Computer for school

I'm going into a STEM career and my program highly recommends that I get the Dell Latitude 5580, mostly because that's just the model they decided to go for this year, and their special you want me to buy it through their special vendor.
dell.com/en-us/work/shop/productdetails/latitude-15-5580-laptop

Here's the thing though, Dell is absolute garbage. And I am not going to spend any money on a Dell computer because I know everyone hates Dell and based on what I've heard about them, it's pretty reasonable to hate Dell.

So what are you guys recommend for something comparable to the Latitude 5580 in specs? I'd also like to be able to play certain games on it in the future, but most of them are shit like Sea of Theives, that first person pirate game from Rare, and also I wouldn't mind it being one of those 2-in-1 laptops that you can flip over into a tablet.

Taking all recommends and advice.

Other urls found in this thread:

microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/dell-inspiron-13-5378-signature-edition-2-in-1-pc-intel-core-i5/926fvsbpqklt/0c69
lpc-digital.com/product/sager-np7850-clevo-n850hp6/
insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2016#technology-desktop-operating-system
insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2016#developer-profile-developer-occupations
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

Thinkpad

Thinkpad

Macbook Pro with Retina display and emoji bar.

>Dell is absolute garbage.
Not their business laptops though

the Dell Precisions are nice

Thinkpad

>Macbook
Eww

Thinkpad

Razer blade 14

Thinkpad

Latitudes are good though.

get a gun and shoot yourself

Macbook Pro. Windows is trash and no decent software developers use it. OS X is the only decent desktop operating system.

Thinkpad

I'm kind of stuck with Windows though since they require me to run Windows 10 for the classes. Though since it's a two year degree, as soon as I'm done I'll probably just completely delete everything Windows and switch over to Linux

>Dell is absolute garbage
Prove it, I buy exclusively Dell products
>2 Dell laptops
>2 Dell desktops
>1 Alienware desktop
>1 Alienware laptop

All have served me very well.

No offense but how will you start a STEM career on a two year degree?

Dell and HP actually make seriously strong workstations. Take a look at the elitebook.

Dell has somewhat un-garbaged themselves lately. Also, play games on your desktop machine.

Just get something with a nice screen and fairly average specs in general for studying.

3M being desperate for one. The specific name for this program is "instrumentation and process control," plus that's just the initial length of that program, I'm going to probably end up doing more stuff with it as well.

The two-year thing is just with the professor told me, and he said that most the people who graduate are employed within a month.

Lots of Tech jobs like Cisco only require a 2 year degree and certifications

What's wrong with Dell? My old XPS has stood the test of time perfectly

Chinese huh?

Also which ThinkPad? I just want Lenovo's site and they have a whole bunch of models.

Latitudes are fine. Anything that ISN'T enterprise class from Dell is absolute trash. People confuse the two because they are stupid.

Optiplexes are fine, Precisions are fine, Latitudes are fine.

Don't get a Macbook for STEM. If you're doing any sort of engineering there is like a 90% chance that any software that ISN'T Matlab won't have native MacOS support.

Source: I'm a fucking System Engineer that supports a major STEM university.

this guy is doing STEM stuff though, not trash web development like you

>Dell is complete garbage
Not their business tier laptops, they're pretty solid.

*just went on

I'm a Sys admin at an I.T company, all brands have 'good' and 'bad' models. That includes apple.

Generally speaking, two-in-ones are less likely to have discrete graphics cards because they are marketed as portable.

If you are interested in a two-in-one, I would recommend either a dell inspiron 5000 microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/dell-inspiron-13-5378-signature-edition-2-in-1-pc-intel-core-i5/926fvsbpqklt/0c69

Or a hp spectre x360 if you want to spend more money for something "nicer".

Note that the dell can be upgraded to 32gb of memory by buying some yourself separately and popping the back, plenty to run virtual machines of whatever linux distribution you want.

I will say this for Dell: while their mainline consumer stuff is absolutely garbage, the Latitude series is pretty solid for the most part.

I have a E6420 that I bought cheap online for work purposes (Got it for $130 on ebay about a year ago and upgraded the RAM) and it does extremely well for its age.

Will you actually be running anything intensive, or will it just be basic stuff?

Well for the programs that the flyer I got specifies I need...

>Autodesk Software
>Microsoft Office 365 Pro Plus
>Multism and Labview
>Circuits Challenge
>Robot C
>Fanuc Simulation Software
>Siemens Portal

T460.

This. I have a latitude and besides the slightly bulky build it's very nice, obviously high quality and easily serviceable.

You can get a MacBook if you really want the hardware, but software wise you're going to have to use boot camp parallels or VMware fusion. Autodesk design suites support parallels but if I were you I would get a pretty close to top MacBook, otherwise the hardware will run autodesk stuff like crap.

Source: I do a mix of IT and the occasional autodesk stuff; prefer MacOS most of the time.

Surface pro 4 is great for math classes where its easy to write things out, I'd wait for the new one tho, better battery.

