Best College Laptops

HP Laptops For Less

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Laptops have been growing in popularity over the past few years, with sales that can exceed desktop computers. While laptops were once less powerful than a typical home computer, most now have full-capabilities, with internet access, security features, and the memory capacity to run standard programs. Many laptops also boast DVD-R drives, making them portable entertainment centers as well. With all of the convenience and mobility that laptops offer, it’s not surprising to see how commonplace they have become.

Though the decision to buy a laptop may be easy, deciding which brand and where to buy the laptop is a different matter. HP, or Hewlett-Packard, is one of the leading brands in laptops, with a focus on user-friendly, yet powerful computers.

Their top-selling models include the HP Pavilion Entertainment Laptop, the compact HP ProBook Notebook, the HP EliteBook Tablet PC with swiveling screen, and the HP Business Notebook. Each model is tailored to suit a variety of needs, from move-watching to mobile business applications. While HP laptops can range in capabilities, they also range widely in price.

The best place to start shopping is to find a reputable merchant with laptops on sale. The first instinct when shopping for a particular brand of laptop is to go directly to the manufacturer, which can wind up as complicated as it is costly. Most “big box” stores can offer more competitive pricing on laptops, and nearly all will offer HP laptops on sale. Savvy consumers can also shop online for deals, with many websites specializing solely in computer merchandise or on overstocked models.

Refurbished computers are another underappreciated source of inexpensive laptops. Many merchants will sell popular HP laptop models that have been previously owned, but completely overhauled back to their original factory conditions. When researching different HP laptops, have a good idea of what the laptop will primarily be used for. While it may be tempting to purchase a more inexpensive model, the laptop may be lacking desirable features that will later be more costly to add.

Alternatively, some upgrades may be more inexpensive to purchase and install separately. Advanced video or sound cards and additional memory can be cheaply purchased alone and installed by most novice users. Realistically assess the difficulty of self-installation versus the cost of the manufacturer’s upgrades to find the best solution. Keep in mind that many adjustments can void the laptop’s warranty, adding to costs in case of future problems.

Though laptops have become as powerful as desktop computers, they need not be as expensive. With a little research before buying, it’s simple to find the perfect HP laptop for the latest applications with the smallest budget. Always compare merchants and never be afraid to ask for price-matching when a better deal is available. One great price is all it takes to make shopping for a laptop user-friendly.

Five Cheap Laptops For College

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Money is tight for everyone right now, especially college students. More and more students are doing away with the bells and whistels in a laptop and buying just what they need for their studies. This review was submitted by one of our new readers, Clyde Taylor.

1. The HP G62-339WM Laptop is Black with a 15.6″ screen. This computer comes with a decent processor, the AMD Athlon II P320 and 3GB of RAM. IT will handle your standard essays, online homework assignments etc, just don’t look for the hardcore gaming experience. With Windows 7 you will have access to almost any software suite your professors throw at you. And the double layer DVD burner will make short work of any media projects you turn in. For the science majors the heavy number crunching modelling will be slow but not impossible, just start it Friday night before you leave for the party and by Sunday night your assignment will be ready. New the computer will run you $499 but you could find a refurbished unit in the $400 range.

2. The HP Pavilion Laptop series has a 14.1″ Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with 1 GB RAM and 160 GB Hard Drive, Single layer DVD and comes standard with Vista Premium. Vista will be a pain and you will end up having to upgrade it quickly, as online assignments seem to annoy Vista quickly and often. The screen and graphics processor will be above average in terms of gaming quality, if a bit small. Again, the heavy mathematics students will cringe at doing any intensive work on this, but that’s what the computer lab is for, right? The lack of a built-in webcam will make chat roulette impossible without a peripheral camera but with a plethora of USB/Firewire ports you will have space to plug it in. This model runs from $499 to $550 depending on where you order from.

3. Acer Aspire One, although technical a netbook, with its 10.1″ screen and hefty Intel Atom N450 processor and 1 GB RAM it can handle the day to day grind of taking notes, writing reports and providing entertainment in the library. Its light weight and wide choice of colors makes it attractive to look at and carry. With an additional monitor in your room you can even use it in more robust media projects. And at $298 it leaves plenty of room in the budget for add-ons or other priorities.

4. The Toshiba Satellite has a Celeron 2.2 GHz processor, 15.6? screen and 3 GB of RAM. From most distributors it comes with Windows 7 and the lack of a webcam is again not a problem with the number of USB ports available. It is a bit on the heavy side, weighing in at 5.9 lbs. It will be difficult to lug between classes and its WIFI card is undersized for wireless internet access. However, if screen size and robust OS is your main priority you will be hard pressed to beat this one at $350.

5. Dell Inspiron Laptop with a generic Pentium Processor and 15.6″ display comes with 2 GB of RAM for $400. Although Dell’s service reputation is not what it once was this machine will serve you well in the day to day student activities. It will also be more than enough for all the viral videos, and facebook updates you desire. The lack of a DVD burner will mean that thumbdrives and online storage will be the online way to move data around but these days that’s all you really need 95%.