Computers & Electronics

laptop for school - macbook pro or...?

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  • Nov 27th, 2011 1:53 pm
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Sr. Member
Mar 18, 2005
779 posts
32 upvotes

laptop for school - macbook pro or...?

hi all,
would like to get some advises on what laptop to get for school.
i have very specific needs to the softwares i need to use, and they are mostly graphic/3d intense softwares like autodcad / rhino / 3ds max / adobe suite.

i've been a mac user for a long time but realize that softwares like cad / rhino / 3ds are not supported by mac (or the mac version is not as complete as their PC counterparts.) so am possibly looking at the switch to PC laptops, instead of running bootcamp on a mac.

does anyone have any suggestions? i really dont know enough about laptops in the PC market..
thanks a lot!
14 replies
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 4, 2008
1775 posts
58 upvotes
Toronto
might as well get a PC laptop, it'll save you some money and as you mentioned you'll encounter fewer compatibility issues, if you're going to be using it for specific purposes

check out the new Asus zenbook that's coming out... very high quality and since you're considering macbooks I'm guessing the pricing ($1000?) wont really be an issue for you

but that's all I know and I'm no expert by any means
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Sr. Member
Mar 18, 2005
779 posts
32 upvotes
thanks. i was looking at the toshiba ultrabook, r830?
but it also has integrated graphics card...

will look into the zenbook.
any other suggestions?
Deal Addict
User avatar
Mar 4, 2007
2379 posts
504 upvotes
Vancouver
Hi,

You'll have to find out what the requirements are for the software that you'll be using. Then find the laptops that have the required processor speeds & graphics card. If you're willing to tell us what the software requirements are, someone here will be able to suggest laptops for you to consider :D
Sr. Member
Mar 18, 2005
779 posts
32 upvotes
i think rhino & 3ds max requires the most performance since rendering 3d objects take a long time..
i am able to run adobe suite / cad fine on my first gen macbook!

thanks again! :)

---

rhino:

Hardware:
Pentium, Celeron, or higher processor.
200 MB disk space.
CD/DVD drive.
512 MB RAM. 1 GB or more is recommended.
OpenGL graphic card recommended.
IntelliMouse recommended.
3-D digitizer optional.
3-D printer optional.


3ds max:
Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional x64, Microsoft Windows Vista Business x64 (SP2 or higher), or Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 (SP3 or higher)

For general animation and rendering (typically fewer than 1,000 objects or 100,000 polygons):

Intel® 64 or AMD64 processor with SSE2 technology*
4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)
4 GB swap space (8 GB recommended)**
3 GB free hard drive space
Direct3D 10, Direct3D 9, or OpenGL-capable graphics card† (256 MB or higher video card memory, 1 GB recommended)
Three-button mouse with mouse driver software
DVD-ROM drive††
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher or Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher browser
Internet connection for web downloads and Autodesk Subscription-aware access
For large scenes and complex data sets (typically more than 1,000 objects or 100,000 polygons):

Intel® 64 or AMD64 processor with SSE2 technology*
8 GB RAM
8 GB swap space**
3 GB free hard drive space
Direct3D 10, Direct3D 9, or OpenGL-capable graphics card† (1 GB or higher video card memory)
Three-button mouse with mouse driver software
DVD-ROM drive††
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher or Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher browser
Internet connection for web downloads and Autodesk Subscription-aware access
Banned
User avatar
Feb 15, 2008
26318 posts
3242 upvotes
Calgary
For school, always look at the proper business laptops if you're serious about getting a stable platform that can take the sort of stuff a student would throw at it.

ie: Dell Latitude E6420/E6520 / Thinkpad T420/T520 / HP 8460p/8560p

For the reasons I laid out in another thread a few minutes ago, don't bother with the lowest bidder junk. It'll cost you in the long run.

If you shop around, you can get any of these laptops at dramatic discounts versus what you see on the respective manufacturer's websites.
TodayHello wrote: ...The Banks are smarter than you - they have floors full of people whose job it is to read Mark77 posts...
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jul 26, 2006
7742 posts
399 upvotes
Scarborough
Something like ASUS N75SF-DH71 for $1299 would be good.
Specs:
Intel Core i7-2670QM (2.20GHz, Quad-Core), 17.3" FHD (1920x1080) LED-backlit, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 2GB, Blu-ray Writer, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 2.0M Webcam, HDMI, USB 3.0, Bang & Olfson Icepower Audio, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, 2-year Global Parts & Labour Warranty, 1 year accidental damage, 30 day 0 Bright Dot Warranties.
Banned
User avatar
Feb 15, 2008
26318 posts
3242 upvotes
Calgary
_Allan_ wrote: Something like ASUS N75SF-DH71 for $1299 would be good.
Specs:
Intel Core i7-2670QM (2.20GHz, Quad-Core), 17.3" FHD (1920x1080) LED-backlit, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 2GB, Blu-ray Writer, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 2.0M Webcam, HDMI, USB 3.0, Bang & Olfson Icepower Audio, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, 2-year Global Parts & Labour Warranty, 1 year accidental damage, 30 day 0 Bright Dot Warranties.

Ummm, tons of problems with that. First off, a 17.3" laptop for school, WTF??? Secondly, that's got to be some of the most power-consumption-intensive parts available these days. Thirdly, Windows "Home" sucks. And $1300 is a ton of money, nearly $1500 once you pay the taxes.

I can't fathom hauling a 17.3" laptop around. Even 15.4" is almost bad enough.
TodayHello wrote: ...The Banks are smarter than you - they have floors full of people whose job it is to read Mark77 posts...
Member
Sep 15, 2011
213 posts
45 upvotes
Doesn't the school provide you with computer labs that had the required spec'd out computers and apps already installed? Also these apps are all license specific and not cheap either. I don't know many designers who use laptops for 3d rendering and what not, they have beefed up desktops.
Sr. Member
Mar 18, 2005
779 posts
32 upvotes
JustAPilot wrote: Doesn't the school provide you with computer labs that had the required spec'd out computers and apps already installed? Also these apps are all license specific and not cheap either. I don't know many designers who use laptops for 3d rendering and what not, they have beefed up desktops.

yes, there are computer labs. however, there are not enough units for everyone. so most ppl use their own computers/laptops.... and public keyboards n mouse can get a bit dirty sometimes if u know what i mean :P

a desktop is the ideal situation.. but need to factor in the portability issue...
Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2009
745 posts
57 upvotes
Sony F Series, Dell, Asus, Toshiba Qosimo.

Long-term quality - Sony and Asus
Price - Dell and Toshiba

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