Theoretical Physics Computer Question

Kovik

A friend of mine is doing TP and is blowing her own mind as to what computer to get. We've it narrowed down but now I'll need to know whether or not Powerpoint will be needed by students when deciding what office package to pick up.

Oh, oh won't you help me? Will powerpoint be needed in TP course and by Junior Freshers especially?

Pet

I dunno if it's needed, but Powerpoint is available on all the college computers, and you can use OpenOffice (which is free) in place of MS Office anyway.

Bartron Prime

If lecture slides are available online then I assume Powerpoint is needed. If you don't want to install an Office suit you can also use PowerPoint Viewer 2003. This lets you look at Powerpoint presentations without being able to edit them. Should save you cash. You can get it here.

Boston

I'd tell her to wait and see if someone in her class can help her out.

BrenC

I recommend OpenOffice too

Richard W

I don't see why you'd need a computer for TP. Maybe for the graphs in the lab reports, but you can do that on college computers.

Nietzschean

These days alot of lecturers deliver the notes in pdf format, hinders plajourism(sp?) by other lectures in diff colleges using their slides so i hear.

Regardless over the years in maths i've picked up a range of pdf's and powerpoint slides. But you can get free powerpoint viewers(as you won't be making slides it doesn't matter alot how good they are...), and there's also openoffice.

so in summary, while there might be some future use for it i wouldn't waste the cash on office in general for a TP student.


and in any course you don't 'need' a computer, but most people find them convenient..........

elivsvonchiaing

A computer lets you skip so many steps when you do anything.

There is a genuine value in doing things from first principles; If you know the principles you can argue your way forward.

(or at least explain why the ignorant **** that fired you is not in the interest of the company - and to rehire you; they can't afford you!)

Get a computer if you know you can test it; don't assume it software is in any way accurate ; assume it is ****ed up and you will not fall foul of it!

mathias

A computer lets you skip so many steps when you do anything.

There is a genuine value in doing things from first principles; If you know the principles you can argue your way forward.

(or at least explain why the ignorant **** that fired you is not in the interest of the company - and to rehire you; they can't afford you!)

Get a computer if you know you can test it; don't assume it software is in any way accurate ; assume it is ****ed up and you will not fall foul of it!

Ahem !!! ....Dont think the OP is talking about using a maths program .... I think they just want it for downloading notes !!! Absolutely invaluable for that !!
In which case the Powerpoint standard viewer and Acrobat reader is all you need. Both are downloadable for free.

The only step being skipped here is copying down notes , and who has time for that these days .

Most math notes that Ive seen lately tend to be on PDF for exactly the reason above , plagiarism !!

Nietzschean

lolz at elvisvonchiaing in general, there are slim to no times when the calculator functions of a laptop will be usefull in maths courses...... mahtematica isn't even taught to TP/Maths students mostly

notjim

well typically for maths and tp lecturers the source will be LaTeX, not ppt, but another issue is why they would be afraid of plagarism, like your quantum mechanics notes are a huge original thing, by not posting the source they are condemning other lecturers to hours typing in the shroedinger eqn for a square well and using xfig to draw said well! a waste of everyone's time.

Nietzschean

notjim wrote:

well typically for maths and tp lecturers the source will be LaTeX

Jim, shup. you know not of what you speak.
i've been given far more notes from maths classes over the past oooo 4 years that were based on ppt's than latex. Most of the lecturer's who would use latex don't give out notes.....


And lecturers take the right view of if you make the source available they will just take your name off and use your slides as their own for teaching and giving to students. The approach annoying as it is to the student, is very prevelent in the cs department, though probally most applicable there from a non-plajourism prospective too...

notjim

Nietzschean wrote:

And lecturers take the right view of if you make the source available they will just take your name off and use your slides as their own for teaching and giving to students. The approach annoying as it is to the student, is very prevelent in the cs department, though probally most applicable there from a non-plajourism prospective too...

So this is the bit I don't get - this mysterious they who take your name off and use your notes - what harm do they do you?

Do maths lecturers really use ppt not latex, they must have incredible patience to enter eqns with the eqn editor.