The largest factor in purchasing a laptop for college use is often price. This is understandable, although there are many other factors to consider. Here are a few of my suggestions for good laptops for college students. 

Cheap laptops of many brands are available, but Toshiba Satellites have shown greater quality than the competitor’s in their price range. The Toshiba Satellite C650 is a good starting point in a good, but usable laptop. It has decent battery life, and is priced in the neighborhood of 400 dollars. The Toshiba Satellite laptops have a full numberpad on the keyboard, but this takes up space that might be better spent on other keys. It is still much easier to type on than a netbook, though.

For those that have the money, and want to get the top quality for it, the Macbook reigns as one of the best college laptops. While it costs nearly 1000 dollars, the Macbook has been praised as lightweight, easy to use, high quality, stylish, durable, and well worth the investment for anyone that has the money. Some people dislike the occasional quirks in, and general lack of games available for the Mac OS.

If price isn’t an issue, but needing a solid Windows platform is, the Lenovo Thinkpad may be perfect for you. The Thinkpad T series fall at around 900 dollars, but are well built, fast, and have a large array of options. Derived from the IBM Thinkpad, the Lenovo Thinkpad has one of the lowest failure rates of all laptops, helping to insure that you will have your laptop when you need it.

The most popular computer brand on the market is undoubtedly Hewlett Packard. HP offers cheap, medium quality laptops, which fall behind the Thinkpad in performance, behind the Macbook in style, and behind the Satellite in price. However, there is definitely something to be said for mediocrity. An HP Pavillion dv6 has the raw computer power of a Thinkpad or Macbook, but lacks the high price, exacting standards, and incredible feel. The Pavillion will set you back around 500 dollars, and has a higher failure rate than the Thinkpad and Macbook, but is generally is good choice for a normal college student.

For portability, there are expensive ultraportables from the Sony Vaio to the Macbook Air that cram the power of a larger laptop into just a few pound, but the high price precludes these from the college laptop market. Netbooks are a viable way to go if you are always on the go. The MSI Wind is one of the better choices of netbooks. At around 300 dollars, the Wind is small, light, and cheap, while managing to stay on battery for longer than the average netbook today. Like all netbooks, though, the light weight ans low price come at the cost of a higher failure rate, and a miniscule keyboard. If you go this route, definitely find a netbook that you can type on for a while to insure it doesn’t drive you insane.

Ultimately, there is no single best college laptop. The choice you ought to make depends on how much you’re willing to pay, whether you value style in addition to function, and what you need from your laptop. The best laptop you can have is the one that matches you best.

If you can’t make up your mind, and just need something to type papers on, side with the Toshiba. If you’re into gaming, get a Thinkpad with a discrete graphics card. If you want something that will simply work, go with the Macbook. The Wind can be carried with you easily. The Pavillion is a good bet if you don’t really know what you want, or if you want a little bit of everything.

In the current market there are so many laptops to choose from that it can sometimes become overwhelming. Hopefully, this will help your search for the best laptop for you. The five best affordable laptops for college students, in my opinion, are explained in the following article.

Number 5 on the list is the Apple MacBook. The downside is the price, but for under $1000 you can have a smooth sleek machine that will last for years to come. Apple also offers an incredible service plan that I would recommend to any college student. The MacBook can easily keep up with the fast paced lifestyle of college and still look professional in any setting with its super slim design. The battery life is exceptional as well, and can last through the many hours of papers and internet surfing you are sure to do at all the coffee shops on campus.

Number 4 on the list is the Dell Vostro 3500 with a 2.26 GHz processor, 2 gigs of ram and a 250 GB hard drive you would expect to pay around $550. This laptop allows college students to easily create all the necessary documents throughout the day on a single charge with the correct power settings. The size and weight can comfortably ft into any backpack, but for the price I would like to see a little more performance.

The HP G62-340 squeezes into the number 3 position on the list by sporting a 2.20 GHz processor and 320 GB hard drive and 3GB of RAM standard, all for about the same price as the number 4 laptop. The HP G series laptops are built very well and can accommodate just about anything that the average college student can, I mean will, throw at it. It can create word documents and spreadsheets or help you wind down with a movie after a hard day of classes. This laptop can be found for $550 or less.