If you absolutely do not want writing though, then thinkpad, or a dell.

Dont get a gaming laptop, build a gaming desktop if needed.

Dell is fine, support is top notch, i challenge you to find another company with this level of support.
Just dont buy entry level inspirions they are doing cheaping out with trash

Get a mobile workstation

I was just looking at that model of Inspiron. Should I get one of those for school (refurb on dell outlet) or an older xps on ebay?

I would have just joined in on the Thinkpad rec but then you said
>Dell is absolute garbage
That's where you're wrong, kiddo. This opinion formed from gaymer faggots and kiddies who bought office desktops and alienware garbage from Dell and realized they were fucking shitty-ass shoppers. Dell Latitudes are great.

Thinkpad is the board meme. Just roll with a fucking Latitude you cunt.

>I'd also like to be able to play certain games on it in the future,
Fuck, this is a "gayming laptop" thread in disguise. Hang yourself, OP.

get an xps or surface book. Both have amazing build quality (not plastic garbage like the entry-level inspiron) and better specs than crapple for less

i had to replace 2 new entry inspirions for a customer. Their entry line is now absolutely garbage.
Also dell is not much more costly than some years b4 or its my impression?

Depends on the CPU and how bad you want it to fold over. The XPS will be lighter if its the same screen size, but may have a significantly weaker CPU (older), And only the newer XPS's fold over.

For the Inspiron, if you are getting an ssd, 8gb ram, and an i7 for less then $700 go for it.

The older inspirons (one's with 6th generation processors) had TERRIBLE SSDs. But if its a referb, it likely had its SSD replaced with a vastly superior one.

> 2017
> STEM major
> Windows required

Is this like fucking National American University or what Jesus Christ. If my program was like NO LOONIX I'd run

Almost everyone doing STEM research uses Macbook Pros and remotely connects to Linux servers for long running jobs. Even Microsoft Research is full of people using Macbook Pros.

Outside of .NET developers making boring business applications, nobody uses Windows and the Linux desktop is still complete garbage.

Local tech college.

Never listen to your god dam University for computer. Did that for my surface book and absolutely hate the thing.

it's the inspiron 5378, and it's got a 1TB hdd that I was gonna swap out for an ssd somewhere along the way. It had an i5 as well, not an i7, but would only run me 350 or so bucks.

Typing this from a six year old Latitude. Why the Dell hate OP?

Because I have heard a lot of bad press about Dell. Which according to the other people on this thread, mostly extends to only they're cheaper computers and also barely applies anymore because Dell has turned around

Yeah, I mean Inspirons are mostly shit just like HP Pavilions are shit. Just stick to the business laptops and you'll be fine.

x1 carbon 5th gen or the T470.

T470, P50, X1 Carbon or a yoga

Which latitude is the best?

Thinkpad X260, X1 carbon or T460. Get a docking station and a 2K monitor for home.

Fuck what you heard, Dell's quality was good when I bought them last, and their quality was top notch, too. I am very rough on laptops, but my l502x has survived and is currently dying just now.

>I'm going into a STEM career
what is your actual fucking program

>STEM career
Please specify. Because 1. Differing STEM paths could require slightly different laptops and 2. Engineering/CS faggots always like to lump themselves with the more prestigious (and challenging) STEM fields such as Medicine and Physics.

Docking station?

Instrumentation and Process Control

It's when one thinkpad user sticks his dick in another thinkpad user's foreskin

Engineering master race cunt

Are Inspiron models really that shit? Was considering buying one.

See

No we don't

x200 or x220

The loudest, and not surprisingly dumbest, of the STEM family.

>Dell is absolute garbage
See, that's bullshit and here's why:
ALL consumer laptops are absolute garbage. Have you ever noticed that all laptops marketed to consumers are all made out of brittle plastic crap, are really hard to take apart, and can't handle a fall?

Business class laptops aren't like that. Dell Latitudes, Precisions, Thinkpad X W T and P series, probably HP Elitebooks too, are all durable as fuck and easy to take apart and replace parts.
Most importantly, business class laptops have the best warranties. Next day on-site repairs, 5 year warranty. In the electronics world, that kind of warranty is Snap-On tier.

>everyone hates Dell

Elaborate.

>lumping CS with engineering
>lumping physics with medicine
>implying a physics major is prestigious
spotted the physics fag. you're a jack of all trades -- at least civil engineers have a focus on concrete

Just deal with the price tag and get an xps 15 with the 1080p screen and 1050ti graphics card. Better than most stuff out there, performance is close to a pro workstation, still cheaper than crapple

>implying a physics major is prestigious
I actually laughed out loud.
What do physics mayors do these days other than teaching?

get an off brand and be happy. This vendor has 10/10 reputation.
lpc-digital.com/product/sager-np7850-clevo-n850hp6/

pro tip for all of you, laptops were not made for laps they will cause reproductive and urinary problems, also get a hpba009dx or get a samsung laptop with an i5 or i7 but i recommend amd

>Local tech college.
It's always places like these that have gullible yuppies spending hundreds on laptops just to do light programming.
Listen, OP, drop out of that meme facility and enroll in your local community college.
Get as many of your pre-reqs done there as possible because units are fucking cheap at community colleges.
Then finish up the rest of your education at a State University.
Quit wasting your money on frivolous shit.
>You're mostly there to network.
There isn't much they can teach that you can't learn, research, and practice at home.

