<p>I am going to be getting a new laptop next year. Is there any laptop that receives a student discount for going to the University (i know they sell Dells at the bookstore), and if so, where / when can you buy them?</p>
<p>personal note.... just some advice.</p>
<p>been working with computers for a long-ass time, im actually a technician in a retail store. When it comes to buying computers that have, in a manner of speaking, been produced as a line for sale by a non-retail third person...it can be problematic. </p>
<p>Of the problems, some that exist include unique model (pain for finding generic support/drivers), passing blame/responsability back and forth between third person/manufacturer. </p>
<p>I encourage purchasing directly from the manufacturer OR from a nationwide reseller. Let's say, for example, you were to buy from the UF store and the warranty explains that it must be fixed AT UF you're kind of screwed if you travel.</p>
<p>Buying from a mfg allows customization, best price, nationwide support. From a reseller like best buy or circuit city, you got the choice of purchasing an extended warranty and repairing in store. Just my 2 cents</p>
<p>I am totally against buying anything at the UF Bookstore. Lol. I don't know much about buying computers there but I know everything else is OVERPRICED there, well, usually. I tend to buy my books/Gator apparell at bookstores around campus usually on University Ave [Florida Bookstore, Orange&Blue]. I know this is irrelevant to your post, but just my advice. And the post above is probably right, buying it directly from the manufacture might work out best.</p>
<p>Adam, you can order Dells at the bookstore, but you receive it in the mail, just as if you'd bought it through a Dell ad, or at a Dell kiosk at the mall. We've had a bad and very frustrating experience with them, and I don't recommend it. Following is a message I left about laptops last February 10.</p>
<hr>
<p>February 10, 2007 - University of Florida - College Confidential</p>
<p>My son is a freshman now, and bought a laptop and printer last May before he started Summer B. We bought the equipment from a large company that sells only through mail order, and through kiosks at the mall. It has not been a good experience, and I'm writing this to recommend that you NOT buy your laptop this way.</p>
<p>The printer stopped working about four months after we bought it. Even with the warranty, you must call an 800 number, because there is no store for you to bring it for return or repair. The 800 number connects you to a customer service person in another country. He barely spoke English. I couldn't understand him, and he couldn't understand me. He wanted me to hook the printer up to the computer so he could run an analysis and figure out what was wrong with it. He couldn't get a reading on it, so that was the end of it. No help. No repair. No refund.</p>
<p>I asked him if I could bring it somewhere locally for repair, and he said I could, but I'd have to pay for it myself. I visited the salesman at the mall kiosk, and he said that all they do is sell the equipment, and they have nothing to do with warranties or repair. There is no choice but to work with the people overseas.</p>
<p>This company is promoted heavily by UF, and they advertise that your laptop will be pre-programmed with UF's requirements. Best Buy will do the same exact thing, but they ask you the name of the program you want. We found out that the program information is on the UF website. I bought my son another printer FROM A STORE. If it breaks, we just return it to Best Buy, and they will honor the warranty. Simple. I'll never buy from the mail order company again, and I don't think anyone should. If something goes wrong with your laptop or printer, you're stuck.
Good luck to all of you,
g8trmom</p>
<p>I would just search around for a good deal on the internet. That's probably going to be your best bet.The discounted student computers are limited to the specifications you want, so it's better if you just do your own shopping IMO. I'm not a fan of Dell, their notebooks have problems. I would recommend looking into a Sony or Toshiba. And since your engineering Adam, it's good you are getting a laptop, you're going to need it.</p>
<p>g8trmom....sorry to hear about your bad experience, but it does not mirror that of my son. His Dell laptop...ordered on-line through the UF discount program...had the display fail about a year and a half after he got it. A service tech came right to his apartment within 24 hours and swapped out the display with no questions asked.</p>
<p>Could the difference in the Dell/UF store experience be the 4 year accidental damage warranty on laptops that come with a bundled package? You get the same warranty buying direct as well (with the bundled pricing). We have a Dell laptop and had some problems in the beginning and had to hassle a bit about service (sending in vs. replacement, can't remember the details exactly) under the warranty but we did get service. And I recall on our other Dells that we got better service if we got the extended warranties... (special call in line, etc.) Of course, that was before the call center moved to India! (However, I have had good luck with MS XP SP/2 upgrade problems with the remote service center folks)</p>
<p>Printers with bundles are the cheapest available and are notorious for breaking. They are cheap enough now to almost just buy another (cheap) one.</p>
<p>I can't say I have had the same problem. I have owned 9 Dells and any problems I may have had have been fixed within 24 hours. Sometimes, they will mail you a replacement part but they Fedex it and you get it the next day. But that is with their onsite warranty. This is a must especially with the kids away at school.I did research the computer through the UF portal and ended up getting a better deal through my small business account so I went with that deal instead of the UF deal. Basically you get a 12% discount if you order it with your UFID. You can contact Dell directly and order with the student discount. I have a Dell laptop and have never had a problem with it and I have owned Sony computers, HP computers and Compaq and had no end of problems. Dell's biggest negative is the foreign tech support. They are so difficult to understand but at least when you call you do get to speak to a human within 5 minutes and that is unheard of at some of these other companies. You have to go with what you feel comfortable with but my experience has been very positive with Dell and I am waiting for my D's new laptop to arrive. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>yeah, ive had 2 dells and am looking for a third. i like the business (latitude) series better than their home series. it seems like a better product from my experience (i had one of each). through my dad's company, i can get a good deal on toshibas and IBMs. however, i like my dell and wanted to stick with it (partly so i can keep my docking station). so it seems that the only difference between ordering it off line and from the bookstore is the discounted price, everything else is the same right? im gonna wait until the end of summer to get it so it had whatever latest technology is out, but i definitely need the warranty :-)</p>
<p>thank you everyone for your input</p>
<p>I went ahead and ordered the Business Latitude, and if you tell the sales rep about the educational discount of 12% they will try to match it. It was recommended to us to not get it too late because you should work with the laptop before you head to UF to be sure there are no problems. Just easier to solve while still at home. Also I recommend that you get the accidental coverage although sometimes Dell tells you it is not available in FLorida, if you are not able to get it, if your parents have State Farm you can add a laptop (give them the serial number) for approx $50/year and they will cover it for anything. (I know this because I dropped my laptop and the State Farm sent me a check to cover the replacement. Technology isn't going to change that much between now and the end of summer but I would call Dell and ask them if there are any special deals coming up and remind them you can get a 12% discount for UF. Good Luck AdamJW.</p>
<p>i just bought a toshiba from office depot that works amazingly so far ( i am using it right now) and luckily i caught it right during a sale so i got $200 off the retail price.</p>