Laptops and Universities!

kerisbf

kerisbf

geez o pete
Hi all! I'd like your help, if you don't mind...

A friend of mine is running for president of ASNMU (my university's student government). Part of his platform will be expanding our Laptop Initiative to include Macs for the students, in addition to the IBM Thinkpads the university already requires us to have. Ideally, the students should have a choice between Macs and pc's, and currently, we don't. We are required to have the laptops that the university furbishes: a low-end Thinkpad, with a slow processor, and incredibly unstable operating system (Windows ME).
My job is to research Macintosh laptops as an alternative for students.

Keeping in mind the costs, I would like your opinions on which Mac laptops would be best for college students (particularly those enrolled in, but not limited to, the Art and Design program). It would be helpful if you include an explanation of why you recommend these laptops as well.

(Of course, anything you'd like to throw at me is more than appreciated!!!)

Thanks a lot!
kerisbf
 
Well, I don't have any personal experience with on-campus computing, but let me tell you my sister's story. Every computer we have had has been an Apple since our first computer (Apple II). When my sister went off to college (she graduates in about 2 months after 4 years), we had a PowerMac 6100/60. Since we (the family) wanted an upgrade, we bought a Rev. A Beige G3 Desktop and she got the 6100. She had too many problems with it, such as most of the campus used PCs and the computer was taking up way too much desk space. So, she got a Compaq Presario. We had TONS of problems with this. We sent it back for repair so many times, they eventually replaced EVERYTHING in the computer, except the case of course, and Compaq eventually just sent her a new one for free. How nice. Now, this year, she had some research deal for a biology class of some sort (she's a bio major, currently in Belize), the professor made them used the supplied iBooks. These were the "new" iBooks (the white ones) and when she came home for a weekend she was raving about it. She said she wanted one. She hadn't used a Mac in 4 years, and as soon as she touched the iBook, she was in love with it. She still uses the PC, but we may eventually get her back to the Mac. On a totally unrelated note to that story, the teachers at our school are all issued laptops of some sort. The "old" teachers got Bronze PowerBook's (G3), and the "new" teachers got either a new iBook or a Titanium Powerbook. don't ask how the school could afford this, because each classroom has 5 Color Classics and each of the 3 computer labs have about 35 each. I asked one of the teachers with an iBook how he liked it and he told me he loved it, though it was hard to get started at first because he had been using PCs all his life. That's a few more converts to the Mac side. RAH! :)
 
That's encouraging to hear! :)

Our entire campus is pc based (that's 8,000 students and I don't know how many professors), except for our Art and Design deptartment, which has two Mac labs. The Art and Design professors were also given the option to get an iBook. (They're the only people on campus with that option).

kerisbf
 
Oh, there's no ban on Macs, in fact, I know quite a few people who have them. We're just trying to get the university to offer us another laptop option. We have to pay for them in our tuition whether we use them or not, so we may as well have something we will use.

kerisbf
 
Two questions. One, which University is this and two, do you get to keep the laptop or do you have to return it?
 
I have an iBook and I love it. I think it's a terrific laptop for students. iBook running Mac OS X would be an excellent platform for CS students. With Mac OS X and the free developer tools a student can compile codes in most major programming languages (C, C++, Objective-C, and Java).

Furthermore, iBook is amazingly portable. Now that I am used to it, all the other laptops on the market seem so bulky and heavy. Also, the iBook is very durable. Simply go to your local CompUSA and compare the iBook and any other PC laptop and you can tell the difference instantly. I dropped my iBook (with the cover closed) from one feet up to a hardware floor (it was an accident) and it survived with aplomb.

However, the iBook is not good for Art students. The iBook doesn't support resolutions higher than XGA and the video out only support mirroring. The GPU is also somewhat weak... For major graphics work (i.e. Photoshop), the PowerBook G4 is the way to go.

Good luck!

-B
 
The university is Northern Michigan University, in Marquette, MI.
We get the laptops for the duration of the school year, and if we pay a fee we can keep them for the summer (the fee is put towards your bill in the fall). You get the laptops for two years before they upgrade you to a newer model, and I understand that you'll have the option to buy after the two years is up.

kerisbf
 
One of my friends goes to Winona State over in MN, they started an all laptop pollicy back in 99 when she started. This is a relativly small school, and really not art at all, and IBM makes the think pads about 10 miles from the school. Yet, all of the students have a choice between a thinkpad and a iBook.

If you do not have a laptop, then you must sign up for one, and it is added to your tuition. So, maybe you could call them, and ask them about it, or have your school call them, for ideas. www.winona.edu

One cool thing I like about their program is, they are in the works of switching over from LAN to wireless. Which, would be a pretty neat thing for an all laptop school.
 
Thanks for that tidbit! I'll be sure to visit their website, and probably give them a call to see what I can find out.

My university is also looking at wireless. We already have it installed in our campus apartments, and the administration would like it in the dorms too. I think it would be even more beneficial to install wireless in the classrooms and lecture halls as well.

kerisbf
 
My university is going wireless as well. A lot of students I know have laptops, I'd say the spread between PC and Apple laptops is 50/50. I freaking LOVE my iBook. I'm a finance major and it does everything I need. I can't say enough about how much I love using a Mac over a Windows machine. I didn't think I'd really care, but Macs are the way to go. (as if I need to tell anyone here, that.)
 
While I haven't owned both, the iBooks are generally considered more durable. For that reason alone I would reccomend the iBook for college students.

Vanguard
 
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