Buy or build for a college student?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
sudden his current PC has failed.

Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
build one.

I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
he will be away from home

What do you all think?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Depends on his level of expertise, and your level of
commitment to solving problems. IMHO I'd say you're better
off with a prebuilt that someone else has to troubleshoot
than dealing with 8 or so separate issues yourself.

<me6@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:gg7uc0tril78m7fa5qg88rjqen7ap3l58p@4ax.com...
> Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
> sudden his current PC has failed.
>
> Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
> build one.
>
> I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
> he will be away from home
>
> What do you all think?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

> Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
> sudden his current PC has failed.
>
> Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
> build one.
>
> I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
> he will be away from home
>
> What do you all think?

What school? Do a little research on the infrastructure first.

Notebooks cost more, are subject to handling, and are easy to steal.

Ed

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Pen wrote:
>
> Depends on his level of expertise, and your level of
> commitment to solving problems. IMHO I'd say you're better
> off with a prebuilt that someone else has to troubleshoot
> than dealing with 8 or so separate issues yourself.

I agree.

His focus should be on studies, not fixing his PC.

Larry

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>His focus should be on studies, not fixing his PC.

Yep

Kinda my thoughts as well

However, I wanted to get some second opinions tho.

 

[Brian]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

me6@privacy.net wrote:
> Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
> sudden his current PC has failed.

> Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
> build one.

> I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
> he will be away from home

> What do you all think?

Laptop. Especially for technical majors.

Push it like a drug dealer. My laptop and I were connected at
the hip until graduation. Get something small enough to fit in
a backpack (which is just about everything minus a few monster
sized laptops). Check with the school. The campus will
invariably by rigged with wireless. That hour gap between
class can be filled with a cup of coffee and some term paper
work.

But, laptops can get expensive I guess. Otherwise I'd go for
the warrantied/"supported" system despite some of the grumbling.

YMMV. Good luck with it.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>Laptop. Especially for technical majors.

He will be a dental student undergraduate.

Well.... my reasons against a laptop is you're getting
into even more proprietary parts and design. And
laptops generally all start developing problems after
some use, no? And if they DO develop problems I cant
fix it....it MUSt be sent in the factory to be fixed.
No?

I dunno.....Im just "ambivalent" abt a laptop not only
for above reasons but also for reasons of easier
theft..... easier to lose..... etc.

I might be wrong tho

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

me6@privacy.net wrote:

>>Laptop. Especially for technical majors.
>
>He will be a dental student undergraduate.
>
>Well.... my reasons against a laptop is you're getting
>into even more proprietary parts and design. And
>laptops generally all start developing problems after
>some use, no? And if they DO develop problems I cant
>fix it....it MUSt be sent in the factory to be fixed.
>No?
>
>I dunno.....Im just "ambivalent" abt a laptop not only
>for above reasons but also for reasons of easier
>theft..... easier to lose..... etc.
>
>I might be wrong tho

Question is, what will be of most utility to him as a college
student? You can't take a desktop to class, to the lab, to the
libraries, to the Starbucks, ...

If you spring for a PDA with full transfer capability in addition
to the laptop, that might address the portability issue for
classes, etc. Most college students I see in news reports, etc.,
seem to be carrying laptops, or at least suspiciously
laptop-carrying-looking shoulder bags supplementing their
knapsacks. But the last time I was actually on/near a campus was
197mumble, decidedly pre-PC days, so I'm not actually one to be
advising anyone. ;->
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

me,

My son is a senior at Penn State majoring in Information Sciences &
Techology and Telecommunications. He inquired at Penn State about what he
would need as far as a computer. He was told he would need a laptop and they
even gave him the specs of what he should get. We got him a Dell Inspiron
8200. A very nice machine.

He's never had to take it out of his apartment. I mean he could have sat on
the grass and wrote a paper, but he didn't.

The laptop is now sitting in his bedroom while he uses his desktops at
school.

The point is - ask the school if they require a laptop. If they don't, he
doesn't "need" one.

