<p>My son will be a freshman next year and a relative wants to buy him a new laptop computer as a graduation present. Does anyone have any suggestions for what model, size (is under 15 inches too small?) and features he should get? We're leaning away from the Macs since we already have a lot of the software for PCs. Do most students who get laptops bring a separate monitor and keyboard for their rooms? Thank you!</p>
<p>Just a note: the new MacBooks can run both Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X operating systems. They are worth a look.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is that the new MACs are Intel based and can boot either Windows or MAC-OS. Best of both worlds!</p>
<p>....but at a premium price :)</p>
<p>just one of the 500 threads that mention laptops
:)<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=195894&highlight=laptop%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=195894&highlight=laptop</a></p>
<p>wait until August when new models come out and when Kid will be able to enjoy school discounts.</p>
<p>Actually, for similar configurations the Macs are often actually cheaper. A new MacBook, just released, with student discount runs about $999.</p>
<p>My s loves his 12 in. powerbook. Never had any problems.</p>
<p>I have a 14 " ibook- I have had a 540cpowerbook- a 5300c powerbook a clamshell ibook and 2 apple desktop computers in my 20 years of using personal computers
My older daughter has had a mac desktop, my old 540c powerbook a clamshell ibook and currently uses a powerbook
My younger daughter has an ibook and I am thinking about upgrading her to the new macbook</p>
<p>INcidentally- I often buy refurbished as i don't need latest and greatest and have found that to be a good way to save money
the 5300c is the only one I have ever not been happy with, and as I bought it off of a local want ad, it may just have been that laptops time to die</p>
<p>I hate to sound ingorant but how do you get a student discount? D's school has some discounted computers but they are not macs. Would love to figure out how to get that $999 mac.</p>
<p>go to the apple store website
on teh right column it says * education- savigns for students- faculty and staff*
click on it.
<a href="http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore/%5B/url%5D">http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore/</a></p>
<p>The school sent info during the summer offering laptops for sale. It was a good price. She doesn't have a separate monitor or keyboard for room use. The good thing about a laptop is that it is easy to bring to and from home at the beginning and end of the school year. Bad thing--that same portability makes it easy for someone else to "port" it away.</p>
<p>Students can get software CHEAP also.</p>
<p>The decision on the right computer for a new college student is a difficult one, and depends on the school, the field of study, etc. but I can tell you the decision process I went through:</p>
<p>I checked the schools that my D applied to and got very little guidance on what to buy most of the advice was woefully out of date, and any special discounts offered through vendors were meager. So, I was on my own. I dont know much about Macs, so I passed on that.</p>
<p>I rejected any thought of getting a desktop computer. They are a better value but my niece went to college with one and demanded a laptop after a few weeks. I think it is important for them to be able to take the laptop to the library, collaborate with other students, at the coffee shop, etc, and they can bring them home over the holidays. </p>
<p>I went for a nice, luggable laptop with a comfortable keyboard and mid-size screen (15 inch), and Im going to try to get away with no docking station or extra screen. It will be easier to pack her up at the end of the year. I didnt go for any small, travel-size types I thought it might be like in Legally Blonde where everyone takes notes on their laptops in class, but I found that that is actually discouraged in some classes.</p>
<p>I didnt scrimp on the hardware and got a Dell E1505 - I am hoping it will be sufficient for the full 4 years. I paid a little extra for XP Pro, 1Gig memory and enhanced screen but I passed up the bundled software and all but 2 yrs service and shopped for software separately. You can get an academic license for an OEM version of MS office (full), and other software at a HUGE discount same software, just not licensed for business use.</p>
<p>Just so you don't think <em>EVERYONE</em> here uses a Mac, there are those of us who are stallwart PC users and won't ever be swayed by Apple. And that's OK. :) Most students don't seem to use a separate monitor and keyboard for just their laptop: if they have these items, it's usually because they have a desktop machine also. Laptops tend to be used flat on backs and propped on sofas, neither of which are conducive to extra accessories. (Touchpads and pointing devices are handier than mice for laptops, too.)</p>
<p>Check his school's website and see if they recommend any specific configurations for laptop computers or their software. As others have said, there may be student discounts offered on specific bundles. There have been other laptop preference threads here, too: you might do a little searching and see the recommendations from threads past.</p>
