Computer Question [Archive] - ValueMD Medical Schools Forum

meesameesa

11-11-2009, 04:16 PM

I am purchasing a new laptop for school (will be a 1st termer in January) and was wondering if the Student Edition of Microsoft Office will suffice? It includes Word, Excel, and PPT, but does not have Outlook or Access. Judging from what else I've read, the student edition should be fine, but I'm not very IT savvy, so I wanted to ask a current student's opinion.

Thanks!

KhullarMD

11-11-2009, 04:55 PM

That is all you need. Also install Acrobat pdf writer, bring 1-2 USB (atleast 4-8GB) and an external harddrive to share stuff.

digitalising

11-11-2009, 06:00 PM

You can alternatively download OpenOffice which has the ability to save in Microsoft and PDF formats. It's also free.

philios

11-11-2009, 08:28 PM

Microsoft Office is definitely a useful software package to have regardless of whether you are a student or not. Microsoft is offering a crazy deal for students where you can get a copy of Office Ultimate for only $60 if you have a student email account (.edu). Here's the link for anyone interested:
*edit* valuemd wont let me post links for some reason, so just google "student copy of microsoft office deal"
there is also a link to a similar deal for a $30 copy of Windows 7 (which is an awesome OS in my opinion).

google "windows 7 student deal"

meesameesa

11-12-2009, 01:03 PM

Thanks for the info and for the coupon deal - I will definately be utilizing that one!

I will be the first to admit, I am not the most computer savvy person. I can certainly use one, but knowing what to look for when purchasing one is another story. I saw the schools "basic requirement" for computers, but pretty much all the ones I have looked at have met those criteria.

I guess my other questions that have popped to mind are:

I want something light, good battery life and also I prefer a 17" screen. I have been looking at some Dells, but I am open to suggestions. I don't want to spend a fortune. Suggestions???

bbm113

11-12-2009, 01:25 PM

I know a 17'' can be nice, but you have to consider the fact you might not always live on campus, and its good to keep your laptop on you. I would recommend getting a smaller one. 13'' are very nice and easy to fit in any bag. But if you really want a 17'' you might be better off compromising on atleast a 15''.

Also battery life is nice, but don't stress over it, there are plugs everywhere on campus to plug in.

philios

11-12-2009, 04:24 PM

17" is massive for a laptop screen, if you are looking for portable/light I would suggest a 14"-14.4" screen. As for battery life, it is really a trade off of portability versus performance. For your price range and preferences I would suggest the DV4T by HP (14.1" screen), with a midrange processor (Core 2 duo T6600) and 4GB of RAM. You can also customize all of the options on it, so you get your choice of performance/price. Im not really a fan of Dell, but if you really want to go with them the Studio 14z or Studio XPS would probably be your best bet.

I actually just went through this whole process myself, and ended up choosing the Sony Vaio CW series because they had more customizable options than HP or Dell and was fairly inexpensive. So if you need any other advice or info just shoot me a PM, and Id be more than happy to answer any q's.

Some helpful tips:
-windows 7 is awesome
-stay away from AMD processors, Intel Core 2 Duo processors are the best for price/performance
-upgrade to 4GB ram, it makes a difference
-go into a retail store (such as BestBuy/Staples) and try out the computers before buying online. they will hate you for this but its the best way to figure out which laptop you prefer.
-i would suggest you stay away from apple. i know there are people out there that will disagree, but the truth is that we still live in a PC based world. also they will probably be a little more than you are willing to spend.

ravigoteti

11-12-2009, 06:15 PM

i agree with most people here. Depending on your budget, go for Sony or IBM Lenovo.

Lenovo is a guaranteed quality and longer lasting. I may find a coupon or something that could get you a Lenovo for cheaper price. PM me if interested.

Anastomosis

11-12-2009, 10:14 PM

i have office 07 on cd with a reusable code. If you didnt buy it by the time u get here.. pm me.

meesameesa

11-13-2009, 10:32 AM

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I just been browsing online, not really hard core shopping, so I think this weekend, I will start doing some serious looking. I would like to have one bought and everything installed and up an running at least a month or so before leaving just to make sure my computer's not a lemon or anything. With that said, I'll probably be making the purchase sometime in the next couple weeks. I'm sure I'll have a few last minute questions - thanks again

digitalising

11-13-2009, 10:45 AM

You can get good deals if you shop Dell's online outlet. Some of those computers are brand new (those labeled "Previously ordered new"). The only thing is that you can't customize them.

