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How often do you use your laptop in class?
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xiguagua



Joined: 09 Oct 2011
Posts: 768

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My school has half of the classrooms equipped with computers and multimedia. Seems to be most teachers fighting over these rooms because they're incapable of doing stuff that isn't on a PPT. These are all Chinese teachers mind you. The students also hate it, and when I was a student, I hated it. Something about it just seems so non-interactive. The only time I used the multimedia stuff was if I need to give them a ton of information not in books or a ton of examples that is too time-consuming to write out. Playing an occasional movie or relevant video clip is useful too.

Unfortunately, since this is the first school i've even had an option to use a computer, i've gotten so used to just not using one. If I ever choose to do something with music for listening (usually like, once or twice a year) i'll use my ipad for it with a set of portable little speakers. Like said above, nothing is worse than preparing a multimedia class, and arriving to find there's no power at the school (only in China lulz) or there's no media room available and you didn't prepare a back-up.
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Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Banner41 wrote:
There really is not a huge need for optical CD/CD-ROM for a travelling laptop anymore. .


I think the opposite. A DVD drive ranks as more important than processor, memory and RAM when travelling. Its actually the most important feature ... how else to watch the pirate DVDs?
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Banner41



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 656
Location: Shanghai

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Denim-Maniac wrote:
Banner41 wrote:
There really is not a huge need for optical CD/CD-ROM for a travelling laptop anymore. .


I think the opposite. A DVD drive ranks as more important than processor, memory and RAM when travelling. Its actually the most important feature ... how else to watch the pirate DVDs?


I haven't bought a pirate DVD in 3 years. You can just utilize the torrent system. No need to worry if a DVD will work anymore. Store them on external hard drive. I can also load the movies onto my iPad and take whatever I want anywhere. Works for programs, games, books, music, movies, HDMI etc......

Convert any DVD to this and it will not only save you money from buying all of those crappy DVD's but you don't have to look at a mess of hundreds of DVD's lying all over.....DVD stores are dying because you can get everything electronically now. Streaming and cloud storage are very easy to use.
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Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like buying DVDs. But Im from a generation that still yearns for and misses buying records etc. I tend to buy very little when in China but am always quite proud of my little DVD collection.

Never figured out torrents. Even my 21-year-old son hasn't and he pretty much lives, works and studies online! Finding I'm getting more and more into shows like Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones so maybe I do need to start torrenting.
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I haven't bought a DVD in years either. Half the ones I did buy in the past never worked or failed after the first try, or were in the wrong language. Torrents are so easy to use, and get just about anything you want. I've currently got about 1tB of movies and TV shows to watch, not to mention all the e-books etc I've downloaded.
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Shroob



Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it wasn't for torrents/streaming I wouldn't watch TV shows. Watching western shows reminds me of home and keeps me sane. Even if I could understand Chinese, I doubt I'd watch the endless anti-Japanese war films, historic war films, love stories or 'talent' shows.

March 31st, winter is coming.

EDIT: I do like the 'Discovery Channel', not sure if that's what it's called though, sometimes has Bear Grylls/nature shows/documentaries. Though it's over 3 months since I watched it...so things may have changed.
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xiguagua



Joined: 09 Oct 2011
Posts: 768

PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shroob wrote:
If it wasn't for torrents/streaming I wouldn't watch TV shows. Watching western shows reminds me of home and keeps me sane. Even if I could understand Chinese, I doubt I'd watch the endless anti-Japanese war films, historic war films, love stories or 'talent' shows.



Ugh, I 2nd this. I recently bought a new PC and when I came home I was like uhhh wait.......there's no CD OR DVD drive!! Then I thought a little more....and remembered my laptop has one....but i've only used it twice in 5 years. Torrents and external HDD's are my best friends. New games, they're all on ISO's and D-Tools does the job. I think the last time I bought a DVD (pirated or legit) was at least 8 years ago.....way before Blu-ray.
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Banner41



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 656
Location: Shanghai

PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was home for Spring festival I picked up a wireless 1 tb external. It syncs with my ipad and laptop so I don't even worry about yanking a cable out from the external anymore. On plane rides or train rides I just throw it in my bag and don't have to dig for the cables. Just turn it on and it's good for like 10 hours off of one charge. I doubt you would watch 1tb of movies on any single trip but it gives you options of books, music, tv, and movie swapping out on the fly. Just need Bluetooth for it to work on anything.
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