Holding the number 2 position is the Gigabyte TouchNote. This laptop contains a 1.66 GHz Processor, enough for any task a college student might need it for, accompanied by versatility. The laptop is able to become a tablet pc; this allows for notes to be “written” on the screen or typed and makes navigation with the computer a lot easier. The battery life is good and this laptop relly has all the extras that college students yearn for, all with a price tage that comes in under $500.

The number 1 position belongs to the HP Mini 110-3130nr, a small netbook that can easily surf the web, type all of your college papers or watch your favorite video between classes. The built in camera allows you to keep in contact with everyone from home or record the pesky roommate who’s sneaking into your secret stash. The keypad is about 92% the size of the average keyboard but after a few sentences you don’t even realize that it’s any different. Its compact size allows college students to carry it anywhere without the bulk and weight of a laptop in your bag. The battery life is great as well, even with the standard battery, but if you want more time the optional extended battery allows hours of useful life without a plug-in. the best news for college students is that you can pick one up for under $300. In my opinion this tough, compact laptop is the best college laptop.

While no laptop is necessarily better than another for a person, its use must truly be considered and any of these five laptops will accommodate the needs of a college student. I hope that these recommendations help in your search for a laptop.

As a student at a junior college, I will be the first person to admit that many of us are strapped for cash. In addition to unit and material costs, many college courses today are difficult to excel in without a decent laptop or notebook. And not just any notebook will do; it has to conform to a huge list of requirements, such as wireless internet access, easy portability, and lots of disk space. It can be difficult and troubling to spend hours searching online for a laptop that will both meet your needs and not bleed your wallet dry.

Here are what I believe to be the two best value laptops under 500 for college students.

#1. The Dell Inspiron Mini (base model) – $300
Another goodie brought to you by Dell, this mini notebook easily took it’s spot at my list of top college laptops. In addition to being the only one of these laptops that I’ve personally owned, it beats all the others that I have tested that are in the same price range.

The Good: The most basic version of this laptop has everything the average college student needs; a decent processor, twenty-four hours of battery life, a built-in 160GB hard drive and the best portability of any notebook on the market (under three pounds) . At approximately ten inches by seven inches, this laptop fits easily in any backpack and even inside many purses, and has the capacity for your daily needs, such as Word processing, emailing, social networking. The base model comes with Windows XP, and not Windows 7, but if you are looking for functionality, this is an amazing laptop. The more expensive versions have Windows 7, increased processor speed, and are even a little bit smaller. However, these upgrades can run up to $300 more than the base model.

The not-so-good: I’m never going to say anything about this laptop is bad. However, it is not a laptop for, say, a video production student, because it doesn’t have enough ram or processor power for the more intense applications, nor does it have the large screen that most people are used to expecting. The only other down side is that it doesn’t have a built-in CD drive; but with more than enough USB ports, it’s not too difficult to plug in an external drive.

#2. Acer Aspire Laptop with AMD Athlon Single-Core Processor - $400
The Acer Aspire is another amazing college buy. If you are looking for a laptop with a larger screen and keyboard than those of the mini notebooks while not spending a huge amount of money, this is the laptop for you. However, with greater size comes a greater footprint, and this laptop is approximately ten inches by fifteen inches and weighs a good six pounds. Nonetheless, it offers everything a college student needs.

The Good: This laptop comes stock with Windows 7. It can support up to 4GB of ram, and comes installed with 3GB. It also comes with a CD/DVD read-write drive. Oh, and did I mention? It starts at only $370. As with all other computers, you can upgrade it, but it’s going to cost more money.

The not-so-good: It’s size can be a concern. Whereas one can slip the mini-notebook into a small compartment in a backpack or purse and not even notice the weight, cramming this laptop into a backpack along with books and binders can be a hassle. And again, as with most budget to mid-range college laptops, you aren’t going to be using this laptop to edit a movie anytime soon.

If you are a college student looking for a laptop that will meet your basic needs, either of these laptops is an excellent choice. The Dell Inspiron Mini is the best mini-notebook on the market and offers premium portability, while the Acer Aspire has a good-sized screen and can do everything the mini notebook can. Whichever laptop you choose, I’m sure you will not be disappointed.

