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iPad

Gel

Looking at getting a new laptop for College. Just wondering if anyone has
opinions on whether an ipad is a good option?

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goose2005

Probably not, they don't even have keyboards. Don't buy a laptop in a shop either, online is always cheaper.

kebn

Wouldn't recommend it at all. If you're going to get a laptop, just get a relatively cheap one from the likes of komplett.ie. Microsoft Word/Excel etc. will cover the vast majority of the assignments you'll be faced with anyway.

To give my honest opinion about the whole computer thing though: wait a couple of weeks, or even months into the course, just to get a better idea of what you actually need.

Mardy Bum

Don't buy an Ipad for college use.

Ruski

Does the iPad have any actual use other than games/general waste of time?

TimeToShine

don't go near it.

kkumk

A guy in my class had one that he used a lot and he seemed to find it fairly handy. He bought one of those keyboards that you can attach it to so he could take notes in class.
An iPad is great for quickly looking up your readings and stuff like that, but it's definitely no substitute for a laptop as the word processor isn't great & I'm not sure how easy/hard it is to use PowerPoint on it, if it's possible at all!
If you already have a laptop then go ahead and get an iPad to use casually in class, but it really wouldn't do on its own when it comes down to big assignments and presentations.

Musefan

I tried taking notes on a tablet pc during class before and I found it quite annoying...my advice would be to get a cheap netbook (the very small laptops). It worked wonders for me during my course and I found I only needed to use a big bulky laptop towards the end of final year when I was doing my thesis as extensive amounts of typing on a small laptop began to hurt my eyes and my hands! An Ipad has a smaller screen than a laptop and after a few hours of typing an essay you might go a bit nuts!

Having said that, I would email the course director to see what they recommend. The postgrad course I am starting specifies that we have some minimum specifications on our laptops to run certain programs, so I have had to upgrade my laptop.

That's another thing with an Ipad- you wouldn't be able to save any work to USB for printing. You certainly wouldn't be able to run some of the statistics programs that I use (if you needed to of course!).

So don't waste your money on something that might be of use for a few weeks and then isn't of use when things really get going. Plus, if you are like me and drop things very frequently, a cheap netbook is probably more study than a nice shiny glassy Ipad. If you are really set on an Apple Product go for a MacBook Air or something which would be as portable as an Ipad, but better for you in the long run (even though most Apple things are terribly overpriced!)

Stuxnet

dont be THE idiot in the class with the ipad, theres always one

great for consuming content...not for anything productive tho

Gel

Well I don't think I'll be getting an iPad then!

errlloyd

I'm using a transformer pad, which is an android tablet with a full keyboard docking station. But will be using desktop in college or at home for any essay writing.

Tablet's only have the software for the most basic of note taking.

747dots

Hi gang. daughter starting business this month and wondering if the deal with the HP laptop worth the money? they asking for a v hi spec and wondering will they need that hi a spec? €750 and €950 the deals they offering. www.ucd.ie/quinn/edubook is the link. pc world and harveys said prob better to go with their offer which i thought was strange!!!! any pointers anyone??? thanks in advance

Gurgle

747dots wrote: »

Hi gang. daughter starting business this month and wondering if the deal with the HP laptop worth the money? they asking for a v hi spec and wondering will they need that hi a spec? €750 and €950 the deals they offering. www.ucd.ie/quinn/edubook is the link. pc world and harveys said prob better to go with their offer which i thought was strange!!!! any pointers anyone??? thanks in advance

Those laptops are both really low end, with a ridiculous service package.

HP Service & support for 3 years = €199, on a €450 laptop.
Almost 50% extra for the warranty :rolleyes:
I thought they had stopped this crap a decade ago.

747dots

Gurgle wrote: »

Those laptops are both really low end, with a ridiculous service package.

HP Service & support for 3 years = €199, on a €450 laptop.
Almost 50% extra for the warranty :rolleyes:
I thought they had stopped this crap a decade ago.

