<p>yep, I think we will try for a low limit credit card for our son. Thanks</p>
<p>DS has an Amazon Student Visa through Chase. Reasonable limit and a $25 GC whenever he racks up enough points.</p>
<p>Does anyone know where to find the server info to connect our @college.harvard email to our I Phone? I am new to Apple products and trying to figure them out before I get to campus.</p>
<p>The incoming mail server is: pop.college.harvard.edu
The outgoing mail server is: smtp.college.harvard.edu
The username is the full @college e-mail address</p>
<p>You also need to make sure that any option asking if the server is password protected is checked and that the password for the @college email is typed in</p>
<p>Thanks Kd5! Any other computer advice, like whether I should get a lock for my macbook, is welcome. I read about the locks for pcs earlier in this thread - does that same info apply to macs?</p>
<p>miakoukla - I would. No matter how nice or well you get along with your roommate(s), I would have it locked down. My daughter is bringing tow kensington locks with her. One for her laptop and one for her backup hard drive (due to the value of the contents).</p>
<p>Thanks Smoda! So you recommend getting an external back up drive? I was thinking of getting the elephant drive described in one of the mailers from Harvard. But I think that puts your data somewhere in cyberspace, unlike an external back up drive - right?</p>
<p>Got my Kensington lock in the mail todayâŠseems to work fine.</p>
<p>Also, any printer recommendations?? Ink is getting more and more expensive these days so hopefully not a SUV-esque ink guzzler</p>
<p>maikoukla - My husband and son are mac-holics so D and I really do not have to worry about the technical details of setting up Dâs equipment. We have purchased an external hard drive and my husband has set up time machine so the content of Dâs macbook is continually backed up. The hard drive can also be used to store large files that she does not want to store on her laptop. In addition, we purchased a 20" monitor which gives her more screen real estate. She can use that space for things like opening additional files, hulu or slingbox. We also got some nice small speakers for music or âTVâ and headphones for when she does doesnât want to bother her suitemates. As I stated above the laptop and hard drive will be locked. The laptop for its value and content and the harddrive due to content. H & S will also be setting up Dâs laptop to automatically password protect itself - I donât remember the details of this.</p>
<p>The above may all sound excessive, but equipment wise she will have a nice system to last her 4 years. As for the locks, I have stated previously on CC that during my sonâs freshman year (at a different school) he had problems with dorm mates trying to give him problems. All while his roommate was present. The locks and password prevented it from becoming more than an annoyance. Then Sonâs junior year, he was in a second floor apartment. All the laptops in the first floor apartment were stolen in about 5 minutes. The apartment was locked. The robber slit the window screen. None of the computers had locks on them. If these computers were not password protected any personal data stored on the computer was now available to the thief.</p>
<p>Printers - We just purchase off amazon the Canon PIXMA MP620. I doubt that it will have conservative ink usage. We purchased it because we wanted a printer w/ scanning and copier capability. Also, its ink cartridges are three separate colors and the black. That way when she runs out of blue we only have to replace blue and not all three colors. I donât know if I would recommend the printer to others but it suited our purposes.</p>
<p>Iâd recommend getting a laser for the volume that one prints in college. My kids have the 3 in 1 printer/scanner/copier also, and if we had it to do over again, weâd go for the lasers.</p>
<p>maikoukla - As a followup to your question, my husband just got back into cell phone range. Basically, he recommends a backup. Hard drive vs cyber backup - hard drive should be faster in the case of large files but close to equal for things like word files. Cyber backup you donât have to worry have data theft from your dorm room like a physical hard drive (hence our lock). A cyber backup will not support time machine automated backups. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>In my entire first year at Harvard, I never met a single student that used a lock on his or her computer. So I wouldnât worry too much if it isnât something that you want to invest in.</p>
<p>White_Rabbit, My daughter just told me the same thing: After two years at H, she has never met someone who used a lock for her/his computer.</p>
<p>Ya, I mean if thatâs something you really worry about, then go for it. But I would never worry about Harvard students messing with your computers in a dorm. And most of us leave our computers sitting in the library while we go get books or food. Some people just leave all of their stuff for long periods of time. Iâve never heard of anything getting stolen. My friend did leave his in a cab, but thatâs a different storyâŠ</p>
<p>Thanks everyone - Iâm from a small town and donât know what to expect coming to an urban campus - that is remarkable that you feel comfortable leaving your stuff around and it doesnât get stolen. I donât know if Iâm there yet - its all the big âunknownâ so I will probably come equipped with everything and then I may not end up using itâŠ</p>
<p>I would say to bring a lock but you will probably never use it. My daughter also has never known anyone who locked their computers in the dorm. I always told her that if she was in the library and had to step away (and no one else was there) she should lock the computer. Instead, she just takes her Mac with her which is easy enough.</p>
<p>She did find it useful to bring a computer bag as well as a sleeve as well for when she just wanted to grab and carry her laptop in situations such as the one above.</p>
<p>For freshman, the most thefts reported in the HPD blotter seemed to be in Annenberg Hall, during meals. Unattended wallets, purses, backpacks seemed to disappear occasionally, which seemed surprising- why would one first-year prey on another?</p>
<p>My DD had her new North Face winter parka stolen freshman year from the coat rack at House dance, her subsequent pea coat (with label removed) was untouched.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses</p>
<p>White_Rabbit: thank you for the clarification!</p>
<p>Twinmom:Thanks for the welcome and reassurance. I am still figuring out how to work this website 
</p>
<p>guitars101: Thanks for your response! I feel a whole lot better knowing that now.</p>
<p>gadad: Your post had me and my dtr laughing!</p>