There are many things to consider when looking for the best laptops for college. One of the main things to consider is your budget. There are many laptops out there for those who are looking for the cheapest laptop that will get them by. There are also many people out there who are willing to spend much more to get all of the extras.

When sorting through the many options available, you will find that there are many different sizes to choose from. There are netbooks that have 10.1” screens. This may be convenient to carry around, but the keyboards are typically much smaller and may make typing more difficult for those who are used to typing on a regular keyboard. You can also choose the other extreme and purchase a laptop with a screen that is 18.4”. This may be good for watching movies and playing video games, but having a laptop that big will be difficult to carry around. Choosing a laptop in the middle of the size range may be the best option for you. Top college laptops with a screen size of 14” or 15.6” tend to give you the best of both worlds. You still get the portability that you do with a smaller laptop, but you get a decent size screen to go along with it.

If you are looking for the cheapest thing to get you buy, you may beinterested in a 10” Coby NBPC1023XP. This has an N480 processor, 1GB of memory, and a 160GB hard drive. This netbook is meant for those on a very limited budget, who are looking for the bare minimum to get them by. You can get this netbook for around $250.00.

Another option for those on a budget is the 15.6” HP G56-129WM. This laptop will run you approximately $375.00, but is worth the extra money if you can afford it. This comes with an Intel Celeron 900 processor. It also has 3GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive.

For $450.00, you can get an Acer Aspire A55736Z-4016. This has an Intel Pentium Processor T4500. It also comes with 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. This also has a 15.6” screen. This would be my pick for the best laptop for college students.

If you are looking to spend a little more money, you can choose a Toshiba Satellite. The L655-S5100 has a 15.6” screen. It comes with an Intel Pentium P6100 Processor, 4GB of memory, and a 500GB hard drive. The Toshiba Satellite Helios L655D-S5110WH comes with the AMD Phenom II Quad Core P940 Processor. It has 4 GB of memory and a 500 GB hardrive.

When buying a laptop, there are many additional things you can add on. You can add features for gaming, music, and music. These features aren’t a must, but would be appreciated by most college students. So when you are out looking for a new laptop for college, just remember to use every penny of your budget wisely. Choose the features that are best for you and your needs.

There are many things a college student such as yourself worries about these days. Money, relationships, parents, and homework all can cause massive headaches. One thing that I believe a you shouldn’t have to stress about is finding the best value laptops for your budget.

When you buy a laptop for college, I would look at three things: price, size/weight, and RAM/Processor speed. Higher RAM lets you run more programs at once. A faster processor makes your laptop run faster.

If you are someone who is very mobile and doesn’t play video games or use Photoshop, a netbook is best for you. They usually cost about $200-500, include 1 gigabyte of RAM, and have an 10 inch screen. They usually weigh about 2 pounds, have about 5 hours of battery life, and have a smaller keyboard than normal laptops, which can be uncomfortable for long periods of typing. I would recommend testing a netbook in a store before buying it to make sure its keyboard and screen size are right for you. A netbook is best for people who only run a few programs at once and spend most of their time on the Internet and typing up homework and is one of the best laptop buys for someone who doesn’t have a lot of money to spend.

If you need some more power or a bigger screen but don’t want to lug around a giant laptop everywhere, I would recommend a laptop with a 13 inch screen. Their prices vary widely, but an average one will cost you from $200-700. They usually include 2-4 gigabytes of RAM and are about 4 pounds. Their battery usually lasts 4-5 hours. They have enough power to play most games and run many programs at once, but are also portable enough to bring with you wherever you go. These are among the top college laptops available on the market.

If you are a hardcore gamer or use video editing or graphics editing programs, you’ll need a laptop with more power. I recommend a laptop with a 15 inch or 17 inch screen. They cost from $400-1500 and include 4 gigabytes of RAM. They usually weigh around 6 pounds and offer about 3 hours of battery life. I would not recommend these laptops unless you need the computing power that they give you.

Buying a laptop may sound daunting, but it is easy if you know what you are doing. Before you buy one, do some research on the Internet. Read customer and expert reviews, go to the product’s website, and see what other people say about a laptop. Ask your friends what laptops they have. With enough information, you’ll do fine buying a laptop.

