Which Operating Systems Rule Your Campus?

Which of these do you see more often on your campus? Image courtesy of Flickr user Pandemia and licensed under CC by 2.0

Though Apple only controls 10% of the general computer market in the U.S., it's long been assumed that the company does better on college campuses where students are free to choose their own device. Even so, a recent study by the University of Texas (or view the highlights on Daring Fireball) on their internal network usage paints a fairly shocking picture, with 52% of "traditional wireless devices" such as laptops running OS X, and only 47% running Windows. 

Also surprisingly, 83% of mobile devices on campus were using iOS, and only 12% were based on Google's Android, despite Android's surging growth in the mobile phone market. 

The HackCollege readership follows similar trends, albeit not nearly as dramatically, with OS X accounting for roughly 1/3 of site visits from traditional desktops, and iOS powering about 70% of mobile visits. 

Apple's success in the education market is no surprise, given the excellent back to school promotions the company runs each summer, not to mention the generous educational discounts available year-round. That said, things could change for this year's incoming freshman class with Microsoft's amazing offer of a free Xbox with the purchase of a new computer. 

My challenge to you is this: go to the comments and estimate your school's OS breakdown. Obviously there's nothing scientific about this, but it could be interesting. Is Apple's presence as strong as your school as it is at UT? Does your school give away a computer or mobile device to all students, or require you to use a certain OS? It should be a fun conversation. 

[Via Daring Fireball]

Finding the Best Furniture Option for Your Apartment

No college student's apartment is going to look like this, but by searching around for the right option, you'll find the furniture that works for you. Photo courtesy of Posh Living, LLC. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.

This upcoming semester will be the first time I'm living in my own apartment, and for those of you who have read my previous posts about my living situations know that I am absolutely stoked for this. I've gotten practice living on my own this summer as I'm subleasing one of my friend's apartment, and that's been really great. However, there is one thing that I haven't had to deal with yet and that is furniture. This is a hurdle that I know that every college student who moves into their own apartment has to deal with.

I'm a little late coming into the game as a senior dealing with this for the first time (curse you three year residency requirement), but I feel like I've explored several decent options for getting furniture to my apartment. Each option definitely has their merits, and it all just depends on your preferences and circumstances and what works best for you. The three options I perused were retail furniture stores, yard sale or hand-me-down furniture, and furniture rental stores.

Retail Furniture Stores

Now, the first con that I know everyone is thinking about is that this is really expensive, and yes it definitely can be. However, if you hit these places during their big blowout sales, you can get the furniture you want for less. Additionally, the furniture that you buy here is going to be good quality and brand new. Even if the furniture is expensive now, it is going to last you a very long time. The kitchen table that my family at home uses is the same table that my mother bought back for her first apartment in college. I mean, if you treat this stuff right, it can last you forever.

Additionally, retail furniture stores will usually deliver to your apartment so you don't have to worry about moving your stuff into your new place, which can save a lot of worry and effort on your part. Moving all your stuff out, however, is a different story, and you'll certainly have to cross that bridge when you get to it.

So to recap, retail furniture stores can be expensive, but the stuff that you buy will last you a long time and is usually pretty good looking (I'm still in love with a gorgeous dark wood kitchen table at one of the stores).

Hand-Me-Down Furniture

I feel that this is the route that most college students take, and there is definitely a reason for it. Hand-me-down furniture is way, way less expensive than retail furniture, and sometimes it can be in just as good condition. The key word is "sometimes." Finding good quality and condition furniture at yard/estate sales or from other friends can be extremely difficult and very time-consuming.

My boyfriend has really incredible furniture in his apartment that was nearly all gathered from various yard sales. They're all quality pieces that are often made by brand name designers. However, gathering all of this furniture took the combined efforts of him and his family an entire summer. If you don't put in the effort to find the best furniture at these places, you'll probably end up with wobbly tables, gross couches with ugly flowers, and just generally unsatisfactory furniture.

