I've had dial-up internet for as long as I can remember. One of the things I was looking forward to most about MIT was having a laptop and campus-wide WI-FI. I always had this sparkling image of me, sitting in Killian Court under the sun, blogging about MIT (with not a care in the world). The issue? I needed a laptop. Although there have been some blogs about what computers to bring to campus, and some articles around the internet, most of the links were broken and the info outdated. This is my attempt at helping you understand what laptops frequent campus and which you should consider buying if you come. So, without further delay, let's get started!
There are two computer options for MIT: Desktops and laptops. Both have their merits, but in all honesty, most people here use laptops. If you're dead set on having a desktop and wouldn't work with anything less, then you won't be at a huge disadvantage with a desktop, but it's definitely in the minority of computing choices.
What you'll notice about MIT is that there are laptops everywhere! Proof?
I love having a laptop, it lets me do what I'm doing now (type a blog entry in the floor lounge while watching the Great Mouse Detective and Chicken Run).
What should you get though? So many options! Let's start with the formalities, what does MIT recommend? If you go to MIT's page of Recommended Laptops you will see three varieties:
1) Mac
2) Dell
3) Lenovo IBM Thinkpad
Perhaps as a consequence of this website, and also the fact that MIT gives students a discount on all three of these brands, these will be the laptops you see the most of on campus. Each has its benefits and each has its downsides. What are they?
Mac
Never have I met somebody who owns a Mac that didn't love it. A little less than half the computers I see on campus are Macs. Which Mac though?
>Macbook
Macbooks are great for your typical, everyday student. If you're going to be doing basic typing, Mathematica, music playing, and general computing then the Macbook is great for you. It'll run all of your basic programs (including MatLab, provided for free by MIT) and networks just fine to MIT and its printers.
>Macbook Pro
Macbook Pros are also quite popular here. Used mostly by people that plan on doing programming and more computationally demanding applications. The backlit keyboard is also a nice feature (but then again, Macs are pretty anyway, that's half the point).
>Macbook Air
I'm going to have to discourage purchasing a Macbook air at this point. It's VERY expensive and not that powerful. It's very pretty and shiny, but not practical for MIT. Everybody here I know that has one is a Mac fanboy and also uses another computer in addition to their Air. Wait for SSD prices to drop, then look at the Air.
Issues with Macs
If you are going to be a Mechanical Engineer you should avoid a Mac. That's not to say you can't have one, but your life will be easier with a PC, the reason being the modeling software you'll be using (SolidWorks) isn't compatible with Mac. It was designed specifically for Windows and will likely never be ported. That being said, you can buy a Macbook Pro, dual-boot it with Windows, and then install SolidWorks (again, MIT provides it for free). You'll need a Pro though, of the three types of Macs only it has the RAM and the graphics to comfortably run modeling software. The air and the Macbook will be really laggy.
Dell
A little less than the other half of laptops are Dells. You'll see some Inspirons around, but most are Latitudes (Dell's business laptop). I use a Dell D820 and love it. I like the ability to customize exactly what goes into a Dell and I've never had a problem with delivery or tech support. They're really solid machines.
If you explore the Dell website you'll see a bunch of different configurations (Hard drive size, RAM, graphics card, screen size, etc). While most of these features don't really matter, there are a few that I'd like to suggest you focus on for certain situations.
Windows Vista -- If you have Windows Vista (and you very likely will, it comes pre-installed on many new laptops, but a downgrade to XP is always an option) then you'll want 2 gigs of RAM. You can run your computer on 1 gig but it won't be a pleasant experience. Idling, Windows Vista uses about 990 Mb of RAM, leaving you very little left running applications. You won't regret the extra RAM.
SolidWorks -- If you are planning on using modeling programs like SolidWorks or playing graphic-intensive games (Portal/Crysis) then you'll want a larger than average graphics card. I use a 512 Mb (which Dell may not offer anymore?) but a 256 is perfectly respectable and is a good choice.
Other Stuff -- Hard drive size isn't crucial because external HDDs are relatively cheap (much cheaper than putting a large hard drive into a laptop.) When you check out prices you'll notice that there is a huge price spike when you get above a certain hard drive size.
Lenovo IBM Thinkpad
While not nearly as prevalent as the Macbook or the Dell, the Thinkpad still has a respectable following at MIT. I don't know a lot about Lenovo, nor about Thinkpads, but people that have them swear by them (similar to how Mac users swear by their computers). I would suggest buying a Thinkpad based on
a) Price
b) If you've used one before and like them
c) If you want a tablet with the MIT discount
On a side note, the guy who wrote the algorithm and developed the red nubby mouse thing (I don't know what to call it!) on the Thinkpads works in the MIT Media Lab.
