The smell of school is in the air and it’s time to think about what kind of laptop to give your child as he or she prepares to head off for post-secondary education.You could splurge and get the best in the business to show “the kid” you really care, but is that super duper machine really going to last the rough and tumble life of a typical college student, for example?You want one that’s not going to break down at the first big knock. It should also serve as a research tool, report writer, entertainment system, and of course a communications device so you can roll out the standard lecture about being good via your weekly video conference.For sure, you should get the latest technology and software, as this will allow the laptop to remain relevant through more than a few years.One of the more expensive machines on the market is the latest MacBook Air, billed by Apple as the “ultimate everyday notebook”. The MacBook Air is a great machine, faster and more powerful that the best in its class. It will also look good among your child’s peers.However, will it last? While it is light and looks flimsy, Apple has made it tough by building the body out of a single piece of aluminum. It is a costly but durable monster, with one user on an online forum I visit saying his 11” survived with only a slight ding after a toddler stood on it. Not many cheaper laptops with plastic bodies would survive such abuse.It sure is a smart machine; however the downside is you could miss out on the loads of free software designed for the Windows universe. You can buy a Windows machine and forego having to pay for expensive Microsoft software by using open source versions.Hold on. I used to make that statement by rote in this column up until two years ago, but much has changed. OpenOffice, a free and very good alternative to Microsoft Office is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS, so no problems there.Apple has vaulted to the fore through its budding apps market, which has eliminated any such perceived advantages conferred by the dominance of Microsoft Windows in the personal computing market.So if you have the cash, why not get a MacBook Air, or another in the Apple line? An Apple computer is practically de rigueur if your child is taking design or art courses. Then, why not throw in an iPad as well to keep them happy and at the top of their peer group? Once you start with Apple, it’s hard to hold back.For the rest, you can get budget laptops for as little as $600 if you research and shop carefully. Among some of the machines highly rated by a number of tech sites are the Dell Inspiron, the Toshiba Satellite, the Acer Aspire and the Sony Vaio. I am a big fan of the Sony Vaio. Although I have never owned one, I have worked with a couple business colleagues who swear by them.A CNet review recommends the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A (13-inch). But at $1,699 list, it’s more expensive than a MacBook Air, although it is the “closest the Windows world will ever come to a MacBook Air”, says CNet.I suggest a laptop over a desktop as these days portability is a plus. Of course when you finally buy the laptop make sure you get a good security lock. This will protect the laptop at the library and tie it down during all those house parties. You should also coach your child on making backups of their work. A laptop can be replaced. Lost course work that took weeks or months to do will surely set a student back, and perhaps even cost them marks.You can always tell them the horror story of the two medical researchers who had a MacBook stolen in January this year. It contained data from their years of research on a prostate cancer cure. They had not backed up the data.***It was another big “Patch Tuesday” for IT departments everywhere as Microsoft released 13 bulletins that address 22 different security threats affecting Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, .NET and Visual Studio. This is just a reminder not to put off making these updates to your network. Hacking has become the new normal, with groups out there able to get into any system. At least put up a fight by closing off any holes in your network.Send any comments to Ahmed at elamin.ahmed[AT]gmail.com