Do college students need laptops?

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

Just one caveat, remind your student to backup files externally VERY OFTEN.

You do not even need to do that. With Google you can use Google Documents. Their Word processor is very similar to MS Word, has all the needed highlighting, bold facing, indenting, etc. stuff. And it is in the "cloud". They also have a spread sheet that is also very similar to MS Excel.

Cloud computing is the future.

[Deleted]

SF - how do you feel about Google and cloud computing in terms of privacy and ownership? DH feels anything we use from google or similar free sites (like snapfish) isn't owned by us and puts too much information about us out there for people to find.

[thyme4change]

Anne - tragic story. Maybe you could help her out by giving her part of the laptop money for her graduation. I know it is a lot, but as I said, there are 18 weeks between now and the first weekend in June. If you can scurry away just $10/week, that would be almost half the cost of the laptop. Tell her to do the same, and she has the tools she needs to get started.

[readsalot]

My child is a Freshman at a State University. It is required there.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

SF - how do you feel about Google and cloud computing in terms of privacy and ownership

I have a GMail account, that is of course, accessible via a password. I do not keep any personal info such as ss#, CC#s and other such items, though I do have my resume on Google Docs.
I had, I would estimate, a few hundred documents on Google Docs. Google is pretty good with security from what I can see. They are constantly monitoring accounts for security breaches, and if they believe one has occurred, they will lock your email account. There is a procedure to unlock it.

[Deleted]

Again, one of the 'requirements' that were included in the cost of the computer (which was included as part of the cost of attendance) was an external hard drive.

[Cookies Galore]

Jan 19, 2011 15:46:02 GMT -5 phil5185 said:

Anymore? LOL. That was a requirement when I was in college in 1958.

(That was before electricity so we had to watch TV by candlelight.)

HA!

[Sum Dum Gai]

An external hard drive seems like a bit much. You can get a thumb drive that'll hold a few gigs at any office supply store for $25 or less. A few gigs is something like a gajillion word documents (or thereabouts). Unless you're writing the longest thesis in human history it's all the space you need for notes, papers, etc.

[thyme4change]

True Dark - but an external hard drive the size of a hard-back King James bible is harder to lose than a USB drive that had doubles as a beer bottle opener.

[Sum Dum Gai]

If a college aged student still has problems keeping track of their things, they have bigger problems than keeping their papers backed up. Just saying. Besides the things are super cheap. Buy two or three and you're good to go.

[thyme4change]

yabut - beer!

[TheOtherMe]

I can't tell you how many thumb drives my nephew left at the library or in a class or somewhere else. He finally got the external hard drive to back up things. He is now working on his Ph D and uses the external hard drive and Drop Box, so his work is in a cloud.

Thumb drives, as well as external hard drives can die also.

Have the girl do some chores for you and pay her a bit so she feels like she is buying her own laptop. She will appreciate it more.

I graduated from college in 1975 and the papers had to be typewritten.

[The J]

Jan 19, 2011 17:35:45 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

An external hard drive seems like a bit much. You can get a thumb drive that'll hold a few gigs at any office supply store for $25 or less. A few gigs is something like a gajillion word documents (or thereabouts). Unless you're writing the longest thesis in human history it's all the space you need for notes, papers, etc.

Yeah, but how are they supposed to backup their porn?? Do you realize how long it takes to build up a suitable collection??

I would definitely get a laptop, not a desktop -- when I was in college, I had a desktop, which was fine, but I got a laptop for law school -- infinitely better.

[The J]

I'd also wait until they pick a college -- some colleges it may be included in the fees, others may have specific requirements, others may just have deals available.

[zibazinski]

That makes sense. For some odd reason, DD's college wanted her to have a certain thing for her computer and of course, there were none to be found anywhere on or around campus. DS to the rescue and got it in another college town where he was partying for the weekend so, yes, best to wait and make sure what she needs if you are going to help.

[whoisjohngalt]

I am in grad school and the only one in my class who takes hand-written notes. Everyone else has a laptop.

Lena

[Urban Chicago]

You do not even need to do that. With Google you can use Google Documents. Their Word processor is very similar to MS Word, has all the needed highlighting, bold facing, indenting, etc. stuff. And it is in the "cloud". They also have a spread sheet that is also very similar to MS Excel.

Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=finance&action=display&thread=1887&page=2#ixzz1BbdCH8OQ

True, but I recommend doing both as MS can have "unscheduled outages" at the least convenient times for a college student.

