Laptop essential for orientation?

Ajfunky

Right, kinda strugglin here. the laptop thing kinda crept up on me as we got the call yesterday that we haveta have one by monday!

Im doin commerce, and was wonderin how essential having a laptop s for the first it orientation day? is there a second orientation day? Has realy left me a lil ****ed, am straped for cash at the mo and dell dont deliver that fast!

WeeBushy

Ajfunky wrote: »

Right, kinda strugglin here. the laptop thing kinda crept up on me as we got the call yesterday that we haveta have one by monday!

Im doin commerce, and was wonderin how essential having a laptop s for the first it orientation day? is there a second orientation day? Has realy left me a lil ****ed, am straped for cash at the mo and dell dont deliver that fast!

I don't do commerce so someone else will be able to answer this one better but I think you should be ok. Orientation day shouldn't require one, you'll only need it when you start your courses I would think.

Do commerce students still get a grant for laptops or has this been gotten rid of?

pseudo_23

i aint using my laptop at UCD, i'll use a pen and paper like the olden days.

Fad

pseudo_23 wrote: »

i aint using my laptop at UCD, i'll use a pen and paper like the olden days.

Congrats? But the OP is a commerce student, who (afaik) have to use laptops for tutorials or labs (or something......).

TheJeanGenie

You can pick laptops cheap these days, cheaper than UCD ones in anyway. I got mine, a fantastic HP that I couldn't live without, for 550 in Powercity and it came with a free printer.

Also check out Peats and tell them specifically about what you need, they have competent staff in that place rather than a 15 year-old moron who can't even use a cash register, lol

Mardy Bum

If you are in commerce make sure if buying laptop from someone other than UCD it has all the requirements UCD look for.

Ajfunky

yeh i know all that, thanks mardy, the deal that ucd gave is such bull**** though! its so expensive you wonder why they bother!

Pride Fighter

You wont need it for orientation, but you will need it for the start of term.

quicklickpaddy

Pride Fighter wrote: »

You wont need it for orientation, but you will need it for the start of term.

so registering your laptop with them can wait? what exactly do we need a laptop for anyways?

DennisZ

Ajfunky wrote: »

its so expensive you wonder why they bother!

just add the cost of software licenses (don't forget to replace you Vista with WinXP Pro) and 3yrs warranty (next buz day one)...
you'll be surprised how close you will get to their 780.

Mardy Bum

DennisZ wrote: »

just add the cost of software licenses (don't forget to replace you Vista with WinXP Pro) and 3yrs warranty (next buz day one)...
you'll be surprised how close you will get to their 780.

True!

ironclaw

Drive to Belfast or get the train. PC tech is seriously cheap up there. Apple MacPro, €400 cheaper with student discount as opposed to off the shelf here. A bargain at €850. Plus you can dual boot to Windows.

RandolphEsq

DennisZ wrote: »

just add the cost of software licenses (don't forget to replace you Vista with WinXP Pro) and 3yrs warranty (next buz day one)...
you'll be surprised how close you will get to their 780.

+1
I've been looking up laptops online for my sister and can't find a deal on any HP laptop cheaper than 780. The software is very expensive

ironclaw wrote: »

Drive to Belfast or get the train. PC tech is seriously cheap up there. Apple MacPro, €400 cheaper with student discount as opposed to off the shelf here. A bargain at €850. Plus you can dual boot to Windows.

Don't get a Mac for college, especially commerce

sdevine89

RandolphEsq wrote: »

+1
Don't get a Mac for college, especially commerce

If its running windows there is absoulty no problem so thats a ridiculous comment

.Bob

sdevine89 wrote: »

If its running windows there is absoulty no problem so thats a ridiculous comment

ridiculous? ah but the average joe justs wants a laptop ready to go and not have to bother installing a fresh OS and finding windows drivers for a mac e.t.c

btw RE the whole expensive software.. ive always found openoffice to do the job, some people say its not near as good as MSoffice but it has the same features, and its free:pac:

conchubhar1

windows on a mac is still windows

you get windows drivers......

