is all Apple, but I don’t want to start splashing out on MacBooks.

Thanks in advance

[ellav]

Can you do an iPad with keyboard?

[wizzywig]

Contact the uni and see if past students have had issues with accessing files and submitting assignments that are in apple rather than microsoft

[mintymellons]

Hmmm, Ellav, maybe.

Do you mean an additional keyboard, like a plug in one to go with the iPad?

I think I’d be happier using Microsoft for the course as I think it’ll make it easier. Just not sure which small laptop to get.

[stayfit]

Can you find out the software you need. Some don't run in Mac and need a desktop. I would also look at battery life. So you don't need to carry charger around. One more consideration is built in storage. This can be sorted with an external hard drive but that's additional cost. I have a Lenovo thinkpad pretty light weight and good battery life. Will try to remember the spec when I get home.

[titchy]

I’m aware that I’ll need a laptop for lectures

Will you? Why? Mine dc's use notepad and pen, then type up their notes later.

[mintymellons]

That’s interesting, Titchy, I just assumed I would. I thought I would seem like a dinosaur if I went in with pen and paper. Maybe not? I have no idea!

[ErrolTheDragon]

I'm pretty sure my DD doesn't lug her laptop to lectures... can't see why there would be a need to type up notes either. For some subjects - especially ones with maths and diagrams etc, pen and paper is probably still a darn sight easier.

[negomi90]

I have a high end convertable laptop which is brilliant. You can handwrite notes and type.
Depending on the course - a lot of lectures will have slides, and I've always found annotating the slides helps.
My teenage sister got a lower range version of my laptop, and also loves it.
She has a lenovo yoga 500 which starts at £240.
Otherthings to consider are a surface (microsoft, but expensive), lenovo mix (cheaper - windows tablet with detachable keyboard included in the price) and HP stream.

[southeastdweller]

Watching this with interest as I'm also returning to H.E this month on a part-time basis and don't want to lug round my laptop that weighs 1.5kg. Is it the norm now for people to make notes and annotations using their laptops?

[animaginativeusername]

I use Pen and payer for seminars or workshops. MacBook in the lecture to annotate PowerPoint presentation, which is uploaded on the day

[animaginativeusername]

Do whatever you feel comfortable with. In lecture students would make notes on notepad, record the lecture (with permission), laptop.

[domton]

getrocketbook.co.uk

Perfect half-way house. An expensive but reusable and wipe-clean notebook, which allows you to scan pdf files to your email or other places.

I'm doing a part time post-grad course too, and it's perfect. I make my notes, scan what I need (takes about 10 seconds), then I can download from my email address and save them all. Wipe notebook and go again. It's been perfect for me.

I only have to have one notebook, can easily email notes or annotate handouts and email them etc., while my very non portable and old laptop stays at home.

It's expensive for a notebook at £35, but lasts forever, and a damn sight cheaper than a new laptop.

[lolarose896]

A reliable one!! I was halfway through my MSc in Psychology when my HP Pavillion laptop broke. Fortunately I took it into a shop and they managed to fix it and recover all of my documents but it took weeks!

You definitely need a good, reliable laptop with microsoft word on it so I would stay away from Apple.

Also, as I learnt, back up everything on a memory stick!!

[BubblesBuddy]

Both my DDs have Macs. Pro and Air. I think!!! However they have lasted. Lightweight and now they use them all the time at work. Plus iPhones! It would depend if they can run what you need but the expense is an investment.

[MissConductUS]

We bought DS a Dell Inspiron 7000 with a 13 inch screen for uni and I liked it so much I got one myself. It has a touch screen, so less faffing about with the mouse and it folds over like a tablet too. It also has a good sturdy aluminum body, not plastic.

[SeaGlassHunter]

I'm doing an MSc and we've been told that it is best to take notes with pen and paper. And I'm studying Computer Science!

[chickydoo]

Doing an MA
Have a MacBook with office 365
Everything saved on the cloud & backed up externally (just in case)
Works a treat.

[pumkinspicetime]

My DC have a levono touch screen that was a few hundred dollars, it has been great and I am going to get myself a slighter better version of this.

[HostessTrolley]

We’re looking at a Lenovo yoga for dd for Christmas in preparation for uni next year