The Post's editorial Deal or No Deal in the May 16 edition raises concerns about Go Mobile, Ohio University's discount laptop program, that deserve to be addressed.
First off, let's look at pricing. As noted right on the Go Mobile Web site (technology.ohio.edu/go-mobile), it's easy to find a cheap laptop. In fact, here's a real world example: On May 16, I went to the special offers section of a major manufacturer's online store.
Sure enough, I quickly spotted a 15-inch widescreen laptop for just $549. When I added it to my cart, I noticed that it had a Celeron processor ' a processor that was already showing its age when we retired it from the residence halls back in 2003! A closer review of the specs revealed many other essentials that were missing, too. So I clicked the customize button and went to work.
After adding in all of the features that come standard with a Go Mobile laptop, like Windows XP Professional, Office Professional, McAfee Anti-Virus, 3-year warranty, 3-year accidental damage protection, extended life battery and additional memory, my $549 laptop jumped to $1515! That's $146 more than our top-of-the-line Go Mobile ThinkPad, for a machine based on five-year-old technology. So yes, there are cheaper prices to be had, but make sure you are comparing apples to apples.
Speaking of Apples, I agree that our discount on Macs isn't nearly as good as for ThinkPads. Chalk that one up to market forces. If you want a Mac, Apple is pretty much the only game in town. We're quite pleased that Apple agreed to provide an additional discount over their regular educational pricing for Go Mobile. After all, if you need a Mac, every little bit counts.
I can understand wanting to make price the deciding factor. It's what keeps companies like Wal-Mart in business. Just make sure you're not leaving value out of the equation. For example, our research at schools with established laptop programs indicates that the vast majority of students who buy laptops through discount programs keep those computers for their entire undergraduate careers and beyond. As such, we need to make sure our Go Mobile machines won't be obsolete in a year or two. That rules out anything other than the latest technology.
There also is the very real issue of reliability. As our repair technicians can attest, undergraduate life can be rough on computers. Where's the value in selling dirt-cheap machines if they break easily and don't have good warranties or accidental damage coverage?
In the end, it's a matter of deciding whether you want the cheapest computer possible or the best value. If you want the best value, Go Mobile.' Sean O'Malley is the IT Communications Manager for Communication Network Services.
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Letter to the Editor