I'm sorry I don't know a lot about these things, but everybody I know who has one is very happy with it. I'd try some of them out before buying one, just to make sure you like it, but consider it.
Others
Other laptops are present on campus that don't have the benefit of an MIT discount. These laptops are generally purchased because of past experiences with different brands and personal preferences. Some of the more common include:
HP -- A good computer, more similar to Dell than to the other two (Macbook and Lenovo).
Gateway -- Not as known for their laptops. If you love Gateway, go for it, but I'd stick with some more main-stream comptuers.
Acer -- I would urge you to stay as far away from Acer as possible. Acer has a pretty terrible reputation for reliability and quality. They're cheap, sure, but the parts and components are picked from all sorts of third-party sources and oftentimes aren't compatible/well designed. Many don't latch closed, have glitchy keyboards, and perform poorly. If you're aiming for cheap, go for the Macbook.
Eeepc/XO -- As exciting as these two new tiny laptops are, I would stray from them as a primary computer. Especially the XO, it's unlikely to be compatible with any of the printer networks and will require a pretty decent background in Linux, programming and . . .you know what, just don't buy it. The Eeepc is kinda cute and would be good to just throw in your pocket, but primary computer? Prolly not.
Tablets
The last type of computer option is the tablet. Tablets are amazing. I love them. How cool would it be to be able to take notes during class on a tablet? Be able to use Photoshop with a pen? I would TOTALLY have a tablet if not for one thing: Graphics. As I said earlier, I want to be able to run SolidWorks on my laptop, which is almost impossible with a tablet. They simply don't make a tablet with a graphics card strong enough to run Solidworks. Every tablet out there has an integrated graphics card that just can't handle it. I e-mailed all the top tablet manufacturers and the general consensus is that tablets just aren't popular enough or mainstream enough to warrant an external graphics card. Maybe in several years they'll be awesome, but for now they just don't match what I need. If you are anything but a Mechanical Engineer then definitely look into tablets, they're so cool!
The Lenovo IBM picture up there is of a tablet, one of the more popular brands of tablets on campus. Lenovo is a very trustworthy tablet brand.
When exploring for a computer there are some numbers you want to consider. Look up what they mean on Wikipedia or e-mail me if you have any questions about what each is.
Look for:
RAM
Hard Drive Size/Speed (5400 RPM/7200 RPM)
Graphics Card
Clock Speed (Measured in GHz)
That's all I've got for you. Good luck, and enjoy the purchase of your new computer!
*Disclaimer: I'm not a computer expert. My goal in this entry is to help you understand how computers integrate with MIT. I have simplified certain aspects of computer shopping for ease of readability (nobody wants to read a huge entry of tech specs) but you should be able to rely on this entry for basic choice making. Again, good luck!
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Posted by: job'12 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Abhishek on March 22, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 22, 2008
You'll want to be very careful about graphics cards. SolidWorks needs very specific requirements. You can check them out here:
SolidWorks Graphics Cards
You may be able to do it on a Macbook, but you'll enjoy it more on a Macbook Pro.
Posted by: Snively on March 22, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Roshan'12 on March 22, 2008
Sure. You'll have time, just maybe not as much as you have now.
Posted by: Snively on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Paul Hoops '13 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: 0 on March 22, 2008
Tonnes of thanks to you Snively, that was immensely helpful!! ..=D
Posted by: Natasha on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Natalie'12 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Omar '12 on March 22, 2008
Yes. CAD isn't going to really be useful here, 3D solid modeling like AutoDesk Inventor and SolidWorks will be the most helpful.
Posted by: Snively on March 22, 2008
Posted by: John on March 22, 2008
Do you know much about Sony's VAIO laptops and if students on campus have them? I have one at home and love it, but I'm not sure whether to get it or not if a majority of students don't have it...
Posted by: Celena '12 on March 22, 2008
Patience, after all it's just gonna be my 260th fresh install
Posted by: Claudio '12 on March 22, 2008
Some people do, yes. It's hard to take math notes in class though, same with chem or physics. There are always about 10ish people that have computers (but I'm pretty sure that's because they're ADD and not actually doing work on them). I've been known to blog during class.
@Celena
I plan on declaring as Mechanical Engineer at the end of this year. I don't know much about VAIOs, at least, I haven't seen a lot here. From what I've seen though they seem really solid and Sony is pretty reliable (except the PS3, epic fail). They run Windows and you can get a dedicated NVidia graphics card (a good thing). I'd say go for it.
Posted by: Snively on March 22, 2008
In the end I chose the Macbook Pro because I liked the screen real estate as I multi-task a lot. I probably won't be doing many intense graphics or programming tasks beyond the average student but I went Pro just in case despite the big gap in my wallet now =(
Posted by: Kevin Xu on March 22, 2008
Wow. You reply fast.
