M6600 and M4600 are coming in Feb.

Furthermore, I am a genetics major and some of our labs requires up to compute statistical output of data on Excel spreadsheets constantly. A number pad is super helpful to getting the data inputted for calculations and analysis via Excel. A number pad to this day is super helpful to many productively and advanced software users who relies on heavy keyboard-related input.

On my old laptops that lacked the number pad, inputting data was a total pain using the current trend of chicklet keyboards. I always ended up doing it with an external keyboard attached to it. Now getting a laptop with a number pad, it has gotten a lot more convenient and I don't always has to be a place with an external keyboard to get my work done.

 

Exactly what I was referring to, also there are specialist software for statistics in science I am surprised you guys are not using these programs (I am sorry but I don't remember the names).

 

Well the fact is I am an undergrad and many classes tailored to the undergrad curriculum doesn't require you to master statistics or do heavy calculations. However, the professors still requires us to give them our data results via spreadsheets so they can check our work easier than say I don't know, writing them down by hand?

I know that time is getting closer till I will need to use the more hardcore software (I eventually want to get a genomics & bioinformatics masters with a dash of programming).

 

We often use lower-pay grade staff to actually enter the data, rather than having the scientists or engineers actually do this in order to work most efficiently. Most technical professionals (engineers/geologists like myself) still depend heavily on the written word in scientific and enfgineering documentation and reports, and numbers are secondary to this in keystrokes made, particularly if there are other folks doing the data entry or if the data can be downloaded from other sources. Sure, there are various designers and technical folks which do focus more on number entry, but the off-center design of the trackpad and associated buttons is still awkward and of poor overall location regardless.

 

Aha I see. Well yes excel is a thousand times better then writing them down by hand. Can you imagine past scientists who had to write down all their observations by hand? I remember seeing pictures of a large and huge collection of papers from recording of observations, statistics, and other data from a single 1 year experiment on I believe it was on avian studies from a few decades back, not sure it was a long time ago. Pretty insane stuff.

 

Some of us are our own low-grade staff.

 

The central keyboard was the total reason I chose Dell over a better equipped and cheaper HP with my last purchase, the only real numerical input I do is dimensioning models and drawings and I'm fine with using the upper keys for that, ergonomically I like the keyboard being central to the screen for typing.

 

To be honest with you, I go mad doing it by hand. The numbers will eventually distort your thinking and you end up writing down figures in a wrong row and column because you got so delusional in the progress.

 

I remember the Apollo moon missions were done with slide rules as well as pen and paper

 

Wow, this is totally the opposite of my experience. I got same USB sound card new from a friend, tried it out and hated it. The sound was just atrocious. After a week of fiddling around with it, I just gave it away to someone else. Other than the new X-Fi Titanium HD, Creative sound cards are POS IMO.