BIS-Laptop?

Questionable?

I'll hopefully be starting BIS in September, and I just wanted to know would I need a high quality or basic laptop, or even one at all? I know there is classes in computer labs, but would I need a laptop for lectures or H/W and projects. Thanks.

x43r0

I wouldn't say you need one for the course. I'd get a basic one for use at home (browsing etc.)

I believe it'd be useful if you got into the habit of doing your work in the lab rather than coding at home.

It can seem crazy at first spending so much time in the labs but once it becomes natural it gives you a nice separation where you leave the lab and can relax at home without worrying about assignments.

titan18

Probably won't need for the first few years, but you'll need a decent one for 4th year come FYP time and some lecturers will ask you to bring in your laptop instead of installing software on the pcs, although it's worth having something semi-decent in the first few years that you can work on if the labs are full, or the H Drives go down.

Cokeistan

titan18 wrote: »

Probably won't need for the first few years, but you'll need a decent one for 4th year come FYP time and some lecturers will ask you to bring in your laptop instead of installing software on the pcs

Agreed. You'll spend a good amount of time in the labs anyway

Questionable?

Cheers for that guys, I was going to get a basic one anyway, but didn't really want to pay for a high quality one. What do ye think of this one? http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Toshiba_Satellite_L750-1RJ_1148100.html

Also, a few more questions if it's not too much...
1. How long are the hours?
2. How much programming is done?

Also, a friend of my dad was saying that his son, who does business in UL, couldn't get work experience in the U.S. as he didn't have a full driving license. is this the same across the board for work placements in the U.S?

insinkerator

Questionable? wrote: »

Cheers for that guys, I was going to get a basic one anyway, but didn't really want to pay for a high quality one. What do ye think of this one? http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Toshiba_Satellite_L750-1RJ_1148100.html

Also, a few more questions if it's not too much...
1. How long are the hours?
2. How much programming is done?

Also, a friend of my dad was saying that his son, who does business in UL, couldn't get work experience in the U.S. as he didn't have a full driving license. is this the same across the board for work placements in the U.S?

Judging by this years placement plan, some of the places do require a full driving licence, but not all of them. No harm in having one if you can get it - Still two years to do so..

That laptop is probably fine, for the first two years anyway, all you will need it for is for the MS office package, visio, Visual Studio and some Java IDEs, none of which are too taxing to run.

You don't have too many hours at all, but if I remember first year can be a little gappy, especially when you're tutorials are included. Monday is the only bad day really. (assuming the timetables stay the same, they usually do I think?).

In first year you do two programming modules - Visual Studio with Jeremy Hayes, and Web Development with Ivan Morrissey - languages you cover are HTML, CSS, PHP and Javascript. You also cover theory in this module. None of it is particularly difficult. If I remember correctly, you'll have two hours a week in the labs for each of these modules.