Being a college student you need a laptop that is not going to give you any trouble. If you use a PC during college you are immediately in the “uncool” crowd as you don’t have an apple logo on the back of your monitor. It is amazing how good apple does with their marketing. Well anyway, I digress. The Dell Inspiron 1545 is about a third of the price of a macbook and will give you the ability to surf the internet, listen to music and write your thesis all without crashing or giving you any problems.

Assuming you know your way around a computer and are able to trouble shoot the simplest of problems you can save a lot of money buying a pc for college versus a mac. Keep it up to date with all the updates and don’t go web browsing in “bad neighborhoods” on the internet.

The inspiron 1545 has a nice large screen and plenty of hard drive space for all your applications and music. This will make your college stay a lot nicer as long as you have a carrying case for it that will protect it in case you accidently drop it. I dropped mine once and had to replace the screen. I am pretty tech savvy so I was able to do it myself with the help of dell’s support site. I didn’t have mine in a nice case like an incase but after I replaced the screen I went out and bought one right away so that wouldn’t happen again.

Some other things I have found to be annoying with this laptop while at college is that the power supply is acting up on me and now it isn’t charging anymore so I constantly have to have it plugged in if I want to use it. I think it might be a faulty power supply or the connection where the power supply plugs into the computer might have come un-welded.

I would also like to say that I would definitely upgrade the laptop from the standard configuration that dell gives you. I chose to upgrade the screen to the extra bright, glossy screen and I also upgraded the wireless card to draft n protocol. It wasn’t that much to upgrade these things and it was well worth it. This is especially true with all the typing I do on this while in college.

So all in all you can save yourself a ton of money buying a dell inspiron 1545 laptop directly from Dell’s website rather than buying an apple macbook. I have also found you can get the best deal from buying directly from Dell’s website. I found it is even a better deal than buying from the discount stores like tiger direct and the like. College is rough enough by itself; you don’t need a crappy laptop dragging you down while you are trying to excel during the best years of your life.

If you’re headed to college, besides new clothes, bedding, and a shower caddy, the one thing you definitely want to bring with you is a new college laptop computer. But as a new student dealing with tuition and room and board, you’re also going to want to save money. What are some of the ways that you can accomplish both of these goals?

First, consider that you don’t necessarily have to have the newest and most trendy and the best college laptop. 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 Mac book, 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.

Reader Question: What is the most important thing for you, in a college laptop?

I’ve bought a few laptops over the years and each time I’ve bought a different brand. Why is that you ask? Mostly because of the fact that each one that I’ve bought in the past had something I didn’t like about it. I figure that eventually I’d find the “one” that would feel right without too many software/hardware issues

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.

Being in college is tough; I’ve done it, and I remember the years of living off of Ramen noodles trying to keep my bank account out of the red. Being able to go off and find a solid, high performance laptop while you’re in college is almost an impossibility. That said, you don’t always have to suffer. You can still find great deals on laptops that will get you through all of your school work, and yes, even play a few games! Today we’re going to go through a couple of those to give you a good idea of what’s affordable on a college budget.

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.

Starting college? You’ve got the new sheets and towels. You’ve got the sturdy walking shoes. You’ve got the mini-fridge. Now you need to find the best college laptops. Might as well just start at Dell.com. They make some of the best laptops for college students.

You won’t go wrong with a Dell Inspiron if you’re looking for good college laptops. 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.

The HP Mini 110 is part of a new breed of best college laptops. At only 10.3″ x 6.77″ in size, this laptop is perfect for a college student on-the-go. It weighs in at only 2.89lbs, meaning it’s extremely easy to transport this computer. It will slip right into the front pocket of a book bag with no problems at all, and due to the extremely light weight, you won’t even notice it’s there.

Unlike a large, bulky laptop, the HP 110 doesn’t require a separate carrying case or a special “laptop bag,” which is wonderful for a student because it doesn’t necessitate lugging around two bags (books are heavy enough already!)

With 160GB of hard drive space, you’ll find plenty of storage on this computer, and the Intel Atom N270 is enough processing power to handle whatever you can throw at it. As you can see from the hardware setup, this laptop functions just like a full size computer system, but it is truly portable. This is especially important for a college student. While a typical laptop user may only transport their computer once or twice a day (to work and back home), a college student may move their laptop up to 10 times a day because of their busy class schedule. This compact system will not only save your back, but it will save your pocketbook, as well.

Because it doesn’t contain a bulky over sized screen (one of the most expensive components of a computer), the HP 110 is able to be very competitively priced. For the college student on the move, this laptop is a perfect choice. It is highly recommended for anyone with an active lifestyle who plans to carry their computer around frequently. It just may be the best laptop for college students.

When you go to buy the best college laptops for students, it has to be lightweight yet sturdy enough so that it gives a good throbbing. It should be small enough to fit in under your arms or in a backpack as well as should be easy to carry from class to class also. The performance and battery life should be excellent and unforgettably should be inexpensive too. It is observed that netbooks prove to be best and ideal mini-laptops for students as they are small in size along with good battery backup.

IBM ThinkPad X40 from Lenovo is ultra thin and sleek and is quite ideal for many professionals as well as students who are shopping for good college laptops. The style and performance along with its being extremely light in weight, makes it the best choice. However the most attractive and remarkable feature of this laptop is keyboard, which is simply great rather perfect. The keyboard helps in solid typing and offers a ‘full body’ feeling in addition. It is just 3.2 pounds in weight and 1.3 inches tall. It has 40GB hard drive and 256MB of RAM that is built in. The screen is 12.1 inch and is quite bright and crisp. It has all the basic features like couple of USB ports, a monitor connection, network and modem jacks, an SD Card slot and basic audio facility too.

Another remarkable feature is the Thinklight, which enables the user to type even in the dark, which really is extremely helpful for students. This also helps while traveling so that you do not disturb anyone else because of your work. The only thing lacking is the absence of touchpad, which is very helpful and easier, actually for the students. Despite this drawback, X40 proves to be one of the best laptops that has the quality of IBM and is ultra portable.

You can go out and buy the best college laptops you can find and if you don’t do some sort of regular interval maintenance on the hard drive, you will find that it’s not running as well as it once did. Even good college laptops that are used on a daily basis to surf the internet tend to slow down after a while. It’s just the way it is. Downloading music files, programs, videos and so much more are stored in different sectors within the hard drive.

First you need to run the Disk Clean Up utility to remove those files that were stored in the temporary file folder along with the ones in the temporary internet folder, recycling bin and set-up files. Every site you visit is stored in the temporary internet folder so you computer can have faster access to it for a later time. The utility also allows you to choose which (if any) of the files you want to remove.

The next step would be to run the Disk Defragmenter utility. When information is stored on your hard drive, the system will (in most cases) fragment files and or folders. When you run this utility, it organizes the files in a more uniformed way for your hard drive to access them quicker. The computer will mover quicker when it doesn’t have to piece files back together after it’s located them.

The Error Checking utility is another utility that you should run after the other two to help optimize the hard drive performance. After using your computer or laptop, it can develop bad sectors that will cause the hard drive to run slower. Bad sector will make it difficult for you computer to save files as well as retrieve them. The utility qill also look to locate any misplaced files or folders. Quarantining any bad sector from storing any files on them in the future.

These few steps can save you headaches as well as lost time.