Mini PC or Laptop?

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:46 pm

In the next year, I will need a computer for University. It will be used mostly for school things, web browsing, and MSN. I'm thinking I'll run Linux on it, possibly with a dual boot of windows for things that can't run / are frustrating to use on Linux. I know of a linux MSN and firefox, and will look into word processors and the likes. (Unless you want to suggest some).

The question I have is, which is better for this purpose? I would like to have some games on it too, but nothing horribly new or graphics intensive. Maybe a FPS like Halo PC, but more-so games like Warcraft 3. Mostly, however, it will be used for Web-browsing, MSN, and Homework, as stated before.

I'm thinking of building a miniPC with a Mini/Nano (possibly Pico, but probably not unless it has benefits over the other two). How fast can they go? I know some of you are making some.

Should I simply buy a laptop? I would like something I could throw in my bag and leave with, without having to pack it so it will fit. It will be thrown ever-so gently, of course.

Cost is not a large factor, but I wouldn't like to spend $2000 for a miniPC when I can buy a laptop with double the specs for $1000.

What's your opinion? I'd like to hear from Triton and other PCp builders especially.

Post by **bicostp** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:02 pm

Get a laptop. You'll get a lot more bang for your buck out of one. (Most of those tiny motherboards use really weak Via processors that hover around 1ghz.) I've got a year-old HP Pavillion that more than does what I need it to do. (Before I used an old 500mhz Toshiba, and it worked just fine save for its lack of WiFi and my laziness about buying a card. The best aspect of using an old laptop? It's not worth stealing, so people should leave it alone! I left it sitting unattended in the library after class and when I got back it was moved a little but still there.

)

Linux? No. Don't bother. It sounds like the software you want only runs on Windows, and besides you'll be paying for Windows when you buy the computer. (Don't play the "its better because theres no spyware" card, because Windows is just fine as long as you use protection and common sense.)

If you insist on running it, you can run AbiWord or OpenOffice for your word processor; they're the only ones I can think of that are worth a damn. And of course you can get Firefox on Linux.

If you're going to be in a dorm on a building LAN, a simple ethernet router is cheap insurance, so any if your neighbors who get drunk/bored won't be able to hack your system. If you commute, don't worry about it. Either way at least run a firewall like ZoneAlarm.

johnbjuice · Post by **johnbjuice** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:24 pm

Whatever you do, don't buy microsoft office. Just get open office instead. Free or $100 or more...yeah.

Open Office is better anyways!

- Juice

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:25 pm

Or...in my case, get MS Office because it's the same price as Open Office...

Seriously, get a Laptop...and aim for Windows XP (Vista isn't worth the extra cash, only get Vista if you have to)

jedi knight · Post by **jedi knight** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:38 pm

Harshboy, I see viruses in your future!
But I would get a laptop. Like Bic said it's more bang for your buck. I've had no Linux experience so I have no idea if you should use it or not. I will also tell you to use firefox and Openoffice. If you need virus protection, use AVG, Ad-aware, and Zone Alarm. Then download the game in my signature to have a little bit of fun every now and then

.

Post by **Triton** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:11 pm

with some looking you can find an advantech motherboard like mine for under 150$ on ebay, pentium m up to 2.2ghz and a gig of ram! 4" x 5.75"

Post by **Black Six** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:34 pm

While I enjoy building computers, laptops have lots of advantages for college. You can bring it to class to take notes/play games, bring it to other people's rooms to work on homework and projects, etc. Being me I am of course going to suggest a Macbook or Macbook Pro, but a business-class Dell like the D520 or D620 are nice too. Stay away from HP/Compaq business notebooks, I've had bad luck with mine and heard a lot of bad things about them.

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:21 am

Black Six wrote:While I enjoy building computers, laptops have lots of advantages for college. You can bring it to class to take notes/play games, bring it to other people's rooms to work on homework and projects, etc. Being me I am of course going to suggest a Macbook or Macbook Pro, but a business-class Dell like the D520 or D620 are nice too. Stay away from HP/Compaq business notebooks, I've had bad luck with mine and heard a lot of bad things about them.

I can support your suggestion of a Macbook. I got one last year and I still love it.

