need some help with a computer for college

[Misty89]

Hi
My DD18 will be going off to nursing school in fall....for Christmas this year we are getting her everything she needs to be ready for College with computer items.
( she also has a CNA class second semester, hence why she is getting it before graduation)
and i need some help from people that are in the situation right now.
( it's kind of a surprize, except she did tell me a few things she requires on a computer)
She wants Windows 7
it needs to be pink

So -
is a full size laptop or mini netbook better?
what about a wireless printer? it is just as easy to have a printer plugged in at your dorm?
is HP better than Dell ?( this is what we will pick from)
is 250GB better than 160 or does it not really matter?

anything else you can tell a Mom that is clueless about a computer set-up for College?


thank you

Tina

[Hydani]

Ah, laptop size is all personal. My sister loves netbooks and I can't stand them. There's no like "this is the best", it's just personal preference. You should ask her though

For wireless printer, it's kind of hard to determine. Does your DD have a dorm to herself? Or will she be sharing it? And how big is the dorm? If her dorm's quite big, you could just get her a wired printer- it's cheaper and not that big of a deal. But at the same time, a wireless printer would be much more convenient. I have a wired one and I absolutely hate using it. So annoying to keep plugging in again and again.

HP vs Dell? I would have to say they're equal in my books. I'm an HP person and my sister is a Dell. Dells are really nice, easy to work with, but in my personal experience, seem to break down a little bit easier than an HP. HPs are nice computers and I've really only had one problem with them. But, I've found problems with HPs are big and not very often, and the ones with Dell are small but more frequent. For a student just starting on a computer, I'd say an HP, but with maybe more experience figuring out all the small parts of a computer, I'd say a Dell.

Oh, and get her that 250GB, she'll need it in college. The next laptop I want to get is a 320GB

[NicoleRose]

I'm not an expert but I bought my younger sister a netbook for her birthday and i dont believe it has all the capabilities of a laptop. the memory is a lot smaller too which is extremely frustrating. they normally have 1GB or 2GB as opposed to the 3 or 4 of a regular laptop.
on that note, make sure you get a 3 or 4 gig memory! thats what makes the computer faster. i have a 4 and its much much faster than my sister's 2GB netbook

try to just make sure the laptop is not larger than 17 inches. 17 is even fairly large and its difficult to find school bags that they fit into. i think a 15 inch or something around there is probably best.

and 250GB is better than 160GB b/c thats the total amount of information that can be permanently stored on the computer. meaning music, documents, pictures, videos, etc.

most do, but you might want to make sure the one you get her has a built in webcam. especially if she's going away for college, skype is an awesome tool

as far as HP vs. Dell, i have no idea. i have a dell and i absolutely love it. never had any problems whatsoever(knock on wood) and i'm a college student too! haha

well good luck!

[rcpromike]

Don't let numbers and stats influence your decision too much, at least in your preliminary decision making. Instead look at what kind of software she'll need to be running and work from there.

Also, Win7 may not be the best option for her depending on what kind of software she'll need for her major. Big businesses like hospitals tend to be a little slow on picking up new operating systems. If she needs any specialized medical software there is a chance it may not work 100% with Win7.

As for wanting pink, well that pretty much narrows the field in terms of manufacturer. Dell seems to be the most customizable in terms of the kind of power you'll want from the laptop.