buying a laptop

roseplant

i was told there were special offers on laptops for students but tcd won't tell me anything. they've given me this address which has a password on it http://www.tcd.ie/ISS/purchase/index.php three times then finally told me it's only open to registered students.

i know ill need one sooner or later, but can anyone tell me if i should get one before i go or should i go there and chill a bit first?

ApeXaviour

I remember when going to buy my laptop that the specs n stuff with the price they were asking didnt at all compare to some you could get for retail. Hence I bought retail..

Though it "may" be different now so I'll not argue someone with more up to date knowledge..

air_vent

The offers are ****e off Dell.

Do you go to TCD???
Best get an apple beter student offers

Those student offers generally go partly through myself. Handy, since I just met with the apple rep...

There are really 3 offers on the table, Dell, HP, and Apple. Some are still in the negotiation phase, but I can say for sure that apple give a 10% discount for trinity students.

There's nothing stopping you from getting your own laptop at all! The only issue is that the laptops agreed upon are primed for wireless and wired access on campus. They are agreed by the SU and by ISS.

The details from last year are here: http://www.isservices.tcd.ie/purchase/student.php - some of the arrangements for this year have been agreed on, but haven't been updated. I can say though that the prices have dropped...

ApeXaviour

One word:

Tesco
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=3325047

Chardee MacDennis

or get a student discount straight from apple at: http://store.apple.com/Catalog/irl/Images/routingpage.html

and afaik they are giving away free ipod minis with any student purchase (may only be a us deal)

so some reasons to go with Apple:
1. setting up on the network in College - a windows user needs to attend a 1.5 - 2 hour class, while an apple users class is 20mins.
2. very easy to set up/ learn how to use.
(stroll into the apple centre in Spectraphoto and have a toy around with one very easy to learn.)
3. everythign u need hardware wise is inside - no stupid add ons - ie wireless networking - depends on different models of course.
4. no viruses or spy ware, i have had my powerbook since nov and i have never had a virus or any spyware unlike my windows counterparts.
5. battery life- i get at least 4 hours out of my battery on my old compaq i got between 50mins to 2 hours. brilliant to not need to carry around the charger.

any more questions on em i'll try and answer but they are the way to go imho...
enjoy your lappie-hunting!

Pet

From what I remember, the laptop offers were pure ****e at the price...waaaaaaay outdated and overpriced. Maybe they've changed, but be sure to compare with the regular dell site before you buy anything.

i know ill need one sooner or later, but can anyone tell me if i should get one before i go or should i go there and chill a bit first?

What course are you doing? I don't think you need to rush, there are computer rooms that you can use in the meantime..

cuckoo

If it's a laptop you plan to carry into and around college one of the most important considerations are weight and sturdiness. There are wireless points all over the place in college, including the libraries.

I've never, ever seen someone using their laptop during a lecture to take notes (do people do that in trinity?).

I can remember a while back Dell did a 'show and tell' day in college, they set up in aras an phiarsaigh with the computers they were offering and ppl could play around with them.

Myth, how about getting all the companies to come in on the same day and do a showcase of their wares?

Pet

I've never, ever seen someone using their laptop during a lecture to take notes (do people do that in trinity?).

Yeah, that'd be pretty unfeasible, what with the 3 hour battery-life and all. And besides, you'd look like a ****ing dip**** if you did.

Nietzschean

Pet wrote:

Yeah, that'd be pretty unfeasible, what with the 3 hour battery-life and all. And besides, you'd look like a ****ing dip**** if you did.

hrmm don't recall looking like a ****ing dip**** thanks pet, tho i spent more time posting on boards and reading email than actually taking notes........... for those of us that can type faster than we write, (its also more readable) , typing is certainly an option for classes which don't have a huge ammount of diagrams(unless using a tablet pc of course...)

cuckoo

cuckoo wrote:

Myth, how about getting all the companies to come in on the same day and do a showcase of their wares?

HP and Dell are going to be doing this, with HP doing a seperate one with printers. Possibly a stall in Trinity Hall (I mentioned D'Olier Street too, but that might be next year before it gets started there)

Pet

Pet wrote:

Yeah, that'd be pretty unfeasible, what with the 3 hour battery-life and all. And besides, you'd look like a ****ing dip**** if you did.

I've seen some students with dyslexia taking notes by laptop too.

Pet

I've seen some students with dyslexia taking notes by laptop too.

Ooopsy, forgot about that (and I should bloody well know).

Crash

I take notes on my laptop. by notes i of course mean games, and by take i of course mean "waste lectures away by playing" - so its all good.

Then again, i'm CS, no one really minds it.

John

I've seen people take notes on laptops in lectures. If you're a fast typer (and have a silent keyboard) I think it's a good idea. Mainly because I can barely read my own handwriting sometimes.

cuckoo

I stand corrected on the 'laptop for note taking', but can't help thinking of that scene in 'legally blonde' where she goes to her first lecture with a cute notebook and pencil and everyone else is typing away.

Rredwell

I am starting European Studies this year. Will I need a laptop?

Nietzschean

i've not come across any course in tcd where you 'need' a laptop. You are best off waiting till you start the course, and then if you think one might be handy consider it...

http://www.isservices.tcd.ie/purchase/student.php

Laptop information has been updated for 2005/6.

palance

Hey Myth, any chance you could post or pm the laptop specs and prices? I'm starting a post grad and haven't got a password yet

cianclarke

Slightly off topic here, and just out of curiousity here because I'm another year from uni' anyway, but could I bring along a desktop to use alongside my laptop? Would it depend on where I'm staying? I use PS and need an external monitor really for decent profiling / calibration, and simply prefer a desktop for this use.
Thanks.

palance

palance wrote:

Hey Myth, any chance you could post or pm the laptop specs and prices? I'm starting a post grad and haven't got a password yet

Uploaded, and I had to mess around with the Dell one cos it was huge. (poster quality)

cuckoo

Depends on how strong you are if you're planning on carrying the desktop around college with you.

