With the changing technology, any recommendation will be obsolete before long. Our recommendation is:
Any minimal laptop will handle your CSE classes but might be a little slow
Midrange laptops are ideal for basic course work.
Avoid netbooks.
Pick something that you will be comfortable using for hours on end. Things to think about are screen size, CPU, memory, battery life and other addons, like webcam, microphone, bigger keyboard.
Think about your level of comfort and speed.
We usually recommend Dell laptops due to the MSU/Dell agreemeent, decent prices and support services.
Which Operating System (OS) should I buy?
CSE is a mix of Windows and Linux labs. Classes are taught on both environments. CSE has the resources to handle remote computing needs. This means if you are using a Linux or Apple computer and need to use Microsoft Visual Studio, we have a machine you can connect to with Terminal Services and be able to do your work like you were sitting in our labs. Likewise,we have servers to ssh to and do other work. We recommend choosing an OS which you are comfortable with.
