At FSU computers are absolutely essential to get anything done. It would be difficult to get by without your own computer. I strongly suggest you get your own - now, and be sure you use it now and are totally familiar with it before you go away to school. Figure out what makes it work at home rather than in your dorm room and away from help.
Computers are tools and you must know how to use them well.
Laptops are much easier to deal with than workstations/PCs - especially in dorm rooms or taking to class for presentations. Make sure you buy the lock that secures the laptop to your desk.
Get a sturdy backpack or other case that will fit and protect your laptop when you carry it across campus.
No matter what you buy - Apple or Windows, get Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 or Microsoft Office 2003 for Windows. Get the Professional version of Office, which can be had for a substantial educational discount at the FSU Computer Store.
Buy a USB Thumb drive of at least 512 MB (better still get 1GB). They are cheap; no one uses floppies anymore.
Make sure you can burn CDs (at a minimum). (No, not for just music)
Macs are less likely to have problems than Windows computers. You can run virtually any program on a Mac that you can on Windows (with either Boot Camp or Virtual PC for Mac {older Power PC hardware}). If you go this way, know how to make it work before you get to school.
Always buy the warranty - at a minimum, you'll need a new battery for the laptop before the warranty runs out.
After 6 semesters at FSU as a biochemistry major my daughter (who has a Mac) had two occasions to want to run a Windows application per her professors. One program was 'Maple' (allows you to write and run calculus and other advanced math equations as you create them) and a molecular construction program. Of the two, Maple proved unnecessary because the prof did most of the work with Maple and students used paper; the molecular construction program ran fine on Virtual PC for Mac.
She uses Word all the time as well as PowerPoint for presentations.
The university computer store offers all products at Educational discounts. They are nice people - the FSU bookstore has higher prices for computer gear.
If you're a Microsoft Windows fan - Vista, the new MS operating system is due out in 2007. While I don't suggest waiting to buy a computer - because you most certainly need a computer at FSU - you can buy the correct hardware for Vista now:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvist...y/capable.mspx
Hope this helps!
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