The best thing is you have Mac OS X and Windows XP so that guaranties you that you will have no problem with compatibility. It can run Halo flawlessly, World of Warcraft flawlessly (I think i have max settings minus Anti-aliasing or something) Obviously it will be fine for Word Document editing, Web Browsing, and MSN. The only bad thing about the Macbook is it's cost but it's worth it. I think it's one of the most sexiest laptops ever made (especially the black one)

The only thing that you may love or hate with the Macbook is it's Glossy Screen. I personally love it, but some people hate it (They say glares but I have not witnessed this at all)

If you decide to get a Macbook, make sure to get a 2.0 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 1 GB of Ram, and at least a 80 GB Hard Drive.

Oh, and don't get an HP. For some reason every HP that has come into this house always crashed. My dad got a HP laptop recently and I'm just waiting for it to die and somehow I get blamed for it even though I never touched it.

If you don't like Macs, get a Dell (Honestly the best brand besides Apple in my opinion)

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:21 pm

To say I hate macs would be false. I've never used one, and hardly seen any running. However, I disagree with everything Apple does with the Ipod. They make them flimsy so they break by the time the newer, slightly smaller model comes out. Or you can buy the Apple brand cases and protectors to protect them.

I dislike Windows, but until I have my own computer, it's all I have. I would like to expand my horizons, and, like any other geek, create a unique computer unlike the mainstream ones. I do like the layout of everything, I just don't like how every 5 seconds something bugs up. For example, I opened hotmail from msn about 10 minutes ago, and it will open up eventually when I do something with firefox.

So I guess minipc is out, how about small-size laptops? Dell, you say? How about IBM?

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:41 pm

Kurt_ wrote:So I guess minipc is out, how about small-size laptops? Dell, you say? How about IBM?

Fujitsu Lifebooks are pretty small, I think most of them have touchscreens, and they can be had on ebay for pretty cheap ($200-500). The cheap ones aren't bleeding edge, but they should be able to do what you want (besides Halo PC, my dad's laptop with a Sempron 3100 made it look like a N64 game, the graphics chip is an SIS, which is probably the problem).

Post by **Triton** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:49 pm

i HIGHLY reccomend lifebooks! I HAVE A B2610 (800MHZ P3 256MB ram 20gb hdd) and it has been extremely reliable and is powerful enough for everything i do (firefox, trillian, skype, watchin videos etc)

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:35 pm

black six- is it just me or did your avatar get upgraded?

kurt - wanna buy my laptop?

I recommend IBM (lenovo) Thinkpads if you are looking for a laptop.
I recommend buying used. Laptops are like cars - they lose value as soon as you buy them. Check Ebay or the classifieds as part of your search. If you lurk long enough you can get good deals on laptops that are being sold off lease from a college or a business, etc. (thats where I got mine)

dudex77 · Post by **dudex77** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:00 pm

[quote="jedi knight"]Harshboy, I see viruses in your future!
quote] Is it just me or does being a total pirate make you completely immune to viruses? I'm pretty sure I've come to the point where I can say I'm just about as much of a pirate as harshboy and my computer without any form of anti virus software has yet to get a virus or anything after like half a year.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:11 pm

dudex77 wrote:
jedi knight wrote:Harshboy, I see viruses in your future!
Is it just me or does being a total pirate make you completely immune to viruses? I'm pretty sure I've come to the point where I can say I'm just about as much of a pirate as harshboy and my computer without any form of anti virus software has yet to get a virus or anything after like half a year.

As long as you aren't stupid and don't download stuff from weird sites (demonoid is good, they have comments, too) you should be safe. I got a bad virus by downloading a key-gen from a site that Google said was bad (it was for my friend, he owns the game, has the CD, but lost the key). I think the virus is pretty much gone (I'm still gonna reformat soon, too much crap), but if Google says a site can give you viruses, BELIEVE THEM!!! The key-gen didn't even work, I had to get one elsewhere.

Post by **bicostp** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:37 pm

If you go to a tech school a copy of Office 2003 may be included with your tuition. And of course all the software that's already installed on the computers is ripe for the picking if you know what you're doing. (No I'm not telling you how.) Not to mention college students can usually buy programs at a pretty good discount.

Note: Piracy is bad, m'kay?