You do already have a Desktop-PC, even if it's a Windows-machine. Doesn't matter. Being a student myself (University in Germany currently, if you're from Chicago tell everybody I said Hi ) I know of the importance of having a notebook.
It's great for taking notes, for surfing the web, reading/writing Mails and even for just spending some time during classes. Also, my major is computer science, it's great for doing homework and programming homework while sitting around at university waiting for more classes in the afternoon (I got almost three hours of leisure time every thursday from noon 'till 2:45pm).
Take the iBook, if you don't you'll regret it. Believe me, having a notebook at university/college is the best thing that can happen to you.

Before I went to university I had to make the same decision: Either to upgrade my old PowerMac 7300 or get an older PowerBook (I didn't have that lot of money to get a new iBook or PowerBook). I took the PowerBook 1400, and upgraded my PowerMac at home afterwards. I think, that was the best decision I ever made. With the next available money to spend, I'll upgrade the PowerBook with an 233-333 MHz G3 and more RAM, and I'll be fine for the next few years.

Ultimately, unless you really really need portability, go with the eMac. Judging on the older iMac's performance, stability, and reliability, it's the way to go.

Also, the eMac is a G4, while the iBook is only a G3 (which won't be that spectacular for running Mac OS X).

The eMac is also quite a bit cheaper, good for the college budget.

Not that the iBook isn't quality, but it just doesn't really make sense when you could get a more powerful desktop for much less, a desktop that would probably last longer.

I'd go for the eMac.

05-01-2002: Message edited by: dcipjr

If you don't expect to be traveling a lot, then sure, go with the eMac, as it looks like a good deal, you'll get a bigger hard drive, and a G4, but if you want to be able to type up a paper in the library, then a laoptop does have it's advantages.

One final tip. I don't know how much there is to this, but with all these rumors circling, it could be that apple will dump a G4 into the ibook. So, it just might be worth your while waiting a couple of months. I got the ibook literally the day it came out. Now it's ships with a twice as big hard drive, more RAM, and a Combo drive for the same price as I payed for mine. But then you could wait indefinately.

Making notes on meetings or lectures on laptops is a way big pain, its only real use is if you want to type term papers at your parent's house or something. Get into affordable G 4 technology, I wish I was.

To me, the "go buy a console" argument doesn't work for a lot of gamers. Can you play CounterStrike on a LAN with a console? How about Empire Earth on the LAN with a console? Or maybe Age of Empires II? What about Diablo II or Warcraft III (when it comes out)? Then let's not forget all the MMPORPG's out there. Some of these titles may be out for a console, I don't really know because I don't own a console. I am in college, and these are the games that I find played most often in my dorm. Of course I am in the honors dorm, so the games tend to be more on the geeky side I suppose.

Buying a console only is a good choice if you play the type of games that can be played on a console. I'm not saying that those games are bad, but there are a lot of games that are only available for the PC and vice versa. If you plan on playing games, you need to look at what type of games you will be playing most often.

05-02-2002: Message edited by: Beowulf75