Re:

John · January 22, 2002, 15:36 hrs

Carol, hows the weather. It's great here in Ocala. First off where will he be using a computer. Is he going away to college. Dorm rooms aren't the largest places so I would say a Laptop. Nowadays laptops have the ability to be a true desktop replacement. I would most definetly get one with a large hard drive as most college kids love music and those files can add up to mucho megabites. Some companies will install the oerating system of choice. Also a cdrw drive is nice for copying files or backing up work. A large screen is a must to avoid eyestrain at least it is for me. 14-15" minimum and the larger the better. Don't go for a Mobile Pentium 4 yet as they don't have a long enough battery life. PentIII or Athlon4. RAM depends on tasking and or operating system. Check out laptops from Dell, Toshiba, Compaq, Winbook, HP, or Fujitsu. As for me I love the Dell Latitued. The Winbook is good to although warranty was short. Believe it or not Compaq has improved their support quite abit. Also do not forget IBM although they are very expensive for the most part. What ever you decide ask his opinion as he has to use it. Perhaps the College has an academic account that students can use which makes prices a little lower. Wireless modems depend on the tupe of connection. Broadband is the most accepted type of internet connection to use wireless with. I am sure others will poast more ideas. If you need more information let me know.

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John

Carol · January 22, 2002, 16:25 hrs

Thanks John. Of course the weather is warm, but has been cloudy the last couple of days. I guess we will be in the mid 80's the rest of the week.

As far as it looks right now he will be going off to college, but probably not far. The three schools he likes the most are all in Fl.(he's very attached to the water and the warm weather). As far as his opinion, he would like to have a laptop. I would probably go for an Athlon. My youngest son has an Athlon in his computer, as does my Dad and I would have one in this if there had been a choice when it was purchased.

As for the wireless, I will have to see what the colleges offer for internet connections.

I will start checking out the prices on the ones you suggested.

Thanks again,

Carol

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Ace · January 22, 2002, 17:53 hrs

Well, since you asked, the weather has been really unseasonably nice here. Upper 40's, which is about twice the norm. Sunny, even.

And, although unsolicited, I shall offer other advice. Just for the fun of it.

As I remember my youthfulness, and entering the denizens of higher learning, I would say the yearning for a laptop would have superceded any desktop inclination I might have had.

I took a green Smith Corona to PU, and it served me well. But a laptop; ah, that would have been majestic.

I have attempted my desktop Quantex as a laptop, as it were. It is not an undertaking to take lightly. Or under. It, actually, takes a modicum of discipline and pain tolerance, when you add in the Mag monitor and Okidata, with the hard drive and keyboard and optical mouse. And, if the phone rings, you're not going to exactly jump right up, let me tell you.

Personally, I would opt for an Alienware Area 51 or something like that. Because that would be due to your buying it, and my gaming inclinations. So, if you were purchasing it for your son to give to me, that's what I would suggest. Not to mention, the case alone would take up your whole lap or even yours and someone else's, but again, the price would be right.

I'd have to figure a young man entering higher education isn't going to have the means or inclination for culinary arts, so I'd add in a microwave too. Probably more useful than the CD R/W, if it comes to that. Criminy, man doesn't live by popcorn alone but it helps.

I would think Athlons swell, as well. Although by their resemblance to each other, I am starting to think all laptops are created in the same factory in Taiwan or New Jersey, probably by Fountain Technologies or a derivative, and so are like TV's or CD players and are all the same for practical purposes. Except for Bang and Olafsun and other anomolies. Anamolies. Animals. Whatever.

I am ready to purchase a DVD player, just for the TV and not for the Quantex, as I don't need to over extend it's lifespan any further. I like Sony, but will probably opt for a Panasonic on sale, so any thoughts on that subject would be thoughtful as well.

All the best to the masticulating young man. If he requires academic advising, be sure to alert me. It is, after all, my calling.

What was that..? Oh, my wife. Gotta go. My other calling. Huh. Ace; he's two degrees beyond high school. Or so he says.

Ace · January 22, 2002, 17:56 hrs

Sorry; me again. Won't be but a minute..

Have the answer to tonight's "What's that Typo?".

It's. It is. Its. Possessive of it. Easy to confuse, but yet, unforgivable.

