<p>anyone else have an incoming freshman shopping for a new computer?</p>
<p>My advice is to not automatically get a new computer if the one they used in high school was sufficient.
Its likely that by the time they are a soph or junior, they * will* need a new computer, but at that time they will have a better idea of exactly what they need it for and can design an optimum configuration.</p>
<p>it’s OK, the one he has now is over 5 years old, and big and heavy. we got it during his 13th yr with some of his Bar Mitzvah gift money. we got it knowing it would be used solely at home on his desk. we interviewed a sophomore at his school, my Godson, and had a long chat about what it would be used for, and what platform would be appropriate, meaning mac or windows. he has some grad gift money and I’m confident we can find one for $800, and he’ll pay for it. </p>
<p>If you or someone you know has a .edu address, you can take advantage of the following:</p>
<p><a href=“Best Buy Cuts 13-Inch Macbook Air by $150, Now Costs $850 | Digital Trends”>http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-buy-cuts-macbook-air-laptops-low-650-students/</a></p>
<p>Only thing is, don’t get Geek squad warranty coverage as they are hit or miss technically and Applecare doesn’t cover accidental damage such as water spillage or breakage of LCD screen.</p>
<p>Check to see if the student concerned could have such accidental damage covered by home insurance or if not, Squaretrade accidental coverage is something to consider. </p>
<p>Check with his college. Many times the bookstore offers good deals for students during the summer and will have the computer configured to work with the college internet upon his arrival. They will also be able to tell you the specs recommended for that college.</p>
<p>Make sure you get insurance. Not the warranty. Not Applecare. Insurance. We used NSSI, but there are others. This will pay for accidental damage and theft and will cover all your kid’s stuff for a fairly low annual cost. I recommend getting replacement cost coverage. In our case, it paid for a laptop screen at $600+, no problems. For computer specific, you could check into something like SquareTrade but I think you should consider insuring all the stuff.</p>
<p>We used CSI insurance.
<a href=“http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com”>http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com</a></p>
<p>I would get a Mac Air. I got a Mac Pro for D2 and it is very heavy for her to carry to classes. </p>
<p>Interestingly even though my son didn’t buy his computer through Tufts their tech guys looked at his computer for no or a very nominal fee. </p>
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<p>No wonder. The Mac Pro was until recently a large tower which weighs in the neighborhood of 40 pounds…and that’s not accounting for the monitor or peripherals. Granted, the latest one which looks like a tiny trash can is a lot lighter…but still quite impractical to carry to classes. :D</p>
<p>Just kidding.</p>
<p>You probably mean the Macbook pro. Here, that strikes me as a bit strange as the Macbook Pro I got my mother back in 2006 felt as light as a feather compared with the notebooks I was used to carrying. </p>
<p>Then again, the average weigh of notebooks I had in undergrad/early working years averaged between 8-11 pounds each including the power adapter. And yes, I carried it everywhere back then. </p>
<p>My oldest’s college work study job for four years was in computer user services, they didn’t sell computers at all, but they did repair them.
At private schools( or at least at hers), amenities seem to come under the umbrella of tuition, so learning support services, counseling, health care as well as tech help, is just included.</p>
<p>The new retina display MacBook Pros are much lighter - not as light as MacBook Airs but close and they are a much more robust computer for everyday use. And they are gorgeous computers. I wouldn’t get an Air. But do check with your child’s school, as mentioned above. Also, if he’s going into a particular program (thinking engineering, computer science, some sort of graphic arts) it’s best to check with the program to see if there are requirements. $800 won’t buy you a new Mac of any type but likely will for a PC-type of computer. </p>
<p>I work for a college in computing services and we do provide tech help and we even have an on-site computer repair shop but our techs are licensed for certain computers so that might be worth checking as well. </p>
<p>I used Mac Air for work. It was easy for me to take it to meetings and when I needed for travel. When Air first came out, it was a bit flaky to connect with wifi, but it is very robust now.</p>
<p>I worked for the company that made the “Commuter Computer” back in the 80s. Weighing in at a mere 16 pounds (heavier if you selected the double floppy drive option), it ran on MS-DOS and featured a 24 line LCD screen!</p>
<p>I really like MacBook Airs but the MacBook Pro is much more computer for the money and is nearly as light (thankfully NOT 16 lbs haha). Also, Airs tend to not have as much RAM or hard drive space - one you’ve added on both, it’s the same price as a Pro and the Pro has a much faster processor. If the student needs the computer for statistics or anything processor intensive, an Air just won’t cut it. The Air is a wonderful second computer for sure but as an every day computer isn’t what I’d recommend (obviously :-*) But more importantly, I think OP needs to figure out what program and if their son’s college has a campus computer store or any “deals” too. One of the biggest problems we see with seniors is the computer they purchased as a freshman just won’t work for them any longer. And that’s largely because of processor (which is hard to replace), plus hard drive space and RAM. So buying for down the road is important too.</p>
<p>My younger son’s freshman year computer died right in the middle of final papers. Of old age and hard use, not because it wasn’t powerful enough. Luckily he had a netbook that he’d taken to Jordan to have something smaller and he got most of his files off of it.</p>
<p>I would also see if the college your child is going to automatically gives laptops, or has a suggested laptop or type of laptop (Mac vs PC)… Sometimes the IT people can support one type and that is something to take into consideration.</p>
<p>My kids switched to Mac, and they aren’t looking back. They are more expensive, though.</p>
<p>Just got a great deal on MacBook Pro w/Retina yesterday at Best Buy. On sale for $1234.99 minus $150 student discount, out the door $1185. We did a lot of research on Air v. Pro and the Pro won, hands down. This was a graduation gift for my daughter whose PC laptops have all been junk. I am currently using my MacBook that was purchased in 2006 and has never had a SINGLE problem. 
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<p>Excellent, @socialmom23! I know she’ll love it. I’d recommend - if you haven’t - getting an extended warranty for it. I’m not a huge fan of Applecare, which extends the warranty from one to three years but does <strong>not</strong> cover anything accidental which is always a possibility with laptops. Our campus computer store sells a Safeware warranty that extends to four years and does cover accidental damages. I wish that had been around when my kids purchased their computers.</p>