Joe R

<me6@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:u9huc013srl47rk58pc58jlmbi3k44cm5g@4ax.com...
> >Laptop. Especially for technical majors.
>
> He will be a dental student undergraduate.
>
> Well.... my reasons against a laptop is you're getting
> into even more proprietary parts and design. And
> laptops generally all start developing problems after
> some use, no? And if they DO develop problems I cant
> fix it....it MUSt be sent in the factory to be fixed.
> No?
>
> I dunno.....Im just "ambivalent" abt a laptop not only
> for above reasons but also for reasons of easier
> theft..... easier to lose..... etc.
>
> I might be wrong tho

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I just purchased a desktop for my son to go off to college
with, at his request. He didn't want a laptop. So I got him
a 8300 with a LCD screen, to save space.

"joe_tide" <joetide@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:10cunp48cmreb71@corp.supernews.com...
> me,
>
> My son is a senior at Penn State majoring in Information Sciences &
> Techology and Telecommunications. He inquired at Penn State about what he
> would need as far as a computer. He was told he would need a laptop and
they
> even gave him the specs of what he should get. We got him a Dell Inspiron
> 8200. A very nice machine.
>
> He's never had to take it out of his apartment. I mean he could have sat
on
> the grass and wrote a paper, but he didn't.
>
> The laptop is now sitting in his bedroom while he uses his desktops at
> school.
>
> The point is - ask the school if they require a laptop. If they don't, he
> doesn't "need" one.
>
> Joe R
>
> <me6@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:u9huc013srl47rk58pc58jlmbi3k44cm5g@4ax.com...
> > >Laptop. Especially for technical majors.
> >
> > He will be a dental student undergraduate.
> >
> > Well.... my reasons against a laptop is you're getting
> > into even more proprietary parts and design. And
> > laptops generally all start developing problems after
> > some use, no? And if they DO develop problems I cant
> > fix it....it MUSt be sent in the factory to be fixed.
> > No?
> >
> > I dunno.....Im just "ambivalent" abt a laptop not only
> > for above reasons but also for reasons of easier
> > theft..... easier to lose..... etc.
> >
> > I might be wrong tho
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Brian" <brian@sdsu.edu> wrote in message
news:can88e$55v$1@gondor.sdsu.edu...
> me6@privacy.net wrote:
> > Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
> > sudden his current PC has failed.
>
> > Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
> > build one.
>
> > I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
> > he will be away from home
>
> > What do you all think?
>
> Laptop. Especially for technical majors.
>
> Push it like a drug dealer. My laptop and I were connected at
> the hip until graduation. Get something small enough to fit in
> a backpack (which is just about everything minus a few monster
> sized laptops). Check with the school. The campus will
> invariably by rigged with wireless. That hour gap between
> class can be filled with a cup of coffee and some term paper
> work.
>
> But, laptops can get expensive I guess. Otherwise I'd go for
> the warrantied/"supported" system despite some of the grumbling.
>

Many campuses/courses are actually beginning to *require* them

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>If you spring for a PDA with full transfer capability in addition
>to the laptop, t

Did you mean in addition to a "desktop" in above
statement rather than to a "laptop"? Was that a
typo?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>What school? Do a little research on the infrastructure first.

Univ Missouri at Kansas City. They have a big dental
school there

I will have him find out if laptops are required

Thanks for advice

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

me6@privacy.net wrote:
>
> >Laptop. Especially for technical majors.
>
> He will be a dental student undergraduate.
>
> Well.... my reasons against a laptop is you're getting
> into even more proprietary parts and design. And
> laptops generally all start developing problems after
> some use, no? And if they DO develop problems I cant
> fix it....it MUSt be sent in the factory to be fixed.
> No?
>
> I dunno.....Im just "ambivalent" abt a laptop not only
> for above reasons but also for reasons of easier
> theft..... easier to lose..... etc.

The same warranties available to desktops are also available
to laptops (i.e., on-site).

While laptops *are* easier to steal, they're also easier
to secure (e.g., in a locked closet).

Lots of pros, lots of cons...

Larry

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 11:06:07 -0500, me6@privacy.net wrote:
> Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
> sudden his current PC has failed.
> Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
> build one.
> I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
> he will be away from home
> What do you all think?

I would buy, not build (unless he's a computer science major. Then
perhaps he should build it).

