OK I'm far from a laptop geek.. I really need some advice and some insight from upper year engineering students on what kind of laptop I should get.
I've been looking at a few laptops recently, and I'm wondering if we need a graphics card? Is 8gb ram essential to get the job done? And any specific laptop recommendations, hopefully under $1000? I could use any type of help. Thanks in advance.

8 gigs is a lot. Graphics card isn't essential unless you want to play games. I'd say go for a large screen (15.6 inch is enough), full HD resolution to make use of all that screen space, and a fast CPU.

I would suggest going with Lenovo. Lenovo have a lot of sweet models under 1000 bucks, and very good options for students around 500-600 bucks, especially now with all the sales they are having. They also have amazing keyboard.

Integrated graphic cards nowaday are more than sufficient. No need to get a dedicated graphic card unless you are looking to game on it.

I would recommend you getting a Surface Pro 3. A lot of courses will have the lecture note outline already. You can then add in extra stuff over the PDF using the Surface Pro 3. The Surface Pro 3 will also allow you to take note using the built in stylus ( which is amazing). There is currently a $150 discount if you buy it straight from Microsoft. To round it all off, remember its a Windows laptop at the core so all your Windows programs will work on it.

http://www.microsoftstore.co m/stor...8d4dd35935e97e

Any specific lenovo laptops you're referring to?? Trying to find some in that price range

Originally Posted by mrrm21

Any specific lenovo laptops you're referring to?? Trying to find some in that price range

this one looks nice:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product... E16834317608

I noticed that all laptop prices went up for some reason. Probably because of Windows 8 and its pointless touch screen crap. I got a fullHD laptop with 3rd Gen i7 and a gaming video card, 2 years ago for around 900. Now its successor costs 1500. Damn.

You can also customize L540, and get something half decent for under 1000.

http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops...l-series/l540/

!!!. Here's a good one, with 500 dollar coupon: Good CPU and video card, FullHD screen. Good bang for 800.

http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops...CA:000056E D:

These are all good actually, but the one I posted above is the best one for the money:
http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops...y40/index.html

The first version of the this model is decent. It's weaker than the previous one (and consumes less power), but has enough CPU power for engineering stuff, and it has a much bigger battery. Also it's slick looking, and has FullHD display: http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops...es/u530-touch/

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/.../10298307.aspx

Best specs, good price, on sale

Were I going back to school.... no question whatsoever. Surface pro 3

What might not be immediately and visibly obvious is the matter of durability and construction quality. Some brands just seem to be better built than others, and will stand up to occasional rough handling. Laptops from Asus and Lenovo have struck me as belonging to this category better than some slightly better known or more heavily advertised brands. Similarly too, Apple products in general, although they are usually more highly priced and have some non-standard attributes. I may get shot down by some Acer or HP fans, but I have taken all of these brands apart and have seen the differences in construction.

Would this suffice? In terms of its specs and stuff? Honest opinions.
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em _id=064224
And that's essentially the price range I have to shoot for

Originally Posted by mrrm21

Would this suffice? In terms of its specs and stuff? Honest opinions.
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em _id=064224
And that's essentially the price range I have to shoot for

Pretty good for 500 bucks.

Check availability tho.

Originally Posted by mrrm21

Would this suffice? In terms of its specs and stuff? Honest opinions.
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em _id=064224
And that's essentially the price range I have to shoot for

I think that is a well balanced laptop and it would more than suffice. I am not familiar with that graphics card, but I personally find i5's strike a good balance between price and performance (I never found it worth it to get an i7) and 6 gigs of ram just makes it a bit better than the standard of 4 gigs of ram.

The one thing is that a lot of the more portable laptops have gotten rid of the DVD drive for better weight, but if that's not a problem for you then this is probably similar to one I would buy now (if I didn't just get a tablet and have a desktop).

Alright and then there's this:
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em_id =067874
This worth the extra dollars compared to the last one? Jw

Originally Posted by mrrm21

Alright and then there's this:
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em_id =067874
This worth the extra dollars compared to the last one? Jw

I think it was pretty much the same as the last one. I think the last one stood out on price vs. the other ones listed in this thread, but this one is nothing special for costing that much

Originally Posted by mrrm21

Alright and then there's this:
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em_id =067874
This worth the extra dollars compared to the last one? Jw

The second one is a newer revision of the first. You will note that the main difference is the processor. The 4th gen processor (4xxxU) has about 40% better battery life while performing a little bit better.

Keep in mind that this is an ultrabook meaning it will be a bit underpowered but should still be ok for most engineering tasks. It will probably last 2-3 years.

Edit: Also take a look at Dell. They are putting out new deals every day. They got a better laptop (without the unneeded graphics) as the second one for $599 save $160 right now
http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-15...15-5547-laptop

Definitely consider the Surface Pro line as others were saying. Microsoft should seriously consider rebranding those computers, the Surface got a bad reputation (basically a Microsoft version of an Ipad), and people mistake the Surface for the Surface Pro since they look near identical. The Surface Pro on the other hand is basically a laptop in the body of a tablet. I've used my first gen since launch and it has been amazing when coupled with OneNote, i can import my notes my prof posts, and annotate and draw complex math or chemical reactions with the stylus. Writing feels natural too which i was completely surprised by, it has built in palm-rejection support so you can have your palm on the screen while writing and it wont register.

Of course, there are still problems with it, so keep it in mind. The earlier models have limited battery (about 4 hours), but they sell a Power Cover which is a keyboard with a second battery and you can extend its battery life to about 7 or 8. The newer models (especially the i5's and i7's) overheat stupidly easy because they're so freaking thin, so there is software that kicks in that thermally throttles your CPU which degrades performance substantially, but hey battery life is about 7-8 hours.

If you do go the surface pro route, i would either get a surface pro 2, or an i3 surface pro 3. Both sell for around 600 if you can find the right deals/discounts. I believe MS gives a 10% student discount or something as well.