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Getting A Laptop With The Low U.S. Dollar
An anonymous reader submits "I am heading to the U.S. pretty soon and am keen to take advantage of the low US$ to buy a laptop. The differences in prices are astounding - on dell.com (US) you pay $2049 for a Precision M60 - in the UK this costs 1620.33UKP, or $2999. That is a fair difference! It makes it cheaper for me to fly to the US to buy it and carry it home than it is for me to buy it in the UK. Now, that said, it isn't particularly easy to find a place to buy a laptop from, since most of the places don't ship to the UK (or it takes weeks) and it is difficult to get stuff delivered to your hotel ... any suggestions of how I can get a good laptop in the New York area when I am only there for 4 days?"
Instructor: Mark Feltham
Advice About Essay #3
Your third essay should be 750 words long, plus or minus 10% (75 words). It is worth 20% of your final course grade. It's due on Friday 19 March.
Your topic is as follows:
You are a freelance writer. A magazine editor has asked you to write an article for the back-to-school issue of a magazine aimed at university students. The editor wants a discussion of what kind of computer students should buy, and he wants the following title: Desktop Versus Laptop? What Should Students Buy?
2. How to Begin
Although argumentation and structure are of course always important, they are especially crucial for a specifically argumentative assignment. In this assignment you must evaluate two types of computers, laptop and desktop, determine which type is best for students, and explain why.
I recommend beginning with a chart: for each type of computer. List general advantages and disadvantages. Then evaluate your list of pros and cons in relation to the life of a typical student. This exercise will help you craft you thesis and organize your argument.
As you complete the chart, think about the following questions:
Your essay does not necessarily need to specifically ask and answer these specific questions. They are guidelines only.
3. Your Thesis
It's not enough to simply state what computer you think students should buy. Rather, you should say why, and build the why directly into your thesis. You might also consider handheld devices like Palms, etc. It's up to you. You can argue whatever you want, and you may, if you wish, think outside the box of the question.
You might want to focus on cost versus performance. You might want to argue that students should buy desktops because they are better off doing their work at home, where they have access to all their materials, notes, etc. You might argue that different types of students have different needs, and should buy different types of computers. Again, it's up to you.
Whatever you choose to argue, however, you need to spell out your thesis clearly at the beginning of the essay, and then sustain the argument in favour of this thesis throughout the rest of the essay.
4. Your Structure
You should match your structure to your thesis. Think of your introductory paragraph as a kind of executive summary: get to the point quickly, and spell out your precise thesis right at the start.
If you're thinking at this point that this is a boring way to write, remember that there are many, many different ways in which to do this. You may begin with a short anecdote, to ease the reader into the essay, and then state the thesis -- again, it's up to you. Remember, though, be specific and on-point from the very first sentence of the essay.
There are an infinite number of ways to write a good introduction, but there are also an infinite number of ways to write a not-so-good one. If you have any questions, please contact me for advice.
The structure of the rest of your essay should unfold from the structure that you sketch in your introductory paragraph. Thus, think of this first paragraph as a roadmap, and go from there.
5. Your Conclusion
Your conclusion, meanwhile, should do more than just re-state what you have argued. Try to sum up your arguments in a witty and entertaining way. Remember that the conclusion is the last thing that the reader reads.
It's hard to give more detailed advice than this about a hypothetical essay, so don't hesitate to contact me if you would like more specific advice about your particular approach to this assignment.
Good luck!
"White Van"
Trying going here!
If you buy their extended warrenty, you get worldwide coverage for three years. Not a bad deal! :)
SCO.... You're FIRED!
A Mac-fanatic Democrat, in case you couldn't tell...
You're proud of your labels, aren't you?
Thanks for sharing, anyway.
(A human being, in case you couldn't tell...)
Please mod parent down as the sort of idiotic flamebait that you normally see from first posts and goatse.cx fans.
Hey Tom, what happened to make you so bitter?
who says I "became" bitter? I always hated the smacktards here. I was just less motivated before.
I'm on the road to recovery!
oooh... enya... playing....blladfhgs what the? MUST KILL MANKIND....
Someday, I'll have a real sig.
Are you some kinda of retard or do you actually try hard each day to be that insightful?
People like you make me ashamed to be human. Now go run a fortune 500 business into the ground and parachute out already.
Someday, I'll have a real sig.
Chill man.. Have a nice cold Fort Garry Dark Ale and relax.. Nice big swig.. ahhhhh... Works for me.
Trolling is a art,
Winton? Are you the Winton Davies who works for ASNA in the UK?
Try Michael's Computers, Tom's Hardware just did a review of them. He has the BEST laptops on earth, at least in theory...
If you consider to run Linux on your new laptop, you may check Linux-On-Laptops or TuxMobil - Linux on laptops, PDAs and mobile phones first. If you can not get the appropriate information there, you may take a Knoppix Linux CD to check the Linux compatibility. Just ask the salesman whether you may boot from the CD before buying.
I resent that.
I was in NYC abotu a year and a half ago, and I looked EVERYwhere for a rOllox, or a Rolecks, not even a Molex watch, and I found NONE!
Oh, I found lots of Timax and Kasios. But no fake-Rolexi.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
Oh my god, there are two of us, and I thought I was unique? Nope I'm in the US now, fairly permamently.
Winton
Timothy, why in the hell would this lame ass story get posted to slashdot??? /. instead of this.
What kind of a newbie question is 'where can I buy a laptop'... If you can't google for that, why bother signing on to slashdot? Please maybe filter what you actually post a little bit, it would be nice to have relevent topics on
kisses karma goodbye
No I didnt spell check this post...
wow you seem to know the bible but at the same time are completely clueless as to the difference between christianity and judiasm... maybe if you actually read the bible trying to get understanding instead of flame ammo you would already know the answers to your questions... but im sure you care less about that and more about feeling good bashing people who have different beliefs than you. so in that regard job well done!
I got an 8600 for Christmas. It took about 1 day to assemble and 2 days to ship. That was in about the first week of Christmas, when I bet their workforce swells for the holidays. I really like my 8600, it's my first computer since my 8086 that I've bought pre-assembled, but then again, it's not easy to assemble a laptop.
OH come on, even if the plane ticket to the US alone cost $4000, and the laptop, after all taxes are paid costs $2989 (ie saves $10) he is still ahead by come to the US to buy it. At least if he does anything other than grad the laptop and leave. The US is a large country with a lot of culture (despite how Europe jokes otherwise), and many wonderful things to see and do. Everyone should visit. Actually the US is large enough that one visit won't be enough to see it all, but then you cannot see the entire world in your lifetime.
Enjoy the trip. New York isn't my favorite place to visit in the US, but it is worth seeing.
Last November a friend had me bring him a fully loaded 17" Powerbook from the States to Hungary.
...and found that, in dollars at least, the local price for the same config was more than double what he paid (>US$6K vs US$3K).
After about a month he didn't like it anymore - he discovered that it's a giant heat sink, that the monitor hinge is a case study in bad industrial design, that the trackpad is badly positioned... in short, that the sucker is not a laptop at all but rather a "desktop replacement" meant for people who need a big pretty computer they can move easily from desk to desk. (Yes, I did warn him about all this ahead of time).
After he talked to Apple and got an agreement that he would get his money back minus shipping, we checked out local prices...
Being a nice guy, he found someone in under three days to buy it at his cost.
So my advice is to get a top-of-the-line powerbook, resell it back home for a decent profit but well below market, and use the extra cash to take either buy your real laptop at home or to take a fun-filled short trip to NYC,USA and buy what you want there.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
This Like That - fun with words!