Headed off to college? Need a new laptop? Here’s the advice I recently gave to my college-bound niece.
The first question is: Mac or PC? Some colleges require one or the other (and they will tell you), but most schools don’t care. I believe you will have far fewer problems with a Mac, and Apple now offers software that can run Windows and Windows-based software on the Mac. Apple is also offering a free iPod when you buy a Mac.
Go to a store and look at the actual units. A bigger screen quickly adds weight. Light-weight laptops are easier to carry around, but they often have cramped keyboards. These attributes are not something you can evaluate on the web.
Don’t worry about processor speed or disk speed. Unless you plan to edit videos or do a lot of photo processing, you will never notice the difference, and you will pay a lot more for capabilities you do not need.
Hard disks inevitably fill up. Videos, music, and pictures require lots of disk space. Get the biggest hard disk drive you can afford. You won’t regret it.
If your laptop comes with less than a gigabyte of memory, consider buying an upgrade. Your system will start up faster, and you can run more programs at the same time. If you buy the upgrade when you buy the machine, ask the store to install it for you. If they damage the memory, they’ll replace it for free. If you mess up the installation, you are out of luck.
You’ll probably want to take your laptop with you around campus. To avoid detaching and re-attaching multiple cables, buy an 8-port USB 2.0 hub. Plug any external hard drives, printers, iPods, etc., into the hub, and plug the hub into the laptop. When you want to take your laptop somewhere, just unplug the cable to the USB hub and disconnect the power brick.
Wait to purchase a printer until you know you need it. The college will probably give you access to a laser printer for high-quality printing.
Buy a USB memory stick (or two) for carrying files around or sharing them with teachers or friends. A stick is easy to lose, so write your name on it. Don’t leave personal stuff—especially passwords!—on it. If you lose it, you won’t have to worry about what it held. Even better, clip it to your key chain.
You can usually buy a heavily-discounted, academic copy of Microsoft Office at your university or college bookstore. Call ahead. You can also download a free clone of Microsoft Office at www.openoffice.org.
I strongly recommend subscribing to an online backup service such as mozy.com or sosonlinebackup.com. Your files are encrypted and stored on a professionally-managed server. These services typically cost a few dollars a month and are well worth the price. You will be protected from theft, a hard disk failure, and that tippy cup of latte.
Paul Green lives on Old Littleton Road.