<p>Hey everyone, just wondering what would be a good computer to buy for school. notebook or desktop, pc or mac, i really just would like some advice. Thanks alot!</p>
<p>For the notebook/desktop choice, it generally is as simple as this.
Are you going to type notes?
Do you frequently travel from home/dorm/etc?</p>
<p>For the mac, it generally depends on your interests. Do you need to run windows-specific programs (u might have to if ur majoring in architecture or engineering)? Macs are generally more reliable, though.</p>
<p>okay, so ill probably by a notebook pc, any advice on that?</p>
<p>kind of OT, does MIT offer any discounts of computers?</p>
<p>MIT does offer a discount, but I'm not sure how good it is.</p>
<p>Information about the discount program and about MIT IS&T's computer-buying recommendations are [url=<a href="http://web.mit.edu/ist/services/hardware/presales.html%5Dhere%5B/url">http://web.mit.edu/ist/services/hardware/presales.html]here[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Indeed they do!</p>
<p>Here's the page</p>
<p>Click on the graphic - Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet/Ultra-Light. Those are the computers that MIT recommends.. By no means <em>must</em> you use a system purchased through MIT, but MIT <em>does</em> discount the system.</p>
<p>--- I just entered an average MIT recommended computer into Dell's site to figure out how much it would cost if I purchased it without the MIT discount. Dell OptiPlex GX620.</p>
<p>Normal price : $1667, +- $20 to account for things that the MIT website didn't mention.</p>
<p>MIT discounted price : $1264</p>
<p>That's roughly 24% off. I haven't checked the other computers, but I'd expect there'd be a similar size discount.</p>
<p>Careful!
MIT actually sells their average Mac laptop at a <em>higher</em> price than if you bought it directly from Apple.</p>
<p>MacBook Pro 15"</p>
<p>Normal price : $1999
MIT "discounted" price : $2038</p>
<p>There might have been an option that I missed, but at any rate, it's probably no better than getting it from Apple. All of the major things (Processor, RAM, HD, graphics card, screen size) were definitely the same.</p>
<p>Additionally, I found comparable computers at cheaper prices than MIT's offers elsewhere. It'd be a very good idea to do some research before just assuming MIT will give you the best deal.</p>
<p>@Fermion
Do you only get the discount if you buy the machine with their exact specifications? I like the Lenovo, but my ideal choice would be between the "standard" and "advanced" configuration.</p>
<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I'm an MIT student who works at the MIT Computing Help Desk. If you have any questions about what type of computer to buy, please feel free contact us. Our contact information can be found at our Computer Buying Advice website located at: <a href="http://web.mit.edu/ist/services/hardware/presales.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.mit.edu/ist/services/hardware/presales.html</a>.</p>
<p>Fermion: The Macbook Pro 15" shown on the recommended systems page includes the three year AppleCare Protection Plan. If you price out a Macbook Pro 15" on the Apple website with this plan, the price would end up being $2038.</p>
<p>There is no specific MIT discount from Apple for Mac computers. It is only the standard student/educational discount.</p>
<p>Dally: If I recall correctly, there are higher discounts on the preconfigured Lenovo and Dell machines and a lower percentage discount on machines you customize. However, I'm not completely sure. I would recommend you wait until you receive mail from MIT with information about how to create your email (and Kerberos) account. Once you've got that, you'll be able to fully explore the MIT discounts available through the online stores.</p>
<p>Edited to Add: The machine recommendations will probably be updated in the coming months as these companies update their computer lines. It might be beneficial to wait until the summer before buying a new computer.</p>
<p>the only true nerd path: build your own box, use linux.</p>