what laptop should i bring?

<p>so, here's my dilemna: i'm looking for a laptop to bring to boarding school next year. i'm sort of torn between a mac laptop (the macbook) or a standard pc laptop (like dell/lenovo/sony). price-wise, they're going to be the same with identical configurations.</p>

<p>my question is if macs are easily used at boarding school. my only fear of getting a mac is that it won't configure with some PC-based systems. but now, the macbook can run windows xp, so i think that certain compatability issues shouldn't be too much of a problem. for example, i'm worried that if i sent a document (from my mac computer running windows) to a teacher (using a PC) via email, the aforementioned teacher wouldn't be able to read it.</p>

<p>so what do you guys think? for those at boarding school, do you think that a mac would be fine? have you encountered any problems with mac/PC compatability? any suggestions would really help me, because whatever decision i make, i'll have to live with it for 4 years.</p>

<p>I would suggest finding out the head of the computer/technology department, which could probably be found on the school website, and e-mailing them, asking which is more common and what issues would arise from using either a PC or a Mac on campus.</p>

<p>Like SeasonsofLuv said, you should definitely check with the school. At my school, both Macs and PCs are supported (I have a PC and my roommate has a Mac and neither of us experienced any problems), and I think this is how most places are today. If your school has no preference, I guess you should just go with whichever system you feel most comfortable with.</p>

<p>yes, check with the school. They may even provide you with their recommendation and a program with a particular brand for a better deal.</p>

<p>actually, here's a web page that i found of minimum specifications for a computer:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.andover.edu/technology/minspecs.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.andover.edu/technology/minspecs.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>and here is a question from the FAQ section:</p>

<p>"Q: Macintosh vs. Windows
A: Both the Mac and Windows platforms are supported on campus, however for optimal performance, we suggest a Windows-based computer. Currently, over 90% of our students use Windows-based computers."</p>

<p>seeing as the new macbooks can run both windows/os x as its operating system, i don't think it should be too troublesome. what do you think?</p>

<p>you can run ms word and stuff on your mac, so if you're sending a document to your professor using a pc, it will still be a word file (.doc) and they should have no problem opening it. at least, that's what i've seen with my mac. you can have your mac email client send windows compatible files. if not, email your school's tech dept.</p>

<p>Do a lot of people have VAIO's?</p>

<p>I sooo want one of those.</p>

<p>...omg. Stupid question. All you ever use a laptop for is writing, making stupid science spread sheets and graphs, and checking MySpace. ALl which you can do with a MAC. Plus, Mac's don't crash.</p>

<p>kirei na neko ku - no, i don't believe this is a stupid question. perhaps you may only use your laptop for writing/science projects/myspace, but i use it for far more than just that. i have some important programs and documents on my computer, and i want to know that they will have the optimal use at boarding school if on a mac. my laptop is a $1500 investment that has to last me for four years.</p>

<p>anyway, i thank everyone else for their more substantial advice. i think i have decided that i will get the macbook. it can run windows natively using boot camp, so it should the same as if windows were running on a dell laptop. plus, macs are more reliable (virus-free!), better quality, and much more aesthetically pleasing. :-)</p>

<p>It is stupid becuase unless your school tells you waht kind to buy, they have to accomedate for ALL computers being brought to the school. ANd if you have problems with the Mac, just ask the tech people and they'll fix it sicne it is their job to make sure the school is technologically advance. </p>

<p>Having a computer for 4 years is a lot. Ask for fin aid to buy a new one after two years.</p>

<p>OK, here is a good question for those of you who have had a laptop at school....</p>

<p>Accidents happen. Any good or bad experiences with the various manufacturers on extended warranty repair. Convenience of shipping, speed of turnaround, etc.</p>

<p>Several years ago people told me that Dell had an excellent reputation of a no questions asked protection plan. Send them back the pieces and they send you a new laptop. Don't know if that still exists.</p>

<p>goaliedad-- one of my friends still has that Dell protection plan , but i know someone else who has never heard about it/doesn't have it.</p>

