Choosing a laptop
Solved/Closeduniuc Posted messages 327 Status Member -
Hello, I want to buy a laptop for my BTS SIO studies. During my studies, I transport my laptop a lot, so I prioritize good battery life. I also use VirtualBox machines on it (not too demanding, 1 to 3 GB, but sometimes I open 2 or 3 at the same time).
I want to buy a laptop, but I absolutely have no idea how to search for one. Can you help me find the right one?
I don't know if it's better to get a Windows laptop (I find it consumes a lot of the PC's resources) or a Linux laptop (which consumes less), or even a Windows laptop where I would install Linux in dual boot (even though I don't see the point of having both Linux and Windows).
My IT teacher advised me to get at least 8 GB of RAM, but 16 GB is better, and to get a Windows laptop and then install Linux in dual boot so I have both (but I don't see the point).
Please help me to clarify my options. What RAM size should I choose, and what operating system??
Thank you very much ????
3 answers
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By the way, check your private messages and in the link look at point number 4, that's the future of what you're about to learn.
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Note that Windows already has a Linux kernel, see WSL2.
To properly answer your question, it would be necessary to know the scope you have set for yourself.
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Hello,
I suppose that if the studies require the student to have a personal computer with specific features, they will be detailed during registration.
A related question was asked elsewhere, about buying a PC without an OS or with a Linux distribution; it doesn’t make much sense if you need to use Windows since there will be a much larger choice of pre-equipped Windows PCs and you can always install a Linux distribution later.
I’ll need an explanation of the interest in running 2 or 3 virtual machines at the same time, but even one can be very RAM-intensive depending on the OS installed.
WSL doesn't offer much compared to a virtual machine; it limits the choice of Linux distribution; in any case, consumer virtualization (understood as non-paid) limits a number of native features, indeed dual boot is preferable and easy to set up.
Dual boot will consume fewer resources because by definition only one OS runs at a time, but I don't know the demands of the applications we will need to run.
It seems prudent to aim for a PC with a 15-inch screen (certainly not 14), 16 GB of RAM, at least a 500 GB SSD, preferably a dedicated graphics card if we need to run resource-intensive applications or to avoid the integrated graphics chipset consuming some of the RAM; I'm not sure if it's necessary for the machine to be equipped with an Ethernet port.
The brand doesn't really matter in my opinion except for battery life to verify (which should always be remembered to be presented optimistically); these elements will determine the budget, you can find options under €500 without a graphics card, while it's more commonly around €800 with one and possibly a network port. -
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The benefit of running multiple virtual machines at the same time is because we do practical work where, for example, the first machine needs to communicate with the other, or another example is that the first machine is a server, and the second a client machine, etc.
So, it works for RAM since at school the PCs have 16 GB of RAM and often a machine uses a maximum of 2 GB.
Also, I specify that aside from VirtualBox, which consumes a bit, I won’t be doing anything special with this PC; I will just be using machines with VirtualBox, watching movies or YouTube content, researching on the internet, etc. I won’t be playing games.
So if I understand correctly, you advise me to buy a PC that comes with Windows and to set up a dual boot with Linux (like Lubuntu, for example, since it consumes little). What I want is to buy a laptop and use it fully, not to have an operating system that consumes all the PC resources and I can’t do anything afterward.
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No matter how I put it, a true dual boot is not virtualization; only one OS runs at a time, so there's nothing stopping you from using Ubuntu instead of Lubuntu.
Virtual machines, as I mentioned, depend on what runs inside them; it's out of the question to run Windows 10 or Mac OS with 2 GB; we're rather looking at around 8, but XP hardly consumes anything.
If there are no games or high graphics consumption software (3D, etc.), you can do without a dedicated graphics card, but that means the integrated graphics chipset will consume up to 4 or 5 GB of RAM.
Under these conditions, you can find reasonably priced PCs; my daughter-in-law treated herself for Christmas (I believe at Carrefour; I have no shares) to an Asus model I forgot, with a 500 GB SSD and 16 GB of RAM for less than €500, but there might have been a promotion at the time. -
I didn't quite understand when you said, "Regardless of what I said, a true dual boot is not virtualization; only one OS works at a time, so there’s nothing preventing the use of Ubuntu instead of Lubuntu."
Why can't I use Lubuntu?
And otherwise, in terms of ease of repair and changing parts like the battery, could you tell me which brand of laptop?
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No, we’re going to help you. What you need to ask yourself is what your job will be in three years.
Today, your job is to set up servers, intranets, plan the email environment, the hardware architecture, provide digital expertise to your clients, and assess their digital needs.
To do this, you'll need an i7 or i9 CPU or an equivalent AMD, 16 or 30GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. This will give you a base that will allow you to run a LAMP server and various client machines through Vbox.
You can always add more RAM, and the same goes for the SSD; in fact, you can change it later. What’s important is the CPU for running multiple architectures simultaneously, and it’s the only component that doesn’t get changed, except for certain high-end models.
Now, the question you should be asking yourself is how your job will evolve in the coming year. You will need to have some expertise in AI; I’m not talking about using them, but about integrating them at the center of your system architecture. And there’s no mystery about AI; when you need to integrate them locally, that’s VRAM.
This is why I recommend you discuss this with your teacher and even various stakeholders in the field you want to study.
