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DeathToWindows · Dec 31, 2003, 09:01 PM

I'm heading off to college/university (4 years of higher ed) and I'm trying to decide what I need and what will last for 4 years. I am planning a major in psychology with a minor in photography. I am not going to buy the hardware until august 2004 but I would like some advice...

My current thoughts are:

1.8DP + 17" LCD
12"G4 iBook

malvolio · Dec 31, 2003, 10:10 PM

By then maybe we'll see G5 laptops. Wouldn't that be sweet!
Going by what's currently available, sounds like you would be in good shape with your choices.

Yose · Jan 1, 2004, 12:12 AM

you should buy a big fat ol' windows machine... Ohya everyone knows they roxxors.

3lee7 or something like that.

If you get a laptop get applecare... GET APPLECARE.

Q27 · Jan 1, 2004, 02:10 AM

You should really ask around the university. Most places have webpages about recommended systems. Some colleges require you to get a specific laptop. Find out from your dept head/advisor what programs you will need to run and what they recommend. If everything you are doing requires a PC, you might consider getting a cheap pc and a mac. I know you can just get Virtual PC, but by the time you pay for the program and the OS, it is almost the same price as a low-mid range PC.

If there really is no restrictions, then G4 iBook or DP 1.8 GHz sound like pretty good choices.

Scotttheking · Jan 1, 2004, 06:51 AM

I find that laptops don't last well for 4 years. That said, if you are going to be spending most of your time typing papers, it'll last fine, although you will need some new batteries. I've had my Tibook 2.5 years, and I'm on battery #5 right now. Oh yeah, I'm on Tibook #2, too.
Personally, if I could do it again, I would have taken the money I had for a computer, bought a cheap used laptop, and then when I hit the more computationally intensive classes I would have either bought a new lowend laptop or the previous model, used. It would have cost the same amount, but given me more power when I needed it, instead of having the fastest machine to do lightweight stuff like word processing on.

DeathToWindows · Jan 1, 2004, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by Yose:
you should buy a big fat ol' windows machine... Ohya everyone knows they roxxors.

3lee7 or something like that.

Read the username. I've used windows, mac and Linux varients and I'll stick to mac.

Next time make a useful comment with backup please.

Kilbey · Jan 1, 2004, 01:50 PM

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
Read the username. I've used windows, mac and Linux varients and I'll stick to mac.

Next time make a useful comment with backup please.

He was being sarcastic I am sure.

iMac. You don't need much more than what an iMac specs out at.

Now, if you were majoring in Photography I would go with the G5 set up.

DeathToWindows · Jan 1, 2004, 01:54 PM

Its an idea.... but I have a little obssession with expandability... and iMacs have none

Kilbey · Jan 1, 2004, 02:11 PM

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
Its an idea.... but I have a little obssession with expandability... and iMacs have none

12" G4 iBook?!?! Expandable?!?!

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
I'm heading off to college/university (4 years of higher ed) and I'm trying to decide what I need and what will last for 4 years. I am planning a major in psychology with a minor in photography. I am not going to buy the hardware until august 2004 but I would like some advice...

My current thoughts are:

1.8DP + 17" LCD
12"G4 iBook

DeathToWindows · Jan 1, 2004, 02:49 PM

General reasoning

iBook for lecture/research/paper in library
G5 for photo/development

Steve · Jan 1, 2004, 05:18 PM

Read the username. I've used windows, mac and Linux varients and I'll stick to mac.

Next time make a useful comment with backup please.

Build yourself a cheap PC desktop (ie ~$800) which will last you a few years, at least. It's also much easier and cheaper to expand whenever you need to, unlike a Mac desktop. I would also recommend a G4 iBook, on the sole reason that it is smaller and less fragile than PowerBook, and since it doesn't seem that you need much power for the courses you'll probably be taking. If you do, get a PowerBook, but it's usually over kill unless you're going to be taking graphic arts or other courses that need more power. GET APPLECARE.

Just because you have something against Windows doesn't mean that you can't own a PC for school. Most schools give away free software (usually Windows only) and most courses will use Windows based software. Unless you enjoy running to the campus computer lab(s) to do work or borrowing a friends computer, then get yourself a PC, because it is what is used at schools.

maxintosh · Jan 1, 2004, 05:32 PM

I've had a great time using PowerBooks through boarding school and college. In high school, I had a Pismo; a true workhorse. Now I'm on a TiBook 1GHz and it's running very well. No battery issues either, even my 4-year-old Pismo was still going strong when I sold it. Most Universities are very Mac-friendly. Having a laptop is great for working outside on nice days or in the library when you need to get out of your room.

I have to disagree with Steve about Mac support. All the engineering classes use Sun and Gateway-Lab computers, neither of which you will have in your room anyway. All my other courses either don't require special software, or are Mac-friendly; even computer science ones. The only free software we get really is UNIX, e-mail and antivirus software, and they even have Mac versions available.

DeathToWindows · Jan 1, 2004, 07:04 PM

I've been accepted into Boston University and they have no mac/pc bias and a university-wide cross-compatability policy. And they've got good on-campus mac support.

