College students can decrease their expenditures by doing research, taking a class on information technology, and improving upon a lower quality laptop. Doing a little bit of research will go a long way toward helping college students save money on laptop computers. This includes getting a feel for the different styles and models available.

One of the most crucial questions many laptop-shoppers ask is whether to acquire a Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac laptop. They can settle such issues through familiarity with the different types of laptops, and that often comes through paying attention to friends’ and acquaintances’ computers, as well as asking them questions about their likes and dislikes. Additionally, most college students have easy access to some of the top computer-experts in the world in their schools’ engineering and computer science departments.

These people, who undoubtedly have deep knowledge of different computer systems, would provide valuable assistance as well. Through people with better or worse laptop systems, college students can obtain information about laptops, which forms a necessary component of saving money when purchasing. Also, through this process of asking different people about laptops, potential laptop-buyers can gain critical insights into bargains that other people obtained, as well as good deals they have seen. This would serve as an addendum to ads and coupons the student personally found. These savings and sales can save laptop buyers a considerable chunk of change.

Secondly, taking a class on information technology can prove to be invaluable to anyone purchasing a laptop computer. The fact is that most college students today consider themselves quite tech-savvy because of their ability to operate a wide range of different technological systems. However, when it comes to understanding the details and underlying workings of these systems, many are lost. Yet, these seemingly superfluous details can be some of the most crucial when purchasing computers because they inform the customer of exactly what is needed.

Instead of spending a great deal of time puzzling through laptop specification and potentially making mistakes by buying laptops that contain unnecessary components or lack essential ones, knowledge of these details would solve the problem. A class need not be a formal lecture class, even though enrolling in a class with a group of other students often times is the most effective way to learn; listening to free lectures posted online or working through a textbook would suffice. Whatever way students choose to take their information technology class, the knowledge they acquire from the more general such an understanding of RAM and operating systems, to the more specific, such as the number of cores for the processor or the dots per inch for the LCD screen, will help them know what they want and need. The best laptops for college students will depend on the particular student, and taking a class will enable them to determine exactly what that best laptop should contain. By knowing what they need in a laptop, students will save both time and money from going to gadgets they do not need.

Lastly, a somewhat strategic method for keeping laptop costs down that students can employ is to purchase cheaper laptop computers and upgrade some of the lower-quality components in it. The knowledge from the information technology class comes in handy here because college students need to know which components cost more money and time, and are incredibly difficult to install, and which components are relatively cheap and easy to replace. For example, if students want more temporary storage, they can save the cost of purchasing a laptop with a great deal of RAM, and instead buy individual RAM chips for a much cheaper price and add them to their system themselves.

Also, students can buy laptops with lower-quality sound and video cards. In many cases, they will be sufficient for their purposes, and they will have saved money; and if it turns out that these lower-quality sound and video cards are bothersome, students can buy high-quality ones and install them for a cheaper price than wasting money purchasing expensive laptop computer with high-quality cards already built-in. Thus, it is evident that college students can decrease their expenditures by doing research, taking a class on information technology, and improving upon a lower quality laptop.

By going through this process, students not only invest in their bank accounts, but also in their futures. The time and energy put into learning about laptops, finding good deals, and doing some self-installation work benefit the student greatly because they provide the student with a deeper understanding of computer systems. As computers are such an integral part of society today and increasing in importance in many parts of the world, that understanding is good knowledge to have.

It can be a daunting task these days to decide the best laptop for college students. Are the more expensive ones better? In a lot of cases, it may not be so true. For most college students, cheaper is going to be better. And, with todays disposible socitey, this is a good rule of thumb for laptops.

The average college laptop will only have a life of a few years at best. Let’s face it, that can of soda that dumped into it sure didn’t help to extend that life any. Neither will the fall off the table at the Student Union Building. So look for a good, tough laptop that does not cost a fortune, as you will probably need to replace it at least once before your college career is over.

A new trend is to go with a Netbook, or an ultra small version of a laptop. And there are good and bad points on these. One, the lower price is a good incentive to check them out. And the smaller, lighter size is another good point. But most of them do not have CD/DVD drives. So using any type of software is out of the question unless you can access it online too. And the smaller screen on a killer crunch study night could get to be annoying as well. It is probably better to go with one of the smaller screens on a regular laptop.

