Miss Marple Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I haven't done this for several years and in technology that is probably like dog years :) Ds will be a business major, so will not be running a lot of high level programs like his brothers did who majored in engineering. He needs something fairly lightweight, but fully functional. I think a 15 inch screen, but maybe smaller would work as well? Battery life is important. Also, we don't want a Windows 8 computer. What are some good options that have good warranties? I love my Samsung QX411 but it's a bit more than we want to spend for this one (he's more likely to break it than his brothers). Ideally we'd like to cap the expense at $500. But we do have some wiggle room in that. Ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 My older computer-loving son suggested that we get his brother a Dell business version laptop (Latitude) because they are more durable. If you get one with a solid state drive, it comes with a 3 year warranty standard. If you go to the outlet section, they have many "scratch & dent" and refurbished ones available with Windows 7. We've bought computers from that outlet in the past and have been happy with them. HTH, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merylvdm Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Does he need a CD drive? If not - that gives you options of lighter laptops. I can't offer any suggestions other than my Lenovo has only about a 1 hour battery life (deteriorated fast) so I wouldn't recommend that. My husband's workplace has all moved to Chrome books .... could something like that perhaps work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 We used to use Dells at work but don't anymore because they don't hold up like they used to. I'm not sure what they're buying for people who want PCs, but a lot of us have moved to Apple. Mine is 3 years old and it's still almost as fast as it was when it was brand new. OTOH, one of the last Dells we bought was as slow as molasses after only 3 months. It wasn't a cheap one, either. We went with Apples for both of our college kids because I am confident that they will last for the entire four years of college and more. The one I just bought for dd18 came to $1255 with the care plan, but we signed up for a credit card through the Apple website that gave us 12 months same as cash, so we're going to pay it off in monthly payments. You might not want to go that high above your budget, but I thought I'd let you know about the 12 month same as cash in case that might be an option for you. They also include a $100 gift card with computers for college students. I didn't see any accessories on the website that dd would need, so I used it toward an ipod for my youngest dd's birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 You may wish to look at what the university offers from their computer sales. When it comes to repairs and such they can offer an advantage for the student in some cases. You might also ask the prospective school what their computer requirements are-they should at least have a reference for the programs they expect you to use and what certain majors require and this would help point you in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 You may wish to look at what the university offers from their computer sales. When it comes to repairs and such they can offer an advantage for the student in some cases. You might also ask the prospective school what their computer requirements are-they should at least have a reference for the programs they expect you to use and what certain majors require and this would help point you in the right direction. I second this. The school would know what a business major would need. We also found that for our dd the price from the school was really good. I let dh and dd figure things out so I don't know particulars, but between the school bookstore price, dh's work discount and an educator's discount (me), they decided to buy it through the school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Cheryl, which educator's discount were you able to use for a computer from the college? Inquiring minds want to know! I'm wondering if it's the Barnes and Noble card as we have tried using it at several different college B & N bookstores, but they won't honor it even for books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 We got an ASUS. ASUS has a 1 year accidental damage warranty. So if ds drops it in the first year, it will be repaired/replaced. Seems everyone is having laptop sales this week and NewEgg had a good deal on it. Thanks for all the suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 We got an ASUS. ASUS has a 1 year accidental damage warranty. So if ds drops it in the first year, it will be repaired/replaced. Seems everyone is having laptop sales this week and NewEgg had a good deal on it. Thanks for all the suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Cheryl, which educator's discount were you able to use for a computer from the college? Inquiring minds want to know! I'm wondering if it's the Barnes and Noble card as we have tried using it at several different college B & N bookstores, but they won't honor it even for books. When I was in college, there was a store selling computer stuff at a discounted rate; you only had to show your ID to use it. I remember getting a copy of Mac OS for some shockingly low price at the time. This was on campus. Your child may be able to get a discount from other retailers by virtue of being a college student. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/computer-deals-for-students/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thank you Stripe! I'm familiar with some of the college student discounts, but I haven't heard of one for us, as educators, which can be applied to a college computer. Yes, it's amazing how much you save on Microsoft programs with their college ID/email! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Check the refurbished laptop section at places like newegg.com, too. It's hit-or-miss, of course, in the used marketplace, but you can definitely make a tight budget go much further that way. The warranty is usually only 30 days, so be sure to give it a thorough test it as soon as it arrives. Returns on refurbs are often for store credit, rather than cash as well, so buy your refurb from a vendor that has a wide selection in case you need to exchange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Cheryl, which educator's discount were you able to use for a computer from the college? Inquiring minds want to know! I'm wondering if it's the Barnes and Noble card as we have tried using it at several different college B & N bookstores, but they won't honor it even for books. Sorry, just now getting back to this. Not at the bookstore for our discounts. DH gets a discount at the Apple Store through work and I get an educator's discount at the Apple store as well. Well, we all do if we have a card that says we are educators. DD wanted a Mac, so they would all work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Thank you for explaining. That's great that they honored both discounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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