[kinetickid]

Jan 19, 2011 10:22:43 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

They need some kind of computer and a laptop is portable.

I agree. Once I had my laptop, homework was much easier. When I had a few extra minutes of free time, my computer was right there and I could get something done, regardless of where I was (free WiFi around campus makes it even easier).

Also, no need to wait in line for a free computer at the computing center or library (free computers are scarce during the last few weeks of class when everyone's trying to finish term papers and other projects).

[kinetickid]

Jan 20, 2011 10:20:28 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I am in grad school and the only one in my class who takes hand-written notes. Everyone else has a laptop.

Lena

I'm in physics, so laptops aren't very useful for taking notes, unless you can TeX at lightning speed. That said, there's always one student--sometimes two, but usually just one--who has a tablet PC that you can write on with a stylus for notes. I guess it's handy, but I still prefer paper notes. I guess I'm old fashioned that way.

[kygirl]

I teach college part-time and my answer is no. They do need access to a computer, but most college campuses have computer labs.

[Deleted]

Thanks for all the input. We'll have to check out the policy at whatever school she decides on and figure out a plan to purchase a laptop. I haven't looked at one in years and didn't realize how much they had come down in price. I think there are lots of adults in her life who could contribute at least a little and we've got until September.

kinetic - DH has a tablet PC and loves it. He can search through his notes by key words. He doesn't skim through words quickly so it's a big help to him. He's also mildly dyslexic so being able to change the color background helps a lot.

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2011 15:46:02 GMT -5 @kygirl said:

I teach college part-time and my answer is no. They do need access to a computer, but most college campuses have computer labs.

depends on the college/univeristy. DDs university required one. They started requiring them of at least some freshman back in 1984.

and you said 'most' have computer labs. what about the ones that don't?

[thyme4change]

They started requiring them of at least some freshman back in 1984.

Wow! Laptops didn't really exist in 1984. I know in 1987 my boyfriend had an apple. But it was pretty rare in the 80's for someone to have their own computer. Given the first PC was invented in 1981, I would say that your daughter's college was pretty cutting edge!

Plus - it probably cost $2000! Jeepers.

[Deleted]

My DD is a freshman now. I was a freshman in '83 at the same university and the incoming engineering class in '84 was required to have a computer. the univerisity now requires EVERY student to have a computer, with each college having their own requirements for it.

[kristi28]

Jan 20, 2011 16:17:50 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

They started requiring them of at least some freshman back in 1984.

Wow! Laptops didn't really exist in 1984. I know in 1987 my boyfriend had an apple. But it was pretty rare in the 80's for someone to have their own computer. Given the first PC was invented in 1981, I would say that your daughter's college was pretty cutting edge!

Plus - it probably cost $2000! Jeepers.

We got an AT&T 8086 around '84 or '85. I only knew of one other family that had one at that point. But we were new and fancy - we had a color monitor. Your choice Red/Yellow/Green or White/Pink/Cyan. Oh the days.

On the OT, I also teach at a university. Our students are not required to have computers; there is at least one lab on campus open 24/7 during all semesters. However, it is certainly helpful.

I would note, a lot of the students "taking notes" on their laptops are not exactly taking notes. Many are on FB, watching movies, checking email, you get the point.

[thyme4change]

Yes, during law school I called my husband's laptop a $1000-hearts machine.

[Deleted]

We got our first computer around 1987. It was a Tandy. It cost $$$ and didn't do much. DH remembers his dad bringing home one of the first laptops they ever made - it was the size of a suitcase and cost almost 4k I believe.

[doxieluvr]

Jan 20, 2011 16:45:40 GMT -5 @anne81 said:

We got our first computer around 1987. It was a Tandy. It cost $$$ and didn't do much. DH remembers his dad bringing home one of the first laptops they ever made - it was the size of a suitcase and cost almost 4k I believe.

I remember my parents getting us an IBM computer, and I thought the floppy disk encyclopedia was the neatest thing. AOL was better than sliced bread the day that came out.

[TheOtherMe]

When we got what my employer referred to as "portables" in the early 90's, they also issued those roller wheel luggage carriers. Those things were so heavy, you couldn't carry it around.

[schildi]

Jan 20, 2011 16:11:10 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

depends on the college/univeristy. DDs university required one. They started requiring them of at least some freshman back in 1984.

When I went to school in 1986, they required a Blu-Ray player and two iphones. ;D No excuses.