<p>I defintitely agree on at least 1GB for memory- all the programs suck memory - although I rarely buy the extra memory at time of purchase since it is often cheaper elsewhere
on OFFICE
student software isn't upgradeable- but I use NEOOFFICE, which is compatible with all MS Office programs and is free
IF they really need an extra large screen for some sort of project, they should be able to take the laptop into the computer lab- where they will have other screens available</p>
<p>Find out what the school/major uses... I know that at my school the art related programs uses macs and only macs but the engineering departments use PCs and some of the software works better on one or the other. With the new macs this really isn't a big issue but still something to think about. </p>
<p>As for size... you'll get used to anything.</p>
<p>Apple Bootcamp is not the best solution. You MUST have a legal copy of Windows XP in order to run windows programs on a MAC. Factor that into your decision making. </p>
<p>A LOT of the software you might want to use in college comes only in Windows versions, not MAC. If you need to run windows, IMHO, use a windows machine. You'll spend less, have more upgrade options and often better support. </p>
<p>What should you REALLY do? Find out what brand of machines the college recommends and supports. You can often, but not always, get great deals through the U with academic pricing, especially for software (how about $25 for full MS Office?). </p>
<p>The biggest advantage to sticking with the college suggestions is support, both informal and formal. If you have the same machine as hundreds of other students, someone will know how to solve your problem. OTOH, if you have the only Compaq in a Dell environment, you will be on your own more.</p>
<p>Most kids these days get laptops, but watch out for theft and breakage - all risks insurance (and a good homeowners policy) is worth it. Most kids also, no doubt buy too big a screen and regret the extra weight. This is a matter where bigger may not be better. </p>
<p>Finally, consider buying an external HDD and teaching your kid how to back up. They will not regret it.</p>
<p>A LOT of the software you might want to use in college comes only in Windows versions, not MAC
example?</p>
<p>these free programs aer often used by college students & profs
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX</a>
<a href="http://web.reed.edu/cis/Help/latex.html%5B/url%5D">http://web.reed.edu/cis/Help/latex.html</a>
[quote]
LaTeX (pronounced Lah-tech) is a markup language (like html) used for typesetting books, articles, letters, slides, and papers. Designed by Donald Knuth for his multi-volume The Art of Computer Programming , TeX (and its child LaTeX) are perfect for creating professionally-designed books, articles, and papers. In LaTeX, you can easily enter the most complex mathematical expressions, have a book with hundreds of graphics and tables that would crash Word, and juggle hundreds of citations and your bibliography with ease. The best part of LaTex is its price tag. Thanks to its open source creation, LaTeX is free!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>from ZDNet
Quite likely the most powerful document creation and management system available, LaTeX (and its underlying typesetting engine, TeX) is favored in academia and is the required format for many scholarly papers. It takes typesetting issues such as line-breaks and inter-character spacing very seriously, and it arguably has no peer in the task of formatting complex math equations. It's been ported to just about every major platform and a bunch of minor ones.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.neooffice.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.neooffice.org/</a>
[quote]
NeoOffice is a full featured office productivity suite including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, vector drawing, database, and macro functionality. It can be used as a free alternative to Microsoft Office:Mac. You can exchange documents with Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org users, even on other platforms!
[/quote]
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<p>I suspect newmassdad is referring to engineering and simulation software, some of which is available for Mac OS X but not all.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great suggestions and comments so far. I really appreciate the combined experience and expertise of the parents forum! Anyway, I've checked the school website and it looks like there are discounts on Dell, Lenova and Macs. Does anyone have any experience with the Thinkpad? We will also reconsider the Macs after hearing that it can support Windows. </p>
<p>Also, how many of your kids already in college do take the laptops to class for notetaking? Thanks again!</p>
<p>Just a caution and maybe it's just us, but my D and a lot of other kids I know had problems with laptops, esp fans breaking down and sometimes causing other damage. College kids keep computers on 24/7, and, at least a couple years ago, laptops were not meant for that. My S likes his desktop; he says none of his friends carry their laptops anywhere. Plus, he likes to upgrade and that's harder to do with a laptop.</p>