<p>Can anyone advise on what computer to get and if there are any applications/software that the school suggests? Also, I heard that wireless connection is spotty in some RCs. We were thinking about the Macbook Pro. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>Here you go:
[Student</a> purchasing options | Yale ITS](<a href=“Homepage - IT at Yale”>Homepage - IT at Yale)
[Student</a> Technology Collaborative recommendations | Yale ITS](<a href=“Homepage - IT at Yale”>Homepage - IT at Yale)</p>
<p>I just wanted to add that the tech support at Yale is excellent. D has a Dell laptop, and has had a few problems with it. We got the 4-year warranty, which has more than paid for itself: she’s had the screen and keyboard replaced, and a number of minor issues resolved, all free of charge. For the minor problems, a tech support person came to her room to fix them!</p>
<p>Thanks Booklady! As a general question to those parents of Yale students or pre-frosh: Did you go with a Mac or PC (Dell, etc.)? Just wondering if students found one better than the other.</p>
<p>I currently have a mac and I’m getting a new one for next year! Supposedly the Mac to PC ratio is about 1:1.</p>
<p>My D has a MacBook Pro and loves it. She’s in Davenport and has had no connection problems that I’ve heard of (not so for cell phone reception ;)). For software she uses MS Office for Mac (Word, Excell & PowerPoint), it’s less than $100 for academic purchase.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help, Entomom & Eating Food! We were leaning toward the MacBook Pro, but he’s never had a mac before. Entomom: what do you mean by “academic purchase?” (Sorry if this is a stupid question).</p>
<p>Yeah… when I got my first mac, I had never had one before either. They’re extremely easy to pick up - especially so for Yale 2013 admits :).</p>
<p>Not a stupid question at all! Students and faculty can purchase software at reduced rates at just about any college vendor. They just have to show their university ID or other proof of enrollment. Here’s the info for Y:</p>
<p>Main page:
[Buying</a> Computer Hardware and Software | Computers | Telephones, TV, Computers | Planning Your Move | Yale College | Class of 2013](<a href=“Yale College”>Yale College)</p>
<p>MS Office:
[e-academy:</a> Microsoft Student Select Program | Yale ITS](<a href=“Homepage - IT at Yale”>Homepage - IT at Yale)</p>
<p>Other software:
[Software</a> Library & Resources | Yale ITS](<a href=“Homepage - IT at Yale”>Homepage - IT at Yale)</p>
<p>This was the first Mac for our family too. My D (who’s pretty middle-of-the-road as far as understanding computers) says she’ll never go back to a PC again. I just bought us an iMac for home, and I agree :).</p>
<p>will students know of their room assignments in addition to their roommates during the summer? not only what room, but what kind of furniture is in the room?</p>
<p>mc1600, here’s the link to the answers to all your questions:</p>
<p>[Rooming</a> Information | Planning Your Move | Yale College | Class of 2013](<a href=“Yale College”>Yale College)</p>
<p>thank you very much. will they also tell how how many doubles and singles are in your room?</p>
<p>Yes, when you get the rooming assignments over the summer you get a list of all rooming assignments in your college. From that you can determine who is in your entryway, suite, and bedroom. </p>
<p>So yes, you get your rooming assignment in addition to your roommate and suitemate assignment. Furniture is very standard. The common room is unfurnished. The bedrooms you get a bed, a desk, a chair, a dresser and some type of closet/wardrobe.</p>
<p>back to computer questions: do any students use desktops or are they all on laptops? my son has a macbook, but the screen is small (in my opinion) and much more fatiguing on the eyes than the large flatscreen we have on our desktop. i’d like to send him with both options so he could use the laptop to take notes in class, library, etc.</p>
<p>laptop only. desktops are dinosaurs. you can bring a laptop home on vacations, etc.</p>
<p>For math/science majors, is a mac/pc more useful?</p>
<p>Is there significant use for the better specs of a macbook pro? Is it worth the price?</p>
<p>Pianista, I can’t speak to your first question very well, but as a MacBook (13-in) user, and of the two options, I find the basic MacBook much more suited to my needs. I was initially allured by the Pro’s bigger screen and dual graphics cards, but I’ve found I have no use for either. Unless you’re a gamer or doing HD video editing, the 2.4 GHz processer and 4 GB of RAM in a 13-in MacBook is good enough for almost anything; even that can be overkill for many. Plus, the lighter weight is wonderful - my girlfriend’s Pro is killer to haul from class to class.</p>
<p>Check 'em both out at the Apple Store if you can. </p>
<p>Also, if it’s of any help, I found this list of Mac-compatible science software:
[Apple</a> - Science - Software for Science](<a href=“http://www.apple.com/science/software/]Apple”>http://www.apple.com/science/software/)</p>
<p>The reason my D went with the MB Pro was because there was a possibility that she would go into Architecture where the larger screen and specs would be nicer/necessary. However, I don’t think they’re necessary for most uses. She’s happy with her Pro, but I don’t know if she’d go with the more compact model if she had it to do over again.</p>
<p>stringkeymom, they all seem to be going with laptops, young eyes don’t appear to be bothered by the small screens ;). And since they will be moving around each summer, home for breaks (they’ll have work over spring break), etc., it seems like a smart way to go.</p>
<p>Sorry for the egregious grammatical errors in my last post. I think the meaning is clear though.</p>
<p>so it would be really weird for a student to have both a desktop and a laptop? i’ve just noticed that my son works longer and more efficiently at the desktop, but i agree a laptop is a necessity</p>