Someday I shall endeavor to learn how one reapproaches one's poast, to edit. As yet, that escapes me. Ace; the color of Maroon.

Carol · January 22, 2002, 18:40 hrs

Ace,

Thanks for all your extra advice. And you are probably so right about that microwave.

I knew there must be another calling for you besides all the calling that is done here. As far as academic advising, he wants a Ph.D. so I may send him calling.

Carol

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Ace · January 23, 2002, 04:15 hrs

Hope you're right. I tried yodeling, but it's even harder than just calling. I guess Amish do that for entertainment, too. Probably don't have to shop for DVD players, either, so that saves some headaches.

Shoot, if he wants a Ph.D. just re-do the resume. That'll save a lot of time and aggravation. I'm up to 4 of the things, now. MD, Ph.D., DDS, J.D., DVD, I've got them all. Or so it says.

Had to take the grade school entry out, though, to make room, dangit. I was pretty proud of that, but I guess you have to cut somewhere. Thos. Alva Edison School. I thought the guy's name was actually "Thos" for quite a few years. Sorta Nordic sounding.

Although I've never noticed anybody Scandinavian or from thereabouts named "Phlegm". It sounds like it would fit, too. Well, speaking of Nordic I gotta go do the walker. Now that both feet work again, it's time to work out. Although the height/weight on the driver's license sounds pretty darn good.. Wish I could list my degrees on it, too.

Ace; it's not a lie if you believe it.

It is never too late to annoy a coworker, if they're asking for it anyway

scuzzy · January 23, 2002, 07:01 hrs

Carol,

My immediate advice is to ignore Ace, if for no other reason than to maintain your sanity. Once Ace is completely out of your brain, you'll be able to concentrate on the task at hand. Otherwise, you'll be looking for a DVD player with a 40x microwave installed.

Here's my take on what to consider, although John already hit on the main points. If your son will be in a dorm, then you'll do him a favor by leaning toward a notebook computer. For the college lifestyle, a notebook is ideal, anyway. If bang for the buck is an issue, then you should consider a desktop PC.

As for laptops, I was very close to buying one last year. The following were the ones I considered most, in order:

1. IBM ThinkPad T Series (IBM Notebooks)

2. HP Pavilion (HP Notebooks)

3. Toshiba Satellite (Toshiba Notebooks)

4. Dell Inspiron (Dell Notebooks)

As for screen size, the larger the better. I recommend a 14" or 15", especially if it will be his primary computer. Avoid anything less than 13", as it will be too small. A DVD and CD-R/W would also be helpful. Notebooks are usually designed primarily for portability, or as a desktop replacement. I recommend a larger, fully-featured notebook for a primary computer. Yes, it is bulkier and heavier, but it will get better use.

If portability is the primary concern, then lean toward the lightweights, but expect less features and more hassles. For example, most lightweights can only have either a floppy drive, a CD-R/W, or a DVD-ROM at any one time. The user has to swap the drives as needed. Some extreme lightweights have *only* the internal hard drive, forcing the user to dock to a station in order to use other drives.

If I had purchased a laptop, I would almost certainly have gone with either an IBM T series, or an HP 5400 series. IBM produces excellent notebook computers, but they are expensive. You get a lot with the HP at a reasonable price, though. IBM can be purchased online, HP at your local BestBuy, Toshiba at Circuit City or CompUSA, and Dell online.

BTW: Some laptops may be available with something other than Windows XP. I recommend that you stick with either Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows XP. Your son will probably also need MS Office Professional. However, he will probably be able to buy a copy through the college for about $10.

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Alex Garcia

Carol · January 23, 2002, 08:14 hrs

Alex,

Thanks for the advice about Ace. I'm confused enough on my own, especially when it comes to computers.

Depending on which college Christopher ends up going to (and there are two main ones he is very interested in) one has only small apartments and the other has dorms. I had been leaning toward a desktop all along and really hadn't given it much thought till he started telling me he really wanted a laptop to take to school. And of course I'm thinking gee, we have lots of time to decide. Then the reality hit me of just how close it is.

You have cleared up a few things. As last night we were looking through some of the brands John suggested and there were so many different choices. At least we will skip the lightweight one and just look at the full-featured ones.

Lots to decide about. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Carol

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scuzzy · January 23, 2002, 08:44 hrs

Well, if you consider the overall college lifestyle, he will probably be better off with a notebook regardless of where he lives. With what you explained, a full-featured notebook will probably serve him best.

