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Re: Laptop recommendations Posted by RonD [Email] (#2620) [Profile/Gallery] (more from RonD) on Wed, 4 Aug 2010 10:41:22 In Reply to: Laptop recommendations, Lawrence, Tue, 3 Aug 2010 14:34:37 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I echo what other people have said - check with the school. The IT department should be able to give general recommendations, but also with the school or department if your son or daughter knows what they want to major in. Most schools also have discount purchase programs for admitted students. For us, Macs are $50 - $200 less than list depending on model (more expensive, more discount) and you get a free 8GB Touch (or equivalent amount toward a more capable Touch) if you buy at the same time. You can even buy online and pick up from a local Apple store. Dells get 12% off list and feature a number of models with significant additional discounts, but you can't get the enterprise-level Latitudes.
That said, Macs have gone from about 20% ownership to around 50% ownership among our freshmen over the past four years. Get the MacBook Pro and, if you can afford the extra $600 over the lowest 13", get the 15". You get a Core i5 and much better graphics. We also see a lot of Dells (partly because they're our institutional vendor with the discounts), Lenovos, HPs. My support staff say they see a disproportionate number of problems (both failures and connection problems) with many other brands.
Full warranty and accidental damage is worth it. Applecare, or Dell's Complete Care, or other manufacturers similar offerings. You only have to drop it once to make the replacement worthwhile.
I've used Dell Latitudes for the past 9 years and have never had a problem, even though I travel quite a bit, carry them in my purse, and keep them four years. My wife just got a Sony Vaio Z that she loves (chiclet keyboard) but it doesn't feel as rugged as the Dells (more chassis flex, etc.). It is a pound lighter (3 vs. 4) for the same 13" screen.
Good luck with your choice. Also check with the school about theft, which may inform your choice of accessories. I see students leaving laptops sitting unattended on tables in our library for hours, yet we have very few thefts. Other schools have vastly different experiences.
Ron
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