Posted by: Celena '12 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Connie '12 on March 22, 2008
I have a 15.4" and I carry it with me everywhere. I use a messenger-style bag and it works great.
Posted by: Snively on March 22, 2008
Out of curiosity, what do kids with desktops generally end up doing? I would think that having a desktop would greatly hinder your ability to work with others on p-sets and things because you'd have to be in your room all the time... I'm pretty sure my parents are planning on getting me a laptop, though - they already bought me a backpack that can hold one
Posted by: Karen '12 on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Lainers on March 22, 2008
http://web.mit.edu/ist/topics/linux/index.html
Posted by: Josh '12 on March 22, 2008
Thanks so much for this post!
Posted by: Lainers on March 22, 2008
No, you don't have to buy your laptop on campus to get the discount, you just need MIT Certificates on your computer. If you decide to enroll at MIT you will get a packet in the mail (The Next Big Mailing) and that will have the information you need to set up your MIT e-mail address and get certificates. Then just go to the link I used near the beginning of the entry and you can get the discounts directly online.
As for battery life, I use two batteries at a time in my laptop but I'm not the norm. Normally people just have the primary battery. Battery life is something you WILL NOT REGRET paying for. It's kind of a pain to haul a power chord around, but normally (with my two batteries) I can avoid that because on Power Saver mode I can last 6 hours. When just sitting around the dorm you'll often find power cords laying around because people are always plugging in. Try to go for as much battery life as you can afford.
Posted by: Snively on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Marissa on March 22, 2008
Posted by: Rachel '13 hopeful on March 22, 2008
I've had a macbook for 1.5 yr plus and I would never go back (to windows). I survived senior year, plus the grueling thesis and my macbook helped me to get through it all.
I think using boot camp (needing to restart to enter windows) has been fine in order to use solidworks. Even if it might be bothersome at first, there are plenty of fellow Mac users to help you get adjust =)
-Justin '07 ugrad, current grad student in mech e.
Posted by: Justin on March 22, 2008
Still debating whether or not to buy a new computer for college...darn IBMs last forever =P
Posted by: Rachel'12 on March 23, 2008
Just for reference, I'm currently using an HP Pavilion ze2000 laptop. It works great. So, for those looking into brands, HP is a good option.
Posted by: Steph on March 23, 2008
How often do most people have to buy a new battery pack? Does that become an issue as well?
Posted by: Lainers on March 23, 2008
I agree ! I agree. And to continue Snively's answer, SONY Vaio are really good and strong computers, but they have one thing that people may not like : they are ridiculously expensive, sometimes more then the equivalent in a DELL or in a HP (because of the trade mark SONY). And you could buy other things with the extra money.
You said that tablets do not have a great graphic card, but the LENOVO IBM tablet does ? Because this looks like an interesting choice.
Buy a Mac if you are looking for cheap ? Lol that is so funny here (and in Europe too i think) where Macs are the most expensive laptops !
Posted by: Isshak on March 23, 2008
(Posted by: ben on March 23, 2008 05:16 AM)
I guess that FinAid won't help you cover your costs for buying a laptop?
How are the computer labs by the way?
Posted by: Jerome on March 23, 2008
I think I'm going to get a Thinkpad and do a fresh install of Ubuntu over Windows. I've had such a good experience with Ubuntu, especially compared to the way Vista has treated me.
Thanks for the post, it was really informative.
Posted by: Ahmed on March 23, 2008
Also, is there someone out there in course 6 that has a recomendation for laptops specific to their classes?
Posted by: Paul Hoops '13 on March 23, 2008
Macbooks ARE pretty! (I probably wont get one but they're SooooOO pretty.ok.must stop.)
I'll probably get a dell something.
Posted by: Aditi on March 23, 2008
Posted by: Aditi on March 23, 2008
Aaaahhhh.I want a macbook.
(sorry for the multiple posts.I'll go went somewhere else
Posted by: Aditi on March 23, 2008
*vent
(please please dont hate me!)
Posted by: Aditi on March 23, 2008
I actually narrowed it down to a Macbook or Dell Latitude (dnt remember exactly what model), already. It's good to hear people like them.
I had the Latitude XT in the back of my head because I'd love a tablet, but we dont want to spend too much money.
Posted by: Davorama on March 23, 2008
I own 6 desktops and 1 laptop (my company's), they are all running Fedora / Red Hat, and I'd like to go on this way
See you all @ Cambridge!
Posted by: Claudio '12 on March 23, 2008
Acers aren't that bad =// All of my laptops prior to this Macbook Pro was an Acer. I just think it doesn't have good technical support in America.
Posted by: Oasis on March 23, 2008
I'm waiting for Penryn... still... before I buy a new computer.
