Choosing the right laptop for school is an important decision, a lot of school work you do will be produced and submitted electronically so a laptop that helps you to work efficiently can make you more productive and successful in school. Think of choosing the right laptop as choosing the right tool for the job, making the right decision can make the work a whole lot easier. Several factors go into making a laptop well suited for students, budget is obviously a big concern but with the power of todays laptops you can get a lot of performance for a reasonable price, and there’s no need to spend $1,000. Here’s a set of guidelines to follow in choosing a laptop that is well suited for college:
- Screen Size and Weight – The most popular screen size laptop on the market is between 15 and 16-inches, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best size for the average college student. An average 15-inch screen laptop weighs over 5lbs and combine that weight with a bag full of textbooks and you might as well pre-schedule an appointment with a chiropractor, your back will be hurting. Add to that the fact lecture hall desks are often tiny and the footprint of a 15” laptop will not fit and you’ll see that a more prudent screen size laptop for on campus is between 11” and 14” — a nice portable size and big enough for comfortable screen viewing.
- Long Battery Life – There’s a good chance you’ll have some lectures that last for 3 or more hours or have the need for a laptop to last you through back to back classes without the ability to plug in your laptop. If your laptop only has a couple of hours of battery life then you’ll be out of luck for taking notes or referencing material on your laptop when the battery conks out. It’s very important to get a laptop with at least 4 hours of battery life on a single charge, and if not make sure your laptop has a replaceable battery and take a spare battery with you.
- Manufacturer Reliability and Support – When you buy a laptop you’re also buying into a brand so you should research what the support and warranty will be like from that company. If you get unlucky and your laptop has problems it will be important to get help and have it fixed fast so that you don’t lose productivity. A strong manufacturer warranty and a reputation of good support are important items to consider.
- Durable Build Quality – It might be tempting to get a $300 laptop made entirely of plastic, but such laptops might not survive the rigors of campus. Consider that the laptop will likely be smashed into a tightly packed bag, jostled around as you walk around campus and repeatedly pulled in and out of a bag and placed on desks and you can see how something built durably is a necessity. Look for features such as metal casing or internal chassis that make a laptop more sturdy.
- Cool running– The number one cause of laptop failure over time is heat buildup that leads to parts getting stressed and eventually breaking. Heat is bad for a laptop and also bad for your comfort if it’s sitting in your lap! Do your research and make sure to get a laptop that uses superior cooling techniques and components that use less power as that translates to less heat. A mid-range dual core mobile processor and integrated or switchable graphics are often good component choices. Don’t get the fastest processor and graphics card you can find, they generally create a lot more heat and use a lot more power.
- Modern Dual Core Processor – Processor technology has come a long way in recent years and the latest laptop processors from Intel and AMD are great choices. Look for either Intel Core i3, Core i5 or AMD VISION branded processors to know you’re getting the latest technology and something well suited for student needs.
Student Discounts on Laptops
Before you hit the buy button at any online retailer for computers it’s good to check if they offer a student discount. Many of the major manufacturers for computers do, so here’s a quick list of how to access the student discount portal:
- Dell University – offers around 5 – 10% discount on Dell computers
- HP Academy – offers around 8% discount on most HP computers
- Lenovo Student Discount – Lenovo gives a 5% discount to students on most products
- Apple Student Discount – Apple offers around 10% off Mac products to students
- Sony Education Store – Get up to 10% off Sony VAIO laptops
Conclusion
College can be hard, choosing the right laptop shouldn’t be, but with all the choices out there in 2012 and the stiff competition among manufacturers choosing a laptop can become overwhelming. Hopefully this guide serves to help you narrow those choices down, any of the laptops highlighted will serve you well throughout college. And if you find another laptop not mentioned here that meets the guidelines we set forth then you should feel comfortable knowing you’re making a good decision.
