Best Laptop for running mathematical softwares-Matlab, etc

Hi guys,

I've been shopping around for laptops and was just wondering which brand is best for running mathematicalsoftwares such as matlab, mathematica, maple and other similar programmes. I'm lookiing into getting either a MBP or any other equally reliable brand. I've been reading through some of the posts on this forum but I am yet come across anything in this area.

Any good advice much appreciated.

thanks

The other advantage of the MBP-it has a DVD-drive as well as ethernet-I still find myself watching a lot of DVDs so this is a big plus for me.

I am now a little confused .... the title of your thread is "Best Laptop for running mathematical softwares-Matlab, etc" .... and that is not a Macbook air nor a Macbook pro ..... If you want the best, for the Job as mentioned in a title then you should pass on the Mac front, because for any given budget, you will find a Windows or Linux based Machine that will be better built for the Job.

Now don't get me wrong, I like Macs, I Use them on a daily basis and have a variey of IOS stuff. However for the purposes that you intend, an apple product is not the best buy.

This is an excellent analysis, much appreciated. The only final thing I've read about is regarding poor resolution of a MBP? I guess I really need to visit a store to compare the two. Was this ever a problem for you?

Get an ultra book would be my personal recommendation. An SSD, fast RAM and an i7 will have you flying, you won't see any problems.
here would be my recommendations:
<£1000:http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=n00x5m05&m_3=455586&m_6=548670&m_8=557348&m_11=576501&m_16=548677&m_760=455482&c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&model_id=xps-l502x-proc-mod
£1000-2000:
http://www.ebuyer.com/288881-toshiba-portege-r830-1dz-laptop-pt321e-0g100yen
£2000+(you'd be mad because a cheaper PC would do a similar job) :
http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MD318LL/A? i7+8GB RAM+SSD, you really can't go wrong. (15 inch one).

Please dont be confused, I'm primarily going to be using my laptop for running programs like matlab, R, etc in addition to the basic things like e-mails, projects,music etc.

If you dont think mac products are best for these purposes, which product would you recommend? Do you do a lot programming?

To be quite honest, the university where I will be working is actually fully kitted with iMACS so I think it makes more sense to stick with the apple products.

You're going to be doing a mathematics or engineering degree with those requirements. Think like one ffs. You want a functional workhorse, not a handbag.

Get a ThinkPad or similar. A Mac is not going to give you any benefit with your requirements.

False. Most 15" Windows laptops, around the price range of the Macbook Pro, offer 1600 x 900 resolution if not 1920 x 1080 (1080p). And the MBP screen does not have IPS tech - it is a TN panel (a pretty good one, I'll give you that).

Which uni???
from your list in the profile I am surprised...
I guess it can't be Imperial or Southampton as they are both big on windows 7 (to the best of my knowledge ) .... I would have thought that the others were also predominantly Windows orientated with regards to your direction of study..

Yeah, all the rumours point to them announcing the next design around the 11th of June - likely to see a thinner body, retina display but also the removal of the DVD drive, so if that's something you need you're probably better off waiting a while longer and buying one of the previous generation models for cheap.



I know what you mean, its pretty important when you're spending this kind of money! Well I suppose it depends how you're going to be using it - if its just going to be sitting on your desk then I don't think I'd bother buying anything (except maybe an external mouse/keyboard). However, for carrying it around you'll probably want some sort of case or bag. If you mean accessories or software you need for it to run out of the box though, you don't need anything at all.

Personally though, I have these:

iWork - basically your OSX equivalent of Microsoft Office. Would definitely recommend it over buying Office.

Apple Care - if you're a student you can get this heavily discounted, and its really worth it in my opinion. For a 15" Pro, you have to fork out £60 for it with education discount, whereas without the discount its well over £200. Apple are great with repairs and often don't charge for a lot of things, but getting an extended warranty is probably a good idea when you're buying a £1k machine.

Hardshell case - just like any laptop/phone/etc there are a billion different cases you can get, but I've had one made by Incase for quite a while and I love it. I've not owned an actual sleeve or anything like that though, since I just put my lappy in my rucksack everyday (its got a built in slot thing).

Mini DisplayPort to HDMI - similar to cases, there are loads of companies that make accessories like this. Apple do their own, but its a lot more expensive. I don't own the one I linked to since I can't actually remember what brand/model it is, but they all do pretty much the same thing. Got it so that I can hook it up to my external monitor.

Overall though, just like anything designed by Apple, accessories are often more expensive than the standard brands and its something you get used to after a while. I'd definitely suggest you buy AppleCare, iWork and some sort of case though - you'd probably struggle without. Hope that answers your question somewhat, if you've got any others I'll still be here

That is a very specific date. Is that when they usually release new macs?

Hi guys,

I've been shopping around for laptops and was just wondering which brand is best for running mathematicalsoftwares such as matlab, mathematica, maple and other similar programmes. I'm lookiing into getting either a MBP or any other equally reliable brand. I've been reading through some of the posts on this forum but I am yet come across anything in this area.

Any good advice much appreciated.

thanks