Posted by: JWC on March 23, 2008
And percentage-wise, how much cheaper is it if you buy it using the MIT certificate. I was planning on getting my labtop tomorrow, but my uncle gets a 10% discount so I don't know which route is better.
Posted by: MIT 2012 on March 23, 2008
The MIT discount is 12%. In all honesty, I wouldn't buy your computer this soon. I know you may REALLY want it, but you'd be stunned at how much technology can improve in just 5 months. If you at all can, wait until mid to late summer, you won't regret it.
Posted by: Snively on March 23, 2008
SolidWorks is my god though.
Posted by: Jessica on March 23, 2008
Posted by: Just Me on March 23, 2008
Or will the discount work on ANY Macbook, regardless of the specs?
Posted by: MIT 2012 on March 23, 2008
The discount gets you access to the Mac Student Store, which discounts everything. Those three computers on the MIT Recommended site are just three possible configurations, feel free to customize whatever you'd like.
Posted by: Snively on March 23, 2008
Do people bring their computers to class usually? It seems like for the most part it would be easier to take notes by hand (except if you have the tablet...)
Posted by: Marissa on March 23, 2008
You're absolutely right.
Posted by: Snively on March 23, 2008
Posted by: Mech E '09 on March 24, 2008
Posted by: Arturo on March 24, 2008
Would you recommend a 9 cell or a 6 cell battery?
Also, how much of a discount can you get on the Lenovo? And with solid works - do we have to buy it once we start engineering classes? Is that how it works? Would you also recommend anything else? Do we need printers? Anything else? If we decide on a Macbook - do we have to spend extra to get microsoft? If so, how much extra would we have to pay? Yes, another one [sorry] - Comparing a Latitude XT and a Lenovo Tablet: which one is better [they're both tablets, right?]?? Again, so sorry for the really long post with a million questions! ^_^ Also, what would be best for someone who wants to go for a double [maybe] in 16 and 8?
Thank you so much! ^_^
And so sorry... ^_^;; but I always did ask too many questions! >_Snively,
Would you recommend a 9 cell or a 6 cell battery?
Also, how much of a discount can you get on the Lenovo? And with solid works - do we have to buy it once we start engineering classes? Is that how it works? Would you also recommend anything else? Do we need printers? Anything else? If we decide on a Macbook - do we have to spend extra to get microsoft? If so, how much extra would we have to pay? Yes, another one [sorry] - Comparing a Latitude XT and a Lenovo Tablet: which one is better [they're both tablets, right?]?? Again, so sorry for the really long post with a million questions! ^_^ Also, what would be best for someone who wants to go for a double [maybe] in 16 and 8?
Thank you so much! ^_^
And so sorry... ^_^;; but I always did ask too many questions! >_<
*grins*
Posted by: Roshan '12 ^.^ on March 24, 2008
Unfortunately I don't know a lot about Toshiba laptops. Anything I told you would probably be stuff I looked up on CNet.com
Posted by: Snively on March 24, 2008
I'm on a ThinkPad now, which is great, but this computer is probably staying at home when I go to college.
Are there any other good options with pointing sticks, besides ThinkPads that I should consider?
Posted by: 0 on March 24, 2008
Latitudes have TrackPoint, which is actually what I prefer to my touchpad. The algorithms are different between the IBM and Dell Trackpoints (as I was so kindly informed by the guy who wrote the algorithms for the IBM laptop) but it's still a very nice alternative to the touch pad.
Posted by: Snively on March 24, 2008
Is Solidworks compatible with the 'Intel GM965 Express Chipset' graphics card? That is the one I have on my Sony VAIO.
Posted by: 0 on March 24, 2008
SolidWorks has listed compatible chips here:
Click
Posted by: Snively on March 24, 2008
In my opinion, the most fun part of college is buying a nice, souped-up computer. Thanks again for helping us make sure that it's a functional nice, souped-up computer.
Posted by: E. Rosser '12 on March 24, 2008
As for me, I swear by touchpads over both trackpoint and mouse (!) even though a nonprogrammer. I'm just too lazy to move my arm a whole foot to the mouse
Posted by: duketipquantumelephants on March 25, 2008
I just lost my faithful TI-84, and need a new graphing calculator. Should I buy another TI-83/4 for MIT, or should I get a TI-89, (or something even higher)? Or should I not get a TI at all? Is there another, better brand?
Posted by: 0 on March 26, 2008
I would simply wait until you get there. By comparison a calculator is a minor purchase. And anyway, once you get an MIT card there will probably be great discounts, or maybe they sell them real cheap somewhere on campus.
As for which brand, I think TI is the most universally preferred, if not necessarily the "best".
Posted by: duketipquantumelephants on March 30, 2008
Posted by: sinclair Smith on April 9, 2008
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