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- Choosing a Laptop, B-school Edition
- The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition
May
2
A sensible guide to what computer gear and electronic accessories you’ll need for a two-year MBA. What’s necessary? Why? What’s optional? What’s a waste? What to buy before college? Hindsight is 20:20. After twenty months at IIM Kozhikode, I can answer those questions. Do note that this guide is written with Indian B-schools in mind - although they make sense regardless where you’re from.
Update: How to choose a laptop, B-school Edition is now available. Click here.
The Necessary Stuff
Laptop
Choose a laptop over a desktop any day, even if you think you can easily transport your home desktop to college. Account for cramped desk space and complete lack of mobility. You need a laptop to take with you to class, to the common room, to the library, meetings, project presentations, home. You can always add functionality with accessories (see below). If there’s enough demand, I will write a post on how to choose a laptop for B-school. Lenovo’s R-series Thinkpads are excellent choices.
How: buy in a bulk deal at college unless you have one already, of course.
Price: between Rs. 50000 and Rs. 60000
Mouse
You can’t get by with tapping and dragging your fingers on a laptop touch-pad. With the amount of time you’ll spend with PowerPoint, Excel and games you’ll definitely need a mouse. Buy a ball mouse or a laser mouse. Optical mice (at least, the affordable ones) aren’t as sensitive as even ball mice. Contrary to popular perception, you don’t need a wireless mouse - the only time you’ll be using a mouse will be in your room. iBall’s Uni-Retractable Laser Precise mouse is a good option.
How: Buy before you reach college
Price: ~ Rs. 800
2GB USB Stick
You’ll use this very often. While delivering presentations, plugging into the Computer Center machines to print, backing up all sorts of stuff, transfering music, and so on. Carry one with you all the time. USB sticks have become extremely cheap, so purchase at least a 2GB one. I have a 2GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro, which has served me admirably during my time at IIMK.
How: Buy before you reach college; ones bought in bulk are typically cheap brands.
Price: Rs. 900 for the 2GB Cruzer Micro
Ethernet Cable
Buy a standard RJ-45 ethernet cable before you reach college - regardless of whether you have a laptop or buy it on campus. There’s a mad scramble for cables once the laptops bought in bulk arrive, so it’s best you have one available. Buy about 4-6 feet of cabling from any electrical store, get the connectors on the ends crimped at the store itself.
How: Before you reach college.
Price: Under Rs. 100 inclusive of the connectors and crimping charges
Scientific Calculator
Several courses will require one - statistics and finance courses in year one, and some in year two. The engineers among you will already have one; for the rest, Casio’s fx-991MS seems to be the model of choice.
How: Buy with a bulk deal before classes begin
Price: ~ Rs. 400 after bulk discount
Surge protector
So you don’t fry your laptop in case of a surge. This has happened not only at the IIMK campus, but others as well. You will charge delicate devices - your laptop, your phone, camera via the electrical socket. Buy one for their sake. Another reason is that your charger pins may fit loosely in the electrical sockets (very common), and you’ll need to resort to all sorts of tricks to fit things correctly.
How: Buy one before you reach college
Price: ~ Rs. 100
Laptop Bag
To lug your laptop around. While buying your laptops in bulk, ask for a backpack with a laptop sleeve instead of a traditional bag that you sling over one shoulder. Backpacks are better than sling-bags to store your other stuff - notebooks, files and the like.
If you’re buying one on your own, buy one from the Samsonite range. I’ve had one for over three years; been everywhere from the Kerala backwaters to New York City to the local trains in Bombay, keeping my laptop and other stuff perfectly safe. Avoid ones which have separate compartments for CDs, MP3 players, water bottles and cables.
How: With your laptop if buying at college; from any Samsonite store before you reach college if own laptop
Price: ~ Rs. 2000
Optional Stuff
External Hard Drive
To back up the gigabytes of movies, music, pictures, software, videos, MBA-related stuff and more, get a large desktop (3.5 inch) hard drive with an external case that connects via USB. A 2.5 inch hard disk (the kind that fit into laptops) are probably not ideal, since they only do about 4200RPM (the speed at which the disk rotates). Also, since they’re delicate, they’re more prone to crashes. Finally, larger-sized 2.5″ disks re obscenely expensive. So get a 7200RPM (or 5400RPM at a minimum) hard drive with capacities of about 250-300 GB.