Hmmmm more bloody decisions to be made. back to online laptop shopping so

:( thanks gurgle

GoldFour4

747dots wrote: »

Hi gang. daughter starting business this month and wondering if the deal with the HP laptop worth the money? they asking for a v hi spec and wondering will they need that hi a spec? €750 and €950 the deals they offering. www.ucd.ie/quinn/edubook is the link. pc world and harveys said prob better to go with their offer which i thought was strange!!!! any pointers anyone??? thanks in advance

The computers are quite good actually. The support offered is great, they'll fix any problem within a day or two, theres a it department in the quinn school. I'm going into second year and have the cheaper of the two packages. Its a small bit bigger then the other laptop. Both are good and will be more then adequate for what she'll be doing

Mardy Bum

malachyscott wrote: »

The computers are quite good actually. The support offered is great, they'll fix any problem within a day or two, theres a it department in the quinn school. I'm going into second year and have the cheaper of the two packages. Its a small bit bigger then the other laptop. Both are good and will be more then adequate for what she'll be doing

Both are massively over priced and you can get better value in most other places. UCD is trying to make a quick buck on unsuspecting parents.

ironclaw

You should seriously consider an Apple MacBook. I was sworn Windows for many years, but there is no better laptop to type on. Honestly, the keyboard is perfect. As ridiculous as that sounds, its such a bonus to be able to type so fluidly.

They are also a wonderful machine spec's wise and one will last you years. A testament to that is Masters students using the one they bought in 1st year. They are fairly timeless and they never slow down. A huge bonus, especially in exam time library, is the battery. You will easily get 7 hours out of a 15" Pro and I've achieved almost 10. By the time I replacement my last machine (After a theft, not because I wanted to) the battery had only degraded by about 5% in 3 years. Any Dell machine I've used has struggled to get 2+ hours.

On the downside, they are a shade expensive, but you won't buy a better laptop for the money.

kkumk

747dots wrote: »

Hi gang. daughter starting business this month and wondering if the deal with the HP laptop worth the money? they asking for a v hi spec and wondering will they need that hi a spec? €750 and €950 the deals they offering. www.ucd.ie/quinn/edubook is the link. pc world and harveys said prob better to go with their offer which i thought was strange!!!! any pointers anyone??? thanks in advance

I got a laptop from the Quinn deal a few years ago and have to say it was brilliant! it was a bit more expensive then, I think the cheapest was 990 and it went up to 1500 but the warranty is great and it comes with all of the things that your daughter will need, Microsoft Office & the like, as well as having virus protection. Obviously most laptops you get now will have that but the IT support you get with it in UCD is really good!
I'm not sure whether its worth it or not in comparison to other laptops on the market, but I've since gotten a newer laptop & it's in no way as good as the HP one I got via Quinn.

747dots

thanks malachy & KK for the replies. they looking office 2010 pro and windows 7 pro which mostly entails upgrades after i buy a similar laptop so costs actually not too bad considering onsite warranty for 3 years back up etc etc. already have a HP for home and v happy with it(2 years old now). anyhuuu thanks again Dots:D

El Siglo

Pen and an A4 refill pad... Job done at less than a fiver.

Ruski

747dots wrote: »

Hi gang. daughter starting business this month and wondering if the deal with the HP laptop worth the money? they asking for a v hi spec and wondering will they need that hi a spec? €750 and €950 the deals they offering. www.ucd.ie/quinn/edubook is the link. pc world and harveys said prob better to go with their offer which i thought was strange!!!! any pointers anyone??? thanks in advance

That software and service and support are completely unnecessary.

III

Hey, I have the cheap option one! Typing on it right now... I've had it for about 2 years, pretty solid laptop, a few problems though. The top left corner of the underside has started crumbling away, probably due to how UNGODLY hot this monster gets! I'm talking hot enough to make small parts of the plastic grill break apart and fall off (But that's been after 2 years and it's only the top two pieces). And may the lord have mercy if you use it for more than 2 hours on a table... let's just say you'll be left with an area hot enough to make the sun blush!

Oh, and it is EXTREMELY loud when that weak cpu is working... Don't be fooled by "Dual core", it may sound good but alas, there's nothing duel core-y about it! It seems to work hard for everything. There's only a small period of relative silence when you first boot it up after a shut down or long sleep, but it doesn't last long! I'd get the 949 one if only for that glorious i3 processor... I can hear it now, purring like a baby when I open my browser, not immediately going "hhhhRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNMMMMMMM" like I activated some nuclear launch codes or something. It then quietens down but it's still loud enough to annoy you when studying.

