College computer choice - desktop vs. laptop?

[ophiolite]

desktop replacement-style laptops are ones that have the computation-power of the desktop and are portable (~10+ lbs), but not as portable as a smaller chic laptop (~4 lbs).

[Vinin]

As many have said, it all comes down to personal preference. I personally use a desktop mainly because I happen to game a lot and a desktop offers me more options to upgrade down the road. Otherwise, I am on my laptop for now until it gets here. To be completely honest, I do hate using this laptop, but that is just personal reasons. Otherwise, to get the same power that I have in my desktop, I would have to pay much more for a laptop than a relevant desktop would cost. Powerful is relative to what you need it for. Browsing the internet, occasional homework assignments and papers, talking with friends; that kind of stuff you could definetly do on a laptop. As has been said before though, graphics work and graphic intensive gaming almost requires a desktop. Weigh what you need out of it, then make the decision.

[cathymee]

Laptop safety issues are solved by having a lock.S uses his all over campus,outside,in the library,etc. Everything is done on the computer..all communications with teachers,classnotes,even finals.S took his Music class final at an appointed time on his computer.Dont know what he would have done if he had to find a lab,with open terminals for that time period.I thing its almost a forgone conclusion that students now have their own.S flies to and from school with his laptop.This semester he's taking a computer business class and has to have cetain software loaded onto his..I guess a student w/o their own would need to use a specific lab with machines with that software loaded.
Its crowded enough in his tiny room,if he had a desktop and tower,plus printer there would be no room by,or on his desk.

[momof3sons]

Before our S left for college, it was decided that he would use $ he had saved from summer jobs to purchase his own computer for college. His choice was a laptop. I doubt that it has ever left his dorm room to go to a class, coffee shop or library, but he ALWAYS brings it home with him in his backpack. This is a very valuable feature. And he has a special lock which locks it to his desk. He will be graduating this coming June and still has the same laptop. I have never heard him complain that it breaks down or needs maintenance.

[Momwaitingfornew]

Laptops are indeed more fragile than desktops - but then again, who is going to drop a desk top? :-)

I'm a proponent of getting a laptop. Imagine this: you pack up your car to take your child to his/her first semester of college: clothing, bedding, lamps, shoes, whatever else "must" go. How much space does a desktop take (remember, CPU, keyboard, and screen)? How much space are you likely to have left, even in a van?

My daughter never takes her laptop to class, although she carries it sometimes to various areas on campus to write papers if too many people are stopping by her room. As several have pointed out, the biggest advantage is being able to take it home for breaks.

With USB devices, it *is* possible to transport information from a school desktop to a home desktop, so those with just a desktop aren't greatly inconvenienced, as long as they have access to other computers. (Watch out for viruses, though.)

[kathiep]

My son is into gaming and insisted on taking his very good desktop with 20" flat screen to college. And he brings it to and fro in his car. He did buy an external hard drive so if he wanted to he could just bring that home and hook into one of our computers here. He also found it handy to watch videos with friends on the computer. Son has said that many of the other freshman have admitted that they really didn't need a laptop as the computer just rests in the dorm room anyway. My daughter also has a desktop at college but wishes she had opted for a laptop. We may get her one for her college graduation in June.

[borgin]

I'm a college junior with a desktop computer. This is a choice I made myself - I purchased a new one over the summer and chose to get another desktop. While there are advantages and disadvantages of both, I really love having a desktop computer because it's easier to spread out and if one thing breaks (ie the mouse or the keyboard) I can easily replace it (my family has spare computer parts everywhere, and if my family doesn't have it, my dad can probably get it from work).

Portability is really not an issue for me. I work in a computer lab, and if I choose to write a paper or do my homework outside of my room, I just head there. Most students don't move their laptops around anyway, and I don't take my computer home because I don't need to. At home, I have my old computer in my bedroom, there's the family computer in the living room and my sister has a laptop she pretty much only uses to watch movies on car trips, so I can still use a computer without worrying about "parents over shoulder".

My desktop is about six inches in size, so if there was really a need for space I could stick it in my purse (I have a Mac mini). A LCD monitor really doesn't take up too much space, either.

