<p>I have a supplication for current Duke students and others more knowledgeable than myself: What is your opinion of the TAP program at Duke? Is it worth utilizing? What level of computer should I purchase if I haven't decided a major at Trinity? When should I make the purchase (i.e., whether or not TAP has a specific date when they update the computer inventories) since the new Ivy Bridge processors are scheduled to be released in June?</p>
<p>I’m not going to comment on what computer you should be buying because I’m probably not as up to date on tech or college requirements anymore. However, I’ll say that since Ivy Bridge processors are to be released in June, my experiences in the years past have been that they will start showing up in consumer mass market models around October. That means if you plan on having a new computer for the fall semester, you won’t be able to buy one before it starts. If you have an older computer to tide you over until Christmas it may be possible. </p>
<p>In the end, I doubt waiting is even worth it. Ivy Bridge will be a die shrink of Sandy Point, not a completely new marchitecture like the Haswell after that. The only new thing would be integrated USB 3.0 support which I doubt you’ll care too much about at this point, possibly a bump in speed which I also doubt you’ll really notice compared to if you bought a Sandy Point computer right now, and a drop in power requirements leading to slightly better battery life which you may care about.</p>
<p>Ah, thanks for the info. From how you explained it, I assume that the purchasing date shouldn’t matter. A $1100 13.3" i5 is hardly a bargain though… I hope the expedited IT support is worth it. As a Duke alumna, do you know what’s it like to have a broken laptop midway through a semester?</p>
<p>I don’t know what it’s like to have a broken laptop halfway through a semester, however, in my 4 years there, I’ve 1) interned for OIT student tech support 2) had my computer die after the first semester 3) used a really old laptop for half a semester 4) bought/received a new laptop in the middle of a semester (twice)</p>
<p>So I’ve had plenty of experience doing the usual troubleshooting, installing OS, having stuff not work, etc etc. </p>
<p>In that regard, I’ll say that Duke’s tech support is not bad and is very responsive (even more so in recent years). But I’ve never really run into any software problems I couldn’t fix myself which is what most students use them for. I have however run into hardware problems ranging from broken keyboard, bad cooling fans, dying harddrives, dying batteries all the way to dead motherboard. I would highly recommend buying an extended warranty even if you don’t buy from TAP. Just be aware that most extended warranties (even TAP) will not usually cover battery wear outs beyond the standard 1 year without buying an extra battery specific warranty.</p>
<p>As a side note, since I’m a guy, I would be a Duke alumnus. :D</p>
<p>Haha, how SOL would you have been if your laptop did break down mid semester?</p>
<p>Hm… So if my Duke experience ends up anywhere nearly as hapless as yours, then TAP will be more than worth it, yes? I wouldn’t call myself tech-literate either, so I’d probably find it more useful than you would have. </p>
<p>From what I’ve read, this is probably a bargain: Essentially a free 4-year warranty and 3-day repairs, with the only con being higher laptop prices. I mean really though, an i5 XPS 13 Ultrabook is $100 cheaper?</p>
<p>Many thanks for your invaluable help… and now I’ll be sure to include a battery warranty as well :D</p>
<p>P.S. A pedant, eh? Well I don’t know what this “Sandy Point” is, but I believe that Ivy Bridge’s progenitor is code-named Sandy Bridge 
(joking aside, thanks for correcting me)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t call my experience hapless. I just have high expectations of my hardware and like to tinker with stuff. </p>
<p>Definitely look into TAP if you think it’ll make things easier. And to be honest, sometimes peace of mind is worth more than being on the cutting edge. </p>
<p>As for Sandy Bridge…oops 
I said I wasn’t too up to date. Plus I live in a state with several places named Sandy Point lol. Must have gotten confused with planning summer getaways. ;P</p>