My oldest daughter is heading off to college this August, and this has raised a number of concerns. The foremost one, of course, is terror: how the heck will my wife and I pay for it? That’s still to be determined. A related cost issue: a computer. It’s pretty much a necessity these days. Well, Apple has found us a way to get her a computer and a great gadget for free.

Under this deal, Apple will provide a rebate for an iPod Touch if you buy a Mac now through Sept. 8. The catch is that you need to buy both the Mac and the Touch at the same time. You will need to submit your rebate request online by Oct. 8, then Apple will issue a check for the price of the Touch.

Now, I am not a big fan of online rebates. Apple should have provided some type of program that let you get the free Touch at the same time you buy your Mac, instead of having to buy them both and then get a rebate who-knows-when. Still, getting a free Touch is a good deal, and somewhat mitigates the cost of a Mac.

If this is going to be a college computer, I recommend getting a smaller Mac laptop; for instance the MacBook with the 13.3″ screen. That size display provides a good compromise between portability and screen real estate. Macs are wonderful computers, and will work well throughout your child’s education. They’re generally more reliable than Windows machines and easier to use (and I’m also a PC fan — no flame wars, please).

The Touch will be useful in a college setting, too. Since the Touch isn’t a cell phone, it only has wi-fi capability; since most colleges are wi-fi enabled, however, this shouldn’t present much of an obstacle toward getting online. And the apps, games and other functions of a Touch make it a useful addition on campus.