Best College Laptops

Best College Laptops 2010

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This is another guest post from John May, one of our long time readers. Thanks John!

The best laptop computer for college students definitely depends upon the student’s major field of study. Some people will tell you the only choice is a Mac; others might say that a PC is better. How do you decide which is for you? here is my choices for the best college laptops 2010.

If price is no problem, and user-friendliness is your major concern, in my opinion Mac is the best choice. With laptops ranging in price from $900 to well over $2000, it’s a lot of money to drop on a single piece of technological equipment. There’s also the question of transferability; Mac programs typically don’t read well on Windows machines. Thankfully, there are a host of programs to ease that gap, including free programs such as OpenOffice, which is an open-source version of Microsoft Office with a user interface closest to that of the 2003 generation. Macs are great for students in humanities or social science-related fields, as they typically require very little user attention when it comes to security, cache cleaning, and virus worries. They’re great for visual arts majors, as visual arts have used Macs for decades.

But what about PCs? If your eye is on your budget, Macs are most definitely out of the question.

Asus, Acer, and Dell all have netbook or netbook-like options that range in price from $300 – $500. Asus, in particular, has a fully-functioning computer that comes in a convenient, portable 10-inch size. While the keyboard is obviously smaller on these machines, and some of them don’t hold the most memory, they’re a great buy for a first laptop. They’re durable, the work well, and they get the job done.

The only programs college students absolutely NEED on their computers are a Microsoft Office suite, a photoshop-type program for visual arts majors, and a music player. Beware though: netbooks and similar machines very rarely, if ever, have a CD driver included. This is something that has to be bought separately and connected to the computer through USB cables. If budget isn’t a huge concern and you’re stuck on PCs, perhaps the best option is Toshiba. They build reliable computers that can last for years, and have security features available that can really blow your mind, including a fingerprint reader. Feeling like James Bond yet? Prices for these machines run anywhere upwards of $1500, so be prepared to shell out big cash for them. If your college student absolutely requires a Blu-Ray player with his or her laptop, Samsung has the best deal: You can get a laptop with a Blu-Ray player, top-of-the-line graphics card, and great additional features for between $700 and $900, which isn’t bad.

No matter what type of laptop you decide to buy, you need to be sure of one thing: buy the warranty. College is a place where mistakes happen faster than you can blink, especially if your student is living in a dorm, and that shiny new laptop may end up with pop spilled all over its keyboard, or stepped on, or somehow tossed out a window. It’s better not to take any chances; dish out the extra bucks for the warranty, and rest assured that the good money you spent on that laptop wasn’t wasted in the slightest.

READER QUESTION: What is your choice for best college laptop of 2010 and why?

Choosing The Best Laptop For College

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This is a guest post by Sami Dee, a long time friend and reader.

One of the biggest purchases most college students will make before starting their college career is a new laptop computer. Finding the best laptop computer for college students can be a daunting task because there are so many different brands and models available to choose from.

Currently, one of the most popular laptops for college is the Macbook Pro. This laptop is fairly expensive starting at $1199 for a 13 inch model and $2299 for a 17 inch model. Compared to the price of a PC with similar specifications, you will be spending quite a bit more money. What you are paying for in a Macbook Pro is the Apple operating system (Apples do not run on Windows), the style, and the build quality.

One of the benefits of owning a Mac is that there are fewer viruses targeted at Macs. Another perk of a Macbook pro is that it is one of the most stylish laptops on the market and is sure to be impressive among the college crowd. Because the Macbook Pro is rather expensive and most college students are unable to afford it, Macbooks are a viable option. These laptops also run Apple’s operating system but do not have the same high price tag (starting at $999) and conversely do not have quite the same power and style as a Macbook Pro.

Apple’s other major offering, the Macbook Air, is a good choice only if it will not be your main computer. Starting at $999, the Macbook Air is built for portability and not heavy use. If you will be taking it to class every day and want something light to put in your backpack, it is a great option, but it will not have the performance that other laptops have and you may run into problems with the computer not having enough power. PCs (running mainly on Microsoft’s Windows operating system) still outsell Macs today and the primary advantages of PCs include lower prices than Macbooks for models with similar specifications and a larger variety in brand, model, size, and style.

Many users also still prefer to use Windows because it is the operating system they are most familiar with. Dell and HP are currently two of the best selling brands in PC laptops and have a similar line up of notebook computers. These product lines start with fairly inexpensive netbooks (computers with screen sizes usually under 12 inches and usually priced between $299 and $599).

Netbooks are fantastic for portability, but do not have the same power as many full sized laptops and are, as their name implies, most commonly used for surfing the internet. The best screen size in a laptop computer for college students who will be taking the machine to class every day is between 13 and 15 inches. These laptops provide for greater mobility while still offering higher performance. Specifications to look for in laptops include the newest processors (such as Intel Core i3, i5, and i7), at least 3 or 4 gigabytes of ram, and a hard drive of at least 320 gigabytes to store all your files over the next few years.

Overall, the best laptop for college students depends on the student who will be using it. For some users, power and performance is the number one concern, but for others it is portability. PCs generally offer the best value in terms of price compared to performance.

Another major concern among students is price. While most students will greatly enjoy a Macbook Pro and a 15 inch Macbook Pro will likely meet both style and performance concerns, the price may be an issue. In this case, it is time to look into a similarly configured PC for a lower price. Many PC makers are trying to keep up with Apple’s popularity and offer great alternatives that may be even better than a Macbook pro with a lower price.

The best place to start when hunting for a new laptop is by exploring the various PC manufacturer’s websites and comparing specifications with price. Every student is different, but there is sure to be a laptop on the market that is right for each one of them.