Campus tech checklist:

Do I need a new computer, or can I bring my old one from home?

Yes, you probably can bring your computer from home, even if it's a little behind the times. For most academic purposes--writing papers, e-mailing, instant messaging, and surfing the Web--you can squeak by with a Pentium III or, for Macs, a PowerPC G4. (Your school's IT department, however, may not support such an outdated computer.) You'll need a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM drive for installing software, and you probably wouldn't want anything less than a 40GB hard drive. You'll also need an Ethernet port for networking or, if you have a laptop, an 802.11b/g card for wireless. Be sure you've installed at least 512MB of memory. Most importantly, your computer must run a modern operating system: Windows 2000 or XP Professional for PCs and OS X for Macs. Otherwise, you may have trouble using the latest applications and the campus network.

Should I buy a desktop or a laptop?

Laptops were made for college life: taking lecture notes, doing research on the Web, reclining on a sun-drenched lawn, tapping out eight pages on Heidegger's Being and Time. Many campuses' wireless networks cover dorms, lecture halls, libraries, and outdoor common areas, but check your school's Web site for a map of hot spots. If your laptop has built-in Wi-Fi or a wireless card, you can work almost anywhere. Nevertheless, desktops offer better performance per dollar, which may be important if you're on a budget or majoring in, say, graphic design, where you'll be running Photoshop. And for those all-dorm gaming frag fests, no laptop can match a loaded desktop.

Should I buy a computer through my school?

This looks like a question even the boys from Delta house couldn't flub. You definitely want to buy through the school, to take advantage of those sweet academic discounts. Right? Not so fast, Bluto. Sometimes online discounters offer a better deal. If you're buying an expensive system, comparison shopping could save you hundreds of dollars.

Still, buying from the school has its advantages. If your campus has a physical store, not just an online storefront, the salespeople will have experience advising students. Store techs may preconfigure your computer for the campus network, and they'll have worked on identical systems if yours ever needs service. Your school may also offer a wider variety of financing options than you'd find elsewhere. We recommend approaching an academic computer purchase as you would any other. Don't let excitement get the best of you. Consider your options, shop around, and take the time to make a well-informed decision.

I'm buying a new computer. What features does it need?

It's hard to go too far wrong. Almost any new name-brand system will come with the essentials for college life: a modern CPU, a current operating system, sufficient memory, a decent-size hard drive, built-in Ethernet, and, for laptops, Wi-Fi. Consult your academic department for special requirements. If you want additional guidance, most campus IT departments' Web sites provide recommended specs. For fall 2006, new PC desktops should run, at minimum, on an Intel Celeron D or a Pentium 4 CPU, or an AMD Sempron or an Athlon 64 chip. For PC laptops, the minimum you'll want is a Celeron M or a Pentium M or the AMD equivalent, a Turion or a mobile Athlon. We recommend looking for a desktop with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or a laptop with an Intel Core Duo processor; these are the latest processors for each platform, and by no means are they found only on high-end, pricey systems. As for Macs, any of the new Intel-based MacBooks or MacBook Pros will do; let your tastes and budget decide.

Whichever platform you choose, consider 512MB of RAM a bare minimum and go for 1GB if you can. Music files and digital snapshots take up a lot of space, so get at least a 120GB hard drive on a desktop or a 60GB drive on a laptop. With DVD burners so cheap these days, we'd say opt for one over a CD-RW or a DVD-ROM drive. And if you're buying a PC, be sure to get Windows XP Professional, not Home; the Home version doesn't play well with campus networks. Also, if you must have the latest tech, you'll want to upgrade to Windows Vista when it's released after your winter break (barring additional delays, naturally). We spell out the minimum requirements here; basically, you'll need a 64-bit processor, ample memory, and robust graphics.

Am I forgetting anything?

Don't forget cables. To take advantage of those 100Mbps dorm room connections, you'll need a Category-5 (or Cat-5) Ethernet cable; if you have a laptop, buy another to stash in your bag. Don't forget the surge protector, either. On the other hand, leave the floppies at home. USB flash drives are the easiest way to transport photos, music, and other files too hefty to fit in an e-mail attachment. Also, an external hard drive makes for cheap and easy backup; buy one before you lose that term paper in a system crash. If your dorm room is cramped for space, consider a TV-tuner card for your desktop or a laptop with a tuner built in. But be careful about bringing a wireless router to school: Some dorms prohibit them, and you don't want to find yourself locked out of the campus network.