is renting/leasing laptops in a College a scam?

[canada-man]

Durham college in Oshawa has a mandatory rental laptop thing going on for certain programs/coursed where students have to pay $1500 To rent one and return at the end of the academic year i think it is a scam because


1. you don't need $1500 to rent a laptop when


you can spend as low as $400 to buy one with the same features as the one they are leasing?


why would anybody pay $1500 for alaptop they are not allowed to keep and have rules restricting thier use. when i can easily get the EXACT same laptop which averages $500?

 

[Riley.Royal]

It no different then leasing a pc from mdg, dell or any other company that sells computres you end up paying mroe then what the laptop or pc is worthm your better off to buy them out right. since pc go outdated after about 2 years.

 

[a 1 player]

It no different then leasing a pc from mdg, dell or any other company that sells computres you end up paying mroe then what the laptop or pc is worthm your better off to buy them out right. since pc go outdated after about 2 years.

Big difference. You have to use the PC of their choosing, with the features they want you to have and do not let you use your own PC, not to mention there is 'user policy'. With the Durham College program, there is no freedom of choice in what computer one uses.

 

[Moraff]

Durham college in Oshawa has a mandatory rental laptop thing going on for certain programs/coursed where students have to pay $1500 To rent one and return at the end of the academic year

Query: Since the computers are required for certain programs does that mean the computers come preloaded with software that the college has purchased specifically for these courses?

Query: Are those courses geared towards using the laptops? If so it's certainly much easier to teach if everyone has the same equipment.

While the price tag is certainly higher than what one would pay to own their own laptop I don't agree it is a scam.... presumably you know before you sign up that this is a requirement and can decide if taking that course at Durham college is what you want to do.

 

[Mia.Colpa]

Durham college in Oshawa has a mandatory rental laptop thing going on for certain programs/coursed where students have to pay $1500 To rent one and return at the end of the academic year i think it is a scam because


1. you don't need $1500 to rent a laptop when


you can spend as low as $400 to buy one with the same features as the one they are leasing?


why would anybody pay $1500 for alaptop they are not allowed to keep and have rules restricting thier use. when i can easily get the EXACT same laptop which averages $500?

What are the specs that you can purchase one for as low as $400? That sounds awfully cheap, is it an Atom processor??

One of the benefits for leasing is you don't pay for any repairs or servicing, but it's only for one year, so not too much can go wrong, although you can also purchase a warranty.

 

[canada-man]

Query: Since the computers are required for certain programs does that mean the computers come preloaded with software that the college has purchased specifically for these courses?

Query: Are those courses geared towards using the laptops? If so it's certainly much easier to teach if everyone has the same equipment.

While the price tag is certainly higher than what one would pay to own their own laptop I don't agree it is a scam.... presumably you know before you sign up that this is a requirement and can decide if taking that course at Durham college is what you want to do.

they have software on them needed for courses

 

[WhaWhaWha]

It's a scam. Even secure sites like IBM have that have strict usage policies, have a procedure to scan and ensure that visitors PCs are compliant. Educational institutions can do the same.

 

[xix]

U 0f T

I heard from a MP that she was doing her MBA at U of T and she had to buy a laptop from school for her program which cost 1950+ and she has to return it after 2 years because they change the software that comes with it.

Then she would only get back so much because they would buy the laptop back from her at low rate like $500. and she had to sell it back to them and no one else.

She was doing her MBA at night so it would take her 6 years + I think. I think her program was pshycology with kids or something to that area.

They had special so software she said, but I think it was custom made on purpose.

ALso if you think about it is a scam and efficient.
if every student had the same problem in the laptop the teacher would be albe to fix it then, or right away, or the students themselves can fix it easliy. And any part can be interchanged between laptops at the IT department of the School to give one back to the students when the students laptop fails.
Say Hot jane walks into the IT Department, the tech guy can just transfer Hot Janes files onto another laptop easliy and he/she just fixes hot jane old laptop.

It sucks to be a Post Secondary student now.
How much does one year cost to go to school to get drunk and graduate in Christmas?

 

[Aardvark154]

"Fair" perhaps not, legal in most places (although I admit I don't know about Ontario) yes.


As to the thread - really C.M. you don't believe the University consulted their House Counsel before they did this?

 

[Moraff]

Still don't think it's a scam as long as you know going in that it's part of the costs of the course you wish to take. It then just becomes your decision as to whether you wish partake.