The age old question: laptop or desktop ?

IceRaptor1

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Aug 29, 2005
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Hey there everyone, this is my first post on this site, even though I've browed THG for a while now. I'm facing a classic problem: should I go with a premium laptop or a basic laptop and decent desktop. A little background:

I'm a college student, and in about a year, I'll be staring law school. As a law student, I'll need to have a laptop (they're required at almost all the schools). However, I'm also a gamer, and in the past, I've made the most out of my money by building my computers myself. My current rig is mid-range right now, and I'm tempted to upgrade it ove the next year or so, and then just get a basic laptop for school stuff. On the other hand, I could just use my current desktop as a glorified hard drive and splurge on the premium laptop, since odds are I'll be using that quite a bit more. Please, any advice on what I should do would be useful. Thanks!

Kevin
 
I think your second option is the best. You'll be leaning heavily on your laptop for most of the rest of your life, so getting the best is a good idea. There are three current major-name choices: an HP with a 17" screen, an AlienWare Area 51 gaming laptop, or the Toshiba Qosimo. Get the top of either line and all the memory and hard drive space you can stuff in and you'll be okay. The Toshiba is the top-rated unit at the moment, but the AlienWare unit would be a good choice, too. As for hard drive space, you can always buy an external USB 2.0 or Firewire unit. Then you could sell the desktop and use the money to help you get the best laptop.

<font color=green>****</font color=green> Never Assume <font color=red>ANYTHING</font color=red> <font color=green>****</font color=green>
 
Thanks for the advice. I've been starting to lean that way. In all honesty, I'm pretty sure I'd keep my desktop around for movies, music (hooked up to surround sound), tv tuner, and the like, but your point about the external drive is well taken. Are the laptops you listed widescreen? I'm pretty sure that would be handy looking up half a dozen law briefs at a time. Thanks again for your help.
 
You have to consider size and weight of those monsters to be hulled around before you jump on them. I would strongly recommend el cheapo laptop and good desktop, caz in case your lappy goes tits up (you know school, kids, pillow fights with laptops..) and you have nothing left until it gets fixed.

PS: consider this.. games get more advanced, laptop gets old and is non upgradeable, so.. yeah, you still can use it for college, but not for games.. no more, in that case you still can upgrade your PC and play games and still use el cheapo laptop for school, my brain says it is a win-win deal.

PSS: get a lighter cheaper laptop with integrated video and good bat life and enjoy the life in its beauty by not having a soar shoulder after day of lagging that thigh around.

PSSS: (I know it is PPPS and the original post is month old, hehehe ;O)

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