However, if you are a total bargain hunter or just have the patience for going around and looking for the diamond pieces in a sea of crap, this is going to be the perfect project for you. If you're like me and have zero patience or experience with wading through yard sales, perhaps another route is your best bet.

Rental Furniture

Now I'll start out saying that this is the option that ended up being the best for me. I was not thrilled with the idea of not having my own furniture (especially when it didn't include that gorgeous dark wood dining table), and was very put off when my mother kept planting this seed in my head. However, because of my circumstances, this ended up being what I ended up choosing.

There are several rental places that we could choose from, but we ended up going with Cort Furniture rental because I liked the furniture selection better. The rental rate package that we chose is $129 a month, which we figured out is actually just about as much as it would be if we purchased retail furniture. This might not seem like a good idea since even though we're paying the same amount for the furniture, I'm going to have to return this furniture at the end of two semesters.

However, I am planning on going to grad school after I graduate from Trinity, and I have no idea where that might be. It might be in Texas, but it also might be in Chicago or New York. I have no clue yet. If I decide to go to school out of state, I do not want to have to worry about dragging my new furniture with me across the country. It is going to be expensive to take with me, and it will also be expensive to keep in storage. Therefore, we decided to rent furniture just for my one year in my apartment for college so that the question of moving the furniture with me wouldn't be an issue.

Additionally, I have no way to move my furniture to or from my apartment, unless I paid for movers. My little Jeep isn't going to be big enough to carry a couch, let alone a bed frame, kitchen table, chairs, etc, etc. With a rental company, my family and I are saved the angst of moving all of that furniture both in and out of my apartment. 

This was the right choice for me because I have no idea where I'm going to be in a year and I have no way to move the furniture in or out. If this seems to be the problem for you, maybe rental furniture is the option for you.

How did you get furniture for your apartment? What tips would you give for new furniture hunters? Let us know in the comments!

Review: Samsonite Tectonic Backpack (Plus, a Contest!)

So we were sent a Samsonite Tectonic laptop backpack for review. It's black, mesh, and large enough to hold a 16" laptop in velvety, padded comfort. If you're interested in getting a better look at the thing, we suggest clicking that link--because the backpack is made of black and grey material, the webcam the review was recorded on did not play particularly nicely with it.

The bag is a nice find for someone who really likes their bags to have a lot of pockets, many of them large. There are pockets upon pockets in the bag, and most of them are large enough for me to stick my arm in up to my elbow. Storage needs will be met, if that's your thing.

So, want the backpack for free? Luckily for you, we are also running a contest for one lucky backpack-wanting student! We're looking for a way to test the bag out in some new and exciting fashion--the thing is huge, and can clearly carry as many books as you need it to, so there's no point in showing you that. So, come up with some new way to test the bag (bonus points if it involves fire). If we like your idea the best, we'll test the bag out with it and ship you the bag once we're done in whatever condition the test renders it.

The contest ends Friday, so sometime before then, comment here with your test ideas or hit us up on Twitter. We look forward to seeing what crazy things you'll have us do with the bag.

$100 of Mac Apps for Your $100 Back To School iTunes Credit

If you bought a Mac this summer, you have $100 to use in the Mac App Store. Here's what you should spend it on.

It's back to school laptop-buying season, and I would guess that more than a few of you will be picking up a shiny new Apple laptop to tote between classes. This summer, Apple is giving away a $100 iTunes gift card to any students purchasing a new Mac, and while some are bummed out that it isn't an iPod like in years past, the brand new Mac App Store at least gives you a great place to spend that free money.

With that in mind, here's a list of $99.93 worth of great apps that any Mac should have. Prices are accurate as of 7/23/11, but are subject to change.