How: Buy with a bulk deal
Price: ~ Rs. 3500 with casing
DVD Stack
Even though you have an external hard disk, you’ll want to store your movies, sitcom episodes and documentaries on DVDs. It also makes sense to back up essential data onto optical media - it’s much more stable than magnetic media such as hard disks - whether internal or external.
How: Buy locally in stacks of 25
Price: ~ Rs. 12-15 per DVD.
Smartphone
A smartphone that sync contacts and calendar events is extremely useful. Having your contacts backed up is extemely important. Also, by syncing your phone calendar with Microsoft Outlook (which most Nokia phones are capable of) is a great way to keep track of classes, submissions, deadlines and other events even when not tied to your computer. Finally, by syncing your Outlook contacts with your phone’s address book, you can store several details about people in addition to phone numbers. In a later HOWTO, I’ll demonstrate how you can use Outlook as your master information database during your MBA.
How: Buy before you reach college
Price: ~ Rs. 10000. The Nokia E50 is highly recommended.
Office chair
Most B-schools provide terrible chairs in hostel rooms. I’ve seen moulded plastic ones and a range of metal chairs with weaved seats and backrests. Add bad posture to that and I’m not surprised at the number of classmates that complained of backache all the time. It’s worth investing in the best office chair you can find locally. Remember, you’ll be using that chair several hours a day for two years. Do it for your back’s sake. You can either auction it to your juniors when you leave, or have it transported back home.
How: Buy at the local furniture store. Try to round up enough numbers for a bulk deal.
Price: ~ Rs. 5000
Speakers
2 satellite speakers and one subwoofer should be enough. Remember to place the subwoofer unit as close to the ground as possible.
How: Buy in a bulk deal or from a senior
Price: ~ Rs. 2300
What else?
So there it is. If you’ve been through a B-school, do write if there’s anything this article missed or got wrong. If you’re a to-be B-schooler, let me know what else you’d like to know.
Coming up - Essential Software Guide, B-school Edition
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for this!!
[...] 08:05 PM Pardon the intrusion … All those joining a B School this year Check this out The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde || Profile & GD PI Experiences | IIMK Final Placements 2008 | Batch of 2010 Yahoo [...]
Excellent stuff - though the external HDD would be required only when leaving campus, methinks. And yes, utilize bulk deals to the max.
Thanks buddy, great stuff..!! ( remember me…Dhirubhai Ambani function…frm VESIT Mumbai)…cheers..!!
cool advice !!!
Thanks a lot bro !
Great Post bro. I’m joining IIM-I this July, and will keep all this in mind.
thanks dude. awesome stuff for anyone joinin business school.
@Varun - glad you liked it. And of course I remember you!
Awesome stuff.. Appreciate ur effort.
Will be joining IIM I this yer..will make most of this.
p.s. I am sure you are from KJSCE Mumbai.
Am from Comp 2005. You were a year snr to me right..?
man what a good and acute advice . this is going to help lots of other people.thanks a lot and keep up the good work
Wow Man!! Thanks a lot for the info. Will be really helpful for me. Cheers!!
awesome..pretty useful stuff. Definite check list..
@Bala: Have fun at I. Yes, I’m from KJSCE Comps 2004.
Thanx a lot…going to IIM K this year so i guess the advise will fit perfectly
Hi rahul..follow up soon wid ur details on syncing etc usng business phones..that wud be really useful
[...] 2008.found one really useful blo for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde MBA 2007-2008 story so far: CAT: 97.7%ile (Qa-99.00 LR/DI-99.12 VA/RC-34.66) IMT-G/N IIFT: [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blo for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blo for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
Thanks for the info dude.
will surely take care to buy all this stuff before I reach college…
[...] [2008-10]DoMS, IIT M Results - 04-05-2008, 12:43 AM The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde This is a very useful blog of a student of IIM K , class of 2008 about the accessories U will be [...]
