Some students say purchasing a laptop instead of a desktop might be the best way to save a little space during a year of cramped dorm rooms and cluttered desks.

No preference sophomore Cheryl Brodowski said she was drawn to the versatility and space-saving attributes of a laptop.

"I liked the idea that I could travel with my laptop," Brodowski said as she typed on her computer. "I can take it to a friend's to work on something or to the library, and it works just as well as any desktop."

Students can use the light-weight mobility of a laptop for in-class presentations or lecture notes and group meetings for collaborative projects, she said.

Communication junior Steve Roszak said having a laptop also can help save a little money.

"My printer recently broke, so having a laptop is really convenient because I can take it to a friend's house to print things," Roszack said. "That way I don't have to pay 5 cents a page at the library."

Sitting in the Main Library's Cyber Cafe with her laptop, Lorien Halbrook, clinical social work graduate student, said she uses her laptop to work on papers in between classes.

"It is easier for me to use a laptop because I have a hectic schedule and I am able to do a lot of work on it," she said.

Allan Evans, electrical engineer junior and MSU Computer Store employee, said owning a laptop will not necessarily improve your academic performance.

"It depends on the student," Evans said. "I know some students who have laptops and just leave them at home, but I also know some students who bring the laptops with them in class."

He said many new laptops with a lot of extra features can range from $1,000 to $2,000, but many students only need a computer with basic programs for schoolwork.

Laptop computers are about $300 more than a desktop computer, said Dave Molnar, an employee at Best Buy, 5216 W. Saginaw Hwy. in Lansing."Most students don't know what they need when they shop for a laptop," he said.

Molnar added students who shop for computers are more concerned with entertainment features such as CD burners and DVD players than how the laptop will help them with their schoolwork.

"Most students want a light computer that has a fast built-in Ethernet connection and is not too pricey," Molnar said.

Students who transport their laptop computers around campus, should carefully investigate warranty options that cover both system failure and damage due to accident and neglect, Molnar said.

"In general, laptops tend to break down more, sometimes it's because people drop them," he said.

Molnar said laptops also can take longer to get fixed because interior components are smaller and more condensed, which is why laptops can't be updated as easily as a desktop.

The same mobility which makes a laptop so appealing to students can also make it an easy target for theft, Molnar said, adding students can purchase locks that secure laptops to desks.

Food science senior Kristen Anthony owns a desktop and said her computer has more advantages when compared to a laptop.

"With laptops you can only get one size and with a desktop you can add more things to it such as memory," Anthony said.