There are also some very light and very well equiped best college laptops out there that come with a hefty price for their portability. These are high-end models, that will cost a considerable bit more. There again, you will have to make the final decision on what you are willing to spend, and these loaded laptops are wonderful, but the price is a concern, and if you are looking at possibly replacing it half-way through your college experience is that going to be worth it, having enough memory to download half the documents in the free world, or play the latest, most graphics intense version of a video game? Really, do you NEED 1,000 songs on there? Get a smaller, less costly version for your college classes, and get that big old beast after you graduate!

Most of the budget laptops are bulkier, and do not have alot of the features that will allow you to be a gamer on them, but if you are just looking for a basic laptop to take to and from class and use for your studies, there are some GREAT deals out there. Check the “Bigbox” stores, as well as online sites, as they will often put out internet-only deals that can save you a ton of cash! Watch the advertisements, and go to stores and look around. See what is out there, and make notes of the ones that you might be interested in. Start a little bit before you need it, like at least a month before you go to school, so that you can price shop, and get the laptop and get it set up and ready to go and be familiar with it before you have to use it in earnest.

One thing that I think I would avoid however is purchasing a USED unit. Those can be tricky. Even if they are certified that they are refurbished, do you really want to take a chance on that laptop with ALL of your term paper in it crashing and dying? I think that new would be the best choice here. Yes, new ones can crash too, but you do get tech support for usually one year, so there is at least a hope that you might can recover something.

Deciding the best laptop for college students really has to depend on the student and the budget that they are willing to put out there! Deals can be had, it takes a little effort, and you have to keep your eyes on the prize. Go for lower costs, and less bling, and you will have a nice little unit that will serve you well! Good luck, and happy shopping!

First, consider that you don’t necessarily have to have the newest and most trendy computer. If you are not going to be doing complex programming—in other words, if you’re like most students, using your computer for word processing, surfing the Internet, sending email, and for music and videos—you can likely get by with a less expensive machine than others might need.

Second, less expensive brands can be just as useful as some of the trendier, more expensive models. For example, you might pay upwards of $1,000 for a basic Apple MacBook, even with Apple’s student discount. But if you’re on a budget and looking to save money on your laptop, why not compare it to models put out by Dell, Toshiba, or even Acer? These days, all of the programs you’d want to run are likely available for just about any machine running any popular operating system, so you’ll probably be just as happy with another brand.

Third, shop online. Laptop computers like the one you’re buying for college are commodities. That means that they’re the same thing whether you buy them from one retailer or another. So, you should use that to your advantage by comparing prices online, and even ordering direct from the manufacturer where that’s available. You’ll be amazed at how much money you can save by doing this.

Fourth, if you’re really on a budget, consider purchasing a used laptop for college. You can often find good deals on eBay and craigsist, where you’ll be able to buy your college laptop for $200 or less. The drawback is that there won’t be a warranty, of course. However, if you do go with a used machine, be sure you’re buying a modern enough version to meet your needs; there’s nothing worse than ordering a laptop only to realize it doesn’t have a wireless internet connection for example, because you’ve never seen one so old that it didn’t have one! Also, be sure to reformat the hard drive and add your own software once you buy the laptop. You never know what kinds of sketchy viruses the previous owner might have downloaded by accident, but by formatting and starting over you can enjoy an almost-new laptop experience!

A word of caution: You may be tempted to consider buying one of the less expensive netbook laptops for college, which can run as little as $300 or $400 for a brand new machine. However, if you’re strongly considering this, make sure you go into the store and play around with them for a while. Those small keyboards and tiny screens might be okay for occasional use while traveling, or as a backup machine so that you don’t have to rely completely on the desktop computer back in your dorm room. But if you’re going to be writing papers and virtually living with your computer as many college students do, you might find that a netbook simply isn’t big enough to fit your needs. Remember, the best laptop for college students makes lie easier, not more difficult.

One last tip: Call or email the bookstore at your new college and tell them that you’re planning to buy a new college laptop. You may find that they have great deals for new students that could beat anything you’d find anywhere else.

