Any computer engineers on this forum?

notquitehere188

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does anybody in this forum work in computer engineering? or any other field where they develop computer components?

people around here seem to know a fair amout about the basic pieces of computer components, so i was wondering if anybody here actually works in that field

Partially because i want to know who to really trust on the forums :p

but also somewhat because that is a field i may want to go into (insted of programming) and i want to know what it's like
 

bmouring

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I am a grad student working towards a PhD in Computer Engineering and I can tell you there are plenty of students in the classes with me and even individuals in the real work force I met during internships that knew less about computers than some I knew when they were back in grade school.
 

antoant

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I am a Computer Engineer although I don't work in the industry since I just graduated. (However I did my fair amount of designing 8-bit processors at the lowest level, and I love it :D, especially when they run faster than the rest of the designs in my class :twisted: )

And I agree with NewF, having a degree in computer engineering or working in the field does not mean you know more stuff than anyone else. It just means that you know more stuff about the particular technology you are working on. I met high school kids that know a lot more about current technology and what is better compared to what than a lot of fellow engineers.
 

primalmx

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Im studyign CE, and all I can say is:

Computer Engineering >>>>>>> Computer Science


:p

~prime

Bad engineer! all that's needed is '>>' to express "orders of magnitude greater"

Shame on me, I will beg for forgiveness from the Engineering Gods :oops:

~prime
 

tmac

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If you major in computer engineering, get a minor degree in computer
science. Or see what it would take to get dual degrees.
 

nobly

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I am a grad student working towards a PhD in Computer Engineering and I can tell you there are plenty of students in the classes with me and even individuals in the real work force I met during internships that knew less about computers than some I knew when they were back in grade school.
I can second that opinion.
I graduated w/ a CompE degree and some of the folks in my classes weren't exactly the best people you'd have troubleshooting your computer. Sure they have laptops but troubleshooting them was always a joy to watch. Just because it has the word "computer" in it doesn't mean that the people w/ the degrees will be experts. They'll know something, but you really get a feel for the bad eggs once they start talking.

The best way to tell if someone's good is to read what they say, and double check it against other sources. Also its always a plus if they know how to admit they're wrong. No one's perfect.

I have to say for computer troubleshooting, I learned more by experience than I ever did in school. Unless you're talking about dropping me off on an island and me having to build a computer from coconut fibers - then my degree would help. Although I'm not entirely sure I could build one from coconut fibers - don't quote me on it. :p

ps. have to say that i think if you go computer engineering, you'll get programming and hardware. less emphasis on programming, but you'll still be forced to know a fair amount.
 

turpit

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does anybody in this forum work in computer engineering? or any other field where they develop computer components?

people around here seem to know a fair amout about the basic pieces of computer components, so i was wondering if anybody here actually works in that field

Partially because i want to know who to really trust on the forums :p

but also somewhat because that is a field i may want to go into (insted of programming) and i want to know what it's like

I’m not a CE as you have requested. I only have a degree in ME, but I will offer my unqualified opinion nonetheless. On this forum, the people to trust are the ones who search for and post information pertaining to both sides of a theory or debate, weigh the evidence and post a conclusion while offering the reasoning behind their conclusion. Individuals who can differentiate between opinion and fact and will readily admit when they do not know something or are wrong. Two such individuals come to mind. There are others, but these two seem to be available most often. They are JumpingJack, and LtCommander Data

Just my 2cents


Peace
 

FITCamaro

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I switched from Computer Engineering to Software Engineering. Too much math and physics. Also while I was interested in the topics, I was just getting bored in the classes. Programming is far more fun.
 

notquitehere188

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yeah, my question was more towards the second part, since i have to choose soon

However I did my fair amount of designing 8-bit processors at the lowest level, and I love it :D , especially when they run faster than the rest of the designs in my class :twisted: )

sweet

I switched from Computer Engineering to Software Engineering. Too much math and physics. Also while I was interested in the topics, I was just getting bored in the classes. Programming is far more fun.

programming is indeed fun, but i would probably go to the comp sci side of programming
 

buckiller

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Im entering college this fall and am planning to be an electronic and computer engineer (this university offers it as a dual degree kind of thing)

So i dont really know tons of the stuff... but ive built 4 personal computers, overclocked 2 and ive built 2 for clients. I also worked at a networking company for a while, doing mostly PC repair type of work. So i know plenty about PCs.
 
