Hey guys, I'm going to be in my first year at Mac in September.. and I was wondering if people actually bring their desktop pc's to residence. The reason I'm asking this is because I've heard from some people that most people don't actually use their laptops well during lectures and just go on facebook, etc. Writing out notes isn't that bad to me, and I've also heard that slides/notes are available on the internet. Thanks for the help!

I had a desktop, but found it to be a pain in the ass.

I don't like typing notes on my laptop, but I like the freedom to bring my laptop with me to work on essays or articles when I have breaks inbetween classes. I feel odd doing it on shared computers, especially since I save favourites on my website often.

wow, that was a quick reply!

By shared computers, do you mean computers at Mac? Cuz I was actually referring to my own computer. I see what you mean though

I meant in a lab.

I'm used ot living off-campus so I sort of forget the convience of res (ie going back in between classes, as opposed to having to stay on campus cuz home is too far to go back for an hour's chunk of time)

ahhh i see, ok that's a lot lorend! -Simon @ Mechanical Engineering

Besides all the practical benefits that lorend mentioned, having a laptop also has some pretty practical benefits in res. The biggest plus I can think of it the ease of movement - you're going to fall in love with DC++ (huge, amazing filesharing network), and it's a heck of a lot easier to watch movies and TV shows on a mobile laptop than it is on a stationary desktop. Also, should you feel the need to bring assignments home for the weekend, it's much easier to just bring your whole laptop than to transfer everything to a USB key to bring home.

Although it is far more convenient to bring a laptop to Mac (which I do), you won't be the only one with a desktop. I have a laptop but I never bring it to lecture. I always hand write my notes. People with laptops in lecture are highly distracting--don't do it! But if you do have a laptop it's convenient for when you study in lecture halls during exam time or when you go to a friend's room.

Originally Posted by slx4

The reason I'm asking this is because I've heard from some people that most people don't actually use their laptops well during lectures and just go on facebook, etc. Writing out notes isn't that bad to me, and I've also heard that slides/notes are available on the internet. Thanks for the help!

A lot of people do mess around in lecture but that is their own choice, however you should never count on the prof putting slides and notes up on the internet. We do have a server called WEBCT that we use but many profs don't like it, esp in the arts. There are a lot of science profs that use it and other applications like LearnLink but you still can't rely on them using it.

If you find that you can't keep up with the speed of the prof you can bring a voice recorder to lecture. Ask them at the beginning of the semester if they mind being taped, most will say that they don't mind but I did have one prof who didn't want to be taped. The reason why I say you should ask is because you get the best sound quality when you're close to the prof, but then they can also see the recorder and you don't want to be singled out in class, so just ask first.

Hi slx4!

It isn't unusual to bring a desktop computer into your residence room, a lot of people do it. It all depends on the level of interaction you have with your computer. Are you the type of person that is on the computer a lot and want to type up your notes and have it to carry around campus everywhere? Or do you mainly use your computer just to check e-mail, surf the net, and listen to music?

If you said yes to the first choice, then you'll want a laptop because you can take it from class to class, and you can also have it when you want to take a break from res and go to the student centre or somewhere away from your roommates for peace and quiet!

If you feel more like the second type of person, then you can do just fine with a desktop PC. The main reasons is that your PC will always be hooked up in your room to your speakers (so you can listen to music), you'll have a larger screen (typically) to work with, and usually desktops are more powerful so you can play games, watch movies, etc. I'd prefer watching movies and browsing the net on a large desktop PC screen rather than on my laptop. If you're outside your res and just want to check your email you can go to any of the public computers in the library, or login using your MacID to any computers in the Student Technology Centres (computer labs) around campus. As mentioned before, you just don't get your bookmarks, etc. but no big deal - I rarely use bookmarks anyways lol

I'd recommend a laptop for taking notes (as I type up my notes and find it easier) but if it isn't a big deal to you, go with a desktop... its one less thing to worry about getting stolen

I have another related question...I currently have a pretty nice desktop at home and if I leave it here, it will just sit there wasted.

However, I know I am getting a laptop for university, so I was wondering....would it make any sense at all to bring both?

I know when Im multi-tasking at home I find it useful to have two computers running.....its also great to have an extra in case one of them crashes or gets a virus. However, space constraints are alot more prominent in res...so what do yuo think I should do...leave my desktop at home or would there be any use in having two computers?

Space constraints vary quite a bit from residence to residence - I lived in Edwards and I would have had plenty of room for both - but a friend of mine in bates would probably have had trouble accomodating both on his desk.

It depends, I suppose, on how you work. I found that my laptop became my primary computer at all times, even when I was at home, with another desktop available. But, if you feel that two computers will increase your efficency, then I say go for it - you can always send your desktop home on movein day if you don't have the space, and you can back your data up

Hey J-Met,

Well the first thing I would consider is what kind of worker are you? Do you like to study and do your work at a desk? If so, would you be doing said work on your desktop computer or would you prefer it to be on your laptop? If you like desk space I wouldn't suggest bringing both, choose between the two.

Also, when you're doing group projects, which you most likely will, often you'll be meeting in public places like libraries. Even if you're working with other residence students they may not want to be cramped up in a residence room esp if your room mate has friends over etc. In that case a laptop would be your best bet, instead of moving files from computer to laptop or visa versa.

I'd personally lean towards laptop because you can pick it up and go with it but like you said, you have a good desktop that would be sitting at home doing squat. Depending on how far away you live you could do a trial run with both and see how you fair out that way!

Hope this helps!

I suppose I will keep my desktop at home. I live about 1.5 hours away and will probably be going home about every third week-end...it could prove useful having my own computer at home.

It could prove to be useful, that way you have one less thing to bring home on the weekend: ie-laptop. If you are going to leave your laptop in your residence room over the weekend I would lock it securely. Not saying that you shouldn't trust your room mate but if he leaves the door unlocked there's no telling what could happen and it HAS happened before.

The biggest pain in the rear for me is when I bring my laptop home I almost always forget my charger *sigh*

I brought both a laptop and a desktop to res, since for me they served very different purposes. I considered my desktop to be my primary computer, and, essentially, my "entertainment" computer - all my games, music, movies, etc. were on there because it was more powerful and had vastly more hard drive space than my laptop (people thought I was nuts in 2003 to have over 500 GB in hard drives, but now look at the market...I proved them wrong, haha). It was also my main work computer, since it was more comfortable to use for long periods of time (bigger screen, better keyboard, etc.)

My laptop was used for when I needed portability - to take notes in class (for the few ones I took where the prof just got up there and talked for 50 minutes without providing lecture notes), to do group work for inquiry classes, to escape to the library to work or study, or to take home with me whenever I ventured back there. I basically considered it to be my secondary computer, and it pretty much just sat in its bag in my room until I needed to grab it when heading out the door. Aside from the odd time when I wanted to do two very different computing tasks (i.e., running ridiculously processor-intensive protein folding simulations on my desktop while surfing on the laptop), desk space wasn't an issue because I usually didn't have them both running at once in my room.

Anyway, that's how I approached the situation - two computers, two different roles. It worked well for me, but it'll vary a lot on what kind of hardware you have (your laptop may be better equipped than your desktop, unlike mine) and what you typically use your computer for.