<p>Hi again, thanks for being very helpful. </p>
<li><p>What computer - PC or laptop - is recommended for a liberal arts/pre-business freshman? I heard that laptops while convinient, are too easily “permanently borrowed”.</p></li>
<li><p>And do we buy it at home or at the school. Does Tulane have any special deals? </p></li>
<li><p>And during the winter break and summer vacation, where do the students keep their personal belongings?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Tulane does have special deals (for which we are patiently waiting until they get back from the evac for the hurricanes). They were supposed to get posted at the "Computer Concierge" (Go to concierge.tulane.edu) by July 7, but that was delayed. I don't know whether they'll suit you--we're waiting to see whether they'll add a tablet PC--but if they do, they offer some decent discounts. On the other hand, if you like Macs, the Apple site will give you a 10% discount for being a student (or faculty or staff), and if you buy an Apple from the Apple website before some specific date in September, they'll also throw in a mini-iPod.</p>
<p>Whether these are good for you depends on what you need. That's as much as I can tell you.</p>
<p>Last year we bought a Toshiba laptop through the school. It was a great deal, on a great computer, but the process was a bit slow to say the least. What I liked was the 4 year warranty and onsite service. So far the laptop ha been flawless.</p>
<p>If you are interested in an Apple, I'd suggest buying where you live.</p>
<p>Last year, I bought a powerbook G4 through the college (not this one) for my D, thinking it would be easier and cheaper. Turns out that the discounts are identical at your local Apple store as through any school--this was later confirmed by an Apple rep. And, as one poster mentioned, the process was very slow. Unfortunately she ran into some problems that would have been much more quickly resolved had we bought at home and dealt with our local store.<br>
This year, my son, headed to Tulane, got his powebook at the local mall. We also got a rebate for a free mini-ipod and a $100 rebate on a printer. The deals are better this year. And he has about a month to make sure everything works the way it should. It's much smoother than what we went through last year.</p>
<p>However, I can't speak for a regular PC purchase. Sounds like concerneddad's son fared well going through Tulane.</p>
<p>You could buy one through the Concierge, but I just went to the Dell site and picked out one for my D. The secret to saving big $$$? Google "Dell coupons" and find the best deal for you. I got a top of the line Inspiron 600m with a $750 off coupon. It all came out to under $1800 delivered.</p>