Taking a computer to college used to be considered optional. Now, the big question isn’t whether or not to take a computer, it’s what kind of computer you should take with you. Some kids can afford both kinds, but for most college students, budget is their largest priority, and they want to get the most use for their dollars.

The Desktop

The desktop offers you more storage options. A desktop computer’s storage capacity is far greater than the storage capacity on a laptop. What’s more, the types of drives you can have on a desktop are more varied as well. A desktop can easily hold a CD-Rom, CD Burner and DVD burner. Only a couple of these can be used on a laptop. What’s more, a desktop’s individual parts can be easily replaced. If, for example, you spill a drink on your keyboard, you can simply replace the keyboard. With a laptop you have to hope to high heaven you haven’t rendered the entire computer unusable.

The Laptop

Obviously, the largest bonus of taking a laptop to school instead of a desktop is that it takes up far less space and it is portable. You can take a laptop to class, to the library, to the cafeteria, to study groups, wherever. This, paired with school-wide wi-fi can save you a lot of time and worry about whether or not you remembered to bring all of the materials you need to class. Laptops are also going down in price and can be stored a lot more easily. While they don’t have the storage space offered by a desktop, you can connect extra storage drives and media drives via USB cables.

Whichever you choose, one thing is for sure: you will need to take a computer with you to college. It will make your life a lot easier!