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University students have many books to carry that can weigh between 10 to 20 pounds per book. Just as people can read books on the iPhone, University students will be able to read their textbooks in an eBook format on a much larger screen and only need to carry around a 1 ½ pound “textbook” rather than three or four 10 pound textbooks while accessing all of their reading materials for all their classes on this one light weight “textbook.” With the great selection of iPad messenger bags on the market it should be possible to have a virtual library of textbooks all weight less then that of a laptop!

Convenient Note Taking and Calendar Applications

Another feature that makes the Apple iPad a good college laptop is that it provides that same user-friendly capability to take notes and have them stored in one compact location. University students will love this feature because all of their notes will be kept in that one location. You can email notes to classmates without the worry of getting your hardcopy notes back. The calendar feature is extremely useful for college students as it easily allows them to plug in all important dates for exams, assignments, and meetings; they can easily plan out their own timeframes of when to begin working on an assignment, dates of important exams, study group dates, and social events.

Video and Photo Applications

It’s no secret that today’s teens and young adults are addicted to iPods, You Tube and iTunes as well as taking pictures. The great thing about this computer is that you can watch your favorite videos on a clear and crisp 9 ½ by 7 ½ inch screen. Also, the iPad gives you easy access to purchase and download your favorite music on iTunes and listen to them in high quality through your iPad. This laptop can also be used as a digital picture frame when not in use.

The Apple iPad makes for a good college laptop for any college student. The price runs from $500 to just under $850 and is reasonably priced compared to other laptops, especially for all the features and applications it has. Is the Apple iPad a good college laptop? Absolutely! You get a great high quality laptop with optimal features and will meet the needs of any college student.

This last time (three months ago) I bought the Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6 Notebook with Windows 7 as the operating system. The notebooks size is an acceptable one with it’s 15.6″ diagonal high-definition2 Brightview LED display. The overall thickness of the laptop is just 1.33″. I’ve had keyboards that were thicker than that. It weighs less than seven pounds. This laptop has been the first one that I’ve own that didn’t need a cool pad.

As for it’s ability, I found it to be so much faster than any other laptop that I’ve had. As a matter of fact it has the same amount of RAM (4GB) as the one before the HP. I”m sure using Windows 7 as it’s operating system doesn’t hurt either. The HP Pavilion also came with a 6GB hard drive (it can be expanded to 8GB), which makes it one hell of a stout little laptop. The Pavilion also has 4 USB ports, as well as a HDMI and VGA port. The 6-cell batteries that comes as the standard type will last to up to 5 hours (depending what programs and how many you’re using). It’s one of the top three on the list of the best college laptop for college students.

This post is mainly to talk about the laptop, but I do have to mention that Windows 7 has been a much better operating system than any other Window version. I’ve heard some negative concerns, but on the most part, it’s been receiving praise and positive reviews.

I purchased my laptop at Best Buy instead of going through HP.com. Not only was it cheaper at Best buy, but I was able to have them remove Norton Security program and install Webroot instead. All I had to do was wait a few hours and go back and pick it up. buying a laptop online will always take any where from 4-10 days before you get it. At least that has been my experience every time I’ve bought one online. Either way you buy the Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC, it’s money well spent and is one of the best laptops for college students.

The first thing to do is to develop a clear sense of exactly what you need in a college laptop. If you are primarily concerned with the basics, like word processing, internet access, wireless, et cetera, you may be fine with something as inexpensive and simple as a netbook. These are extremely compact, relatively no-frills laptops intended for basic needs. Unless you plan to study something like music or video editing, which may involve more elaborate software and capabilities, a netbook should meet virtually all of your academic needs.

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For most courses, you will only need to be able to write and edit on your computer, to participate in online discussion groups, and to e-mail, and almost any currently sold laptop will allow you to do those things. If you intend to study music or something involving video editing, you may need to do some research into higher-end laptops with more memory and possibly with more software included at the time of purchase. If you know your potential major and believe it may require particular computer capabilities, you might contact a professor or department chair to inquire about recommendations. Remember, the best laptop for college students depend on each individuals needs.

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Aside from academic needs, of course, you may want to consider other uses for your laptop. If you are interested in watching streaming video, for example, you may want to select a laptop with HD (High Definition) video capability, or higher-end wireless technology. You might also think more about audio and speaker quality than you would if you were thinking of your computer as a primarily academic tool.