Wh0Kares

11-13-2009, 10:58 AM

light and 17 inch do not go in the same sentence

routedoctor

11-20-2009, 08:42 AM

light and 17 inch do not go in the same sentence

My MacBook Pro 17" is pretty darn light compared to the bohemoth PC's I've seen in the same form factor. That's what I'm bringing. It runs Parallels (boots Windows 7) just in case I need to enjoy some frustration from time to time.

If you are comfortable with PC's then stay with one. If you are a new computer user there is a good reason to look at Macs.

Disclaimer. I'm an engineer, own an internet company, and have decades of experience in computing and software engineering. I'm extremely biased and money is no object when it comes to choosing a computer. So there. I've owned exactly one Dell PC in all these years (never again). If I had to buy a PC, I'd look at Sony only. Everything else is garbage by comparison.

digitalising

11-20-2009, 08:57 AM

I gotta say, if you think Sony is the pinnacle of non-fruit laptops, I'd throw a pound of salt on your post.

Good thing you're dual-booting Windows though - you can take advantage of double-speed!

To the OP - if you buy a PC, be careful of getting files from anyone who has a Mac. Even though Macs aren't affected by most computer viruses, they accumulate them and pass them along to PCs. I got a rootkit from a file on my friend's USB key second term which led me to format my hard drive and reinstall.

routedoctor

11-21-2009, 06:45 AM

I gotta say, if you think Sony is the pinnacle of non-fruit laptops, I'd throw a pound of salt on your post.

Seriously though, feature for feature, if money is no object, wouldn't you rather have Bluray and 1080p built into the laptop? They have lots of nice features built in.

If you are looking for cheap though then Sony isn't it.

digitalising

11-21-2009, 08:31 AM

Feature-wise they are nice, but I've heard terrible, terrible things about their reliability, hence why I was saying that I wouldn't say that they are the best. Their lower-end laptops are also comparatively expensive, or used to be at least - I've been dragging the same Dell around the world for about 3.5 years now, so I haven't thoroughly looked at computer prices recently.

digitalising

11-21-2009, 08:38 AM

Ironically the computer labs here all have 10"/12" VAIOs hooked up to 32" Viewsonics.

Wh0Kares

11-21-2009, 01:58 PM

Disclaimer. I'm an engineer, own an internet company, and have decades of experience in computing and software engineering. I'm extremely biased and money is no object when it comes to choosing a computer. So there. I've owned exactly one Dell PC in all these years (never again). If I had to buy a PC, I'd look at Sony only. Everything else is garbage by comparison.

decades of experience and you think sony is the best PC laptop? sonys are notorious for overheating problems, electric shocks, AC adapter problems, battery problems and worst of all one of the worst customer services around ...every single person that i know who owned a sony, either returned it or promised to never buy one again.

the brand Sony does not even make the top10 best laptops for either PCmagazine, PCworld, cpu.com and cnet.com

Consumer complaints about Sony Computers (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/sony.htm)

routedoctor

11-22-2009, 07:28 AM

decades of experience and you think sony is the best PC laptop? sonys are notorious for overheating problems, electric shocks, AC adapter problems, battery problems and worst of all one of the worst customer services around ...every single person that i know who owned a sony, either returned it or promised to never buy one again.

the brand Sony does not even make the top10 best laptops for either PCmagazine, PCworld, cpu.com and cnet.com

Consumer complaints about Sony Computers (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/sony.htm)

Dell (at least for me) is "famous" for the very same things. I think my favorite is when I returned a laptop to them for service and they sent it back with glued-on parts instead of replacement parts. They fell off the next day!

Dunno man, I still have my original Sony Windows 98 laptop. It's like 10 years old, and it still works.

All those magazines are biased by ad revenue.

In case you missed it, I said "if I had to" I'd buy a Sony. A Mac is still about 100x better than any PC, anyday, anywhere. Debate the secondary point if you feel you must.

Even then, I've had to return my Macs for service quite a bit. None of this stuff is trouble-free anymore. If that is your primary decision point then you won't be buying a computer at all.

routedoctor

11-22-2009, 07:30 AM