What are the positives of the electoral college?

There are a few states that make up most of the US population. By using the electoral college the election is fairer and represents more of the country/states. If we went by popular vote the candidates would only care about the few largest states - Texas, California, Florida, and NewYork, and forget about the rest. Other states would not get equal representation because they are more sparsely populated. It is the fairest way to do it.