computer for college

[hugabearjo]

My son is a senior and will be headed to college next fall. All he wants for christmas/graduation is a laptop. Saves me because I knew he would need one anyway So here are my questions....

Please know that I am sooooo computer stupid that it isn't funny so if my questions are dumb, please say so and correct me.

I was looking at a laptop vs netbook. it seems the main differences are lack of a DVD drive and a small hard drive. If I got a good deal on that could I not add assessories to it like an external DVD drive and an external hard drive?

Also, it seems like all the Laptops come with works, I think he will need Word and powerpoint, so can I put the word processing program on an external hard drive hooked up to a netbook and he could do his work from there?

Same thing with Itunes can he work from the hard drive?

What is the benefit to dual proccessors?

Help, I am so confused.....

I really want him to have something that meets his needs not add frustration, but, I don't want to buy something that has more than he needs. I have a tight budget so any help on how to get the most will help me.

Thanks
Jo

 

[Leajess99]

I would go with a dual processor as a single is slower and just does not leave much room for adding memory if he needs it. Also, if you can budget it, check with Dell or somewhere that offers an extended warranty with accidental protection especially if he will be living in a dorm or having roommates.

Not sure about putting the stuff on an external hard drive but my classes have also used excel so I make sure to have microsoft home and student which has been great for all my classes.

 

[msmayor]

If you really want to make sure you get one that will meet his needs, I urge you to WAIT until you know where he will be attending college.

My daughter was a senior last year, and we knew that a new laptop would be her HS graduation gift...but it was important to get the one that would "fit" with what would be needed.

One school she looked at actually INCLUDED a new laptop as part of the tuition cost, and provided on-campus tech help. The laptop would be loaded with all required software, and covered under full warranties.

Another school listed the minimum specs that we should look for to make sure that the laptop we purchased would be as useful as it could be at the school.

If you buy one now, it may not be powerful enough or have the capability to do what your son needs when he goes to college, and you'll find yourself buying another in a year.

As far as a netbook versus a notebook, realize that a netbook really is designed for use on the internet. Yes, you can add an external hard drive...but once you start trying to run programs that are resource-hogs, you may find that the netbook processing power isn't sufficient because its not designed to be running those external programs.

To me, a netbook is more like an 'extra' computer especially for a student, and shouldn't be their primary computer.

 

[pigletto]

This is just my opinion which will be one of many , so your mileage may vary. That being said I would hands down spend the extra and go with a laptop. Once you add the externals (if you can.. I'm not certain) you will have spent pretty much the same as you would have anyway. Look for a sale. Maybe scout the online black firday deals.
He will need a Word Processing program of some sort for his essays and notes. And the dvd drive is nice to play games, watch movies, back up his files e.t.c.

I honestly think once you piece it all together you are going to spend more for less than if you just bought the laptop.
For what it's worth I just went back to University part time and my laptop is essential to me.
Hope that helps even a little

 

[Aimros]

I would suggest looking at Mac's as well. I have a MacBook and LOVE IT, I had a Dell for several years before this and will not go back to a PC. Mac's come standard with ITunes, and I bought the Microsoft Office Suite when I bought my laptop (for about $120) so I have Word, Powerpoint, and Excel on my computer. Mac's are great, especially when it comes to trying to navigate wireless at colleges (I think the Mac is so much easier to use when it comes to wireless/internet problems - it pretty much solves them all for you unlike a PC which takes hundreds of clicks to fix one problem)

 

[Aimros]

Also check into student discounts - Apple offers student discounts on their laptops and other computers. (I think Dell may as well)

 

[msmayor]

We saved about $150 with the student discount on my daughter's MacBook Pro in the spring. In addition, around mid-June, Apple usually offers some extras with laptop purchases for students. For purchasing any Macbook, you got a free iTouch AND a free printer (cash rebates).