But I wouldn't depend on service from any company. They're all pretty
bad.

I'd buy used. He probably does not need the latest and greatest, just
something to use the web, email and word processing. Since this is a
Dell group, I'd suggest Dell refurbished:
http://outlet.dell.com
or, even cheaper, Dell Financial Service (DFS) off-lease equipment:
http://www.dfsdirectsales.com/dfsdirect
or, even cheaper, DFS on ebay:
http://stores.ebay.com/id=30734292&ssPageName=L2
You might need to buy a student-edition MS Office package separately.

I've had good luck buying used Optiplex GX150/SDT desktops from
DFS/ebay and Latitude C800 laptops from DFS/direct recently. Both are
acceptable for simple student use.

(I've had some problems buying laptops from other sellers on ebay, but
no problems from DFS.)

Of course, IBM and others have similar refurbished/off-lease purchase
options.

--
Dale Dellutri <ddelQQQlutr@panQQQix.com> (lose the Q's)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>(I've had some problems buying laptops from other sellers on ebay, but
>no problems from DFS.)

Thanks Dale!!

That was great info.

Heck I might buy a desktop PC from DFS for MY use! LOL

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

>I've had good luck buying used Optiplex GX150/SDT

What does "SDT" in above number mean?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

small desk top?

<me6@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:rf4vc0pr57pdpabmdi8tt1stb1na1bf7bm@4ax.com...
> >I've had good luck buying used Optiplex GX150/SDT
>
> What does "SDT" in above number mean?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 19:19:21 -0500, me6@privacy.net wrote:
> >I've had good luck buying used Optiplex GX150/SDT
> What does "SDT" in above number mean?

The letters in the description after the model number refer to the
chassis form factor. SDT = small desktop. I like this form factor
because it's physically small but the inside is well laid out. It
also has space for two PCI expansion cards, which is enough expansion
space for my needs.

Usually dorm rooms are small, so a small machine is a good idea.

Other posters have suggested contacting the school before making any
final decisions; that's a good idea. My daughter's school strongly
suggested Win2K or WinXPPro, not WinXPHome, for the OS, for example.

--
Dale Dellutri <ddelQQQlutr@panQQQix.com> (lose the Q's)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

me6@privacy.net wrote:

>>If you spring for a PDA with full transfer capability in addition
>>to the laptop, t

>Did you mean in addition to a "desktop" in above
>statement rather than to a "laptop"? Was that a
>typo?

Yes. No, I typed laptop perfectly; I just had a disconnect
between brain and fingers in typing it. ;->
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

me6@privacy.net wrote in message news:<gg7uc0tril78m7fa5qg88rjqen7ap3l58p@4ax.com>...
> Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
> sudden his current PC has failed.
>
> Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
> build one.
>
> I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
> he will be away from home
>
> What do you all think?

See if the school he is going to has a computer store. You may get a
better deal with his student id. Also look into what software, if
any, is available to the students… PSU gave us XP PRO, Office, Front
Page, Visual Basic, Norton Antivirus, and Eudora PRO. PSU was a Dell
school, so it made problem solving easy with a Dell tech on campus.

Cheers,

Ned

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 11:06:07 -0500, me6@privacy.net wrote:

>Nephew will be going to college next fall and all the
>sudden his current PC has failed.
>
>Debating whether to buy a PC such as Dell..... or
>build one.
>
>I can see merit to buying one that has "support" given
>he will be away from home
>
>What do you all think?

Wouldn't a laptop make more sense at college? Easier to take to
class, bring home, etc. True, more easily stolen as well.
--
Top 10 Conservative Idiots:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Dale Dellutri <ddelQQQlutr@panQQQix.com> wrote:
> or, even cheaper, Dell Financial Service (DFS) off-lease equipment:
> http://www.dfsdirectsales.com/dfsdirect
> or, even cheaper, DFS on ebay:
> http://stores.ebay.com/id=30734292&ssPageName=L2

Thanks for those links - I've been looking for a new-used laptop for my
mom - I didn't know Dell offered these other options.


--
~ Kathleen Anderson
Spider Web Woman Designs
http://www.spiderwebwoman.com/