[MrHappy0]

Any recommendations on laptops for chem undergrads that intend on attending graduate school in the future?

[Arkcon]

I'd heard on another forum that all laptops produced these days are functionally identical.  Sure some have better graphics for playing games, but that doesn't matter.  Processing speed, likewise isn't important, unless you expect to perform very complicated computer modeling or analysis, on the laptop, which isn't really very likely.  You should just buy the cheapest, lightest, longest battery time laptop you can find.

[Dan]

I used a netbook for day-to-day stuff for my postgrad studies. I used my desktop PC for writing my undergrad and postgrad theses though because a 10" screen is too small for staring at 10 hours a day. I never needed a portable computer until I started working an labs full time.

I still use that old netbook at work, plugged into a spare monitor in the office. I've had it for 4 years and it's still fine. All I use is chemdraw, MS office, NMR processing software and web browsers - so there's no need for a powerful machine.

Cheap and cheerful. The alternative for me has always been sharing communal machines in an office, and I can't stand that because they are so poorly maintained (because nobody has admin privileges) that grind to a halt in a couple of years.

[Borek]

I'd heard on another forum that all laptops produced these days are functionally identical.

That's a serious oversimplification.

Processing speed, likewise isn't important, unless you expect to perform very complicated computer modeling or analysis, on the laptop, which isn't really very likely.  You should just buy the cheapest, lightest, longest battery time laptop you can find.

But here I agree.

Look for one that has good keyboard and large screen (unless it means laptop gets way too large for carrying it with you), a lot of memory (4GB at least, it speeds up most computers more than faster processor, as you save on memory swapping to the disk) and the longest battery time.

My laptop in lo-energy mode works for about 10 hours (well, it did when it was new), with a 1.3GHz processor - and it was never too slow for things I am using it for.

[MrHappy0]

Over break I had spare time to try to improve the performance of the laptop and I can see this thing lasting a while ahead but I guess I am thinking for the future. I was thinking about a tablet so I can reduce using paper for notes in class and reduce the amount of crap I carry in my backpack. I do a decent amount of commuting by foot so light is preferable. Hopefully my laptop pulls through for a couple more years.

All the insights are appreciated.