<p>We are going to buy D a laptop this summer to start AU with in the fall. We are leaning toward a MacBook because she is interested in graphic design, even though they are so much more expensive than Windows-based models. Other than the regular Apple education discount, is anything special available through AU? What about for software - should we purchase that on our own now, or does AU offer downloads or discounts for software like an office suite, Adobe products, etc.? Also, are there any suggestions re: laptop security on campus? Do students buy some sort of laptop locks, or do they just carry them around or leave them locked in their rooms? Do most students have their own printers in their room, or is it convenient enough to use AU’s printers? Is there a place on the AU website with this sort of info, and/or will it be covered at orientation? Any tech tips you have along these lines would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Oh yes…many of us out here need computer info!! If anyone has any tips or hints, we new AU parents would greatly apprecitate it. Thanks, in advance!</p>
<p>i would like some advices too!!!</p>
<p>I’ve had a Dell my last two years in college, I would say I am satisfied but not impressed. I was back and forth between HP, Dell, and Mac and find myself regretting not getting the Mac. If your D is an art, design, graphic arts major she should have a Mac. For majors in the arts there is no comparison.<br>
I don’t know about discounts, but I would call admissions, they could either tell you or point you in the right direction. I don’t think they offer anything special because usually when schools do that they advertise quite a bit and I haven’t seen or heard anything about it from AU, but no harm in calling to ask right?
Laptop LoJack is a program you may want to invest in. You install it in your laptop and if your laptop is ever stolen you can call the police and as soon as either the internet is opened or the laptop is turned on(I don’t remember which) they can locate it. I bought a lock, and kept it on for about 3 days, and its never been back on so I wouldn’t buy another. Some people bring their laptops to every class, some don’t. Thats a personal preference totally up to your S/D.
I’ve always had a printer in my room and it’s made things a lot easier for me, but no not everyone does. From what I can tell printers are pretty easily and readily accessible at AU.</p>
<p>Nic89, the Laptop Lojack sounds like a neat idea, but given everything the DC police department has to cope with, I’d be surprised if they would take the time to track down a stolen laptop. </p>
<p>I just used accumulated American Express points to buy a Macbook for D. It felt better than shelling out the cash–but it’s a little painful to see years and years of points disappear.</p>
<p>^The AU bookstore does offer discounts on software that are, for the most part, more than the discounts on the Apple Education website. I’ll post a link to it once the website finishes their system maintenance.</p>
<p>Taken from the [AU</a> Online Bookstore](<a href=“http://www.bkstr.com/Home/10001-10061-1"]AU”>Official Online Store):</p>
<p>[Apple</a> Hardware and Software Discounts](<a href=“https://images.efollett.com/htmlroot/images/templates/library/apple_spring_flyer.pdf"]Apple”>https://images.efollett.com/htmlroot/images/templates/library/apple_spring_flyer.pdf)
[Software</a> Discounts](<a href=“https://images.efollett.com/htmlroot/images/templates/library/academic_discounted_software_page.pdf"]Software”>https://images.efollett.com/htmlroot/images/templates/library/academic_discounted_software_page.pdf)</p>
<p>I had a Dell for my four years which worked fine enough given the next-day warranty service but definitely started to die at the end and was ridiculously heavy. I would recommend a Mac if you are interested in design, since a lot of students have them and they are much less prone to viruses. Additionally, you will be able to skip some of the security requirements on a Mac. You also have to make a tradeoff in size between whether you want it to be easy enough to take to classes without breaking your back versus one large enough to watch movies on if you plan to in your free time. A large one was good for the first two years when I spent most of my time on campus but during junior and senior year I began to regret the weight while commuting. </p>
<p>I think ultimately the most important thing is ensuring that whatever computer you buy, it comes with a good warranty to fix the inevitable malfunctions.</p>
<p>All students get $25 in printing money that can be used at any of the printers on campus. They are located in each dorm, many of the academic buildings, and the library. Your son or daughter may want to bring a printer for convenience, but he/she could get away with using the University’s. </p>
<p>I purchased a laptop lock for my dorm room. It’s a cable lock that can be purchased at any computer/electronics store. If you’re taking your laptop out of your dorm room, use common sense and don’t leave your laptop alone. </p>
<p>I had a PC my entire time at AU and didn’t have a problem. I know that there is a discount if you log into my.american.edu for PCs and there is always the Apple discount on the Mac site.</p>
<p>Although I’d advise you to go with the desktop over the labtop as they are infinitely cheaper, go with a dell over a mac if you are determined to buy it prebuilt. Apple tends to be rediculously over priced for what you are getting. Also make sure you get xp instead of vista.</p>
<p>I went through this same problem last year when i was buying my laptop and i finally settled on an apple and i couldn’t be happier. </p>
<p>They are light and portable. Also, since lots of other students have them, if you ever forget your charger in your room, someone around you in bound to have a charger you can borrow. They are wonderfully easy to set up and handle and most of all, the service they offer is wonderful.</p>
<p>Both my roomate and i had a situation where our laptops fell off of our lofts and broke… litterally the day before my first big midterm. We were able to run it over to the apple store super fast and the people there were so helpful. I had everything settled and i could acess all my data very easily and talk to knowlegable people. </p>
<p>With apple, the big price tag also includes the whole apple service team, which i think is totally worth it. Also, there were talks this year of an apple store moving to campus, while nothing is finalized, its still a possibility.</p>