Computer engineering - programming.

I have been reading for a long time, and haven't been able to see the pros and cons of both.

I know that in computer engineering, you also learn some electronics, apart from programming, but does that mean that you end up knowing more stuff if you major in computer engineering than in computer programming?

Also, I would like to know if someone who majors in computer engineering can for example work at microsoft, sun, ea sports, etc...programming games, applications, etc??

Or if you want to be a trully serious programmer, you definetly have to study computer programming...?

Thanks.

According to one of my comp sci profs, the biggest difference between computer engineering and computer science is that the programs written by computer engineering students work more often than the ones written by computer science students. After smiling wryly at me she told me not to feel to bad, because if my programs REALLY didn't work I would have wound up in management, or even worse, education

Her words, not mine... but I also wonder what the general perspective on these claims is around here.

starX
www.axisoftime.com

My interpretation is that if you are the EE you would be designing the programs, as the programmer or coder you would be more responsible for actually coding what the engineer has designed.

In my opinion hardware engineers can usually write some
software but software engineers can't design hardware.
The person who can do both proficiently is the most
valuable and makes the most money. Keep reading!

It is trade off for between 2 majors, computer engineering don't
know much about designing software system and applying
design methodology while computer science is so proficient at
this but don't know much how the circuitry or nut and bold work.

BUD-WISER

I am a computer engineering student now, and i can take all of the programming classes the comp sci take and use them to graduate. I just have more choice in my electives. At my university, the engineering students have to take higher math & science classes as well as some electrical engineering classes, but we don't have to take near as many general basics (history, fine arts, and so on).

Engineers are producers .. programmers also also producers, but they're more of consumers..

Engineering requires more scientific/practical s*it to learn.

a programmer just keeps typing buttons :-) (funny... but
really... this is not a biased opinion)

if a programmer does more than just typing keys,
he's working on a space research project, not on
Microsoft's Minesweeper game..

an engineer, on the other hand, has do to do a higher
intellectual work (on average.....) than a button typer
who works for microsoft ...

but when you're talking "software engineering" .. he's
probably equivalent to an Electrical Engg.

Programmers are usually button pushers..
in other words, Engineers rule!, they can
design circuits and chips, and they can also
write considerably good programs 'cause they
also write programs to make microchips and
to let them function efficiently.

whereas, a programmer (not an engineer), looks
at his life thinking of working in dirty companies
like Microsoft writing unstable code for Windows
and wrting minesweeper games..
he 'can't do anything more than that .... maybe
he drinks coffee 10 times a day :-)

A programmer usually does more than just typing. Before a programmer can start typing, he/she should think about what to type. Therefore an architecture needs to build, designs need to be created and efficient algorithms need to be developed. I studied electrical engineering and now I'm working as a software engineer. I've experienced that electrical engineering is more exact than software engineering, but both require that you understand your math. Software engineering is in basic not very different from electrical engineering, the only differences occur when going to the implementation phase.

I hope everybody ignores the stupid flamebait

Quote:

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but does that mean that you end up knowing more stuff if you major in computer engineering than in computer programming?

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That's like saying if person 1 studied astrology, and person 2
studied law, then person 2 would know more.

The thing is that you are comparing a standard course with
an engineering course (That's an unfair comparison). In any engineering course you end up "knowing" everything.

You cannot compare two courses and say which is better. It's your
preference or interests that should guide you.

Just my 4 cents.

There are poor roads that you can take in Computer Science and then there are roads leading to more broad based knowledge. Also some schools are better than others, however life is not so simple. You are an individual. I also support what Shiro said about the fields overlapping. I think that it mostly has to do with the individual and that the road to knowledge is not linear.