[...] [2008-10]DoMS, IIT M Results - 04-05-2008, 01:30 AM The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde Hi puys, Just got this link and found it very useful and interesting too… This is about the [...]
Hey bro……. excellent…. sth i was looking up for since ages…
Now tell me sth pls…. How do i choose a lappy.. cause i don wanna go in for a 50k odd thingi just for the brand. can get a good one back home for faar less.. with excellent config.. so can i just take it??
Primarily why do u use lappies… for doing BIIIIG things or the usual??
Thanks..
[...] Re: SJMSOM 2008-10 Final Results out !!! - 04-05-2008, 03:01 PM Hi friends , This is a very useful as well as interesting link for the people who are going to join MBA this year. Its written by a boy of class of 2008 at IIM K abt what you need in an MBA college. Try it out… The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde [...]
[...] Re: DoMS, IIT Roorkee, Final Results Batch 2008-2010 - 04-05-2008, 03:09 PM Hi friends, Try this link. Its for the people who are joining MBA this year. I found it extremely useful and interesting. Its about the needs of an MBA student for program-> gadgets etc. The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde [...]
[...] Re: GIM Final Results 2008 out!!! - 04-05-2008, 04:49 PM Friends here is a useful and an interesting link. Go thru it. A must for someone who is going to join MBA this year. It contains: A sensible guide to what computer gear and electronic accessories you
[...] Re: [2008] IIFT Results Out: Batch of 2008-2010 - 04-05-2008, 04:53 PM Friends here is a useful and an interesting link. Go thru it. A must for someone who is going to join MBA this year. It contains: A sensible guide to what computer gear and electronic accessories you
[...] Re: [2008]XIMB Results OUT!!!! - 04-05-2008, 04:57 PM Friends here is a useful and an interesting link. Go thru it. A must for someone who is going to join MBA this year. It contains: A sensible guide to what computer gear and electronic accessories you
hey rahul …. thanks for this amazingly informative post …. waiting for your “software guide - bschool edition”
when ru gonna post th
Hi.. that ws a gr8 post.. thanks a ton..
Hey can u help me on wht other laptops will be a good choice to buy ??
[...] thread…Hope its useful.. it lists about the essentials that a bschool student needs to carry.. The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde ciao, CAT’07- 97.35. VA-92,DI-95,QA-93. XAT-96.5 SNAP-90 NMAT RANK 350/380 All I wanted to [...]
[...] 2008 - 05-05-2008, 12:13 PM Hey Puys, Read this blog. Its a help for B-School Joiners. The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde Cheers, Mats. Insanity is Contiguous - Catch 22 NotesFromLeisure NonAcceptance [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blo for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
Hey Rahul…brilliant post man!!! This is really useful to ppl like me who will b joining B schools this yr. I had envisaged all of the tips u gave xcept for the office chair one. Thnx a lot for that man!!!
Will b waiting eagerly for the post on essential software.
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
[...] 2008.found one really useful blog for all of us admitted into a b-school. kindly have a look at it The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde must read really helpful and [...]
Hey Rahul.. this is really very useful. Thanks so much for this.
[...] spending twenty months at IIM Kozhikode, Rahul lists the tech college gear guide for B-schools. Some are obvious like a laptop but some oft-missed accessories can prove to be life-savers [...]
Hi Rahul
I suddenly feel old.
During my times (2005-2007), a 1GB USB Stick was a luxury. Most junta had 512MB.
Laptop bag-agree very much. The shoulder bags are bad, it will make you have an inclination towards right of left which ever side you sling over the bag to.
Those bags are best for those frequent air traveling guys and not for B Schoolers.
External HD-very much needed and more during the end when you feel like collecting all the movies and sitcoms that is with the batch.
Nice guide.
-Nikhil
PS: My school had wifi, so escaped from the LAN cables.
