Any Advice On Laptops?

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
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<p>uh… not gonna get into the whole mac vs. windows thing here…</p>

<p>here are my two cents: i am also entering W&M in the fall, and my dad and i decided it would be best to buy from the school because you get free tech support all four years, and the computer is of good quality whether you get a mac or a PC. </p>

<p>i personally am getting a PC because even though i am more artsy and spend most of my free time in photoshop (and a lot of my non-free time…i might have to just not install it on my next compie -_-), i have been using windows my whole life AND W&M can repair your computer more easily if something breaks or w/e. I read somewhere (i think it was a current student on facebook who said this) that if something goes wrong with your mac, you have to actually send it in to apple to get it fixed rather than just getting it fixed on campus. </p>

<p>hope that helped somewhat…</p>

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<p>I only read the first page, but the complaints are “the computers start with a lowercase letter” and “they sued people”.</p>

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<p>Year after year, it seems that a question about laptops has to devolve into a “which is better, Mac or PC” debate.</p>

<p>Whichever way you buy, you’re going to be in plenty of company. This includes a) people who buy the MyNotebook through W&M, b) people who buy other PCs, and c) people who buy Macbooks. For the most part it doesn’t matter what you choose. If you’ve been a Mac person all your life, then there is no mandate to change your ways.</p>

<p>What you need to be aware of is different levels of services offered on campus. The Service Agreement is here: [Computer</a> Service Agreement for Students | IT](<a href=“http://web.wm.edu/it/?id=8753]Computer”>http://web.wm.edu/it/?id=8753)</p>

<p>In short, the Technology Support Center (TSC) provides different tiers of support. The highest level of support is given to MyNotebooks - this includes warranty repairs performed on campus from a stock of parts on hand. The next level of support is given to Dell and IBM/Lenovo computers that are not MyNotebook models (and run Windows - limited or no support for Linux). As time permits, the TSC performs warranty hardware repairs for in-warranty Dell or IBM/Lenovo computers that are not MyNotebooks, but parts have to be ordered so this can take a few days. For all other models (including Apple laptops), assistance will be provided only for things like connecting to the network or installing IT-recommended software. Whether or not the Apple store in Swem can service Macbooks, I don’t know. If not, you’d have to arrange for service just like you would with a Sony or HP or Toshiba or other manufacturer.</p>

<p>Given that information, choose what you’re comfortable with. If you want the smallest amount of downtime when something goes wrong, your best bet is to purchase the MyNotebook. If you prefer HPs or Sonys or Macbooks and don’t mind having to arrange for service, then buy one of those.</p>

<p>For the price comparison, the $1,289 MyNotebook configures at $1,777 when identically equipped through Dell’s consumer website. The $1,367 MyNotebook model configures at $1,784 (both of these as of today). If you’re comparing to other models, remember to account for 4-year, Next Business Day Onsite warranty service, with 4 years of accidental damage protection (drops, spills, cracked screens, etc. - not covered under a standard warranty). This adds a good $300+ on to the cost of the laptop.</p>