<p>Greetings!</p>
<p>My D is being required to buy an IBM/Lenovo T61 laptop for school (Drew University). We have always been Mac desktop people, so I’m at a total loss for what (if anything) we need to get so she can use her laptop efficiently.</p>
<p>Based on my research so far, it appears we have three options:</p>
<li><p>Just use the laptop and don’t worry about it! </p></li>
<li><p>Buy a stand to raise the height of the screen and (I assume) get a full sized keyboard and mouse.</p></li>
<li><p>Buy a Thinkpad Advanced Mini Dock. Best I can figure, the laptop is inserted (and possibly locked?) into the dock, and is automatically attached to printer, keyboard, etc.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Am I right to think that just using a laptop on the desk (option #1) is a bad idea?
Does anyone have experience/advice about what would be the best way to proceed? </p>
<p>I’d appreciate your thoughts.</p>
<p>I recommend starting with just option 1. Most students do just fine with their laptop without getting an external display and keyboard. Many students will use it while sitting on their bed and in other locations anyway. You can always add-on as desired later.</p>
<p>One accessory she might like is an external mouse but it really depends on how much they like or dislike the laptop’s pointing devices. Again, she can easily get this later if she wants. They likely sell decent ones on campus or at a nearby Circuit City.</p>
<p>Also, make sure they have a USB memory stick so they can backup their important files such as the docs they write, etc. The 2GB and 4GB ones are quite inexpensive now.</p>
<p>Many find the smaller keyboards and screens a pain. </p>
<p>My d’s university offers the lenova option (with or without docking/keyboard similar to what you describe), but doesn’t require it. So she uses her own personal laptop (she just bought a new one with summer income) that has a larger screen and the larger keyboard rather than go the lenova route. But, most of those she knows who have bought the school laptop have ended up getting the dock/keyboard/mouse. My husband has the same setup at home and at the office so that he can be flexible with his work laptops and he loves it.</p>
<p>Crossed with ucdad - I do agree with him…this is something you could gradually do. Try the laptop alone first (as ldgirl’s friends did before upgrading) and if your student doesn’t like the small keyboard, you can always get the dock and accessories later.</p>
<p>Got my S the whole docking thing, with a stand that raised the screen and full size keyboard and mouse. It never left the footlocker and came home in the same packaging it left in. go with 1. until he says otherwise and save the money. BTW - they may not even use the desktop for their computer.</p>
<p>Unless she is positive she wants to go with an option, go with #1 for now. I have a 12" screen so I knew I wanted to dock/get a separate screen, but I know plenty of people who use just their laptop with an extra keyboard and mouse. You can always order later on via internet and have it sent directly to her in her dorm. If you do decide to upgrade, the biggest factor between #2 and #3 is the screen size. If she is okay with her laptop’s screen size/picture, then just get #2 and get an external keyboard/mouse (look into bluetooth if the laptop supports it…much easier to deal with, at least a mouse), and usually the upright stand has usb ports for printer/keyboard. If she wants a bigger/nicer screen, go for option #3 with the dock. If she wants the normal laptop screen and the normal height (useful if she has a hutch over her desk) then go for #3 as well, and she can just leave the screen up while using the dock.</p>
<p>I’d go with option 1. Considering the millions of laptops sold, the market place for stands is minuscule. If your daughter wants to elevate the laptop for typing, just put a couple of magazines under the back of the laptop to increase the angle. Be sure you’re not blocking any air vents.</p>
<p>I’m surprised that laptop makers never added a pair of foldable tabs to the rear of the case to elevate the keyboard. Regular desktop keyboards have had this feature for eons… </p>
<p>An optical mouse is an excellent investment I’ve never warmed to track pads or pointing sticks. An external keyboard, monitor and docking station is just more stuff. You can always add them later, if you feel the need. The T61 docking station is more for cable management than anything else and it appears to plug into the back of the laptop rather than underneath it so typing height is not really affected.</p>
<p>Let your daughter get used to the T61. You can always throw money at it later.</p>
<p>If you are Mac people, I would recommend your daughter speak to Drew’s IT department and find out if OS X is supported. My daughter’s school supports all kinds of software and operating systems, but not hardware. You may also want to ask why that particular Lenovo model is specified. If there’s a good reason, you’re probably just stuck with it! I’m a Mac person too so I’m sympathetic.</p>