Schools offer free laptops

Across the nation, college students have begun to look forward to a freebie above and beyond a red plastic backpack: a free laptop, with only a few strings attached.

Babson College began its seventh year of providing freshmen with laptops this September, and sophomore Darovena Myrtaj said while students do have to pay a small fee when they graduate if they want to keep their laptops, the four years of free ownership are well worth it.

"It cuts down on costs for us and Babson," Myrtaj said. "Hell no could I live without my laptop, and Babson made that easier for me."

While the program is well-established for some Boston-area schools, for other universities across the nation, freshmen are getting their first taste of the free merchandise as recently as this month.

West Liberty State College in West Virginia gave all of its incoming freshmen a free laptop this September, joining the growing movement of colleges that view laptops as a necessity in today's Internet-driven educational system.

Only full-time students who have completed at least six consecutive semesters are allowed to keep their laptops after graduation. The Windows-based computer is free, but if students want a Macintosh they must pay a $150 fee. If students fulfill the requirements, they will never be charged for anything other than a $75 fee per semester for warranty and service, according to West Liberty's website.

"We looked at other schools for their technology programs," West Liberty student government President Shane Stack said. "Now, schools will look at West Liberty, and two or three years from now, you'll see them following us."

"Our new president is looking five, 10 years down the road," Stack said. "He's bringing us into the future. You would rarely see a laptop in class before this new program. Now you see freshmen at the student union or in class typing their notes."

Lyon College, a private college in Arkansas, also began a similar program for their incoming freshmen this academic year.

As part of the new "Lyon College Experience" program, freshman were provided with a Lenovo ThinkPad R61, and in two years, will receive a new model that is theirs to keep upon graduation if they have remained full-time students, information services Director Charles Neal said.

Neal said that Lyon is offering this service because the benefits to students are obvious and necessary.

"It levels the playing field," Neal said. "Students who couldn't afford laptops, even desktops, are now at no disadvantage."

While Boston University has no current plan to instate such a program, some students might not be so willing to accept the free equipment.

"That takes away the ability to choose," School of Management junior Alizay Saeed, said. "I would rather choose my own. If you are going to have a computer for four years, you want it to be nice. Schools would give away cheap computers that would be more trouble than they're worth."