Originally Posted by monkeysugar

I'm going to go against the flow and suggest a desktop with a LCD monitor, based on my experiences with computers at school.

Where I went to school, laptops got stolen on a regular basis, regardless of how careful the owners were. Another issue is not that of irresponsibility on the part of the owner, but that of other people who visit their room. Laptops have a tendancy to fall off of desks, or be thrown across the room if your roommate doesn't like where your backpack is.

Yes, you can take a laptop to class, but everyone I saw with a laptop in class was using it to play solitaire and surf on the 'net, not to take notes with.

When a laptop has a problem, it is usually not a cheap or easy fix. With a desktop, the fix tends to be relatively inexpensive, and can almost always be easily done by the owner. (or the resident computer guru)

Don't get me wrong, I always wanted a laptop when I was in college, and would like to have one right now for the mobility, but unless your neice is really serious about taking it to class and will be doing a lot of traveling or coffee shop studying she might be happier with a desktop. I like amonkie's card idea. That way your neice can get exactly what she feels will fit her needs.