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TomRod · 2009 April 8th, 02:50 AM

Go with a netbook and SSH into a home network with more power (and constant power supply) than a laptop can provide.

Plus netbooks are dang cheap.

oleador · 2009 April 8th, 03:30 PM

the only problem is that MacBook is twice as expensive as a regular PC laptop

notacolour · 2009 April 8th, 03:42 PM

A macbook is perfectly fine for economics: you can run all of the major software packages on a mac. You could also use Windows, or Linux. But avoiding the fanatical arguments about which is best, just get what works for you.

It's nice that software is much less of an issue than it used to be. Even the native Linux version of Stata is surprisingly nice now. This makes me happy.

Two recommendations about what you should get, though: (1) Get lots of memory, especially if you may run Stata with large datasets. Memory is cheap, and since Stata shoves all data into memory, it represents a binding constraint on how much data you can mess with at once. 4 gigabytes is good.
(2) Get a backup drive. External USB drives holding 500 GB or so are cheap now. I can't emphasize this enough: get one. And use it.

YoungEconomist · 2009 April 8th, 04:05 PM

I noticed people are talking about SAS, Mathlab, etc. Can grad students even afford these programs? I assumed I'd have to use the computer lab, but maybe we get a huge discount or something.

C152dude · 2009 April 8th, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoungEconomist

I noticed people are talking about SAS, Mathlab, etc. Can grad students even afford these programs? I assumed I'd have to use the computer lab, but maybe we get a huge discount or something.

You should either get them for free or they should be available on the network.

wind up bird · 2009 April 8th, 04:51 PM

My stats professors all had Macs. Not sure how relevant that is but it's worth noting.

notacolour · 2009 April 8th, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoungEconomist

I noticed people are talking about SAS, Mathlab, etc. Can grad students even afford these programs? I assumed I'd have to use the computer lab, but maybe we get a huge discount or something.

Can grad students really afford anything?

But yes, there are significant discounts for most of these. Stata, for example, is $150 for students. I have no idea how much SAS costs, since my university has a deal where it's free for everyone. Matlab also has a huge student discount that brings it down to $100 or $200. So, yes, not free, but if you'll be using the programs, it will probably be worth the expenditure for the student version.

Some schools also have ways for you to use site licensed software while on the school network (or ssh into a server), but this access varies.

treblekicker · 2009 April 8th, 05:05 PM

Some professors also have extra licenses available. It isn't particularly difficult to find pirated copies if you're okay with that. I have a pirated copy of Matlab that I never installed, but it was for Windows, so I can't use it for my Mac.

Aumann · 2009 April 8th, 05:05 PM

my undergrad has a 'university license' system where you could get this sort of software for £2 a go!

notacolour · 2009 April 8th, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treblekicker

Some professors also have extra licenses available. It isn't particularly difficult to find pirated copies if you're okay with that. I have a pirated copy of Matlab that I never installed, but it was for Windows, so I can't use it for my Mac.

I'm going to go ahead and say this: you should take advantage of the fact that you can get absurdly cheap (and legal) licenses now, instead of going with a pirated copy.

2009 April 8th, 02:50 AM	#11 (permalink)
TomRod Thanks Mickipedia:Flickr! Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 194	Go with a netbook and SSH into a home network with more power (and constant power supply) than a laptop can provide. Plus netbooks are dang cheap. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ In, or am I? Comps are on the far horizon.

2009 April 8th, 03:30 PM	#12 (permalink)
oleador Within my grasp! Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 129	the only problem is that MacBook is twice as expensive as a regular PC laptop _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ attending UPF (MSc Economics)

2009 April 8th, 04:05 PM	#14 (permalink)
YoungEconomist Click My Avatar! Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,210	I noticed people are talking about SAS, Mathlab, etc. Can grad students even afford these programs? I assumed I'd have to use the computer lab, but maybe we get a huge discount or something. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ The study of economic theory is not defensible on aesthetic grounds. It hardly rivals in elegance the mathematics or physics our sophomores learn. The theory is studied only as an aid in solving real problems, and it is good only in the measure that it performs this function. - George Stigler

2009 April 8th, 04:51 PM	#16 (permalink)
wind up bird Attending Caltech Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 306	My stats professors all had Macs. Not sure how relevant that is but it's worth noting. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ A nod to Harry Lime

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2009 April 8th, 03:42 PM	#13 (permalink)
notacolour TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 805	A macbook is perfectly fine for economics: you can run all of the major software packages on a mac. You could also use Windows, or Linux. But avoiding the fanatical arguments about which is best, just get what works for you. It's nice that software is much less of an issue than it used to be. Even the native Linux version of Stata is surprisingly nice now. This makes me happy. Two recommendations about what you should get, though: (1) Get lots of memory, especially if you may run Stata with large datasets. Memory is cheap, and since Stata shoves all data into memory, it represents a binding constraint on how much data you can mess with at once. 4 gigabytes is good. (2) Get a backup drive. External USB drives holding 500 GB or so are cheap now. I can't emphasize this enough: get one. And use it.

2009 April 8th, 05:05 PM	#18 (permalink)
treblekicker TestMagic Guru Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,102	Some professors also have extra licenses available. It isn't particularly difficult to find pirated copies if you're okay with that. I have a pirated copy of Matlab that I never installed, but it was for Windows, so I can't use it for my Mac.

2009 April 8th, 05:05 PM	#19 (permalink)
Aumann What's with the fish? Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK Posts: 150	my undergrad has a 'university license' system where you could get this sort of software for £2 a go!

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