More tips for saving money on a laptop:
• Buy programs like Microsoft Office from your college’s store. They offer deep discounts!
• I know this sounds counterintuitive, but get the service contract/extended warranty. Computers get viruses, overheat, and get dropped.
• Go to sourceforge.org or search the Internet for open source software. It’s free and can be just as good as paid programs!

To be successful in college you will need a few basic things, a planner to keep you organized, plenty of notebooks and office supplies, and a good computer. These days computers are needed for everything in college. From planning your schedules to turning in homework a good computer will take you a long way. However, given the current market, one can feel overwhelmed when choosing a computer, especially laptops. This is my list of the 5 top college laptops.

1. The Apple MacBook is a sleek, sexy looking number with many features. It comes with a built in webcam, dvd player, and Apple’s iLife suite of applications. This computer is for the creative person on the go as iLife helps your inner musician or artist come to life. With a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and a 250 GB hard drive, this computer has the speed you need and the space to store your work. However, the hefty $999 price tag is a big turn off.

2. The Sony VAIO E Series computers are good 15.5″ sized computers. With 3GB of DDR3 memory and an AMD Athlon II Dual-Core P340 2.2G processor its got the speed to compete with the MacBook. This model comes with a 320 GB hard drive and windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edition. At $599.99 this seems like a bargain over the MacBook, but it doesn’t come with the MacBook’s software suite.

3. HP comes out swinging with the Pavilion dv6-3143us notebook. Its loaded Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit and comes with more than enough power to play games on. The screen is a tad bit bigger at 15.6″ and the hard drive is twice as large as the MacBook’s at 500 GB. The HP comes with an Intel Core i3 processor running at 2.4GHz. Its sleek and powerful, and it costs $799.

4. Netbooks are a popular item among college students. They are a bit less powerful, but what they miss in power, they make up for in portability. This is a definite for the student who has to trek across campus everyday. The Acer Aspire One A0821-3574 is a neat little netbook. It comes with with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit preloaded. Its powered by an AMD Athlon II Neo processor at 1.70GHz. It has 2GB of memory and a 250 GB hard drive to store all of your homework. The 5 hour battery life span is a must for the college student on the go. The $409.99 pricetag won’t break the bank either. These are the best value laptops on the market.

5. The DELL Inspiron 15R is a full size powerhouse of a laptop. This one is looking to bridge the gap between desktop and laptop. It comes with an Intel Core i5-460M processor running at 2.53GHz, 6 GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 640GB hard drive. This computer is a beast! It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edition preloaded. This computer is a bit expensive, coming in at $869.99, however, the price is a good tradeoff for the the power this computer has. For the college student on the go, I would have to choose the Acer Aspire One A0821-3574 as the best laptop for college students. The price, along with the portability and great battery life will be great for a college student on the go.

College is a fast paced, but overall fun part of anyone’s life. A good laptop is a must if you want to succeed and graduate.

This post continues our Best College Laptops 2010 series.

Now that holiday shopping season is officially underway, we have a fairly good idea of sales and shopping trends on laptops. We know not only what is in stock, but where the best prices and features are. After reviewing all of the data this week, our experts have come up with their top picks for the five best laptops for college.

1. The Coby 10-inch NBPC1023XP Netbook PC with Intel Atom N450 processor and Windows XP currently offers an excellent combination of value and price, making it the best laptop for college students in its price range. Selling now at just under $260, it is probably the least expensive and best value laptops on the market today and an excellent starter PC.

2. The eMachines Black 10.1-inch eM350-2074 Netbook PC with Intel Atom N450 Processor and Windows XP Home is also a fantastic laptop, and some retailers have been offering this model for under $250. We included it here because it really is an outstanding laptop; be warned, however, that sales have been so brisk that many merchants cannot keep it in stock. Place the eMachines on your watch list and be ready to act quickly when supplies are available.

