The right tool for the job - Choosing your perfect Neptun device

The next Neptun Wave will start soon and this time around we have an even better selection of devices than last Spring. With 18 devices from five manufacturers, there’s bound to be a machine for almost any requirement. However, having so many options doesn’t make choosing a laptop any easier, so I’m going to give you some pointers on how to find out what exactly you need and how to choose a device that’s right for you.

Finding the basic requirements

The software you want to use and your field of study will define the basic requirements for your laptop. For basic office-style usage like browsing, writing texts, watching movies, and even for light photo manipulation, all Neptun devices are fast enough. For CAD/3D works, complex statistics, or extensive simulations, on the other hand, you’ll need more power, and in some cases even special features like a professional-grade graphics card or extensive expandability. These features can be found in Neptun workstations, but check out the system requirements of your software programs to find out if you need that much performance.

Some university departments give guidelines on what kind of system you need for a particular field of study. Some of these requirements can seem tricky to fulfill, such as the mandate for an integrated DVD drive at a time when almost no laptop features such a drive anymore. However, there are often easy workarounds. In case of the DVD drive, for example, you can cheaply buy an external drive that works just as well, helping you to be less limited in your choice of laptops. If you’re in doubt about any special requirements by your department, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Features like touchscreens, digital pen input, or detachable keyboards for tablets are only available in convertibles or hybrid tablets. Depending on your field of study and your workflow, we absolutely recommend using one of these devices instead of a regular laptop. With pen input you can write by hand and work with digital copies of your notes and scripts. Things like equations or graphics are much easier to copy from the blackboard by hand instead of trying to somehow visualize them with a keyboard.

Finally, there is the choice between Mac and Windows. This depends mostly on the software programs you want to use and which system lets you work most efficiently. In certain aspects, the two systems are interchangeable, meaning that for the same amount of money, you’ll get similar performance and quality. Many widely used programs work on both systems, as well. However, both systems offer some exclusive features like touchscreens on Windows or Time Machine backup on Mac.

Exceeding the basic requirements

Although the most affordable device of a certain class, be it a Windows laptop, a convertible, or an Apple device, might fulfill all of your basic requirements, it may be worth spending a little more to get a device that you’re really comfortable working with. A higher price tag not only coincides with more performance, but often also with better screens, increased battery life, better keyboards and improved build quality with a more premium feel. Going from a Lenovo ThinkPad 13 to an Thinkpad X1 Carbon, for example, means that you’re getting a device that is smaller and lighter, with a better, bigger screen, better connectivity, more computing power, and more disk space.

Good screens are especially valuable for all kinds of work on a computer. Screens in more expensive devices generally have a higher resolution and pixel density, which makes reading text far easier and less tiring. High-resolution screens feel much more paper-like to read on than their low-resolution counterparts, helping also with tasks involving fine-grained structures like in CAD work. Additionally, good screens generally have better color reproduction, which is important for all media creation tasks. As all students are in part office workers, a high-quality display can be invaluable.

Many fields of study, especially the social sciences, involve lots of writing. The average student is easily going to write tens or even hundreds of thousands of words per year, which can be done much more comfortably on a good keyboard. All higher-end devices by Neptun have excellent keyboards, but taste plays a large role in how you specifically are going to judge a keyboard. Therefore, it’s a good idea to come to our Demo Days to try out the keyboard on the devices you’re interested in.

Low weight on a laptop is especially useful for students who have to carry around their device all day long. However, making devices lighter is an engineering challenge that can’t be achieved cheaply. Similarly, a long battery life requires not only a large battery, but also a well-tuned system, which requires a lot of effort by the manufacturer, but being able to work all day long without having to look for an outlet is something that’s worth the added price.

Conclusion

Finding a device that fits all your needs is always a compromise between your basic requirements, your budget, and any special features you’re looking for. However, since your laptop is a tool that you need to work with every single day, it’s worth putting in the effort to make an informed decision. Projekt Neptun is glad to help you make this decision in several ways: Firstly, you can personally try out all our devices and get help from our experts at the Demo Days. Secondly, you can contact us via e-mail, in our forum, or by phone (044 501 08 13) to have your questions answered, and finally you can drop by anytime at our Help Points in Zurich, Basel, and Lucerne to get advice from our support experts. We’re looking forward to help you finding the right Neptun device for your needs.