pmyen

My son is a pre-frosh who will most likely major in the humanities although he enjoys science, and may take some lower level science and econ classes. Do any currrent students have recommendations regarding computers and where they can be purchased in Cleveland? Are there different computers recommended for engineers vs. other students?

Ctheflute

I would highly recommend choosing a computer and ordering it online before your son gets to campus. There is so much going on at the beginning of freshman year that it's not wise to have to worry about finding and setting up a computer at the same time.

Case has very nice discounts and deals set up with Dell and Apple - the link is: http://www.case.edu/its/estore/computer.htm . Your son will need to log in with his Case ID and password (same as the login information for email). Most of the humanities and lower level science classes don't require much from a computer - basic word processing and stats software is probably all he'll encounter.

I can't make a recommendation for desktop vs. laptop. There are plenty of computer labs around campus, and many students don't bring their laptops with them, but I have enjoyed having the flexibility of a laptop.

caseengr

Check out the Dell Outlet Store (www.delloutlet.com). I recently bought a certified refurbished (which is basically brand new) computer from them for a really great price. You can get the same computer with more features for less if you buy it from the Dell Outlet store. As for types of computers, a laptop is more versatile. It is more mobile and takes up less space. For specs, Case has a list of them, but you're going to want wireless capabilities, 10/100/1000 ethernet, 512mb of RAM MINIMUM. DO NOT SPEND TONS OF MONEY PURCHASING ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE! The software center has tons of software available for Case students for FREE, including MS Office 2007 and Systematic Antivirus to name a few.

casegirl

I preferred having a laptop b/c I could be more flexible with whether or not I wanted to study in my room, but if you'd rather have a desktop the library allows you to rent Macbooks for library use. There are also tons of computers around campus, in the comp lab at Nord Hall or the libraries.