<p>FlMathMom - You are doing the right things asking around and researching. There are SO many combinations of setups. And there are no budget routes. Think about how much you will actually talk to your son at college vs email or skype… that maybe be a factor on whether you can still with pay-as-you-go cell. </p>
<p>I vote for giving your DH the old desktop computer. Then I was going to suggest you try a laptop (with external monitor, keyboard and mouse) at home… with Plan B to get a desktop for home later. But the downside is that you may end up with a laptop that is bulkier than you need for the road. The plus side is that you won’t need to remember what is stored on which computer. </p>
<p>Gmail accounts are nice. You can access from any computer (like say in a hotel or campground if public computers available). Same is true for my Comcast email, for newly arrived emails. Not sure on the others. </p>
<p>Mouse Note - I personally very much dislike the laptop onboard controls for pointing devices (my kids laugh at my clutziness). If I plan to spend much time on my work laptop, I hook up an external mouse.</p>