Laptops For College
Choosing a laptop for college can be a complicated thing. There are so many options out there, offering such a vast array of capabilities, features, and bells and whistles that selecting the right one can be daunting. Laptops can run anywhere from about $300 to $2000 or more, and that price difference often has less to do with quality and reliability than with features and capabilities you may never need or use. How, then, should you make your choice? Read our tips for choosing the best laptops for college and use the coupons and codes listed here to save even more money!
Get $9 Off any Order at TheNerds.net!
The first thing to do is to develop a clear sense of exactly what you need. 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.
Save 10% on any order from Dyscern.com!USE coupon code: TAKE10 at checkout
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.
Free Shipping on all Orders over $35 – no code required.
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.
Sony Style Campus Store. Save up to 7% on select VAIO notebooks.(eligibility requirements – see site for details)
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.
In closing, choosing the right laptop 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.
FREE Ground Shipping on your $499+ entire order when you buy any Toshiba laptop PC.
Pink Acer Aspire One 8.9″ Laptop $239.99
FREE shipping on orders over $39.99 at the HP Home & Home Office Store! Exclusions Apply.
Related posts
Best College Laptops: Which One To Choose?
With all the hoopla out there on the best college laptops to buy, it’s hard to really get the correct and best information that there is. Go to any website and they’ll tell you that they have the best laptops at the best price. How can you know if they’re telling the truth or just feeding you the typical sales pitch?
First you need to search around at different places, either on the internet or in person. Once you familiarize yourself with who is out there doing business, it will greatly help in finding what you really need and want. After that, then you can look at the different brands and models to see which one offers the best deals.
With the way the economy is at this time, there are many business’ out there that will practically beg you to buy a laptop from them. They will offer almost anything and everything (including the kitchen sink). You need to be wise and patient when shopping for the best laptop. A salesperson can smell when they have someone looking to buy. If you don’t act like a desperate buyer, they will offer you services and accessories that they normally wouldn’t offer if they thought you would buy regardless of the deal
Choosing the best laptops for college is very important so you need to take you time and choose wisely. You might even find out there were things that you didn’t know before following these simple steps. Your laptop is something that you will be using (and quite often) for the next four years while you’re in college so take your time and do your homework.
As for some ideas for what may be best for you, you can read some of the other articles on this site or just listen to the salesperson and take notes. When a sales person sees you taking notes, they will assume that you are not buying at that moment and give you all the information that you need without pressure. Make a list of what you’re looking for and what you’re not looking for. Think about how much money you’re willing to spend.
With a little bit of pre-planning and some research, you’ll find that shopping for best college laptops will result in the perfect laptop for you.
Tags: Best College Laptops, best laptops, Best Laptops For College, college laptop, laptop prices, Laptops For College, laptops for college students, Laptops For StudentsRelated posts
Laptops For College Students
Suggestions for best college laptops from cnet.com:
The best laptops for college students and any others who may be on a tight budget should be looking for a laptop that will deliver the most bang for their buck. In particular, students typically want and need a notebook that is light enough for them to take back and forth all around campus but still be tough enough to take the everyday abuse it will receive being in their bag or backpack.
Key Features:
- AMD Turion 64, AMD Turion 64 X2, Intel Core Duo, or Intel Core 2 Duo
- At least 1GB of memory
- Big hard drive to hold all those MP3s
- DVD burner for backups and class projects
- Wireless and wired networking for classrooms and dorm rooms that are network-equipped
- Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium or Apple Mac OS X