While CSSE students are able to undertake all of their laboratory exercises and assignments on UWA-provided computers in laboratories in the CSSE building, many prefer to use their own laptop computers, giving them the flexibility to use the same device and environment while at home, travelling, and on-campus in lectures, laboratories, libraries, coffee-shops, and out on the lawns.

It is strongly recommended that all CSSE students purchase a laptop to support their studies, not just for programming and data analysis in CSSE units, but for units in all disciplines. Nearly every CSSE student uses their own laptop to complete their assignments (unsubstantiated claim!). Even a survey from 2012 showed laptop ownership amongst first-year students at 89.6%.

Most students undertake 3 or 4 year degrees, which corresponds nicely with the anticipated lifetime of most laptops. So it makes sense for new students to purchase a new laptop at the commencement of their course. A computer purchased today, even with average specifications and performance, will be sufficent to meet the requirements of CSSE units in three year's time. Of course, a higher powered laptop will better meet future requirements, but no CSSE units demand portable supercomputers! Yet.

Unless personal finances are tight, it is not recommended that you purchase a second-hand laptop, unless you have confidence in how well it's been cared for. Commonly experienced problems include failing hard-disks (leading to a loss of data - always near an assignment deadline!), and batteries with a declining battery-life (requiring you to always carry a mains adapter). Obviously, as equipment ages, it also becomes increasingly difficult to find replacement components, such as batteries.

Manufacturer-refurbished laptops, provided they come with a reasonable warranty, can be a good alternative to a brand-new laptop.

Considerations when purchasing a laptop

Operating system

This choice is critical. While most CSSE units can be successfully undertaken using a laptop running  Windows,  Linux, or  macOS, Apple's macOS can only be (legally) run on Apple's hardware. While Apple laptops have a higher build quality and higher resale value than most laptops from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung,...., their initial purchase price can be close to double. Nearly all non-Apple laptops use an Intel or AMD processor, older Apple laptops use an Intel processor, and newer Apple laptops run an ARM-based M1/M2 processors (Apple's future direction). At present only Apple's macOS can run on Apple's new M1/M2 processors but, by early 2024, you may be able to also run Windows and Linux on new Apple laptops, too. See: All the M1 and M2 Processors, Tested and Compared. Whether Windows is better than macOS, and whether Linux is better than them both, is almost a religious argument that won't be resolved here! Based on the CSSE course you're taking, investigate the recommended hardware and software for each unit.

Screen size

Screen size obviously influences a laptop's overall size which, in turn, limits its portability and weight. While screen size matters little when sitting at a table, larger sizes affect your ability to work effectively on buses and trains. A 13-inch screen is considered a reasonable minimum, with a 15-inch screen being the sweet-spot. 17-inch and 19-inch behemoths are great for playing games, and anchoring large ships, but are far larger than required to complete CSSE assignments.

Screen resolution

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels (individual video elements) that provide the clarity of the text and images displayed on your screen. At higher resolutions, items appear sharper. The more pixels on your screen, the more information you can display, possibly enabling 3 or 4 non-overlapping windows. CSSE students love higher resolutions, enabling them to program in an IDE (integrated development environment), read documentation in a web-browser, execute their new graphical application under development, and plot data.

Processor (CPU) speed

Historically, a CPU's clock frequency provided a good single-figure metric to describe a computer's performance. Today, as Moore's Law appears to be less relevant, the number of CPU cores (individual CPUs, often sharing some common memory) is a better measure of computer performance. A single CPU, no matter how fast, can only execute a single program at once, whereas a computer with N cores can execute N programs simultaneously. Today's laptops boast 4 or more cores, meaning you can watch a cat video, browse the web, read emails, listen to music, download the latest Linux distribution, send an instant message, and complete your CSSE assignments all at the same time!

Memory (RAM) capacity

A computer's RAM holds the programs and data required by the CPU to execute applications. If RAM is limited, your whole system will run slower, or fewer applications will be able to run. Until 2020 it 'seemed obvious' that you could never have too much RAM, and laptop capacities approached 32GB. More recently, smarter design of the communication channels between CPU, RAM, and disk have enabled laptops to execute extremely fast with just 8GB of RAM (though 16GB is still better!).
Note: some manufacturers, notably Apple, do not support RAM upgrades - so choose the most RAM you can afford when purchasing.

Storage (disk) capacity

There are two main types of laptop storage - Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). HDDs are the much older technology, and add to the thickness, weight, noise, heat, fragility, and power consumption of your laptop. Fortunately they are increasingly difficult, and unnecessary, to purchase in a new laptop. In contrast, SSDs address all of the physical shortcomings of HDDs, are much faster, but usually have smaller capacities and cost more. You can't win!

It is strongly recommended that you purchase a laptop with a SSD, and not a HDD. If an older second-hand laptop has ever been dropped, the HDD is often the first component to fail.

No CSSE units have signficant storage requirements. It is very unlikely that you will fill your disk with CSSE-related teaching materials. Most students (easily) fill their disks with videos and music. We increasingly store and backup our data 'in the cloud', subscribe to media-streaming services, and just use the laptop's disk storage to provide faster access and, obviously, availability of data when not connected to the internet.

Contemporary operating systems require 20GB-50GB of storage, applications and programming tools a further 20+GB, leaving the remaining disk space for your own assignments, data files, and 'the rest of your life'. To support your studies for 3 to 4 years, a 256GB SSD will be sufficient, although a 512GB SSD may be prudent if you choose to never delete anything!
Note: some manufacturers, notably Apple, do not support SSD upgrades - so choose the largest SSD you can afford when purchasing.

Recommended specifications to survive your 3-4 year course

Resources:

• The best laptops of 2023, techradar, April 2023.
• The best laptops for 2023, PC Magazine Australian, April 2023.
• Best laptop deals in Australia for April 2023: Apple, HP, Lenovo, news.com.au, April 2023.
  
  
• The best laptops in 2023 - tested and rated, Tom's Guide, April 2023.
• What's the best computer/laptop for a data scientist in 2023?, by Tomi Mester (blog), May 2022.

• (the best) Australian IT price comparison website, staticice.com.
• Australian laptop price comparison website, GetPrice Australia.