Steve: the something against windows is the fact that for imaging (i.e. pro level photography) PC are second-rate. Also, with BU's policy, I see no reason to go with a system that has only caused me grief in my internships (at MIT).

BTW: do people think that 2 machines are overkill or does it make sense for what I want to do...

tooki · Jan 1, 2004, 07:55 PM

At my university (UMBC), there are a good number of comp sci students who use Macs, since in general, they have to develop for Linux or Java, so OS X works pretty well (and supports the campus AFS filesystem, too).

The school also has a general policy of supporting both systems, both for students and faculty, as well as with the site licenses they carry (MS Windows and Office, virus protection, etc).

tooki

Yose · Jan 1, 2004, 08:24 PM

Read the username. I've used windows, mac and Linux varients and I'll stick to mac.

Next time make a useful comment with backup please.

I'll repeat myself, if you're going to get a laptop also get APPLECARE. Every other repair I seem to be doing these days is a logic board for a laptop (read: Apple Laptop).

I recently sold my Powerbook 667 and upgraded to a dual 2ghz G5 after realizing the PB was simply not enough for my school and professional work(really just for my proffesional stuff, no design student REALLY needs a G5 unless doing video or 3D work. PS/AI/ID(quark) can be done on a B&W G3 when in school), however, I miss the laptop very much when it comes to lectures.

Oh, next time read between the lines.

DeathToWindows · Jan 1, 2004, 10:06 PM

Any and all hardware will be applecare'd... a little insurance goes a long way in college.

Just remind me not to drop the laptop.

Superchicken · Jan 1, 2004, 10:13 PM

The iBook is great for school. I have one and it's great, I don't even use my desk just sit it on my lap, and it's very freeing to be able to write papers in your room, or outside of your room.

SOLIDAge · Jan 1, 2004, 10:47 PM

you'll want something that will run Photoshop pretty well, as you'll use it w/ Photogrpahy i'm sure.

if portability isn't a problem, and you don't want to be able to go to class and take notes, just go with a nice 20" iMac, its beautiful and powerful.

Superchicken · Jan 1, 2004, 11:02 PM

my iBook is fine with PS Elements. I do all kindsa photo work and it's quite zippy although the HD is slow, but you'll get that in any laptop.

DeathToWindows · Jan 1, 2004, 11:50 PM

Photoshop would be an understatement... were talking 200MB+ files for 13x19 full prints... so power is essential (and serial ATA / G5 is really tempting)

that's why i'm aiming for the iBook & the g5

--

Current software used-

Photoshop CS
Illustrator CS
M$ Office vX
iMovie
iDVD
...and a few others

tooki · Jan 2, 2004, 02:18 AM

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
...Just remind me not to drop the laptop.

-->Safeware

tooki

Kilbey · Jan 2, 2004, 12:42 PM

I didn't realize you were talking about buying both a G5 and a iBook.

Excellent choice. I don't think you'll be let down on either one. But I would max out the memory on the G5 if I were you. Especially if you are going to be working with those really big image files.

Steve · Jan 2, 2004, 03:57 PM

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
I've been accepted into Boston University and they have no mac/pc bias and a university-wide cross-compatability policy. And they've got good on-campus mac support.

Steve: the something against windows is the fact that for imaging (i.e. pro level photography) PC are second-rate. Also, with BU's policy, I see no reason to go with a system that has only caused me grief in my internships (at MIT).

BTW: do people think that 2 machines are overkill or does it make sense for what I want to do...

I guess that I've been thinking differently about computers lately, since my school has virtually zero support for Macs, and recommends to Freshman to sell their Mac if they bought one, and pick up a PC. Their network is entirely Windows based (except for the Computer Science buidling... that's running Linux). Anyways, I disagree with your thoughts on PCs being "second rate" at digital imaging, but I'm not going to get into it around here, ever.

I don't think 2 machines are overkill, especially if that's what you're going to be using for your major.

DeathToWindows · 11:38 PM

Originally posted by Kilbey:
I didn't realize you were talking about buying both a G5 and a iBook.

Excellent choice. I don't think you'll be let down on either one. But I would max out the memory on the G5 if I were you. Especially if you are going to be working with those really big image files.

RE : RAM

8x256 (cost) - @ 100/512kit its the cheapest

2Gigs ought to do it... compared to 768 now

and 640mb in the ibook

Kilbey · Jan 3, 2004, 12:05 AM

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
RE : RAM

8x256 (cost) - @ 100/512kit its the cheapest

2Gigs ought to do it... compared to 768 now

and 640mb in the ibook

PERFECT!

DeathToWindows · Jan 3, 2004, 12:08 AM

Cheap but good... considering the prices for 512/1GB sticks...

---

Refurb v. New? Applecare'd of course... any views here?

Link · Jan 3, 2004, 12:45 AM

Something in a thermaltake xazer case, preferably PENTIUM 4 HT EXTREME! with DDR and XP!

You don't want to get made fun of now do you?

*has way too much fun with that**

DeathToWindows · Jan 3, 2004, 12:47 AM

Yes you did link, yes you did.

the mere thought makes me gag...