[MLS716]

Just bought my daughter her second laptop. She's a Junior studying abroad this semester and the first one died the night before she was to leave. You can imagine the "deal" I got on a Sunday morning with 2 hours to purchase a new one. She told me her roomate's laptop died the month before, so it appears that one may not last all 4 years. They tend to leave them on constantly so they can check e-mail, IM's, etc. and worse yet they get left on beds where they can overheat. She promised me she'll turn it off more and at least flip it over if she leaves it on her bed.

My son's a senior in high school and I'm sure we'll buy him a laptop as well. Most campuses are wireless and moving in and out of dorm rooms, apartments, studying abroad, it just makes the most sense.

[twinmom]

I am surprised (but not passing judgment) that desktops are even considered nowadays by college students! I have not seen even one desktop in either of my kids' dorms while visiting, though a few kids do have docking stations.

The bigger question is usually Apple vs. PC (and there are a gazillion threads on that already on CC.)

[alwaysamom]

All of my Ds have laptops. I honestly don't know anyone these days who doesn't have a laptop. Portability is key, especially at college. Most kids want to be able to take their laptop to class, or out to the park on a nice day, to the library, to the coffee shop, and, perhaps most importantly, home on visits.

Also keep in mind that a laptop is a much better choice, taking into account the lack of space issue in dorm rooms, too. Not as important a concern as the others but still something to consider.

[fundingfather]

Clearly desktops do have some possibly significant advantages - considerably more reliable, much bigger displays, lower cost. However, it is hard to beat the portability of a laptop.

Another advantage is that now that my son has a laptop, when he comes home for breaks, he no longer sequesters himself in the basement where my desktop system is set up. Instead he sits in the family room and links to his friends on his laptop via our WiFi network at home. I still can't talk with him because he is invariably conversing with at least three other people on-line, but at least I can see him.

[motherof4pearls]

Three kids in college, first one to go started out with a desktop, but quickly went to a laptop, and the others have laptops. They all are inseparable from said laptops. And I may start some arguments here, but I recommend buying the extended warranties or make sure the one you buy has a warranty as long as you plan to keep it. (3 year warranty = 3 years of use before replacing) Each of our laptops from 3 different manufacturers (even the apple) have required warranty service.

[KrazyKow]

I recommend a laptop- as said before, unless the student is a big computer geek (in which case he or she should know what to get) or in a graphic design/flim major, a laptop can do everything necessary. If you are worried about screen size/mouse/laptop, you can get a monitor like you would for a desktop and hook it up to the laptop; the same goes for normal mice and keyboards.

borgin's suggestion of a Mac mini is a good one if for some reason you want a desktop, but still want portability. It's not any more upgradable than a laptop, but it is a bit cheaper than a laptop and the cheapest offering from Apple.

[sueinphilly]

We are going with a higher end (more RAM, processing power) laptop. A usb keyboard and mouse too. I've seen some laptops with built in fingerprint scanners. I like that. Plus a good lock. I've had 4 Hewlet Packards since 1995, so we'll order another built to order one. I'm not going to get high end graphics for games or a tv tuner.
A good laptop will last 4 years. In fact, all my computers have lasted at least 4 years. Crossing my fingers my good luck continues.
I don't do Mac. It's just a personal thing.

[calmom]

If you are going to spring for an extended warranty, get the one sold by the manufacturer, NOT by the store that sells you the computer... or at last, not the one sold by CompUSA. I know 2 people who purchased CompUSA extended warranties and then when they needed them, CompUSA had "no record" of the warranty and they did not get the benefit because they could not prove they had it. Of course they probably made the mistake of not keeping their receipt and all paperwork in a safe place posterity -- but your kid probably won't remember to do that either.

Keep in mind that extended warranties don't really kick in until after the original warranty has expired, and they often require you to ship the computer off to an authorized service center when needed, with warranty service sometimes taking several weeks to complete. With many plans, you have to pay shipping costs. The warranty can be invalidated easily if you open the laptop to make changes yourself, and will probably not protect against problems caused by wear and tear or accidental damage, such as dropping the computer or spilling coffee on the keyboard. Extended warranties are often quite expensive compared to the price of the computer... and the cost of new computers keep coming down (though I don't think a low end laptop will really go below $600). So the cost/benefit analysis may not make sense, especially if you are purchasing a low-end computer.