I'm guessing here, but i'm going to go out on a limb - as long as wherever you're living has electricity you can bring your desktop with you.

(it was a long day at work. i'm grumpy)

palance

Thanks for that Myth, the Compaq nc6120 looks quite nice, theres a favourable review here

Pet

(it was a long day at work. i'm grumpy)

rant/bitch/moan about it - that's what that thread is there for!

regi

I'd recommend keeping an eye out for the next lidl/aldi laptop offer too.

cianclarke

cuckoo wrote:

Depends on how strong you are if you're planning on carrying the desktop around college with you.

I'm guessing here, but i'm going to go out on a limb - as long as wherever you're living has electricity you can bring your desktop with you.

(it was a long day at work. i'm grumpy)

Ooh, a smartass. Perhaps I should have been more specific. I'm wondering would it be viable to bring a desktop, and have it connected to the network. I've heard something about ISS wanting a health check where I have to bring along my computer, so maybe your theory about how strong I am may indeed be relevent. Anyone? Danke.

Crash

my bit of advice would be the dell outlet store - i got an 1800 euro laptopfor 1200 there, with a better warranty - you need to keep checking to get a good offer though.

Nietzschean

cianclarke wrote:

Ooh, a smartass. Perhaps I should have been more specific. I'm wondering would it be viable to bring a desktop, and have it connected to the network. I've heard something about ISS wanting a health check where I have to bring along my computer, so maybe your theory about how strong I am may indeed be relevent. Anyone? Danke.

ISS do require bringing a pc to clinics usually, though if you are in tcd hall they have clinics out there too. It certainly isn't too bad a thing to have a pc on campus, though i wouldn't bother buying one or bring'n one till after you move in to see what the space is like in the room, depending on shape and so on it might not be suited to a pc...(though in saying that i got 2 pc's n a laptop in my room when i lived on campus )

Thirdfox

Hey Guys, I'll be starting Trinity this October, I've already got a laptop (HP dv1365)...

I was just looking at your post and it directed me to the wireless networking page on ISS and it said that any Windows XP Home edition laptop cannot be connected to the wireless network, is this true?

If so, do I need to buy XP professional?

Thirdfox

Thirdfox wrote:

Hey Guys, I'll be starting Trinity this October, I've already got a laptop (HP dv1365)...

I was just looking at your post and it directed me to the wireless networking page on ISS and it said that any Windows XP Home edition laptop cannot be connected to the wireless network, is this true?

If so, do I need to buy XP professional?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=3349381&postcount=35

You can upgrade from XP Home to Pro for (the present price) of e94.

pharmboy

hi all, have been reading the posts for a while without posting but i had to jump in here.
i worked in dell all summer (in the student notebook programme) and i'm going to trinners next year (health science) so i'm pretty unbiased.
what some have said about the notebook offers being more expensive than retail is crap..how do i know? because i helped to make those flyers!
this is something i got often from ucd quinn and smurfit students. if you actually compare like with like then retail is over twice the price.
check it yourself, but make sure to include the Office Pro, XP Pro and 3 Years Business Support (about E800 in total, retail)
also make sure that you use the latitude range(d510c 510m 610m) and not the crappy, cheap inspirons, that are only for home users anyway (oh, and take a look at the upgrades)

so, actually check the prices, because we all know why apple and hp just aren't that popular (it's not a conspiracy, there are valid reasons)

sorry if that sounded like a sales ptch, but i just spent a hot summer at he end of a phone with angry kerry women screaming that dell were trying to screw them over...

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

But is Office Pro and the 3 years business support really necessary?

Nietzschean

if you've owned a few laptops ye learn longer/better support the better, they have a nasty habbit of die'n just after a year....

John

And you use most of the office stuff for assignments. I bought my HP laptop through ISS because I was too lazy to shop around. I haven't had a moment's trouble with it.

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

But is Office really necessary? Surely Openoffice.org would suffice for the vast majority of folk?

John

I don't know, I never heard of that. Does it open powerpoint files and the like?

Thirdfox

Yep it has everything, access, powerpoint, word, excel... most people only use word anyway.

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Though most people seem to prefer using what they are used to, and will therefore probably be more productive using what they are used to too. My sister was off in London last year to do Law, and when she came asking for money from our parents to get MS Office, I recommended she get OO.org instead, but she balked at the idea of putting "my weird software" on her brand new iBook.

John

Thirdfox wrote:

Yep it has everything, access, powerpoint, word, excel... most people only use word anyway.

Not if you do science, we use excel for doing results and graphs and powerpoint for our many many presentations

Crash

If you're using powerpoint a lot, open office really isnt the best. however you can always use OO and then use the powerpoint viewer which microsoft distribute for free.

I use OO cus i'm too broke, but i do prefer having word (and i'm being good these days and not pirating....much)

Nietzschean

ah its useable, only results in problems viewing powerpoint stuff made in powerpoint itself, and then the formatting is usually only a bit off. nothing big enough to warrent buying ms office if ye don't have it...

Crash

nah its not - though the powerpoint viewer thing from MS is well worth the price (i.e. free).