<p>The term I've heard most often is macIntel. I'm waiting a few months to buy one of those (iMAC) for home; and after the 17" MacBook Pro comes out it may be time for my daughter to upgrade from her PowerBook G4 (this will depend in part on when Adobe catches up).</p>
<p>Curious for those with Laptops...</p>
<p>Do you prefer a cable with a lock with a KEY?</p>
<p>Or, a cable with a lock with a COMBINATION?</p>
<p>I have seen locks by Kensington for Laptops with both Keys and Combinations. Seems like a key could be a pain, if you lose it. Or, if someone finds your key. </p>
<p>What say you all?</p>
<p>As stated, some majors require laptops. For example, architecture tends to be one that requires laptops moreso than other majors. I will be getting a laptop myself for college. My older sister however shares a desktop with her roommate (apartment, not dorm). So I think personal preferences play into it a lot too. Desktops are just cheaper. For a student who won't be using their computer for much outside of typing papers, maybe a laptop isn't necesary.</p>
<p>I just bought my college laptop and cannot WAIT for it to arrive!</p>
<p>You can always buy an external mouse and hook it up to your laptop when you are in your room - I plan on doing that :)</p>
<p>As far as laptop security goes...</p>
<p>Consider purchasing a STOP</a> Plate. It's a very inexpensive way to add a smidge of security.</p>
<p>I think I'd prefer a combination. And of course my preference for laptops is huge since I spend so much time on my own new beautiful laptop. I'm about to experience how great a laptop is as I'm taking mine on Spring Break. It's so cool to be able to use it in the car :)</p>
<p>I always thought a laptop and a docking station was the best solution. When using it in the dorm, simply hook it up to a monitor and possibly a keyboard and treat it as a desktop (using a lock of course) and when you need to, unlock and undock it and take it with you.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. Just what i am looking for.
If anyone else has any input, please tell us your thoughts.</p>
<p>My inclination is the combination also. The only negative that i could find so far, was some people (on review sites, epinion.com, etc.) put that the combination somehow magically changed to a different number, and they were not able to open the lock. It makes me wonder if there was more to their story than what was on the review site. Also, I wonder, on those review sites, do competitors put false posts just to denigrate their competitors products. </p>
<p>Seems like it would be a worse problem, and far more likely, to lose the key to a key-lock, then it would be to have a combination lock magically change the number.</p>
<p>My son has a tablet. It's lightweight, he has the ability to take math notes, and they are forever stored on the computer. He is totally paperless and loves it.</p>
<p>S has a small wireless Mac laptop he takes everywhere. In his room he has a 19 inch LCD monitor (great for watching DVD's, and it can be used with or without the laptop as a 2nd monitor), a bluetooth (wireless) mouse & keyboard, a speaker system with subwoofer, and an external 250 GB firewire hard drive for back-up and movie making. He also carries on his keychain a flash jump-drive for backing up any immediate current work done out of the room. All of this came to less than $1600.</p>
<p>i built a new desktop when i went to college. during my junior year i bought a laptop (toshiba) and i had both that year. my senior year, i only took my laptop. it really worked out best for me when i had both there because i always had a computer at home and i just took my laptop with me when i went places - but my desktop always signed online so i could get messages and such while i was gone. when i just had my laptop a lot of people told me they couldn't get ahold of me all day cause i had taken my laptop with me. i informed them there is a thing called e-mail and i'd be more than happy to reply.</p>
<p>it really depends on the person. the whole reason i wanted a laptop was for the portability. i loved being able to write papers in my living room, at my friends houses, in the student union, etc.. rather than just being confined to my room on my computer. i also took it to class a few times to work on papers for another class (haha.)</p>
<p>also, you can attach a regular mouse and a regular keyboard if you want.. or even a regular monitor i believe. i recommend a wireless mouse.. that's what i have, and it's great for portability. i have a media mouse, which means it also doubles as a remote for my computer. here is mine. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SAF3C/sr=8-1/qid=1145056979/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2928461-4755326?%5Fencoding=UTF8%5B/url%5D">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SAF3C/sr=8-1/qid=1145056979/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2928461-4755326?%5Fencoding=UTF8</a></p>
<p>fender,</p>
<p>Good point. The ability to pick up your lappy and move is key when you feel the need to leave your bedroom/cave and actually venture into the wild outdoors. </p>
<p>Plus, some classes/schools require a laptop.</p>
<p>Daughters and nieces have laptops as do I. I also have a G5 desk top that I use for video editing. This can also be done on a laptop, but you get more speed for the money with a desk top. Most of the time you don't need that much speed. To paraphrase the lion-stalked missionary, you just need the computer to be faster than you.</p>
<p>All four of my Ds have laptops, as do my husband and I. The ideal, in my opinion, is a laptop which is dockable and has an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard when you're at home/in your room, etc. You have the flexibility of a laptop when you need it, when your roommate has her boyfriend over for the fifth straight night and you have a paper to write, when it's beautiful outside and you want to go do your assignment in the park, etc., but you also have the easier keyboard, mouse, and larger monitor, as well. And it takes up less space than a desktop!</p>
<p>The other big issue for my kids was being able to bring it home when they came home to visit. What kid wants to be without their computer for a month at Christmas break? And what parent wants THEIR computer monopolized by said kid for a month at Christmas break? ;)</p>