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Once you figure out what features and capabilities you need, do some research about what brands are most reliable and represent the best deals. Consumer Reports is a good site for product reviews, and customer reviews on sites like Amazon.com can give good guidance. Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, and Dell are all reliable and well-reviewed throughout the range of laptop options, but each produces some specific models that are superior to others. You will also need to decide whether you want to go with a PC or a Mac. Both have advantages — PCs tend to be loaded with software that will be compatible with what most others have (like Microsoft Word), while Macs tend to be very good for music recording and similar applications.

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In closing, choosing laptops for college comes down to three steps: decide what you need for school, decide what you want beyond those necessities, and do some research to find out who makes what you need best for the best price. If you think of the process systematically like this, you should be able to make a solid choice with a minimum of worry.

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There are many options and features that that you’ll find in laptops for students in, or starting college. Since all students have different needs, there are going to be a wide variety of things that influence their decisions. This is also one of the most important investments that a student will make. I have had my laptop since I began college and have been very happy with the choice that I made.

In my opinion, cost, ease-of-use, and the aesthetic elements of a laptop are some of its’ most important features of the best laptop for college students.

First, a student should decide how much they want to spend on a college laptop. The range of prices is very large. A basic laptop can be found for around five-six hundred dollars, while pricier and more complex models can be as much as two thousand. If you are only going to use your laptop for word processing and emailing, then a cheaper version may suffice. If you play computer games, or use applications that “eat” a lot of memory (i.e. music or architecture programs), then you may want to spend more to get a better system in your computer. If money is tight, going cheap may be best as you can always upgrade a few years down the line.

Students should make sure that their laptops are easy-to-use. Go to the store and try one out or talk to other students for recommendations. Also, finding out if you are a Mac or PC person may be the first step in this direction.

Lastly, aesthetics can mean a lot to many students. If you are going to take your computer out of the house a lot, then make sure it is portable. Get a laptop that isn’t too heavy or bulky. On the other hand, let’s say a student has poor vision. In that case, a laptop with a bigger screen may be the way to go.

These are just a few aspects of a laptop that could influence a student’s decision. Sit down and write a list of what is important for you. Also, I would always advise looking long and hard for good deals. It’s not fun when you buy a laptop and then find it for sale at a different store.

As a graduating senior at a private university, I’ve gone through my share of laptops over the years. In fact, freshman year of college alone, I went through two laptops. I’ve learned a lot what makes the best laptops for college.

Getting back to my freshman year, both of those laptops were HPs, and the second had a fatal crash promptly around the same time the very next year. During the crash of my second HP, it was around midterms at my university, so I was pressed for time to finish downloading articles and finishing research papers.

The year prior, my father had offered me a Macbook as present. Yet, I was stubborn about not wanting to make the switch from a PC to a Mac, and I declined. After my first HP crashed, my dad made the offer again, which I declined. Again. However, after the second hard drive crash, I wasn’t offered a choice. Instead of supplying me with a new PC, my dad sent me a Macbook.

Since it was midterm week, I had no choice but force myself to acclimate to the Macbook quickly. I needed to learn how to use the Apple laptop, and I needed results from it with pressing deadlines. Surprisingly, the switch was fairly simple. In fact, it was probably the easiest college laptop transition I had ever made.

The difference between a Mac and a PC interface is that the Mac is practically designed for a younger market. Apple understands what college students want most in any electronic regardless of use – availability and speed. Macbooks ask permission before installing anything onto the hard drive, so students know exactly what they have installed without having to wonder what programs are hidden in the background.

They’re also easy to search with the Spotlight feature, which is faster and more precise than any search function on a PC. The Spotlight even goes through Word documents, photo keywords, and browser history – talk about thorough!

Finally, Macbooks are made for speed. They have lightning fast processing and internet browsing, as well as media players that make it more enjoyable to watch a movie from iTunes rather than on a movie screen. Overall, I simply couldn’t have made it through college without my Macbook. In my opinion, they are the best laptop for college students. My only regret is that I did not make the switch sooner.

Apple computers are worth every penny of their price tag, and they’re specifically designed for young people like me. I know that I’ll be sticking with Macbooks far into the future past graduation!

