A College Computer

[vitinho444]

Hey guys, i got into college "yaaaay".

I asked some teachers and they recommend a laptop (it's a programming course so duh?).

Jacko recommended me some time ago the Asus X201E and it's a really nice notebook/ultrabook, lightweight and it powers up

The thing is, i'm a windows user.. i've used windows since i first touched a computer, i know very little about linux, and the little i know is enough to surf the web on raspberry pi using the gui (that's not much).
And this computer comes with Ubuntu...

The question is, for this price, should i get it and then install windows 8, how about drivers and stuff? Or are there other cheap laptops that run windows?


I will use it mainly for coding, some notes, some web browsing, nothing fancy like games or anything, well maybe minecraft or something, no GTA V nor BF4

Thank you.

[Ark]

Ubuntu is very nice, i've installed it on my pc this past week and i'm in love with it. The GUI IMO is much better than the windows8. It's very easy to use and ubuntu was meant to be like that, a OS that any user can get familiarized fast. It already comes with programs to make or edit any office documents, video editing, mail and social. It already comes with a shell IDE called vim. It's kinda hard to get started with but I've heard it's one of the best on productivity since you only use the keyboard for everything.

In overall I think that laptop that jack recommended it's pretty good, it's the first I've heard it comes with Ubuntu give it a go. You can always install windows and play some games its easy.

Good luck on college!

[vitinho444]

Well that was one of my main questions, "can i install windows later" since windows needs drivers and all that crap.
I tried Ubuntu some time ago in my Pi and on a Virtual Box.

My only major problem was that im used to code in windows using notepad++ (for php, html, mysql javascript etc) and Visual Studio (for .net apps ofc) and i've tried eclipse for java.

College's here in Portugal use lots of java (they teach it ofc) so i think Ubuntu is fine since it runs eclipse

[Jackolantern]

One of the main factors that led to me suggesting that one was that it needed to be purchasable in Portugal. I had no idea that the main distributors here did not ship overseas.

There very well could be better systems in more common Portuguese retailers that I just don't know about. I just found that on by Googling.

[vitinho444]

The cpu rating for your recommendation and this one is not that far. I just need to know if it can handle the modern IDE's. It comes with Windows 8 64bits.. that's something huh?

[Jackolantern]

Yeah, you don't need all that much for running IDEs, outside of VS and Eclipse. Both of those use more than you would probably think. Or they at least need some decent memory, particularly Eclipse.

[vitinho444]

Yeah, you don't need all that much for running IDEs, outside of VS and Eclipse. Both of those use more than you would probably think. Or they at least need some decent memory, particularly Eclipse.

Well this one has 4gb ddr3... not too bad.

[Jackolantern]

Yeah, that should be plenty

[vitinho444]

The problem stands in the CPU then.. damn you celeron.. Why can't we "build" laptops like we do in desktops
I think a i3 costs like 200-300$? that's 50% of my budget right there..

[hallsofvallhalla]

I have 2 i3's, i5, i5 vPro, and a gen3 i7 laptops. The i7 smokes EVERYTHING of course but even then it smokes my quad core desktop and is 50x what the i5 is. I see no difference in the i3's and the the i5's at all. Matter of fact I prefer the i3 over the i5 laptop. My i7 is just a beast and I have it up to 24 gigs ram now and it can destroy small villages.

I am seriously not liking the OS choices right now. Windows 8 is neat but it's like an ugly car. It gets you around but its not really what you want. Also because 99% of all companies are not windows 8 ready it makes it very tough to get business apps working and VPN to work right.
Mac OS is just too weird for me and I see no point in it. I may have to buy a new Macbook so i can triple boot, Mac, Windows 7, and Linux as I am now developing phone apps at work.
Linux is sweet, great features, works the way you want it BUT the limitation on programs, directx, ect.. just sucks.