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Cybersecurity study laptop

Enzo_zalken Posted messages 37 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -  
Enzo_zalken Posted messages 37 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -

Hello, I will be entering computer science school next year, in the field of networks and cybersecurity, and I need to get a laptop for my courses. However, I’m not very used to choosing laptops. Could you give me advice on which components to prioritize, which brands to favor or avoid? Thanks in advance for your help and sorry for the inconvenience.

3 answers

  1.
    mariam-j Posted messages 47 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   39
     

    Hello,

    Recommended by "bazfile" ---->:  https://www.topachat.com/pages/detail2_cat_est_ordinateurs_puis_rubrique_est_wport_puis_ref_est_in20020497.html#fiche-technique

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    1. Panth33ra Posted messages 23137 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   2 365
       

      Hello everyone,

      The laptop choice from bazfile that I salute is quite decent. For office work, it’s perfect. For gaming... No, it is not designed for that.

      It has only an integrated graphics chipset, no dedicated graphics card (like a GeForce or a Radeon). It does not have an Ethernet port (RJ-45 cable), only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

      Source : https://versus.com/fr/intel-core-i3-1215u

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    2. Enzo_zalken Posted messages 37 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   1
       

      Thank you very much for your advice. I have put the computer aside; it seems pretty good to me. The question of gaming doesn't come up much, I rarely play.

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  2. brucine Posted messages 24852 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 170
     

    Hello,

    The question is not about cybersecurity, but about taking notes in general.

    There is a certain consensus among the teaching staff to oppose the idea that this note-taking is digital, for example:

    https://www.vousnousils.fr/2024/05/27/en-fac-bannir-les-ordinateurs-en-cours-et-noter-a-la-main-pour-lutter-contre-la-deconcentration-684585

    It is also necessary to distinguish between using a computer to take notes and using it at home to access particular resources, but which in principle does not require specific characteristics.

    If cybersecurity has become a major issue, it normally goes through various types of general IT training at different levels followed by a specialization, but the fashion effect has led to it being diverted by a number of more or less dubious training programs that boast the opposite.

    The schools that require equipment capable of running a specific application specify it, which is rather rare in undergraduate programs.

    In short, whether one studies cybersecurity or the history of art, and apart from the practical aspect (it is not very convenient to grasp diagrams on a PC), it is only a matter of personal choice—manual or digital.

    In this last scenario, the limiting step is often the budget, but the specifications of a PC intended for taking notes and doing homework are not extraordinary: the PC should be light, compact (notably screen size), with good battery life and not with a ridiculous amount of storage; Chrome OS can be a handicap for versatility, otherwise almost anything with these basic specifications will do.

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    1. Enzo_zalken Posted messages 37 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   1
       

      Hey, yes indeed, the school doesn't ask us for ultra-sophisticated components. As I mentioned in a previous reply, it's mainly for work and projects outside of school, but thanks for the source! Your answer is very helpful to me.

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  3. Pierr10 Posted messages 13829 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   5 840
     

    Hello,

    I need to get a laptop for my classes

    The question comes up regularly and the answer is always the same: "You don’t need a computer during lectures".

    Because:

    1) The computer is not suited for taking notes:

    • far too slow, even if you feel like you type fast,
    • completely unsuitable for drawing diagrams or figures,
    • it distracts you from the course.
    • limited autonomy

    Nothing replaces handwritten note-taking.

    2) You will be provided with (or you will be sold) photocopied course materials.

    3) During the TKIs and practicals, the school will provide computers for you (unless it is completely broke, hence to avoid).

    ------------------------

    However you will need a computer, outside of school, for personal use and for your learning.

    Choose a mid-range machine, with a 512 GB or 1 TB hard drive and 16 GB of RAM, expandable if possible.
    Think that you will certainly need a dual boot to install a Linux distribution.
    If possible, because it is becoming rare, choose a computer with an Ethernet port.
     

    What is well conceived is clearly expressed,
    And the words to say it come easily.
    (Boileau)

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    1. brucine Posted messages 24852 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 170
       

      Hello,

      I would add that computer note-taking, even if you type at lightning speed and without mistakes, and can sometimes lead to misinterpretation, is also unproductive since we are no longer in high school; we do not merely copy servilely what the teacher says. Note-taking, being forced to summarize, is the first step toward understanding.

      You can easily find laptops with an RJ45 port; I have a recent one on which I am typing now, but it increases the price.

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    2. brucine Posted messages 24852 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 170
       

      Regarding the practice of polycopied materials, they sometimes exist now in mode 2.0 where they are online; then a computer is needed, but less for taking notes.

      Some professors oppose it because they do not want to be alone in the auditorium or because they claim their copyright, which is less common in undergraduate studies.

      The practice is institutionalized in certain fields such as medicine because some students are interns during courses in hospital roles and because it is not realistic to cover all the figures, anatomy charts, or biochemistry formulas.

      I had a few professors who systematically added in person certain things that were absent from the polycopied materials and variable, on which they obviously did not hesitate to question orally.

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    3. Enzo_zalken Posted messages 37 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   1
       

      Hello! Thank you so much for your response. Indeed, the school has rooms for tutorials and others. The need for a computer was communicated to me during the open days: there is a lot of group work and projects, much of which must be done outside of class, hence the importance of having a machine to make things easier.

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