First of all, you might want to look at factory refurbished laptops before you look at the newer models. The savings on refurbished models are often quite surprising to people who haven’t given any thought to buying reconditioned instead of new. So, let’s get started.

The first laptop that comes highly recommended for college students is the Acer Aspire One AO531H. Acer is a company that specializes in low-cost (but high quality) laptops, specifically for those who may be on a budget. For those looking to do homework or other tasks that don’t require much processing power, this is a great little netbook. It has a 10.1 inch screen, which is just about the right size when you need to haul this computer back and forth from your dorm room to your classes. It’ll easily fit in a backpack, so that’s not a worry at all. Even better is that it only weighs 2.5 pounds, which is considerably less than most laptops. You can snicker at all the people lugging around their huge 17 inch laptops!

This Acer has a very respectable 1.60 GHz Intel Atom processor and 1 GB of RAM, making it plenty powerful enough for just about every application you’d ever need. High end games might be a bit of an issue, but remember that we’re talking about keeping you on a budget! This laptop also boasts a very nice 160 GB worth of hard drive space, which is better than most laptops its size. How much does the Aspire One cost? A bit less than $300 refurbished, and just under $400 brand new. Either way, it’s a steal!

Speaking of the best college laptops, you’ll love this next one: The HP Pavilion DV7-1464NR is really a performance laptop with a small price tag. This thing will play all of your games and more; it even includes a Blu-Ray player standard. It has a 17.0 inch screen with a 1440 x 900 resolution, 4 GB of DDR2 RAM straight from the factory (expandable up to 8 GB!), and a 500 GB hard drive. It also has a 2.2 GHz AMD Dual-Core processor, making it one of the more powerful laptops on the market. How much is this going to run you? About $700 refurbished. If you want to go new you’ll pay about $1300 out the door, so I highly recommend the former. $700 is still a fair amount of money for a college student, but if you can get your family to help you out you’ll be all set!

Thanks for reading, everyone! I certainly hope that this post has given you a head start on choosing one of the best college laptops available to you today.

Brent is the author of http://www.refurbishedlaptopsguide.com.

You won’t go wrong with a Dell Inspiron laptop. The Inspiron 15 has plenty of power, with Intel Core2 Duo processors. At 2.0GHz, it will keep up with your term papers, music files and editing the video of last week’s party. And storage space won’t be a problem with a 320GB SATA Hard drive. (Your parents were lucky to have 100 Mb on their first computer!) No problem toting your computer to class to take notes and surf for tidbits to impress the professor. The Inspiron has an 8 cell battery with up to 8 hours of power. It could be the best laptop for college students.

The built-in WiFi lets you access the Wi-fi your campus provides. (Not to mention your Starbuck’s, your McDonald’s, your Barnes and Noble…) Burning your own CDs and DVDs is a snap with the 8X burner. And watching DVDs on the gorgeous, slick, wide, glossy 15.6 inch HD screen (with a 16:9 aspect ratio!) puts you in your own personal theater. Pop in some headphones and it’s movie time without bugging the roommate. (Add the optional Blu Ray for eye-popping video.)

Keep worms and viruses and nasty Trojan horses at bay with the included subscription to McAfee SecurityCenter; 15 months, yes over a year, of worry free virus protection! No shortage of places to plug in your USB dancing hula girl, or the external monitor, or the microphone. The 7-in-1 media card reader lets you pop in the card from your camera so you can share those game pictures before the hand-stamp wears off.

Of course, Mom will need to know that you AREN’T wasting away, and you HAVEN’T gotten your nose pierced. The integrated 1.3megapixel webcam lets you send her regular updates on your hair color, or chat with Skype. You’ll want to see what she’s done with your room, now that it’s the new “media center.” And although Mom may tell you looks aren’t everything, your laptop CAN say something about you! Choose cool glossy black for a sophisticated outer shell. Or not. The Inspiron comes in 8 eye-catching colors. Or personalize your new machine with over 200 artist designs, from your favorite MLB team to fractals. And what Mom loves the most? (Besides you.) The Inspiron is a great machine at a great price that will keep up with you as you jump into the college experience. Dell is the way to go.