Word processing is required by all Schools and will constitute a major part of computer usage for most students. Special applications such as high end graphics and CAD are used by most Schools but these software applications are expensive and can easily total the cost of the computer itself. Therefore many students do not run this software at home. Important to remember is that due to the lack of experience with Macintosh systems the Faculty computer staff can not offer the same level of assistance as they can with PCs. While the portability can be nice, notebooks also have some important negative points.
Notebooks are much more expensive than a similar desktop machine.
Notebooks also have noticeably slower performance than a similar desktop machine. Notebooks are prime targets for theft, especially in a University environment. Computers generally only have a life of about three years. This is because software is made more demanding as more powerful computers are developed. Software also greatly affects the type of computer that should be purchased.