Advice on computer?

[NavyMom]

I have an older laptop and I think I am going to have to cave and get a new one.  

 

For the MPA program, it is recommended to have a laptop, but I am unsure if I should get a netbook, or a regular laptop with an optical drive? 

The laptop I have now is 17" and it's cumbersome to carry around.  With having to carry a burden of a laptop, and a number of who-knows how many books, I am not sure what type of computer would suffice?

 

I do have an awesome, fully updated desktop at home, so any information can be transfered to it.

[Monochrome Spring]

I've heard great things about the MacBook Air and Lenovo Thinkpad for graduate students. I think there are a couple forum posts in "Officially Grads" that have more feedback and reviews on specific computers, too.

[talons1025]

personally, i would steer cleer from netbooks.  Tablets are nice, but might not be as efficient at getting actual WORK done.  I would recommend ultrabooks.  they are lightweight, durable, and very good computers.

[fenderpete]

It really depends what you're doing.  Having long written off iPads as useless toys for people with more money than sense I bought one this year after seeing other people use them in class to draw graphs etc. for econ.  It's really handy being able to mark a document up with a stylus, and I also like that I now always have all my readings with me (no cumbersome printing).  It's also lighter than a laptop and I can do everything I need to on it for most classes.  An Air might be a good half-way house.  Maybe also check that whatever stats program (Stata, SPSS) your school uses will run on whatever your new computer of choice is.

[Burnt Orange]

I have a Lenovo ideapad and love it. It's light weight and pretty reliable. Easy to trek around campus with it. I've decided to buy books though rather than using ebooks and take notes by hand for stats/econ. So that's something to consider. A lot of folks use their tablets in class and choose to buy ebooks for assigned reading to minimize costs and weight. So I think as much as your budget and preferences will allow, consider how you learn and how you want to learn. Best of luck!  

[NavyMom]

I have a Lenovo ideapad and love it. It's light weight and pretty reliable. Easy to trek around campus with it. I've decided to buy books though rather than using ebooks and take notes by hand for stats/econ. So that's something to consider. A lot of folks use their tablets in class and choose to buy ebooks for assigned reading to minimize costs and weight. So I think as much as your budget and preferences will allow, consider how you learn and how you want to learn. Best of luck!  

 

 

Is that the one that has a touch screen also?   I'm "sort of" familiar with some computer specs, but I haven't had an iCore processor before so I don't know if they are reliable, fast, etc?  As far as specs are concerned, how do you feel about the performance of it?

[ohcoture]

I would get a MB Pro or Air. I'm not a diehard Apple fan or anything, just think those are by far the best laptops out there right now. Almost all of my friends starting grad school went with an Air because its relatively cheap, light, super long battery, powerful enough to handle any basic-moderate task with ease. I personally thought it was worth it to spend a few hundred more and get a MBPro because my eyes are kinda shitty and the retina screen causes infinitely less strain for me after spending 6 hours writing a paper.