I'll be honest...MacBooks are not budget-friendly when you look at the price compared to Windows-based laptops. For my daughter a Mac was a no-brainer since she's studying graphic design, and Macs are the absolute standard in that field.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Stay away from the Netbook, it's not what you want for college. A netbook is designed to surf the net and not too much more. I have several family member either in college or just graduated and they all find out that more is better even if you don't think you'll need it.....eventually you probably will.

Things to look for.....

I would go with Core 2 duo processors (2 processors with 2 cores each= processing power of 4 processors) either AMD or Intel- if you go with intel DO NOT GO WITH A CELERON

RAM-The more the merrier. 4 GB is becoming the standard, don't go less

USB ports- again the more the merrier. In a pinch, you can get a hub that plugs into one port and gives you 4 ports to use but it's kind of a pain sometimes. I like having at least 3 USB ports but that's just one guys opinion.

Screen size- Everyone is different on this. You can go as small as 12" or up to 20" on a custom build. The smaller it is, the lighter the laptop but larger screens are good for watching movies, games, and editing pictures. Personally, I went with a 15.6" wide screen because it's right in the middle.

Operating System- Windows is pretty much the Norm but he may want a Mac. If he's good with one, go with that. No sense in trying to figure out a new one the night a paper is do. If he wants a Windows PC, make sure it has Windows 7, it just came out last week.

Camera Card Reader- I have SD cards for all of my cameras so this was a no-brainer. I'll never own another computer that doesn't have a memory card slot!

Video Camera built in- I wanted it in my laptop but I've never actually used it. It's good for video chat if he's staying away from home.

Built in Wifi- Make sure it has it.

Ethernet- aka WIRED CONNECTION I'm sure they all have it nut just make sure. He will need it also.

A dvd burner is almost a must and I think it's a standard now on all laptops. DVD's are great to back up data on since one dvd can fit the same amt as 7 CD's

As far as software, I'm not a huge fan of Works. You can download Open Office for free which pretty much does the same thing as MS Office, or he could probably just buy it at discount from the school store.




Oh yea...I got all this in mine on Fathers Day (not on sale) for $600 at Best Buy (it's a Dell). I'm sure for the $$$ you can get even more now.

 

[hugabearjo]

Thank you all for your help. I will only look for a laptop and will look at the school he will be attendings website. I really do appreciate the help.

You got all that for $600? then I really need to start looking around. I thought the laptops with that much on them were around 1000-1200. That is a relief.

Thanks again. Any other helpful hints of what to look for or where has the best deal with warrentee would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again-
Jo

 

[tar heel]

Are you 100% sure where he is going to school and what the computer requirements/recommendations are? This is not a purchase you want to make too early.

For what it's worth, both of my sons have chosen desktops instead of laptops b/c they wanted the big screen and huge memory. One chose a PC and the other a Mac. One was in computer science and one art, so very different majors, and very strong feelings about the kind of computer they wanted. We got a $100 educational discount, a free printer and a free Ipod when we got the Mac -- you pretty much have to do it at back-to-school time to get the Ipod, though. The PC was a Gateway (my how times change!) b/c that's who is university's tech contract was with -- I'm guessing we must have gotten an educational discount, but I can't remember at this point.

Some schools have tech support for specific brands. Also, many colleges have authorized versions of Word or other software that any student can have for nothing. We did not have to buy any kind of word processing, etc., software for my son's Mac b/c the school provided it -- when you spend $$$ for a Mac, every cent helps.

 

[MrsPete]

One school she looked at actually INCLUDED a new laptop as part of the tuition cost, and provided on-campus tech help. The laptop would be loaded with all required software, and covered under full warranties.

A super-cheap friend of mine has a son who just went away to college.

His school offered to choose/purchase/deliver to your dorm room a standard "hey, you're in college now" laptop. She looked into this, thinking that the school must get a good deal because of the quantity they buy. Instead, she found that the same laptop could be purchased through Best Buy for HALF THE COST. She was able to get the laptop PLUS insurance (living in a dorm, it could easily be stolen or damaged), and she figures that since it cost half, she can replace it with a new, updated version when he's a junior and still spend only the same amount.