Keynote ($19.99)

If you're going to buy one app from the iWork suite, make it Keynote. I'm consistently blown away by the quality of presentations that the average student can turn out with this program, and you need look no further than any Apple product announcement for a great example of what Keynote's capabilities. Magic Move allows for animated slide transitions that won't make your classmates groan, and the automatic spacing guides lets you snap text boxes and images into the most aesthetically-pleasing spot of the presentation. It is cheaper (and in my opinion better) than Powerpoint, and offers far more features than the presentations app on Google Docs. Plus, it's free money, so why not. 

Pixelmator ($29.99)

The priciest app on this list, you'll really only need to pick this up if you don't already have some version of Photoshop (and in fact, Photoshop Express just appeared in the App Store, albeit for $80). Pixelmator is an attractive, semi-powerful image editor designed with Mac users in mind. While I might have recommended the free and open-source GIMP before, OS X Lion doesn't include the X11 software necessary to run it, so you'll probably need to spend a few bucks for anything beyond very basic image editing. Pixelmator includes full layers support, advanced color correction, and a number of tools that should be familiar to anyone who's ever used Photoshop. 

$50 and five apps to go. Read on to find out what they are.

Click to read more ...

Create an Inspiration Collection for Innovative Ideas

Turn to your inspiration collection when you have trouble getting your mental light bulb to turn on. Photo courtesy of radioedit. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.This summer, I've been learning lots of new things at my internship including editing and filming videos. I've dabbled in editing and filming before, but I'll admit that I'm certainly no expert. I feel like all of my coworkers have these great ideas of how to edit and film their projects, and I panicked about not being able live up to their expectations. I discussed this with my boss and she gave me a wonderful piece of advice that I'd like to share with you.

If you are a writer, read anything you can get your hands on. If you're a photographer, look for other photography examples anywhere you can. Whatever industry you want to be in, find anything on that subject and read about it, watch videos about it, absorb as much knowledge as you can about it. As someone who wants to work in the television industry, my boss recommended that I watch a lot of TV (oh darn).

But it's more than that. Take notes, literally, on what catches your attention. Keep a folder in your computer of ads, articles, or anything you find interesting or inspiring. Carry a notebook where you write down things you have seen or heard. Keeping track of inspirational things you see throughout your day will help you in several ways. Firstly, it will make you more aware of what's around you and what's going on in your field of interest. Secondly, it will give you great ideas for when you feel stuck in a rut. This isn't to say that you'll copy these ideas exactly, but it will give you a starting point where you can take it and make it your own, original creation. Perhaps you liked a style of writing, a camera angle, color coordination, or method of thinking. Apply these to your own projects and then put your own spin on them.

What do you do to spark inspiration? What's in your inspiration collection? Let us know in the comments!

Watch, Read, Make

 Carabiners: the official storage solution of lifehacking. Image courtesy of Flickr user b.m.p.. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.We're back again with another set of interesting pieces of internet ephemera to watch, read, and make. This week we've got a nerdy keyholder, a profile of some insane (but passionate) game designers, and an inspirational video from our friends at CollegeInfoGeek.

Watch: This interview at CollegeInfoGeek, though long, is pretty great. Dallas Moore, who went through community college before striking out on his own, talks about how to start your own business, working with people you like, and making money at interesting work. It's really, really great for talking about being conscious with your life choices--we talk about it a lot over here, too, but it needs to be repeated: life choices that you  make only because you're expected to do them will not make you happy. When you get a spare chunk of time, watch the interview.

Read: "Where Do Dwarf-Eating Carp Come From?" is a profile of the creators of Dwarf Fortress, an ASCII-style game with some insane mechanics. The whole thing is put together by two brothers working together, and the article is worth a read just to see what an incredible amount of dedication can help you make if you actually follow through with it. Plus, there really are dwarf-eating carp--the article's worth it for that alone.

