We shove eight college computer choices into the ring to beat, kick,
and slam it out against their will. Find out if desktops can pin
heavyweight champs laptops; whether PCs or Macs are the true kings of
the ring; if printers stand a chance against library computer labs; and
every other option you have when going to college. No scripts, no
blood, and no biting á la Mike Tyson — but fun nonetheless. The
stage is set, the opponents have taken their corners and, like it or
not, they’re ready to rumble.
Round One: Computer vs No Computer
Believe it or not, some students go their entire college career without
owning their own computer. Your school’s library probably has a
computer lab set up for students to research projects, write essays,
register for courses, check email, and browse the web.
Unfortunately, the library is usually a far walk from most residence
halls, which means students without their own computer end up using
their roommates’.
Almost every student has a computer on campus. If students
strictly used a computer for research, no one would own a
computer. People constantly chat using instant messaging,
download music and movies using the school’s network, write essays for
their classes, play games, and read and write in blogs. In
college, the computer is more than a tool; it’s a form of communication
and entertainment.
Even if you decide not to buy a computer, pick up a USB Flash
drive. These drives are about the size of a keychain and
can usually hold hundreds of Microsoft Word documents. The drives
are inexpensive (around $20), work on every computer, and are
available for sale at computer stores and Wal-Mart.
The Decision: The edge to owning a computer.
Round Two: Desktop vs Laptop
For some students, they will get the option to choose a desktop or
laptop. For other students, they’ll be taking whatever they find
under the boxes in their basement. Let’s be realistic, desktop
machines are much cheaper than laptops, but they take up a ton of
room. The last thing any student wants is a monitor, computer
tower, and external speakers in their modest, limited dorm room.
With laptops, a student can easily move them off his or her desk to
reveal space for doing homework. In addition, lying in your bed
with a laptop while writing an essay is surprisingly comfortable.
Laptops are also helpful when working with a group, because everyone
can do their own research and collaborate on the project.
For serious gamers or aspiring film students in their third year of
school, they would never even consider buying a laptop. For the
rest of the world who wants to check email, talk to friends, and write
papers, the best computer for a college dorm room is a laptop.
The Decision: A laptop, the undisputed champion.
Round Three: PC vs Mac
People have nearly died in their fight over the better system for a
computer. There has been a long-term rivalry between both
sides, just about as extreme as the rivalry between the Union and the
Confederates during the Civil War.
The Mac introduced the idea of a personal computer with a mouse, and
the PC modeled its system after the Mac. The PC is considered
more compatible than the Mac, but that theory has changed within the
past five years. Because of the level of competition, the
PC is generally much cheaper.
The Mac provides the computer, the system, and the programs. It
works flawlessly together because it was designed to work
together. The PC is more of a grab bag because different
companies make different products, and some products are worse than
others.
Just about every major program that you will need to use in college is
available on both systems. If you are serious about playing games,
however, the Mac is constantly three to six months behind the
industry. On the other hand, the Mac is known for being
crashproof.
The Decision: Too close to call. We recommend a Mac
because it rarely crashes and comes with all the software a student
will ever need. However, if you’re comfortable with a PC, take a
PC to college.
Round Four: Printer vs No Printer
Some students will begin writing the conclusion of their essay about
five minutes before class. For these students, they definitely
want their computer hooked up to a printer. The ability to print
and go saves a good half hour of the day.
For a student without a printer, you have to either save your essays to
a disk or email your essays to yourself. From here, you have to
go to the library or computer lab, log in to a machine, pull up your
essay, and print. Be sure to have a student ID or printer card,
because most schools charge about ten cents per page. Also
remember to have a stapler on you. Libraries and computer labs
rarely provide complimentary stapling, and professors hate receiving
papers where students avoided stapling by performing a form of origami
(folding the pages over in the corner, and hoping they will stick
together when passing them forward).
Nowadays, it seems like every time you super size your fast food order,
you get a free printer. Practically every computer you buy comes
with a free printer. Some digital cameras include a free
printer. Some computer stores will give you a free printer if you
spend a certain amount of money. If you are not fortunate enough
to receive a free printer, stores like Wal-Mart and Target sell Lexmark
printers for $30, and that includes the ink cartridges.
The Decision: The edge to owning your own printer.
Related Links
- Find out the best way to buy a computer
- Prevent and defeat spyware on your computer
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