<p>1) You don't <em>need</em> a computer...there are plenty available on campus. But it does make your life easier, and maybe more fun, too. I'd recommend that you get one if you can.</p>
<p>2) That depends. There's a trade-off to mobility. Laptops cost more for the same computing power, they're much easier to steal, and they usually don't provide as much computing power as desktops. They also typically have smaller screens, annoyingly small keyboards and touchpads or other devices to move the cursor around that aren't as nice as a good mouse. (You could buy a mouse, but then you'd have to carry it around with you.) But todays laptops are probably way more powerful than you'll ever need to work on papers, check email, surf the internet, etc. You can move them out of the way, take them to the library, etc. I personally think the laptop is the way to go as long as you can afford the price difference. If money is not an issue, you can do what I do: use the laptop as a portable, then get a nice big screen and a nice keyboard and mouse that you can plug in when you're in your room. </p>
<p>3) I'm a mac head myself. If you haven't used a computer much, they're great, easy to learn, stable and pretty much all inclusive. They have a great quality rating. There are currently NO know viruses that specifically attack Mac's OSX operating system, compared to thousands that target PCs. The downsides: they're a lot more expensive (except for the new mini mac, which is a desktop.) Most people have PCs, not Macs, and while compatibility is becoming less of an issue all the time, it is still an issue.</p>
<p>That said, all my friends who have Dells think they're great. The price is certainly right. You do have to know what you want from a computer because you have so many options. You basically get to build your own computer.</p>
<p>Finally, make sure you get enough hard drive space for all your iTunes files. I usually get an external drive to use as extra storage and backup of important files. Hard drives do crash. Always backup somehow...</p>
<p>3) Microsoft Office is a good choice...almost everybody has it, so compatibility is not really an issue. It is expensive, though. Again, if money is an issue, look into the free open source program Open Office, which does everything basic that MS Office does, and you can't beat free. So much of the software you'll use for fun is free (web browsers, iTunes, etc.) that I wouldn't worry about getting too much more at this point. If you need something specific later, you can get it then, and probably get a nice educational use discount.</p>
<p>5) When I was at Princeton, the computers offered through the Ustore (Princeton's bookstore) were cheaper than you could get almost anywhere else. I bought my current computer through the USC bookstore (I got a grad degree at USC) and it was $400 cheaper than anywhere else. I don't know if that's the case, but it probably still is. But you should check. See the exact model P'ton offers, then check the apple or dell or whatever website.</p>
<p>If you aren't really computer savvy, I wouldn't suggest buying from ebay or a lesser known brand, and I would definitely suggest buying new so you get the warranty and the free customer service support.</p>
<p>Hope that helps...</p>