<p>Aside from which op sys or brand, it seemed like all of the bookstores at schools my D got into offered computers and laptops to students at "discount" with implied (I haven't read the fine print yet) promises to service, fix and give loaners cheap or on site etc., etc.</p>
<p>Has anyone bought a computer from their kid's school? Are the discounts worth it? Is service what was promised?</p>
<p>The main drawback I see upfront is that most seem to offer only Apple or one brand of PC (often Dell).</p>
<p>I beg you, please, don't (unless absolutely necessary due to the store only offering one brand) drag this into one of the never-ending Windows/Apple or Dell/IBM/Toshiba controversies: I've seen them rage in Computing Magazines since the early 80s and on the Internet going back when the flamewars raged on blinking cursor BBS. </p>
<p>Given whatever your preference for brand or opsys, is it worth buying through the college or your usual route?</p>
<p>Great post--We are also going to be computer shopping (for an Apple), but I was wondering the same thing--there are so many choices!</p>
<p>Yes, the college bookstore seems to offer a great deal and ours seems to have several models & configurations available. But the Apple store education website, and Amazon have good deals too. I would like to not pay sales tax and shipping if possible, so that will be a factor. First I guess, we have to decide exactly what system she needs, and then go price-compare it.</p>
<p>The only trouble with going the school bookstore route is her school won't give her a student account until she goes through her advising and placement testing this summer, and we're not eligible to buy anything through the college bookstore till that happens. You might want to check on what is your school's specific eligibility criteria also.</p>
<p>Generally Apple's discounted pricing through the school is at a fair discount given how tightly Apple controls distribution. On the other hand, the discount I've seen in practically all school bookstores offering Dell for instance is pitiful compared to what you can find online relatively easily.</p>
<p>I'd think you'd want to wait a bit anyway til close to the last minute, since processors, operating systems and peripherals/configurations are always being upgraded or changed and often new stuff comes out just before Fall school season. Especially if you're going for a laptop you'll want the latest and greatest since it'll be well on the way to obsolesence as you walk out the door anyway.</p>
<p>But you can start finding out now just how wireless (or not) the campus is and also the mininum system configuration. At my daughter's school, for example they say if Windows, you need 2000 or XP Pro, Home edition will not access some things you will want.</p>
<p>The school probably has an ITS dept which you can find either on the school website or by googling it. You may find out a lot about what kind of equipment they buy for the school, profs, etc. so as to match as closely as possible.</p>
<p>The good thing for you buying an Apple is, well, first you don't have to run the do I get a Dell/IBM/Toshiba/BrandX obstacle course and second, you can go to an Apple Store at the mall, try what you like and price it configured the way you want/can afford, then it's easier to compare with what the school offers.</p>
<p>okrogius, I suspect you're right about that but if, when you buy there, the bookstore will fix/upgrade onsite without the hassle of shipping it out, and/or give you a loaner while it's being done; if they've seen the same virus or hard/software problem a number of times before you walk in with yours, the cost differential might be well worth it to a student who doesn't want to be hassled with fixing it themselves or waiting while it is sent away.</p>
<p>It might depend a lot on what your own experience and level of knowledge with computers has been in the past. My D, no matter how often reminded, never defrags or runs any diagnostics, will download anything and has messed up both her computer and her siblings as well as our home network. At school she won't have the luxury of just waiting til her brother is out of the house and firing up his.</p>
<p>Did buy originally through the campus book store. Thinking that they could fix problems, trouble shooting and so on. That was 2 years ago. COmputer was a disaster. School could not fix it. They did not have the support that was promised.
Part of the problem I'm sure was D not performing all ad aware, defrages and so on. But the computer now is too slow. Will be buying another one for next year (2yrs later).. and not from the campus book store. Do your homework, the campus store is not always the way to go!</p>