>do pre-reqs at community college
>network like crazy
>do projects at home on desktop
>network like crazy
>finish up degree at a California State University near my house
>one of the people I met while networking in college helped me get a job
>now living a comfortable wageslave life making software for a local business

>Listen, OP, drop out of that meme facility and enroll in your local community college
Same thing. The tech college IS the community college.

Business grade dell laptops are one of the best in market

t. Latitude e7470 owner

>3 pre-built desktops
>3 laptops in probably less than 10 years
>ayyware
>Sup Forums pass
This has to be bait, there's just too many triggers in one post

>Dell is absolute garbage
Why don't you tell us why that is instead of posting non-arguments.

>no vivado on mac
>no altium designer on mac

Macs are only good for codemonkeys

Thinkpad
Or
Some arm based shit, cheap af good enough for simple work

Thinkpad

Igonre the chinks, for dell

Dell business laptops are top quality, don't believe your teenage friends using MAYMAYS from 2003

I like Dell

this is a blatant lie

source: insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2016#technology-desktop-operating-system

>inb4 codemonkeys/programmers don't count

insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2016#developer-profile-developer-occupations

nope expensive dell laptops are great and last years.

So most guys here is probably recomending you a T470 or P50 - P51 (if you want the refreshed version). What you want all demands on you.

T470 if you want portability and some midtier performance. The perfect laptop for STEM students.
P50 if you want workstation performance, that will suit your needs for years to come. (Shit for gaming though, if you plan on playing with your friends, at some point).

user he is a student let him play his games with his friends. Not everyone here wants to be a miserable loser with no friends.

What's your budget?
How long are you going to spend on the computer each day?
Do you want to repair it yourself?
Will you be running something that requires a hefty CPU?
Does the OS matter?

My go to would be either 15" MacBook Pro or T470p (i7, NVMe SSD, 2560x1440 panel) if money is not an issue. Both pack enough computing power for pretty much everyone and the hardware will be top notch even five years from now if technology keeps advancing at the current pace. Both of them have good displays that won't put too much strain on your eyes. The NVMe storage tech is also blazing fast.

The latest Dell XPS models with GTX 1050 are also nice but I think there have been some quality issues. Both of my friend have ran into a lot of trouble with them. When it comes to specs they are on par with the Mac and ThinkPad.

If you want to take a thrifty approach, try to look for something like refurbished ThinkPad T440p.

People on Stack Overflow aren't doing STEM research. Most of them are boring CRUD .NET and Java developers.

Go to Google, Intel, Facebook, SpaceX, Amazon or any of the real powerhouse development companies and almost everyone is using Macbook Pros plugged into external monitors. Most respectable companies in SV don't even allow their developers to use Windows outside of testing.

For example, almost all the cutting edge AI/machine learning libraries coming from these companies are developed on OS X first (Tensorflow, Torch, SystemML, H20.ai, NuPIC, Spark MLlib etc.). Most of them don't even support Windows. Even Microsoft's own CNTK is developed by programmers that use OS X.

Windows is unsuitable for serious development and the Linux desktop is further behind than it has ever been.

>x220/x230

you fucking idiots recommending thinkspad, thinkpads have some of the worst screens in the industry that have low frequency PWM back lighting.

In comparison, the macbook pro line have some of the best screens in the industry that wont fuck up your eyes. There is almost no reason to buy a thinkpad unless your budget is $200 usd

The point is being a Physics fag is still way better than being a CS fag.
>CS fags thinking they're better than Liberal Arts Fag
CS is the Liberal Arts of the STEM world

This is true.

Bull fucking shit, you are a fat piece of basement dwelling garbage.
>Muh windows

OP at college, anything but a Mac is seen as a sign of autism

Lol you're just jealous cuz you can't get a job.
A CS degree is basically Useful Electrical Engineering and Useful Math, and is anything but lib arts.

Seriously unless you care about games, iPad Second Gen 12.9" with pen and keyboard is the computer of the future. The upcoming OSX11 looks like one of the most revolutionary OS's ever, will have more functionality but as good a file system as Win 10.

It is faster than almost every 13" laptop with a iPhone 7+ camera and better screen brightness than a MBP and has Microsoft Office. Before people say price, 1100US is really not that bad for a laptop like this, it blows away the Surface Pro for example.

You know why they "recommend" certain brands right? Cause they get paid to.

It doesn't even matter what pc you have. Prove me wrong.

2 rupees have been deposited in your designated shitting street Pajeet.

>Mac

Autism