I guess the moral is, never assume the school's giving you a good deal. Check out the options for yourself.

 

[DonnaL]

I agree with the above posters who recommend you check into a Mac........we've all switched to Apple/Mac in our home ......I have a new iMac , DH and both DS's have MacBooks, and we have my old eMac hooked up at our house for our 8 year old grandson.....who's with me every morning an hour before school and about two hours after school. Our daughter is the only "non convert" in the family and she just mentioned to me the other day that she wishes she listened to us when she got her new laptop about two years ago!!!
Yes........your initial purchase may be a bit more, but, in the long run .....you will spend far less because you won't have the problems PC's normally have.
Also, Apple does have good discounts for students.......when my youngest got his 2 1/2 years ago .....right before he started college........he got a nice student discount .....don't remember how much it was, but, it was pretty good AND they were also running a promo at the time for a free ipod with purchase.
I think they pretty much offer the promo every year, but, not until early summer.

 

[edk35]

Our daughter graduated this past June from high school and is in college. We bought her an HP Pavillion laptop from Best Buy last year for Christmas. She loves her laptop and loves being able to take it with her on campus and also bring home. We got her the smaller one with the 15 inch screen but it was loaded with everthing. I have the the 17 inch screen. Depending on where your son goes to college, but a lot the school have great discounts on software like Word. My daugter's college provides her antivirus/spyware program. Plus a lot of colleges have discounts on computers too.

 

[bumbershoot]

Glad you moved away from the netbook. They would truly be useless for your son's needs. Yay for the other people who jumped in; we were on our way out the door when I saw your post!


If he's good with a PC, hubby would suggested looking at dell.com for a refurbished model. Hubby bought one of those for a fraction of the cost. I think they also have an outlet (not only refurbs).

Apple.com also has an outlet section of their site.

If you belong to any rewards program websites, click through them for those items, get a little money back. Best Buy goes along with those programs too, but NOT for laptops FYI.


But very first, ask your son what his college says he needs. If he's going to study English, there will be lots of papers. Architecture, make sure the computer can handle those programs. Science, hmm, not sure what special things the computer might need for that. But my point is, start with him and the college. You might want it to be a *present*, but I think it would be better to get him *exactly* what he needs, so involve him in it.

That's my opinion on it anyway.

 

[disfan07]

I'm going to go against a lot of the posters here and say stay away from the macs.But i have had nothing but problems wiht most apple products.

My grandparents bought me one for graduation and i hated it. absolutely sompletely despised it. Safari was terrible adn the computer itself kept freezin on me. It also would not play videos i needed for school or open some of what i needed for school. When i talked to my ITE teacher about it he said that a lot of what was sent from my school would not work on a mac. I felt really bad b/c my grandparents spent a lot of money on it and i hated it.

I ended up buying myself an HP pavillion with core 2 duo processor. It came with windows vista (got it last year) which i have actually not had any problems with but we will be upgrading to windows 7 soon. Personally i looove my HP and i got it for under $600 so it was much much cheaper than the mac.
We have also had much better customer service with HP than we did with mac.

Right now staples has really good deals on HPs....we got my dad an HP from there for i think about $550

We do still have the mac but it is mostly used for itunes and watchign dvds only.

 

[superminnie]

As far as the programs go, you can save a lot usually by buying the microsoft office suite from the bookstore at the college rather than paying to add it on where you purchase the computer. I got the Office Ultimate last year at my college bookstore for 29.99 and that is the version that sells for more than $500 if you walk into a store and purchase it. Student and home usually run in the $180 range but the one you can get at the bookstore (at least at the school I went to) was much more complete and much better priced. The Works suite that is usually loaded onto the computers when you purchase them is ok for writing papers and such but every professor at my college required documents turned in to be in the MS office formats of Word and Excel.