I think you can look at the recommended specs for each of the schools in consideration and just buy one that meets them all.
I think laptop prices will be going up faster than normal in the next couple of months, but probably not drastically, especially between now and May 1.
I hadn’t even thought about the tariff impact on laptops. Rose-Hulman requires you to buy the school issued laptop. I’m hoping they are already stocking up on them…
Graduation is one month from tomorrow. Lord have mercy! I told S25 to go talk to his teachers about any missing assignments. He must have done so today, since Spanish jumped from a 69 to a 90.
IMO specs are overblown and just a recommendation. More power for engineering. Even the entry level Macbook Air is extremely powerful these days. If you know his major you can figure out a good option.
It’s tough to say what tariffs are going to stick, but the uncertainty is causing some hoarding issues in the supply chain. If I had to guess, I’d say you’ll see a slow increase in electronics pricing over the next couple of months. I certainly don’t think we’ll see major decreases in electronics for a while.
Not just more power, but no Macs for engineering. Apparently Macs just aren’t compatible (or not easily compatible) with the software that they use for a lot of their programs. I’m guessing it’s similar for my younger son’s major (construction management) but I’m not sure.
We’ve been told the same thing for the software used for architecture.
We are a big mac/apple family (since before it was cool - talking mid-late 90s when decidely wasn’t) and '25 will be getting a Dell for engineering.
I think you can make a mac work, with emulators and such, but not great - could also likely use school’s lab for certain things, but that all seems like a nuisance!
Also, for techie-kids many seem to often have a desktop (more powerful - especially for gaming 
) and a laptop/ipad… (I am assuming both aren’t being bought new in most cases ..)
With a few exceptions, of course—for example, someone going into media production needs to have a machine that will run the software taught in the program, some of which has very specific requirements. Also, if you’re a Mac family, make sure that your target colleges’ IT offices support Macs—most do, but not all.
But yeah, for the most part, the specifications given by universities and their programs are fairly basic, and most all of the laptops for sale as new right now will meet even the higher requirements for programs like engineering, with the one thing that might come up being the amount of memory installed.
(And don’t get a Chromebook.)
We bought one at costco today
I think my S25 would have a meltdown if we got him a Chromebook, since the one he’s used at high school for the last 4 years has been awful.
Now, to send my husband down the rabbit hole of finding the laptop S25 can use…
And…I’m assuming I can use 529 funds to purchase a computer for college. Anyone know if that is right?
Yes, we did for D19.
Eesh this did not occur to me but, YES, we will need one too and no time to waste! C25 has had the same one since 9th grade and…let’s just say that we have gotten our money’s worth out of that Dell extended warranty. I suspect with all the drops,spills and replacement parts, that laptop has been replaced twice in bits and pieces 
S25 made it official tonight: my money and my son are going to NC State so he can study engineering. Go Pack! 
Our S25 passionately hates his school-issued laptop – slowest piece of junk ever – and can’t wait to get his own for college.
Problem is, he’ll need a rather robust Mac because he’s studying film/video post-production editing. We are an anti-Apple family, LOL, so I need to start researching exactly what to buy.
And then, I don’t want him hauling said expensive Mac around to classes to take notes, so I’ll likely also buy him a much cheaper Windows laptop. I would love to get him a Chromebook, but his school uses the Microsoft suite of software including Outlook, so a regular Windows machine would be better.
Guess we should start shopping. Oy.
(FYI, I feel odd mentioning S25 out of the blue – he has primarily been in special ed schools, and until recently, we didn’t think he was headed to college, so I didn’t post about him and focused on my D22 and D26. But hooray, S25 is going to college! We toured three in-state, rolling admissions schools, he chose the one he liked best, applied on August 1, got in two weeks later, and here we are. What’s more, S25 and D26 are twins, but she did an extra year at her rigorous private prep school. It’s a little odd, but I’m learning it’s a huge silver lining to have one graduation at a time!)
Congrats!
My D26 did a week at design camp at NC State last summer and really enjoyed it. She loves the design program – it would be a long shot for her to get in because she doesn’t have a strong art background, and thus no strong portfolio – even though her grades/scores are very competitive.
She’s on the fence whether she’ll apply, too, because the school is a little big for her. She wants to do marching band in college, and band at a big state school is a little daunting. (Plus the design school people told her that the program is so rigorous that it would be hard to do it AND march.)
So, we’ll see. But it’s definitely on her radar. Who knows how many times she’ll change her mind between now and the fall!
This is not universally true.
I think you’ll find that the Apple Care warranty is pretty robust, if you don’t want to buy 2 computers!
both my HS students (and most of their classmates) haul them around in HS backbacks in buses and subways etc. Pretty hardy honestly. Sr. has had theirs all 4 years.
Hmm. I know zero about Macs. I’ll look into it! I really don’t know exactly what he needs.