Laptop for uni

[SockFluffInTheBath]

DS is off soon to do marine science (geography/physics/chemistry mash up), and needs a laptop. What kit do other people have/ plan to get? I feel so old and stupid looking at computer specs 😅

A lot of people will come on here and recommend a Macbook. However, not all Apple products are compatible with university software, so I would recommend that your son contacts the department and find out what specifications he needs in a laptop.

Thanks @RampantIvy good catch- they just say windows (for GIS) and as much RAM as you can get.

I got Macbook Airs for mine as that is what my personal laptop is, plus we all have apple phones. I just went with the most memory I could afford.
Apple usually have some quite good deals for students.

Good call @RampantIvy . I didn't think that you might need windows based for the GIS stuff. I use similar type software for work and have always have windows based laptops.

Yes, I agree

My DD had a MacBook and it was a right pain with her uni.

She had to do lots of presentations, video, podcasts, etc (she didn’t do a media type degree or anything like that) and she had to constantly convert files as the tutor’s software wasn’t compatible.

If I remember correctly there were issues with some of the software she was expected to use as well.

She loved it, and still does, but it wasn’t entirely straightforward

When I first started teaching tutorials 10 years ago, the students all pulled out their pens and notepads. Now the tutorial room is like an advert for Macbooks! I'm surprised at the popularity of Macs as we as staff work entirely in a PC environment - there are sometimes compatibility issues but this more affects postgraduates if they are working on a project with us.

Anyway, my advice would be to check what advice is given by their specific uni/course and make sure you choose a laptop that meets the requirements.

Lightweight is a bonus as on some courses they will be carrying them everyday. My impression is that the majority of students I teach have way more expensive laptops than they need (RG uni with affluent student body overall). Don't be up-sold a machine you don't need. For many courses something fairly basic will be fine.

For use of laptop for essay writing etc I'd recommend a decent monitor, and a keyboard and mouse.

One of my students had a large tablet like device last year (whereas everyone else had laptops). He could 'write' rather than type - a huge advantage when we were discussing a lot of equations.

One of my students had a large tablet like device last year (whereas everyone else had laptops). He could 'write' rather than type - a huge advantage when we were discussing a lot of equations.

I was wondering if the folding tablet-type would be good for this sort of thing, wasn’t sure if I was talking myself into a gimmick so it’s good to hear real life uses.

My DD had a MacBook and it was a right pain with her uni.

@alloalloallo That was DD's experience as well. When she submitted work the formatting went all over the place. She got a Windows laptop for her second term onwards.

We are an Android household and are not tied in to Apple products at all.

For a STEM course I would always advise Windows. However, lots of students seem prepared to jump through a few extra hoops to make Apple work for them.

Definitely Windows, and it's probably worth looking for something like an i7 processor, and plenty of RAM. You can get great deals on refurbished laptops online, which is a good way to push your budget to something better.

I agree that a lot of students seem to think that a MacBook is essential, but it's really not!

I agree that a lot of students seem to think that a MacBook is essential, but it's really not!

That's Apple's marketing for you.

My DS does oceanography with a MacBook Air and does not seem to have had any problem with his various matlab, python, GIS etc systems. Maybe he just hasn’t told me about them, but he normally would mention something like that if it was bugging him.