Originally published on June 8, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.
As the first-time parent of a college-bound freshman (freshperson?), one of the many questions to address before bundling young Master Kodner off to school is what kind of computer system he should use. I suspect that many of you are grappling with the same question right now for college or perhaps even law school so I thought I'd offer some thoughts to help you shop smart.
While you can never spend too much time conducting research, if you're pressed for time, consider these four key factors:
- Campus Support: What does the college recommend or support?
- Durability: Even careful kids are going to be tough on a laptop because they'll bring it everywhere.
- Portability: A big 17" machine will be tough to lug around with all those textbooks.
- Core Software: What software does your son or daughter need for their coursework? It may depend on their planned courses (e.g., computer programming).
The Best of Both Worlds for My College-Bound Son
After analyzing these issues, I gave my son a 13 inch MacBook for his high school graduation present.
Apple just replaced its line of notebooks today with new models, but I didn't buy my son a "new" machine. Rather, I took advantage of a 15% discount by selecting the system from Apple's "Refurbished Mac" link (look at the lower left corner of the store's Web page). The Apple factory refurbished systems carry the same warranty as new systems and go through a rigorous testing process before being made available for sale. I see no disadvantage in purchasing this way.
He'll be running Windows XP Pro under Parallels Desktop 4 and its "virtual machine" environment. He's a bit of an operating system junkie so he'll have his favorite Ubuntu Linux available via a dual-boot process using Apple's Boot Camp utility. He'll have MS Office 2007 Ultimate via Microsoft's $60 deal they call "The Ultimate Steal" (specifically for bona fide educational purchasers with a .EDU email address) and the free OpenOffice 3 suite.
Also, it's a good idea to include an Internet protection suite with three or, if possible, four years of pre-paid update subscription to get your student through undergrad life (let your kid pay for their own when they're in grad school!).
Laptop Brands That Stand Up to Students
Laptop brands I would consider durable enough with good enough support include:
- ThinkPads by Lenovo — built like tanks (especially the value-priced SL series)
- Apple MacBook and MacBook Pros
- Panasonic Toughbooks (extremely rugged, but expensive)
That's my short list for machines that would have a chance of making it through all four years of undergrad life. Be sure to equip them near the high-end, specification-wise, so you have the best chance of getting through four years with one laptop purchase. Most certainly, research available student discounts through the school as well — they may (or may not) be cheaper than smart shopping on the open market (and may include a campus IT support package). For example, Apple specifically has an online educational store for many listed colleges.
What about netbooks for college students? As much of a netbook nut as I am, I just don't see them as practical for a primary machine. Many programs require more hardware horsepower than a netbook can deliver. Also, the need to store lots of data, especially for scientific and artistic types, may exceed the 160 GB maximum hard drive size of current netbooks. Also, smaller keyboards might hinder the ability to take rapid real-time notes in class.
Make Backups Automatic or They Won't Get Done
Don't forget backups — and acknowledge that my normal backup advice for your law practice doesn't apply . My own son is about the most responsible kid you could ever meet. But I can't trust him to do backups unless I'm on his back about it. So this is the one area where I think backup is best done automatically. Here are some options:
- An initial image backup with Acronis True Image Home for Windows or SuperDuper for the Mac (which TechnoLawyer uses to clone its Macs) that you keep on a drive at home and on an external portable drive he/she takes with them.
Then for regular backup:
- Online backup to one of the major providers — Mozy.com's home service (for Windows and Mac) is probably the best bet in terms of low cost ($4.95/month) and likelihood of staying in business for the next four years. The campus might have an approved or endorsed online backup provider with a student deal.
- If you want live on-site backup and you go the Mac route, I like the idea of Apple's included Time Machine backup system with a wireless Apple Time Capsule (again refurbished to save money). This is the setup I use with my MacBook at home — and Windows can backup wirelessly to it as well. Why a wireless Time Capsule? Because I couldn't trust my son necessarily to remember to plug in a cable to connect to an external USB hard drive. Again, think "automatic."
Extras to Consider
Theft: Laptops are prone to theft. Consider locking it up when student and laptop are separated with a DormVault. Also, Lojack for Laptops, which I've come to believe is essential for lawyers as well.
Laptop Bags: Let your student pick both a laptop bag they like or acknowledge they won't use a laptop bag and focus instead on a decent protective sleeve (neoprene lined) so that it can get tossed into another bag and not get trashed. One particular laptop sleeve/protector approach may trip your kid's green sensibility trigger — it's called the Act2 GreenSmart Laptop jacket ($45) and is made from recycled plastic bottles. Think also about plastic protective shields like these $50 models from Incase.
Electrical Protection: A quality surge protector to always plug into in the dorm room and a quality laptop surge protector to outfit his/her laptop bag — Tripplite Traveler, APC Notebook SurgeArrest, or the nifty one I use from Belkin with three outlets and two USB charging ports.
Printing/Scanning/Copying: When the number one priority is space-efficiency, consider the sleek and svelte SCX-4500w. While it might be best for your kid to get their color printing done somewhere on campus, if their assignments demand hard-copy color, the most physically compact color MFD I could find is another Samsung product, the CLX-3175FW.
I hope fellow parents of college-bound freshmen (freshpeople?) found this checklist helpful. Not a parent? Not to worry. I'll return to the world of SmallLaw in my next column.
Written by Ross Kodner of MicroLaw.
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