Did I mention the heat? Say goodbye to playing games (I know, I know, but you gotta relax somehow), It's like some parent's council over at hp placed the cpu directly under the WASD keys, so that enough heat radiates over that one area to deter any student who wants to procrastinate! Give me a break. No, seriously, I want to play some goddamn counter-strike!
It's also a beast - I don't know how heavy laptops are supposed to be, but this one takes the cake. Even with the battery out it's pushing 3kg! Anyone who wants to prop it up on their chest as they lay back on bed or on their legs can cross that option out. It will surely crush you. Not to mention burn your skin off, or set your t-shirt alight.

Who am I kidding though? You'd be a fool not to buy this laptop if you're looking for a cheap, sturdy consistent machine. The cons I listed above are the only cons, everything else is a dream. If this laptop were a few kg lighter, a few decibels quieter, and a couple hundred degrees cooler it would be a goddamn dream. It has NEVER broken down on me, never an issue, and I am one hell of an extensive user. The laptop itself can take a beating - I've dropped it countless times. You'd think it would at least be damaged, being an absolute brick and all, but I'll be damned if it doesn't look as new as the day I bought it when I lift that lid up. Glorious large screen, spacious keyboard with some handy shortcuts (button to open a browser? Projector? Calculator? I'll be damned if every one of them isn't there!) and a nice large responsive track pad. The battery is class, I've used and abused it like you wouldn't believe and I can still eek out 3+ hours with the brightness down. On a 2 year battery? That's excellent if you ask me. Bottom line, you can count on this fella to be there when you need him, and do everything you could ever want, all at an extremely cheap price. (Under 500 euro in the stores! Google docs and Comodo Antivirus for life!) Despite the niggles, a solid buy.

8/10

ucdperson

UCD is trying to make a quick buck on unsuspecting parents.

This isn't true. UCD no longer subsidises the machines to be sure, but the machines are sold as cheaply as possible consistent with decent support which allows people get sorted in the building and so keeps classes running smoothly.

That software and service and support are completely unnecessary.

Have you ever actually attended a class in Quinn? A large proportion of them are delayed or disrupted by people who have weird and wonderful laptops, or laptops with weird and wonderful things done to them. Many of these people think the class should wait while they fiddle with their machine or waste the lecturer's time asking about how to work it. If you have the standard machine and we ask you to do something, then it is our problem if it doesn't work. If you do your own thing, then it is your problem.

Mardy Bum

ucdperson wrote: »

This isn't true. UCD no longer subsidises the machines to be sure, but the machines are sold as cheaply as possible consistent with decent support which allows people get sorted in the building and so keeps classes running smoothly.

Have you ever actually attended a class in Quinn? A large proportion of them are delayed or disrupted by people who have weird and wonderful laptops, or laptops with weird and wonderful things done to them. Many of these people think the class should wait while they fiddle with their machine or waste the lecturer's time asking about how to work it. If you have the standard machine and we ask you to do something, then it is our problem if it doesn't work. If you do your own thing, then it is your problem.

Do you think the price is justified?

Clearpreso

The price is total nonsense.

I was in Commerce back in the day, Quinn advised us to buy very outdated Dells that just weren't up to the task. The "value" comes from tech support etc. Wouldn't be needed if you had a good comp in the first place. Go to PC world and buy a €500 acer or HP and youll be good to go.

[Deleted User]

ucdperson wrote: »

This isn't true. UCD no longer subsidises the machines to be sure, but the machines are sold as cheaply as possible consistent with decent support which allows people get sorted in the building and so keeps classes running smoothly.

Have you ever actually attended a class in Quinn? A large proportion of them are delayed or disrupted by people who have weird and wonderful laptops, or laptops with weird and wonderful things done to them. Many of these people think the class should wait while they fiddle with their machine or waste the lecturer's time asking about how to work it. If you have the standard machine and we ask you to do something, then it is our problem if it doesn't work. If you do your own thing, then it is your problem.

Bit of an exaggeration there. I've only ever seen classes held up in the first 2 weeks of first year, after that if there was an issue it wasn't just for the people without the standard laptop.

frazzlerf92

I agree have had hp for a year on 750 deal well worth it.. hp one of the best laptops around apart from mac of course

srm23

ffs you might as well take your notes on your phone