thechristelegacy

Hey guys! Yeah, I'm still around. So it's my senior year of highschool and next year I plan on attending college majoring in computer science. Not sure which one yet, but one problem is I need to select a good notebook computer. My price range is anything < around 1,200.00.

I have a few questions.

Should I buy a computer now or wait a little longer? The thought of having my own little thing is so appealing it isn't even funny. I do realize however that the longer I wait the better features will cost less. Since I'll have this computer for my four years of college (maybe five if I double up in something education related), maybe it would be better to wait and get the most for my money.

All right, now for the question of brand. The big obvious is Dell. I've used Dells all my life and have never had a problem with them. A lot of people tell me they suck. I'm wondering if that's just ignorance, or a truth. If Dells are so bad what should I go with. There seams to be some good deals on circuit city, but then again they could just as well suck.

So what's everyone's opinion?
And thanks for your time :-D

andro

I'd wait. Just my opinion though. I know you want it now, but you don't _need_ it until school starts.

niteice

MacBook.

stevengs

The Lenovo Thinkpad my boss sprung for is my first Laptop. Screen quality and resolution are key in my opinion. 1440x900 minimum and at least 15", so this R52 is just right. Although... a good friend has an Alienware Laptop... hmmm...

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-Steven
"Is this a piece of your brain?" - Basil Fawlty

ReggaetonKing

I'd wait too. MacBook is the way I'm going. I am also in the senior year of high school and majoring in compter science. I am waiting until the summer of 07 to get mine.

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Eric the Red

I agree with you.. I've got the R60.

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thechristelegacy

I was thinking macbook, but would that really be the way to go if I'm going to be doing a lot of c++ programming?

Mjordan2nd

Are you going to be playing games and stuff on the machine as well, or are you going to be using it strictly for school-work.

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&quot;Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, from those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.&quot; - Dwight D. Eisenhower

thechristelegacy

Most likely a little of both. I think something Windows based will be the way to go. I'd love to take some of my games with me.

purpleorange

You can dual-boot Windows with a Macbook using Boot Camp. It isn't hard to use and if you get a Macbook you can run Windows easily, whereas with a Dell, it'd be a lot more difficult to try Mac OS X.

Mac OS X comes with standard Unix tools for development, so you get all those. GCC, the GNU C Compiler is part of the package, so heavy C++ programming is definitely not out of the picture with an Apple notebook.