[jackn9494]

After seeing that PC world are having a sale on laptops at the moment I thought this will be the opportune moment to ask whether I will need a laptop or a desktop for university.

For a long time I have been under the impression that a desktop was a much better option due to the fact i build a relatively powerful one for quite cheap and the fact there is less chance of theft as it will stay within halls. But due to the PC world sale it came to my attention that i can buy a similar laptop to the desktop that i have been building a shopping list for a while now.

I am hoping that I will be attending a Electrical and Electronics Engineering course at Birmingham University. Preferably I would like to know whether It will be necessarily to bring a laptop to lectures etc as this is will be also a major factor in buying a laptop over a desktop. And any other software that I may need through out the course.

Just for the record will be using said laptop/desktop for gaming as it saves me having to bring down a console etc.

The laptop that I am considering getting is LENOVO Z570 as it has specs equivalent to the desktop that I am considering building.

Please tell me any of your views on this topic and I will be happy to answer any questions.

[Komatic]

I would go with the laptop since your doing an electronic engineering course. You would be able to take it with you to lectures & practicals. On the other hand learning the skills for building and maintaining a computer are very valuable.

Infact... I would get both!

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by jackn9494)
After seeing that PC world are having a sale on laptops at the moment I thought this will be the opportune moment to ask whether I will need a laptop or a desktop for university.

For a long time I have been under the impression that a desktop was a much better option due to the fact i build a relatively powerful one for quite cheap and the fact there is less chance of theft as it will stay within halls. But due to the PC world sale it came to my attention that i can buy a similar laptop to the desktop that i have been building a shopping list for a while now.

I am hoping that I will be attending a Electrical and Electronics Engineering course at Birmingham University. Preferably I would like to know whether It will be necessarily to bring a laptop to lectures etc as this is will be also a major factor in buying a laptop over a desktop. And any other software that I may need through out the course.

Just for the record will be using said laptop/desktop for gaming as it saves me having to bring down a console etc.

The laptop that I am considering getting is LENOVO Z570 as it has specs equivalent to the desktop that I am considering building.

Please tell me any of your views on this topic and I will be happy to answer any questions.

Laptop will be more beneficial for portability and when your in the library in particular especially during exam period and doing group work.

[thecrimsonidol]

Laptops are generally more practical. Can use them in lectures and seminars, after all.

[iisjman07]

Are you doing a year in industry; do you think it might be convenient to take your laptop with your wherever you go?

[AmyJ]

Virtually no-one brings laptops to lectures. Noise from typing will annoy everybody else in the room and you'll inevitably end up getting distracted/messing around on Facebook etc when the lectures become boring. A laptop would also be a dreadful choice for gaming because the cooling is usually poor and the price hike over a spec-for-spec desktop is too large to justify. My laptop was glued to my desk for 3 years; I moved it around so little that in the end I removed the battery to stop it from being constantly over-charged.

If I were you, I'd go with a desktop. If you desperately need portability later (which is unlikely), you can get a sub-£200 netbook to take to the library etc.