<p>My son will be attending JMU in the fall and I was wondering if most students purchase their laptops from JMU's bookstore or do they do better at a big box store? If JMU is slightly more, is it worth it not worrying about whether your laptop is compatible with the university's computer requirements—if there is any. Thanks!</p>
<p>My daughter bought hers through Dell. She had some problem with it during the school year and the lab on campus was able to fix it thru Dell’s warranty.</p>
<p>It looked to me like the prices for the Dell laptops were pretty good because of their volume discount. When comparing to purchasing directly from Dell or another store it is important to remember that these laptop configurations include:
3 Year Next Business Day Onsite Limited Warranty
3 Year CompleteCare Accidental Damage Protection</p>
<p>I wouldn’t get one without this coverage while they are away at college.</p>
<p>It sounds like it works either way but might be a little more convenient buying through the bookstore.
Has anyone ever bought a MacBook from the JMU bookstore? I don’t think they offer any deals through other stores just wondering if JMU gets more than the educational discount.
thanks!</p>
<p>My D got her MacBook Pro through the bookstore. At the time, you could either get the free IPod Touch or money off the Mac - she took the discount. I looked at the website and it appears they are offering either the Ipod Touch or a rebate of $199. </p>
<p>It it difficult to compare the prices of the Dells because the bookstore offers custom configurations so it is hard to compare apples to apples. I’m not sure if the prices on the Dell website include the Complete Care package or if that is added on when purchased. The bookstore prices include that. </p>
<p>I always recommend that you get a personal articles policy on your homeowner’s policy for valuables such as computers. They are cheap and cover things the complete care packages don’t - like theft - usually with no deductible.</p>