<p>bluestar7 - has your friend ever had to have service?</p>

<p>I ask because my D will be 1000 miles from home and not be able to come up to deal with the mess, so the sheer convenience of service will be important if I can find a good plan.</p>

<p>Goaliedad-</p>

<p>Our son has an IBM Thinkpad with the on-site warranty. It has been excellent choice because the IT department at his prep school would either fix the problem authorized by IBM or have the laptop available in their facility for the visit from the IBM professional. He was 3000 miles away from home and will be attending college next fall the same distance so we purchased the 3-year plan for him. The IBM Thinkpad has been close to indestructible, but any problems (including software, OS, etc.) have been handled well by the IT staff with the support of IBM.</p>

<p>Either is fine, go with the computer you like more. Tech support will be able to workout whatever type of computer you have, and if they can't I can guarantee you that someone in your dorm can.</p>

<p>Although, I don't think you really need a laptop since it's such a huge hassle to lug around. Get a nice desktop with a big screen and a lot of memory and you should be all set.</p>

<p>If she has problems with a desktop, she'll be lugging it to the IT office though. </p>

<p>Also the smaller, lighter laptops aren't luggables (I have a small Sony Vaio). Lots of kids take theirs to the library, group study meetings or out on the quads to study in the spring. Freshmen have study halls and often use laptops. For kids who live 1000-3000 miles from home, they prove very useful on the long flights and over the vacation periods. Going back and forth with flash drives just aren't the same. Also laptops have come way down in price and the convenience is often worth the difference.</p>

<p>No, I'm sure the tech support understands the mobility problems with desktops and would not make anyone drag that into their office. At my school THEY come to YOU if it really comes down to it. </p>

<p>Even if it isn't a huge hassle to carry around your laptop, you shouldn't have any need to. For study halls, library excursions, or group study meetings a laptop simply isn't necessary. Studying on the quads with a laptop is a luxury, and it isn't always very productive. I have never found an occasion when a laptop would be more convienient for study uses, especially since all my notes/study guides/review sheets handed out by teachers are all available in hard copy. It would actually be a HASSLE no matter how small my laptop, since I'd have to carry those print materials as well. </p>

<p>Naturally, this is situation specific, and I'm sure at some schools teachers allow and encourage laptop use in class. If that is the case, I could understand how it would be nice to have one around, but even in those cases it would not be a necessity. Remember, still a large portion of study mateials are in hard copy and it is a lot easier to go from electronic information to printed form. You just hit the print key. Going the other way requires you to type everything up.</p>

<p>I'll give you that it is nice for kids with long flights home on breaks. It also saves a lot of pain when pack-up time comes at the end of the year.</p>

<p>Thanks for recognizing our pain at the end of the year! We just returned from putting tons of things in storage (including the all-in-one printer and all those winter items) on the east coast to pick up again when he returns in the fall. Having the laptop was definitely a good choice for him. As for hard docs - he scans and PDFs a lot of things into his hard drive, but you're right that many things are not originally distributed in electronic form yet.</p>

<p>We have a geographical disadvantage as well, so that is why we are looking at laptops. And the plan is to leave the laptop in the room 95% of the time, (like others suggest) buying a thumb drive to transport files to and from the library or other facilities. Gets rid of the ball-and-chain laptop problem. Plus gives her a "backup" in case of hardware failure.</p>

<p>Bringing the laptop home during school breaks is the major advantage that we are looking for in getting the laptop. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, the school she will be attending does not provide much in the way of tech support. That is why I am looking for the laptop company with a user-friendly (put it in the box and fed-ex it to us) service program. My D is not very technical geeky (that is my job at home).</p>

<p>Glad to hear IBM's (Now Lenovo - bought by the Chinese company) Thinkpads are still as sturdy as they used to be. My wife has a Toshiba and we are very happy with it, but don't have any protection coverage for it (she is more careful than my daughter). </p>

<p>The all-in-one sounds like a good idea considering how much "paper" stuff gets handed out.</p>

<p>If I get the latest Macbook how many years do you think it would last? </p>

<p>Like when do you think it will be considered obsolete/old/out-of-date/etc. and needing a replacement?</p>