Let us know what you're considering, and we might be able to help you narrow down a choice. Is Christopher himself leaning toward a particular model?

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Alex Garcia

Carol · January 23, 2002, 08:55 hrs

No, I don't think that Christopher has a particular one he wants, at least he hasn't said so if he does. He will just be glad that everyone agrees that he should have a laptop.

I will narrow down some choices and come back for further help. Thanks for any and all advice.

Carol

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John · January 23, 2002, 13:04 hrs

Carol, don't forget to contact the Colleges that Chris might attend and see if they let students buy from their acedemic account. Most stores of any signifigance offer academic prices on software and hardware. Also most schools nowdays have an IT office or online support for students and faculty. Most Colleges also prefer a certain software format such as those in Microsoft office.

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John

scuzzy · January 23, 2002, 13:14 hrs

Carol,

I agree with John. Contacting the college might be useful.

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Alex Garcia

John · January 23, 2002, 13:42 hrs

Carol, although this informaiton is dated it is usually the norm. I hope these sites helps. UFLand FSU If you need more help let me know and I will send you my telephone number for help.

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John

Carol · January 23, 2002, 15:32 hrs

Thanks Alex and John for the help. I will have Christopher check with the colleges. John, the sites do give me more of an idea. I sure want to make sure we buy what is necessary. I have been to the two college sites he is interested in but haven't come accross that kind of info yet. They are FIU Biscayne Bay campus, and Eckerd. There's still a lot I haven't looked at or read yet, so it could be there somewhere. I know he has already been emailing an advisor at Eckerd, so he will be able to get more info from her.

Thanks again,

Carol

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John · January 23, 2002, 18:46 hrs

Carol, more reading from eckerd. Just a note but I would really talk to the college admissions about computer suggestions then poast back here with what they say. They are really behind in computer suggestions but you'll get the gist. I hope this helps.

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John

Carol · January 24, 2002, 02:43 hrs

Thanks John.

I sure appreciate all the help from you and Alex.

We'll get busy on checking with the colleges.

Carol

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scuzzy · January 25, 2002, 06:53 hrs

Carol,

Bear and John brought up an excellent point in the Laptop Forum, which I completely spaced out. (Follow the thread here: Laptop Experts) MCE has provided superior service to many Poasters whom Quantex dumped. Remember those days? Often, Wesley and John (from MCE) have gone far out of their way to help. Superior customer service is hard to find anymore, including from companies like Dell who once prided themselves on their service.

With that in mind, you may want to consider purchasing a laptop from MCE. At this point, I'm not certain anyone else would give you better service. If you remind Wesley or John that you're a moderator with Poasters, you might even get the red carpet treatment. We carry their ad on our home page if you want to take a look at what they have available. Of course, we receive a commission from any sales. However, please don't buy from them for that reason only.

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Alex Garcia

Carol · January 25, 2002, 09:01 hrs

Alex, thanks. Actually this morning I was reading that topic. I decided I should be looking at the laptop forum since we will be buying one. I will check out their site. This weekend Christopher is going to send a couple of emails to the colleges and see what info he gets in return. It would be good to have great service since it will be important to Christopher's schooling.

Carol

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scuzzy · January 25, 2002, 10:26 hrs

This thread was moved to the Laptop Forum by Scuzzy

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Alex Garcia

pilam99 · January 29, 2002, 11:27 hrs

As a fairly recent college grad, my opinion is a bit different. I would suggest a desktop for a few reasons:

1) Once he gets to college, he may become interested in gaming because everone in the dorms will be playing Wolfenstein against each other and a laptop will not cut the mustard and he'll be left out. I know he's not into gaming now but I wasn't into a lot of things until I went to college (I mean that in a positive way...)

2) I know many guys who run web servers / websites form their dorm rooms. Doing so is great for the resume. You can't run a site from a laptop because you have to disconnect it from the network, obviously.

3) He'll probably want a CD burner to be cranking out MP3's. I'm sure it can be done on a laptop but not as affordably/efficiently.

4) Kids in school are always tinkering, upgrading, ripping out hardware, etc. No fun with a laptop.

I like having a laptop now but in college, a desktop is a whole 'nother ball game. I would assume that the college would have a ethernet connection in all dorm rooms, most do these days.

