>If you’re pursuing a liberal arts degree, you really don’t need a brand new computer just to write all the papers you’ll write.
Well, if you're an undergrad and your school is inflicting Blackboard or Desire2Learn software, you find the sluggishness on older machines to be agony. In my humble experience.
Related FWIW: when I, as instructor, am perusing student records or developing a course, I am grateful for a 27" iMac. Tiny screens add to the BB/D2L sluggishness. [/rant]