3. Moving up a tier to the larger laptops with wider displays and more capable processors, we have the Compaq Presario CQ62-209wm Laptop PC with AMD Athlon II Dual-Core Processor and Windows 7 Home Premium. This PC has a 15.6-inch display and a dual-core processor with substantially more power than the Intel Atom. The Presario has been on sale for under $400 lately, an awesome price on a complete laptop for college students.

4. The HP 17.3-inch Biscotti G72-227WM Laptop PC with Intel Pentium T4500 Processor and Windows 7 Home Premium is another PC selling for under $500 that offers a great value in terms of the best laptops for college. Its substantially larger display makes creating Office documents and reading electronic files easy and convenient.

5. Finally, the Acer Aspire 17.3-inch AS7741Z-4633 Laptop PC is typically about $50 more than the Biscotti; however, you get some excellent features worth mentioning. 4 Gigabytes of DDR3 Dual-Channel SDRAM memory and an HDMI output are not usually available on netbooks and inexpensive laptops, but they are ones a college student with an interest in HD video may crave.

We reviewed the five best laptops for college, with an emphasis on sale items likely to be in stock at major retailers around the country. Netbooks are perfect for those on a budget, and their compact size is quite handy. However, to step up to something better than a single-core processor and to add larger display, look carefully at the three models from Compaq, HP, and Acer.

This post continues our Best College Laptops 2010 series.

Walk around any college campus today, and you will see that many of the students have laptops. You might also notice that most of them seem to be made by either Apple or Dell. But just which are the best laptops for college use?

Apple laptops are certainly popular. But what do they offer? Apple have three different laptop lines: the MacBook, the MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Air, with standard prices from $999, $1199, and $999, respectively. However, college students can take advantage of the generous discounts available from Apple’s Education Store, so you needn’t pay as much as this.

The MacBook comes in only one model. It is white, has a 13.3″ display, 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and up to 10 hours of battery life, all weighing in at 4.7 pounds. It is the best laptop computer for college students who just have to have an Apple, but are on a limited budget.

The MacBook Pro comes in six variations. All are made from sleek metal. The displays vary between 13.3″ and 17″, the processor between 2.4GHz and 2.66GHz, RAM is 4GB, the hard drive is between 250GB and 500GB, and battery life is up to 10 hours, and the weight is as little as 4.5 pounds up to 6.6 pounds for a 17″ model. Prices range from $1199 to over $2000. The MacBook Pro offers the college student the ultimate portable Apple experience, with the most options, but with prices to match.

The MacBook Air wins among the Apples when it comes to portability. It is super thin and weighs no more than 2.9 pounds. It comes in four versions. The display is 11.6″ or 13.3″, the processor is a 1.4GHz or 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, RAM is 2GB, instead of a hard drive there is 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of flash-based storage, and battery life is up to 5 hours of doing typical college work. Prices range from $999 up to $1599. The specifications are quite a bit lower than the similarly priced MacBook and MacBook Pro models. However, they are more than sufficient for the typical college work of word processing, emailing, and browsing the web. Where the MacBook Air really wins is in being so small and light, leaving the college student with plenty of spare carrying capacity for all those heavy textbooks.

For the college student on a real budget, Dell laptops are an excellent choice. The Inspiron 15 costs as little as $399, yet is a very capable model. You can stand out on campus by selecting a blue or a pink color. The base model has a competent Intel Celeron 2.20GHz processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and a 15″ display. All in all, a solid choice for the student wishing to make her money go as far as possible.

Alternatively, if you want something small, highly portable, and even cheaper — though with lower specifications — the Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook is an excellent choice. Costing as little as $299, and weighing as little as 2.66 pounds, it is light on your wallet and light in your bookbag. It has a lowly, but energy efficient Intel Atom 1.66GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a hard drive of up to 160GB. Despite being the least capable laptop discussed here, it is the cheapest and lightest, and works well for carrying around campus, taking notes in lectures, and keeping up with emails and the web.

Note that all five of the laptop lines we’ve covered allow you to connect to your college’s wifi networks out of the box. No matter your budget and needs as a student, there is a laptop model to suit you. Even if you want to show off with a fashionable Apple, reasonably priced models are available. If you want the very best, Apple also has the model for you. And if you want the best value for money, check out Dell’s offerings.

This post continues our Best College Laptops 2010 series.

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?

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.