Contrary to what my handle might lead you to believe, I am not a computer engineer. I'm a biological engineer. However, BEs can do a lot of work in instrumentation design (think designing MRIs and such) and that can get into the nuts 'n bolts of microelectronics and computer programming in an awfully big hurry. I've done a little programming and some hardware work, but mostly it's been more traditional engineering work like bio-material design and testing. I know my computer stuff mostly from exposure to it in the "real world" with some formal training in programming and circuits. Thus I can find my way around a mother- or breadboard, electronics DK, and a text editor making a .c file, but I'm much more an expert in things such as biological materials (i.e. sutures, implants, prostheses, etc.) and the medical aspect of the field than the EE-like part.

Like an earlier poster said, it's not what you took in school, it's what you know/remember about a topic, regardless of how it got up there.
 

Itanium_Fanboi

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I'm a Computer Engineer graduate as well. However, here in the Philippines we are commonly mistaken for computer programmers.

Right now, I'm a developer using .NET, Web Graphics and Animation designer and in the field of Software engineering and working for clients in the US. :)
 

tool_462

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Long time reader, basically every thread daily, short time poster. I have witnessed many BaronMatrix'isms and each time (after reading the 2 pages of hate responses :p) I wonder why he/she/it comes back to the forums on a never ending basis.
 

corvetteguy

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Long time reader, basically every thread daily, short time poster. I have witnessed many BaronMatrix'isms and each time (after reading the 2 pages of hate responses :p) I wonder why he/she/it comes back to the forums on a never ending basis.

It's pretty simple, he wants to champion AMD --- nothing wrong with that, corvetteguy does the same thing, the difference is corvetteguy rationalizes his observations and does not pretend to go beyond subject he has little experience in... in other words, corvetteguy is willing to listen, learn, and when appropriate make good points.

Baron has a hard time with this, for what ever reasons. On a serious note, Baron could make good contributions if he simply changed the way he approached the argument. In most cases, though, he does not. He often gives good 'new computer, buying this what should I do' advice and in other cases he recommends someone to stick their CPU in a block of styrofoam.

It is humorous --- and sad at times.... he would avoid my barrage if he would stop asserting himself as an expert where he clearly is not.

Tell taht to ElmOiSEviL or however he types it. He thinks i'm just soem fanatic. :wink:
 

aj6065

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in other cases he recommends someone to stick their CPU in a block of styrofoam.

It is humorous --- and sad at times.... he would avoid my barrage if he would stop asserting himself as an expert where he clearly is not.

I love the styrofoam one, that only happened 1 or 2 weeks ago :lol:
 

antoant

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Im studyign CE, and all I can say is:

Computer Engineering >>>>>>> Computer Science


:p

~prime

go uninstall all your software and firmware and see how cool your computer is... =D then tell me CE >> CSC.

csc ftw!

Dude, go write all your software on punch cards and then find some way of executing them without hardware :lol: . A computer engineer (cpe) can work as a software developer/engineer (in fact that is what a lot of people I know do), however a software engineer is unlikely, if not impossible, to work as a hardware designer.

Anyway, someone studying computer science is not just a software engineer, although a lot of people with cs (not Counterstrike) degrees do that for a living. A cs guy knows a lot about algorithms and is able to efficiently design software to squeeze every last drop of performance out of the hardware. (I guess a lot of game developers these days do not have cs degrees, or just forgot what they learned).

To the original poster. What you choose only depends on what you want to do for a living. If you like both maybe you should try getting both degrees, engineering and science. Actually I would suggest if possible to start as a dual major (the two degrees are so close, coursewise, I cannot think of a school that will not let you do it) and then if you do not like one or the other drop it.
 

ScottyHutch

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I have a CE degree, but most of my knowledge about PCs is from my teenage years when I built my first rig and used the old Computer Shopper to learn about new components. The degree just helped explain what was going on inside the chips.