[arthurfabre]

Hello everyone!

I'm off to study computer sciences next year and I've narrowed my choice of laptops down to two models, but I'm quite unsure as to which one would be the best for this particular course.
Both laptops come with Ivy Bridge processors, USB 3.0, webcam, backlit keyboard, have similar batter life (around 6 hours of actual use) and cost around the same right now with a couple of discounts (around $1100 USD).
On one hand there's the lenovo T530 which I can get with a quad core i7, discrete graphics card and a full 1080p display (15.6 inch) or the lenovo X230T which has a dual core i5, a touch screen and digitizer (which could come in real handy for note taking), and a 12.5 inch ips display.
The X230T is way more portable, but I'm a bit concerned with the screen size/resolution. At 12.5 inch and 1366x768 I wouldn't be great for multi tasking.

So basically it comes down to this, would you go for the bigger screen real estate or the ability to use a digitizer?

Thanks a lot!

[iisjman07]

I personally would go for the 15.6" model (you'll be using the machine a considerable amount over your course and a 12.5" screen would probably be quite inconvenient). I don't like touch screen computers; we sell them where I work and currently (before Windows 8) they're more of a gimmick than a functional input device.

The T530 sounds like a great machine, having such a powerful processor would mean that if you needed to make use of virtual machines while on your course then it shouldn't struggle. Lenovo's also tend to have great linux support which would be an advantage.

[Covenant Chris]

(Original post by arthurfabre)
Hello everyone!

I'm off to study computer sciences next year and I've narrowed my choice of laptops down to two models, but I'm quite unsure as to which one would be the best for this particular course.
Both laptops come with Ivy Bridge processors, USB 3.0, webcam, backlit keyboard, have similar batter life (around 6 hours of actual use) and cost around the same right now with a couple of discounts (around $1100 USD).
On one hand there's the lenovo T530 which I can get with a quad core i7, discrete graphics card and a full 1080p display (15.6 inch) or the lenovo X230T which has a dual core i5, a touch screen and digitizer (which could come in real handy for note taking), and a 12.5 inch ips display.
The X230T is way more portable, but I'm a bit concerned with the screen size/resolution. At 12.5 inch and 1366x768 I wouldn't be great for multi tasking.

So basically it comes down to this, would you go for the bigger screen real estate or the ability to use a digitizer?

Thanks a lot!

Most important factor when it comes down to buying laptops: battery life. Followed by size. 12-13" is a good sweet spot in my eyes. 6 hours battery is OK, but I think you'd benefit greatly from a battery hitting double figures.

You definitely don't need a powerhouse, but a more powerful laptop might come in handy for final year dissertation projects with large software components.

[arthurfabre]

Thanks for the quick replies!

It seems like the extra power of the T530 could definitely come in handy then, as for battery life, I could always extend it with a slice battery.

I'll have to agree on touch screens not being very useful, but the wacom digitizer does seem to work very well, especially for taking notes with ms onenote. Do most of you take hand written notes in class?

[Covenant Chris]

(Original post by arthurfabre)
Do most of you take hand written notes in class?

Can't beat hand written notes. Less hassle, and easier to revise from in my eyes.

[JohnC2211]

I seem to type faster than I can write or even think sometimes so typing notes is a hell of a lot easier for me.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100

[arthurfabre]

I've been doing a bit more research online and it really does seem that the digitizer is brilliant for note taking! I think I'm gonna go for X230T and I'll bring along my desktop screens for when I'm at my desk in the dorms
Thanks for all the input!

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by arthurfabre)
I've been doing a bit more research online and it really does seem that the digitizer is brilliant for note taking! I think I'm gonna go for X230T and I'll bring along my desktop screens for when I'm at my desk in the dorms
Thanks for all the input!

Hate to say this, but in programming you'll barely use an i3 let alone anything more powerful like a i5 or i7.
A basic i3 laptop with 4gb of ram works perfectly fine for a computer science degree..............the only other reason to get the extra power is if your going to use it for other purposes like gaming or photo/video editing.