Make: The carabiner key, intended for outdoor enthusiasts, seems like a good idea for college students, too. I'm thinking that it would be a good solution to not losing your housekeys while at a party or walking somewhere across campus--I know that's an issue for several friends of mine who tend to have pockets which lose things. However, I think it's pretty easy to rig up a carabiner key of your own--just a small carabiner from the hardware store (or an orientation pack, if your school sends them as swag--I know mine does) and a keyring, and you're good to go.

Let us know in the comments what you're watching, reading, and making this weekend!

Incoming Freshmen Series: How to Stop Networking Like a Freshman

Not THAT type of network. Photo courtesy of cogdogblog. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.This is the fifth and final post of the Incoming Freshmen Series. Read our introduction and our first post on style, second post on finance, third post on partying, and our fourth post on studying for more information.

In high school, I was a superstar. Not to brag, but the awful high school experience many were glad to escape by entering college wasn't one I experienced. I was elected homecoming king, served as senior class president, and did well academically. I had more friends than I could count, a successful part-time job, and at one time, I considered going to college closer to home so I can continue my social, economic, and all-around success.

But I didn't. Because I knew that college was different from high school. I could still pursue the activities I loved - like student government - but the roles and responsibilities were different. My college was 10x larger than my high school, which still boasted a respectable 5000+ kids. In no way would I know 20% of the University of Florida like I knew 20% of my high school.

And with that, the environment changed. There was no Smokey Bones in Gainesville, so I had to start looking for work, and work that would actually benefit me instead of just a paycheck. I was building the resume for my life now - not just one to turn in for an assignment. Below the jump are some tips to help make the transition from networking with friends and colleagues in high school to networking for life in college.

Click to read more ...

Man Uploads 18,592 Academic Articles, Sparks Debate About Access to Information

Should knowledge be limited to only those who pay for it? Photo courtesy of geekadelphia. Licensed under CC BY-2.0.

Whenever you read something in the news about people being charged for illegally downloading and uploading material from the internet, it's usually about movies or music. Pirating these entertainment materials can land you in some serious trouble. In 2009, Jammie Thomas was found guilty of of sharing music online and federal jury levied $222,000 in damages against her. And this was just for 24 songs.

While record industries fight online music thieves, another pirating war rages along too. The battle of access to academic journals, articles, and papers has been debated amongst those who have and those who don't. Should we limit access to historical, scientific, and research papers only to those who have the money to pay for expensive subscriptions? Can we limit access to knowledge?

Greg Maxwell doesn't think so. He posted a torrent of 18,592 academic articles on the well-known pirating site The Pirate Bay. Maxwell had collected these articles in previous years legally from the JSTOR archives. He said that he did this in response to the prosecution of Aaron Swartz, who remotely downloaded JSTOR articles from MIT servers.

“If I can remove even one dollar of ill-gained income from a poisonous industry which acts to suppress scientific and historic understanding, then whatever personal cost I suffer will be justified,” says Maxwell.

Maxwell will most likely face prosecution himself for his actions, but what he did again sparks the question of limiting academic articles to only those who pay for them.

At universities, we have the extreme priviledge of access to various and numerous online databases where we can research our individual fields of study. I actually use JSTOR extremely frequently to research papers for my Roman and Greek history classes and cannot imagine not having access to the amazing articles housed there. However, after I graduate and leave Trinity, I'm not going to be able to search for these papers or keep up with academic trends unless I pay for an expensive subscription.

Libraries are places where even those who aren't in college can go to look up information in books and sometimes online article databases. What if we had to pay for access to the library? Why are physical books full of information free for our use in libraries, but not digital copies of articles? Books take a long time to publish and are not always up to date with the most recent academic trends, whereas online articles are able to be published more quickly.

I'd like to open up our comment section for you to voice your thoughts on whether or not there should be a limit on access to academic papers. I certainly agree that surely the authors of these papers deserve to be able to copyright their hard earned research and time. But isn't part of academia sharing information? Should this information be free or should it be reserved for only those who can pay for it?

[via CBS News, Maximum PC and Gigaom]