<p>The package for a DEll Latitude D630 is $1620 and Apple MacBook is $1769.
Why so much-aside from the software? and what are the GB? It seems like they could have chosen something bteer - why these?
Apple Site list prices
2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
160GB hard drive1
Double-layer SuperDrive
Ships: Within 24 hours
Free Shipping
$1,499.00 </p>
<p>80 GB's $1099</p>
<p>Dell Latitude D630 - Core 2 Duo T7100 1.8 GHz - 14.1" TFT
Manufacturer: Dell, Inc. Part number: CNETDellLatitudeD630blcwj1s
$849.00 at 1 online</p>
<p>Go with Macbook man! I am telling you I have been using every possible laptop out there and there is nothing comparable to Macbook. But if you prefer gaming go in with the Dell notebook :)</p>
<p>I think students generally acknowledge dartmouths prices are inflated. Penns so cool, they give their students HUGE discounts. You get a top of the line lenovo for 1400. I'm jealous.</p>
<p>It comes out of the box ready to go, you do not have to purchase soft ware to set up stuff</p>
<p>Your dartmouth purchased computer comes with a 3 year warranty (which is not included in the on-line price from apple). Should anything happen (and something will happen) you just take it to tech support and you get it back running like new.</p>
<p>yeah but i've heard they'll fix macbooks/latitudes even if they're not under warranty, unless its something serious like hardware damage. You really don't have to purchase any software to begin with, except maybe office and antiviruses. If you know where to look, you can get them for under a hundred and fifty bucks</p>
<p>They will fix computers that are not under warranty but they will also charge you a pretty penny for the service (which is free in your service contract).</p>
<p>hmm okay, i think someone posted earlier that they didn't charge. But i just dont think warranty and software justify the 800 dollar price difference. Plus if you buy the laptop beforehand, you won't have to spend orientation week figuring out how to use it :-/</p>
<p>I just went directly to the source, I asked my kid. she said if you have a problem with your computer and it is a small thing, they will take it on the cuff and won't charge you. However, if you need a new hard drive, you have accidential damage, or something replaced and you are out of warranty they are going to charge you parts and labor. (in our house, D had to have a hard drive replaced this year. when we went to the genius bar here in NYC, she had a small ding in her computer and they assumed that she had accidential damage and wa going to charge her $700 to fix her computer. I told her to wait until she got back to school with the worse case scenario, of purchasing a new one when she got there. She got back on campus, they looked her up fixed her computer for 0 and even replaced her keyboard).</p>
<p>The net-net is I guess you would have to do the math and decide for yourself what option works for you)</p>
<p>Stictly talking from a parent's perspective. if I had to purchase a new mac the OP mentions by the time I added the cost of the service plan (I would never purchase a big ticket item with out a service plan. D just told me that new students have a 4 year svc plan) and sales tax (NH has no sales tax) the computer would cost me more purchasing on the outside than it would purchasing it through the school. Also looking at the current macs on sale to purchase the computer he talks about is (1582) before tax and software.</p>
<p>The fact that it comes out of the box and I don't have to do anything but sign on and it is one less thing that has to be carried to Hanover is also appealing to me (but YMMV).</p>
<p>Macs are very user friendly. We were a hard core windows household (D had just gotten a new dell laptop the christmas before she graduated h.s., and ordered a mac, because they were "cute" and much smaller and lighter than the dells. She has never turned back and said she will never be a PC user again).</p>
<p>Thx. I am very hard on my laptop...so what you say makes sense. I guess I wait till Dartmouth updates the website so I can see what the real price difference is. If it is close w/ the service agreement - I'll go w/ Dartmouth's plan. But - word to Dartmouth - it really would be a good idea to team up w/ a larger school to get better deals. Some state schools beat every deal on the net thru volume. Dartmouth could form an alliance w/ either a large state school anywhere in the country - or w/ a group of smaller private schools and use their leverage of increased demand to lower the prices. And - it's not too llate to negotiate on behalf of this years incoming freshmen... hint..hint...</p>
<p>on another note, is a 13 inch screen REALLY small? I mean i was checking out the differences between a macbook and a macbook pro, and that seems to be the biggest one (besides graphics cards, but i dont really use computers to play games anyway, so its fine). The price difference between the two is substantial.</p>
<p>I'm hoping its a Mac Book Pro - because otherwise for the price difference, I'll just get it on my own thru the state school. Tomorrow should be interesting when they post the Dartmouth offerings and prices. I can't imagine most students would buy thru Dartmouth unless it was somewhat comparable.</p>
<p>I got my macbook pro for christmas and I love it. Some of my friends have gotten macbooks and they are also very nice. I like the feeling more of the pro, the macbook feels more like a toy and the keyboard is a little weird.</p>
<p>But you certainly cannot go wrong with a mac</p>
<p>Trust me, if you are carrying around your laptop a lot (and many people do if for no other reason that blitz is your lifeline at dartmouth) and many students are joined at the hip to their macs, you will appreciate the 13 inch screen because it easily slips into a bag and it is extremely light weight. My D takes hers everywhere giving her the freedom to work wherever she is ( does not even carry notebooks because she types her notes in class) and likes that it can slip into every book bag she owns.</p>
<p>don't forget to add the three-year onsite warranty that comes with the computers purchased from Dartmouth. For example, AppleCare costs an additional $249 direct from Apple. And, of course, no sales tax in NH.</p>
<p>This might sound like a stupid question, but what color is the 13" mac? I really, really like the black 13" and although I wouldn't choose a laptop just based on color alone, I would be thrilled if the laptop was black.</p>