All I'm suggesting is that a desktop is more flexible and he may find future interests that can't be done on a laptop. Also, people on college campuses will steal anything! I'd worry about the laptop getting stolen. If you get one, make sure you buy an insurance policy. There's a company in OH, "safeware"?, that writes policies for about $50/year. I think it's worth it.

-Mike

scuzzy · January 29, 2002, 11:39 hrs

Excellent thoughts, Mike. Thanks for sharing, and welcome to Poasters.

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Alex Garcia

Carol · January 29, 2002, 13:52 hrs

Hi Mike,

Welcome, and thanks for the suggestions. Having it stolen was one thing I was worried about, thanks for the info on the insurance.

I do wonder that he might get interested in other things once he is there, but I don't think that gaming will be it. Being in Fl. there really isn't much reason to spend a lot of time inside, and with the colleges being on the water it will very hard for him to stay away from it since two of his main interests are scuba and sailing.

You do bring up some good points. And I haven't decided for sure but I'm sure that getting into changing hardware will not be for him. He has no interest in the computer at all except for the research it allows him.

But, thanks, as it gives me and him some other things to consider.

I did just come from Best Buy and looked at their HP laptops. Seemed to be some fairly decent prices. They did all come with XP home. I don't know if they have a choice about getting XP pro. But, I do like the looks of the ones at MCE computers, and I like the 4 years parts and labor warranty.

Still looking and deciding, so any other ideas are more than welcome.

Thanks all,

Carol

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scuzzy · January 29, 2002, 14:08 hrs

Carol,

If the choice were between Windows 98/Me, or Windows 2000 Pro, I'd say go for Windows 2000 Pro. However, there is much less to consider between Windows XP Home and Windows XP Pro. The home version will easily satisfy his needs, and it will be equally stable as the Pro version. If the Pro version happens to come with the computer, then fine. Otherwise, don't give it a second thought. The Pro version is the same as the Home version, with administrative/network extras.

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Alex Garcia

Karen · January 29, 2002, 19:47 hrs

Hi Carol,

Although it?s been quite a few years since I was in college and lived in a dorm, I can tell you theft of valuables is a major problem. You never know who may have a key to the room...residential staff, custodians, girlfriends/boyfriends, even former occupants. My dorm room had a large floor to ceiling lockable wardrobe (you provided your own padlock). All valuables were required to be locked up over weekends, holidays, breaks, and any other time the room was vacant more than a day or two. The university policy was expressly not responsible for theft of personal items. Back then, the only PC?s were in the computer lab, but everyone had a portable TV and stereo. I dutifully locked mine away as required and never had a problem. However, I can recall many incidents of theft from other rooms. In that regard, I would think a laptop would be preferable as your son could easily lock it up or take it with him.

As far as insurance, check with your homeowner?s insurance agent first before purchasing insurance from another source...you may already be covered. I have over 11 years in with a major insurance company. Although my specialty is automobile injury claims, I did a stint in the homeowner?s division. The homeowner?s policy we wrote (at least at that time), did cover valuables used by a child while at college as long as the named insured was the natural parent and/or legal guardian of the child, and the child normally resided in the named insured?s household when not attending school. Whew...that was a mouthful, but that is how it is normally written within the policy language.

Check your policy and contact your agent. Insurance policies are notorious for their difficult to understand policy language. Words to watch for are "deductible", "electronic media", "electronic devices", "portable electronic devices", "perils", "named perils", "expressly excluded", "excluded", "exclusions", "theft", "mysterious disappearance", "named insured", etc. Insurance policies vary by State as well as company. Some language within the policy is mandated by your State?s insurance laws, while other is specific to your particular insurance company.

Also, be aware of the difference between a "replacement cost" policy and "actual cash value" policy. Replacement cost policies reimburse the full amount needed to purchase the identical or "like kind/quality" item in today's market minus any deductible, if applicable. Actual cash value policies reimburse the amount of the item's actual cash value in today's market less any deductible, if applicable.

Actual cash value is determined by taking the item's original purchase price, dividing that number by the number of years of it's average useful lifespan to calcuate yearly depreciation, and then subtracting total depreciation for the nuumber of years the items was owned/used. Standardized personal belongings average useful lifespan charts are used by all insurance companies.

