Is this computer initiative a waste of money/

Rob!

Ok, starting engineering in NUI in a few weeks and am after being informed that they have a brand new laptop scheme. each of these things costs €1300 though.

Just curious to know what you think of the offer? - good quality?/bad quality? overly priced etc.

Would really love your feedback guys. (link is below):rolleyes:

http://nuiglaptops4students.compupac.ie/uploads/file/nuig/thinkpad-w500-spec.pdf

wobbles-grogan

What type of engineering you doing? Im heading into 4th year electronic now and to be honest i'd have been lost with out my laptop. Its an absolute necessity i find, but thats just me. I know lots of people who got by just fine on the college computers.

Im not sure how they're handling the software aspect of the thing. In engingeering youll be using alot of tools that companies usually give on the cheap to educational institutions, though i dont know if you'll be allowed to install them on the personal machines. You could always pirate them but thats another topic.

Had a looka t the specs there and theyre pretty good, fast enough ram, processers good middle o the road jobby, only trouble i see with it is the hard drive. 5400 rpm is painfully slow...

My advice would be to see how your getting on using the college computers for a month or so and if your finding it to be trouble then go for one o these things!

EZeeBOS

The laptop has good spec and with the finance plan it not that bad a deal.......the software on it is worth a good few bob too!

Rob!

wobbles-grogan wrote: »

What type of engineering you doing? Im heading into 4th year electronic now and to be honest i'd have been lost with out my laptop. Its an absolute necessity i find, but thats just me. I know lots of people who got by just fine on the college computers.

Im not sure how they're handling the software aspect of the thing. In engingeering youll be using alot of tools that companies usually give on the cheap to educational institutions, though i dont know if you'll be allowed to install them on the personal machines. You could always pirate them but thats another topic.

Had a looka t the specs there and theyre pretty good, fast enough ram, processers good middle o the road jobby, only trouble i see with it is the hard drive. 5400 rpm is painfully slow...

My advice would be to see how your getting on using the college computers for a month or so and if your finding it to be trouble then go for one o these things!

Thanks for the advice! (appreciated!)

I'l be starting energy systems engineering in sept. I'm fairly sure that it's formation was based upon taking aspects from several forms of engineering.

by the way, i know this is a tad bit off topic, but what you think of engineering in galway. the timetable we'll have looks awfully intensive! and im coming from cork so i've no idea about anything galway related!:p

lumpwood

The laptops are aimed at intensive 3D graphics packages, Autodesk Inventor etc...you wouldn't really need them in first year so might be best to hold off for a while.

In terms of the spec, its a pretty good deal considering the amount of money you're getting off. Thinking about getting one myself since my current laptop is being chewed up by some of the more memory intensive engineering programs.

And yeah, the timetable is pretty intense the whole way up...you'll really start to hate any friends of yours doing arts! Worth it though imo.

wobbles-grogan

Thanks for the advice! (appreciated!)

I'l be starting energy systems engineering in sept. I'm fairly sure that it's formation was based upon taking aspects from several forms of engineering.

by the way, i know this is a tad bit off topic, but what you think of engineering in galway. the timetable we'll have looks awfully intensive! and im coming from cork so i've no idea about anything galway related!

Engineering is good in galway! Most (and i dare say "most") lecturers i've come in contact with ahve been great!

It is very intensive, 30+hours a week, it feels like a full time job in comparison to alot of courses, but in a sense thats good!

Put in a bit o work, oh 2 weeks before exams, and you'll be fine!

Enjoy galway, its a cool place, except for the rain....

Rob!

lumpwood wrote: »

And yeah, the timetable is pretty intense the whole way up...you'll really start to hate any friends of yours doing arts! Worth it though imo.

haha.....ya half my class is off to UCC for arts. Oh i can see the barrage of mockery filled txts already.....:p

Dman001

Sorry to hijack the thread but I didn't want to start a new thread. Would you get away with using a Netbook for college. I'm doing Commerce and I'm after buying a Netbook but I fear that I will need the CD/DVD drive.

wobbles-grogan

You wont, you can download everything from the web nowadays! Or if you really want a dvd drive
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=482627

Note that thats particuarly expensive. I've seen em as cheap as 20 quid, forget where tho!

kmick

Unless they are throwing in some serious software with that laptop its a pretty poor deal IMHO. You could get an equivalent dell with for less than a grand with a bigger screen, better processor, faster HD and 4GB RAM.