Best College Laptops

My Choice For The Five Best College Laptops

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This is a guest post from Ben, who goes to FSU 

Last night watching the Patriots-Steelers game in the lounge of my residence hall I had a discussion with several of the guys during halftime. A commercial for the new MacBook Air came on and every single person made negative remarks about it. All of us had discovered one thing about laptops we wish we had known before this year, that the more durable and the more falls it can withstand the better.

Because we live in an age of technology we are constantly on out computers and since we live in a residence hall without wifi we need an Ethernet cable attached. Every single one of us has tripped over the cord and had our laptop crash to the floor or gone to bed with our laptop in the bed with us, only to fall out (sometimes from a top bunk) to the floor in the middle of the night. 

IMB Thinkpads are unfashionable but they are durable and with the type of papers and speeches required of us a working computer is a must at all times. This computer isn’t as flashy and may be unpopular for college freshmen compared to other brands but when an everyday accident causes you to lose all your work and hundreds of dollars of equipment maybe its time to switch to the computer that can withstand accidents. IMB Thinkpads are in my opinion the best college laptop. (Or at least college freshmen laptop until you move into better dorms with wifi and no bunk beds). Its not totally accident proof but it is durable to cover most normal falls and incidents.

Tied for first is the Dell Latitude XFR. This laptop is the definition of durable it could probably fall off a skyscraper and be fine. Of course being college freshman we tried dropping it from the highest place we could. It fell four stories and still works. So if you really want durable this is the most extreme option. 

Also tied for first (yes there are three first place choices) is the Panasonic Toughbook. Because so many of us broke or damaged laptops and we are broke college students the logical first choice for a replacement was whatever computer wouldn’t break. This is just another unbreakable laptop from a trusted brand.

In second place for best college laptops is the Apple MacBook Pro. While it may not have the durability on a college campus computers suffer from slow downloading and lots of issues. It can be so frustrating especially when you really need to finish a Logical Argumentation project due tomorrow at 8AM. So the Mac with far fewer problems and much less prone to suddenly crash on you (My Asus completely crashed during midterms with led to severely elevated levels of stress.). Next to durability, reliability is the most important thing and on a college campus laptops are much more prone to issues and viruses so having a Mac would be very useful.

In third place is the HP TouchSmart. Teachers are occasionally strict about letting computers in their class simply because they do not want student Facebooking instead of paying attention but teachers are fine with this laptop because it folds easy on your desk just like a notebook. And students who have this laptop are able to take notes straight on their computer making them easy to fond later. So for a computer that makes your notes easily organized and that teachers almost always allow in class the HP TouchSmart is a wise choice.

Knowing what I know now there is NO way I would not have bought the laptop I did to start college with. I very expensively learned what does and doesn’t work and for best laptop success get something durable or that will not constantly have problems (or crash at bad times!) or that can be used to further help you stay organized and get ahead in classes.

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.