For example, say I have a TV purchased 2 years ago for $1,000 that is stolen and the average useful lifespan is 5 years. $1000/5years = $200 a year (depreciation). $200 x 2 (number of years owned) = $400 (total depreciation). $1,000 (purchase price) - $400 (total depreciation) = $600 actual cash value. If I had a deductible amount of $250, the calculation would be: $600acv - $250 (deductible) = $350 actual amount reimbursable.

Even if your homeowner?s policy does not specifically cover the PC/laptop your son will be using, you may be able to get a "rider" written under your homeowner?s policy which will cover it. "Riders" are written for specific items of value which are not normally covered under the standard homeowner?s policy or for which the specific item?s policy indemnity (reimbursable) limit is insufficient under the standard homeowner?s policy?usually fine jewelry, antiques, fine art, furs, high end electronic devices. For instance, many standard homeowner policies have a limit of $2,500 maximum indemnity for jewelry, meaning the most you would be able to collect under any one instance/occurrence (such as theft) would be $2,500. If you had an antique ring your great grandmother gave you that was valued at $5,000, the most you would be able to recover would be $2,500 in the event of its theft. However, if you had a rider written under your policy for the full amount of its value, the entire amount would be reimbursable less any deductible, if applicable. Riders do require the payment of additional premium, but the amount is usually less than that of obtaining insurance from another source.

Remember to save the receipts for your son's PC/laptop, as well as the receipts for any software he may purchase. Receipts will be required for proof of value should you need to make a claim. Instruction manuals and photos are also acceptable items of proof for some, but not all, insurance companies.

Now that I?ve bored you silly with all this insurance talk, congratulations on your son?s upcoming graduation and entrance to college. I know you must be very proud!

Karen

P.S. By the way, renter?s policies usually provide essentially the same coverage for personal belongings as do homeowner?s policies.

pilam99 · January 30, 2002, 05:55 hrs

Just for the record, I also went to college in Florida, 2 miles from the beach at Florida Tech. and could barely work a word processor when I started school. Which schools is your son considering attending? Incidently, I'll be leaving CT tomorrow to visit Melbourne.

-Mike

Carol · January 30, 2002, 07:15 hrs

Karen,

Thanks for all the insurance info. I will surely check with my homeowners before I do anything else. I never thought about that policy covering things taken to college.

I am worried about the theft factor. Will have to add checking on those lockers to our ever growing list of things to find out.

And thank you, yes, I am proud, but not sure I'm ready for him to leave. Of course he is more than ready. Can't wait to be a college student, more because he is so looking forward to all the things he can learn, rather than getting away from home. Has wanted to be in college since he was about 10. He had already skipped a year of school, and wanted to graduate a year early but the principal wouldn't let him.

Alex,

Thanks for the info on the difference in the two XP versions. He liked the HP ones we looked at, but want to look at others before we make any close to final decisions. Also want him to look at the MCE site.

Mike,

Welcome to Poasters. He is looking at FIU, Eckerd and possibly University of Miami. But, he also has an application for Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI that he is considering sending in, but don't know if he will like that cold country. Well, if the weather stays as it has been, you should enjoy your visit to Melbourne as it has been in the mid 80's here.

Thanks,

Carol

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Sunny · February 20, 2002, 00:04 hrs

laptop will be a good choice. u can have a laptop from www.procomdirect.com

Carol · January 22, 2002, 12:23 hrs

Well, it is now less than 4 months till my oldest son graduates from high school. I am sure that I will probably have to buy him a new computer for college (or buy myself one and give him this one.) Obviously I won't be buying this tomorrow, but wanted to have some ideas to start thinking about and watching prices.

First, I'm not really sure if a laptop or desktop would be better for school, so will listen to any suggestions on either variety.

What would be good as far as what it needs inside (video, ram, etc.). He really isn't a gamer, about the most he gets into is roller coaster tycoon. He mostly does research and will be, of course, doing his schoolwork. He does like to scan his photography and his artwork. Saves everything he writes and scans on the hard drive. Also, if a laptop, does anyone know if a wireless modem is very good.

Probably there are no choices about operating systems. I would imagine all the new ones come with XP. Will that work with some of the older programs and things like scanners?

Any ideas or thoughts would be helpful. Thanks a bunch.

Carol

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