School babble

[averygoodun42]

So, I got my mid-term grade back in business. 100%. I'm stoked. It brought my average up to 98% for the class (it had been a shockingly low 96%).

I also managed to actually sign up to CLEP out of College Composition. I'm debating whether to spend the $10 to buy the official exam study guide or not. Probably will. And I'll probably get the microeconomics study guide while I'm at it, as that will be the next one I'll try to CLEP. Anyway, that happens May 31st. Yay!

I'm also debating whether I'm going to sign up for Computers 101 as an online course for the the summer. Assuming it's offered, of course. Can't find any information on whether any summer courses will be offered yet. I'm assuming it will be an easy course, but the software requirements might require that I get a laptop or netbook (aw shucks, right?) for my trip. Should I do that, do any of you have any recommendations on what you like or what to avoid? 2Gb RAM and 600 Mb HD Sorry, got that mixed up. 600Mb RAM, 2Gb HD would be the base requirements. (Also, do netbooks generally have sound cards? And I'm assuming all computers have ethernet...)

(Note to self: Look up how to get student discounts...)

Anyway. That's about that. Still completely unmotivated to be diligent about my studies in Business (though having a test on Friday has prodded me to do a bit of studying in accounting), especially as we're now covering accounting. woo. hoo. Ach well, at least that means I only have to skim the text.

But yeah. If you have any recs about laptops/netbooks, either pro or con, please do share! Thanks!

Comments

[magicalpresence.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!

And with the laptop thing, I use a Mac - but that's because it's good for Photoshop etc.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Ooh, lucky. Macs are definitely out of my price range at the moment. Even if I do eventually want one for photoshop and video purposes... ;-)

[magicalpresence.livejournal.com]

They're definitely worth it - I saved up for mine and It's brilliant :) I'm not so clued up on laptops apart from that..

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know they're worth it, but I can't justify it quite yet. Maybe when I'm earning more than I'm spending (or earning anything at all...). :-/

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

For portability, price, and convenience, it's hard to beat a netbook, and most of them have 2gb/600mb. Mine came with a sound card, though you should definitely confirm that the model you're interested in has one, since the cheap ones cut all sorts of corners on things you'd expect. F'rinstance most come only with "starter" versions of Office. That's hardly the end of the world, given the awesomeness of Oracle's free Open Office suite, which is really easy to use and can even save files as their Microsoft equivalents. I also recommend, if possible, going to a brick and mortar store and trying out the keyboards. That's how I chose my Asus Eee PC (that and the 11 hour battery life).

However, if you're not planning to lug your computer around all that much or be away from a power source for more than a few hours frequently, go for a laptop with a full keyboard, good sound, and a big honking screen. Places like Fry's Electronics sell refurbished ones with warranties for really excellent prices. As much as I love my netbook, I love the speed of my laptop and the ease of use/viewing.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

So you like your Asus Eee? One of Geoff's coworkers swears by his... I really am looking more for portability at this point, seeing as my desktop will remain my primary computer (for both power and ease of use) for the time being. Given that a computer's lifespan is shorter than my projected school career, I just want something that I can take the software I need with me when I need it.

Though giving Page the computer on the plane to play Plants vs Zombies isn't a bad deal, either...

11 hours...? Which model is it?

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

I adore my Asus Eee. His name is Eric. He's an Asus Eee PC with an Intel Atom N450 processor and a "super hybrid engine" for long battery life and "express gate" for fast boot up. He's also about 4 years old, so anything you get nowadays will probably have a faster processor and more memory.