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Laptop for maths

Is it worth me buying a laptop for my maths degree? (Macbook pro to be precise)

Will i use it much or just end up writing down everything?

Of course i will use it for gaming etc :P

I just want to know if its worth it.

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Reply 1
I think it would be good for gaming definitely! But it all depends on what software youll be using on your course, Macs cant run windows and visa versa. Macs are better for things like technical drawing and webdesign etc my dad tells me, as his friend who designs newspapers says hed ever use anything else for his job.
I'd ask the people who run your course (and indeed other people takig the same degree) what they'll be doing in the way of computers if I were you!
Anyway enjoy your course! Maths is a fascinating subject =D

PS. Maybe ask some physicists and engineers what computer theyll be using also? Id expect the courses will have similar aspects.
Reply 2
Macs can run windows :smile: Boot camp :wink:

It just slows it down alot i think.

I shall ring them up to enquire after results day :smile:

Thanks for the info, very helpful :smile:

If anyone else has an opinion it would be very helpful :smile:
Reply 3
You should definitely get this one

MikeL230
Is it worth me buying a laptop for my maths degree? (Macbook pro to be precise)

Will i use it much or just end up writing down everything?

Of course i will use it for gaming etc :P

I just want to know if its worth it.


no it wouldn't be a good idea for maths
IQ Test
I think it would be good for gaming definitely! But it all depends on what software youll be using on your course, Macs cant run windows and visa versa. Macs are better for things like technical drawing and webdesign etc my dad tells me, as his friend who designs newspapers says hed ever use anything else for his job.
I'd ask the people who run your course (and indeed other people takig the same degree) what they'll be doing in the way of computers if I were you!
Anyway enjoy your course! Maths is a fascinating subject =D

PS. Maybe ask some physicists and engineers what computer theyll be using also? Id expect the courses will have similar aspects.


they can run windows, in a vm or bootcamp. get mathtype its good for that sort of thing, and mathmatica is also a good app to have. so yeah go for it! and no windows does not slow down in bootcamp. macs are intel based now remember!!
Reply 6
MikeL230
Macs can run windows :smile: Boot camp :wink:

It just slows it down alot i think.

I shall ring them up to enquire after results day :smile:

Thanks for the info, very helpful :smile:

If anyone else has an opinion it would be very helpful :smile:


Thankyou, glad I could help!
Oh and thankyou for enlightening me, I didnt realise they could run windows, but if you want a windows computer then I strongly recommend you not to buy a mac!
Id get the notmal macbook though because I like the portable size, might be useful for lectures, no?
=D

Quote if you would liek a reply in future lol, ill just add that to my sighnetyure!
Reply 7
I gots a tablet laptop, so you can handwrite notes and equations directly into the computer. With the right software it becomes far more functional, like being able to convert your handwriting into typeset text. It would be more useful if the battery lasted more than an hour and a bit though.
Reply 8
IQ Test
Thankyou, glad I could help!
Oh and thankyou for enlightening me, I didnt realise they could run windows, but if you want a windows computer then I strongly recommend you not to buy a mac!
Id get the notmal macbook though because I like the portable size, might be useful for lectures, no?
=D

Quote if you would liek a reply in future lol, ill just add that to my sighnetyure!


The 13 inch MBP is the same as the normal white one :smile:

Im thinking of getting this bag for it (and uni) will there be enough room in it?

http://store.apple.com/uk-edu/product/TK894ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA2Ng&mco=MjIzMTM3Mg&p=1&s=topRated

Thanks for all replies, much appreciated :smile:
Reply 9
I've got a MacBook Pro, and it's served me fine for whatever Maths I've needed to do (with Maple, Mathematica, MatLab, R, and graphing using Grapher!), but I don't take it to lectures - absolute nightmare to try and keep up with my lecturers without having to learn how to enter TeX into. You can run Windows, as people have clarified, on a Mac, either with BootCamp (advisable), or Parallels (less advisable!). But I was fine on my old PC for a term (before it gave into old age), so you'll survive either way!

Hope that helps,
HenryT
Reply 10
Yes it is definitely useful. Chances are you'll have work involving using Matlab, Mathematica etc. as henryt pointed out. You might also have maths dissertations/projects to doprobably in your 2nd/3rd/4th year so you'll need LaTeX to insert mathematical syntax in.
Reply 11
I found Wikipedia, Mathworld, etc more useful than my lecture notes so the internet access alone makes it worth it. Maple was useful too.
Reply 12
James
I found Wikipedia, Mathworld, etc more useful than my lecture notes so the internet access alone makes it worth it. Maple was useful too.


I don't think I want to go to Oxford anymore :s-smilie:
Reply 13
So in a typical maths lecture what happens? Should i write notes then type them up later?

Or just type them up in the first place?
Reply 14
MikeL230
So in a typical maths lecture what happens? Should i write notes then type them up later?

Or just type them up in the first place?


Typically you write down on a piece of paper what the lecturer writes on the blackboard. And that's it.
Krush
I don't think I want to go to Oxford anymore :s-smilie:


A wise move, but wikipedia and mathworld are both amazing.

MikeL230

So in a typical maths lecture what happens? Should i write notes then type them up later?

Or just type them up in the first place?


It takes inordinately long to type up maths notes. You might as well just write them by hand. It's much easier to work from your notes than from a screen. I used my computer essentially for internet access, but for one of my computing projects I used a typesetting program. It's worth having a laptop for uni, but not so much for lectures.
Reply 16
^^ Yep - don't bother typing up, unless you are very good with TeX. If you try and use a WYSIWYG application (like Word), it'll look rubbish, and will take forever! Also, your lecturers will often produce typed notes for you to use, either to follow and annotate, or to refer to if you've missed a lecture. And as James said, MathWorld, Wikipedia, MathsNet etc are all good resources too!

EDIT: At Krush - which MSc are you doing? :smile:
Reply 17
henryt

EDIT: At Krush - which MSc are you doing? :smile:


I'll be doing the Msc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing. It looks amazing, can't wait :smile:

Arrogant Git
A wise move, but wikipedia and mathworld are both amazing.


They're pretty good if you want to look up definitions and statements of lemmas/theorems. But it will never go into enough depth to cover an entire module, especially third and fourth year modules.
Reply 18
Krush
I'll be doing the Msc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing. It looks amazing, can't wait :smile:



They're pretty good if you want to look up definitions and statements of lemmas/theorems. But it will never go into enough depth to cover an entire module, especially third and fourth year modules.

Cool! Just wondering! :smile:
Reply 19
I typed up all my notes from first year when I was revising. Putting things into my own words was a good way of making sure I understood everything. LaTeX\LaTeX is time-consuming though.

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