Lucet

I just bought the laptop from UCD. It's just too much hassle with the requirements if you buy it from the shop, because all the laptops now have Windows Vista...
I have MacBook, it will still remain my main laptop I'll only use HP for commerce related stuff.

DennisZ

about openoffice:

'good' programmers are everywhere - they will use every available feature of MS products to make result incompatible with free software

sdevine89

Lucet wrote: »

I just bought the laptop from UCD. It's just too much hassle with the requirements if you buy it from the shop, because all the laptops now have Windows Vista...
I have MacBook, it will still remain my main laptop I'll only use HP for commerce related stuff.

Why didnt you put XP on your mac and save yourself 800euro

JoeyH

Ajfunky wrote: »

Right, kinda strugglin here. the laptop thing kinda crept up on me as we got the call yesterday that we haveta have one by monday!

Im doin commerce, and was wonderin how essential having a laptop s for the first it orientation day? is there a second orientation day? Has realy left me a lil ****ed, am straped for cash at the mo and dell dont deliver that fast!

I'm in commerce too. On monday its a "laptop clinic" to make sure your laptop is set up right. They told me the only other day they have the clinic is Sept 11th.

They also told me to buy MS Office 2007 Enterprise from www.software4students.ie

RRP €695... Back to college offer...... €47.95!!!!

Already ordered mine

BTW its a hard copy, not a download AND can be used on TWO computers Split the cost of it with someone and its under €24 each

Hope that helps

laura360

Hey,

Whats the link to the ucd smirfit laptops, the ink they have is dead. thanks!

KeiraG

Yeh I did Commerce last year (before dropping out after Semester 1!) and we needed it for orientation. There was a whole day where we were "familiarised" with using it.. :eek: I think this year they've shortened it down to two hours though
But yeh as someone said, they do repeat classes for it, and they're fairly strict about going to them..

RandolphEsq

sdevine89 wrote: »

If its running windows there is absoulty no problem so thats a ridiculous comment

Virtual PC devours ram and so many extra little applications have to be installed with the Virtual PC. The majority of people don't appreciate the benefits of having a Mac to a PC. They only want a computer for MS Office/music/internet!

Red Alert

Virtual PC only applies to older PowerPC-based Macs. On Intel macs (post 2006), VMWare or Parallels will run at near-native speed. HOWEVER, if you're doing commerce you will need to dual-boot your computer since ILTG won't accept a virtual machine.

(You will be able to connect to the network from the Mac boot afterwards however).

Lucet

sdevine89 wrote: »

Why didnt you put XP on your mac and save yourself 800euro

Because I had to buy external hard drive, windows xp professional, microsoft office 2007 enterprise and (I think) anti virus. Well, now I see software4students.ie website where you can buy kinda cheap stuff, when I ordered it I didn't know it existed. Well, I'll have it for at least 3 years, so I'm quite ok with that .

Red Alert

You can download Sophos AV (for free) and more from UCD connect.

lou_galor

In my opinion the laptop deals in UCD are a bit much. I think I'm using my old Dell which will suit me just fine. I know a great laptop technician who makes his own computers and sells them for affordable prices. He mainly uses Linux but can provide you with a good deal. I showed him the laptop deal from UCD that came with my Quinn School letter and he laughed and thought he was losing money! HP from UCD for 780 he sells the same one for around 600!!!!

www.clonelrl.com

cats-pyjamas

If you're buying one in a shop, ask if you can get the display model. AFAIK, it's not legal to sell these at full price. I recently got a €385 netbook for €200!
It's perfect - they cleaned it up for me, and it runs like a dream. Although a netbook probably won't cut it for commerce unless you're working in the cloud, the principle still applies - check if you can get the display model.

Overature

do you have to have a laptop? or does it matter what course you have? thanks