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Best laptop for computer Engineering

Last response: in Work & Education
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Try taking a look at Alienware's M11x. It's an 11-inch laptop that starts at $800 (US) with a battery life of up to 7ish hours (depends on what you're doing). It got some pretty decent benchmarks in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: average fps of 34 and minimum fps of 25. It doesn't come with a built-in optical drive, but dell gives you the option of choosing an external when you buy the computer.

Do note that you'll have an option of processors. If you choose the more powerful i7 or i5 over the basic dual-core option, you'll probably only get up to 5 1/2 hours of battery life. If you're okay giving that up, then customize away.
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Just customize it for what you need on the Alienware website. You'll probably want something around 4GB RAM and 320-500GB hard drive, which shouldn't cost too much. You'll still only be at the lower end of your budget.

Not sure if in computer engineering you get into the more technical electrical stuff like programming PICs, or dealing with GPS clocks (i.e. for real time databases, security, network synchronization) and whatnot, but if you're willing to spend that much, you may keep your eye out for one with a serial port. You can do some fun stuff with it that doesn't always work with the latency of USB-serial converters. I wouldn't base my decision on it, but if you happen to see one in the lineup it's a fun extra to have.

donpacific2k said:
Not sure if in computer engineering you get into the more technical electrical stuff like programming PICs, or dealing with GPS clocks (i.e. for real time databases, security, network synchronization) and whatnot, but if you're willing to spend that much, you may keep your eye out for one with a serial port. You can do some fun stuff with it that doesn't always work with the latency of USB-serial converters. I wouldn't base my decision on it, but if you happen to see one in the lineup it's a fun extra to have.


Umm so ur sayin i shouldnt go for alienware if im doing computer engg??? So what would you recommend :whistle:  :whistle: 

I'll put in my two cents. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PURCHASE A MAC!

There is a reason for this, I'm not normally the type to make statements like this. The applications and compilers that you will be required to run in your CEG classes assume that you have a Windows (and sometimes Linux) machine available to you. Yes, you can use a dual boot config, but just know that very few of these apps will run on OSX.

I used to work at the IT Help Desk for my uni back in the day (I mean... a year ago... :p ) I can't tell you how many times dumb engineering profs would recommend Macs to their students only to find themselves faced with the obstacle of buying a copy of Windows anyways to run their applications, something that a lot of students can't afford after plunking down $1500 on a new MacBook. I don't care if your prof swears up and down that every app will run on the Mac. IT WILL NOT AND THAT IS A FACT.

[/rant]
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