@Nikhil, you make me feel even older. I saved up EUR 40 to buy a 64MB (yes, you read that right!!) Verbatim Flash drive during my exchange term. And yes, I was the first one on campus to have one
- Pratik
@Nikhil, you make me feel even older. I saved up EUR 40 to buy a 64MB (yes, you read that right!!) Verbatim Flash drive during my exchange term (2003). And yes, I was the first one on campus to have one
- Pratik
Hey RG,
Kool Post !
I would still prefer 2.5″ USB drive for its portability.
I agree its prone to damage…. still its much more easy to carry around.
those were some gr8 insights , from one who has done it all and seen it all.. hanks
XLRI-2008-10
Hey thanx buddy.
I’ll be joining an MBA this year at IIT. Couldnt prioritise what to buy and what not to.
This would be a great help.
Thanks again.
@Sahil: I had a 2.5″ one too, but regretted it - think of how much stuff Mafia was able to store on his external drive - uska 3.5″ waala tha kuch 300+GB ka.
Hey man
Thanx!!!!!!!!
That answers a lot of queries i had…….
I am not an MBA student, but I liked going through your list. I have one suggestion on your advice regarding the external hard drive - the spin speed does not really matter with external drives that are plugged in via USB, because of the transfer speed being limited by the USB connection. A 4200rpm drive is preferable as they draw less power. Also, I would, in fact, recommend getting a smaller portable 2.5″ hard drive, because it can take the place of the USB memory stick. More importantly, as they have lower power requirements, they can be directly powered by the laptop USB connection and don’t need a separate power brick (a huge advantage in my opinion). Cheers!
@ctrlalteredmind: the USB x’fer speed being the limiting factor may not be accurate, since I’ve seen both 4200rpm and 5400rpm 3.5″ hard drives, and performance has been noticeably better with the latter. I agree that at 7200rpm the USB x’fer speed might be limiting (though that has to be tested).
I also agree that 2.5″ disks are smaller, consume less power and are easier to lug around - even I had one of these. However, the primary intent of such a drive is to store large amounts of data. 2.5″ disks beyond 120GB are prohibitively expensive.
@Avinash, Anikta and others who asked: New post on how to choose a laptop for B-school is now available.
http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2008/05/06/choosing-a-laptop-b-school-edition/
An interesting read … !! thnks for all the info
[...] IMT Ghaziabad 2008-2010 Admissions - 07-05-2008, 03:56 PM The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde A MUST CHECK LINK !! Anything that comes between you and success is an excuse. CAT 07: [...]
[...] DELL Laptop: Bulk deals for PGites - 07-05-2008, 04:01 PM a must read :- The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde A MUST CHECK ! Anything that comes between you and success is an excuse. CAT 07: Overall [...]
[...] Re: [2008] Nirma results out - 07-05-2008, 05:31 PM Hope you find this link useful. The Sensible College Gear Guide, B-School Edition : Rahul Gaitonde [...]
Aw..I wish someone would have written a similar before I joined K.
I remember feeling deprived of all the fun, when there were no LAN cables available on the campus or anywhere nearby and we had all these new shiny laptops!
I’ve never felt a need for a laptop bag at campus though….always used to carry in my hand. But yes, will be useful for summers.
I’d also suggest to get a good digital camera (optional) if you are admitted into a scenic place like IIMK. Campus, mess parties, occasional classroom photos, college fests …..you wouldn’t wanna miss out on all these! And of course it doubles up as your photostat equipment late night when the library photostat machine is closed.
@GWBE: Things haven’t changed much since PGP08, then
Awesome tip about the photostat equipment - completely forgot!
Kool post… Can see that you are making fruitful use of your free time… Keep it up…
Saw you discussion about External HDD with Sahil… Though I personally have a 250 GB Maxtor (similar to the one shown in your pic) and now a 500 GB Western Digital, yet I would suggest that a small portable 2.5″ external should be a must bcos of its ease of use without external power cables being required… Remember that we have only one plug below our seats in the classrooms and how difficult it is to find plug points in library, computer centre etc. A non-power cable portable 2.5″ comes very handy in those circumstances…
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hey thnx yaar was really useful……..
keep updating
gr8 post .. !!
keep updating ..
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