Best College Laptops

Asus Laptops For College

Leave A Comment

This guest post was written by James Donell, one of our regular readers. 

Asus derives its popularity through the sheer variety of products available to consumers. And this is all well and good—but for most of us, this vast plenitude of options just isn’t that important. All we care is that, as far as our preferences go, we’ve got one or two options that match. But, with Asus’ broad and accommodating product line, there truly is something for everyone–even multiple somethings. And being a former undergrad myself, I know firsthand which “somethings” these are. So, the following provides an overview of the three most attractive Asus notebooks for the undergrad. Of course, this is just one man’s opinion.

1) U30Jc (my personal favourite) When I went notebook hunting after my A-levels (or high school, for all you Americans), my biggest concern was size. My life had taken on a mobile quality, and I sought a laptop to correspond. Of course, there were other options out there (think iPad, for example). But, for me, the selling point was the optical drive. Whereas computers abound that offer smallness, few of them provide the benefit of playing and writing DVDs. I don’t know if you’re like me, but that’s a huge deal. My DVD collection is immense, and my music library was stored optically. If I ever wanted to transfer and enjoy my media as I had been, I needed that optical drive. And with a small package like the U30Jc, the decision was easy. But, there were also some alternatives I considered.

2) UL80vt (if I had been more responsible) As an undergrad going into a design-intensive field, I pretty much relied on my school’s computers for graphics-intensive applications. And that’s all well and good, but in hindsight, opting for a less-condensed-but-more-robust PC like the UL80vt would have saved me countless hours inhaling coffee in the studio. It would have been a dream, in other words, to do the work in the comfort of my dorm. And with the right computer, I could have. The UL80vt offers the out-of-this-world graphics capability of the GraphixBoost counterposed with data-crunching intensity of DDR3 memory. It’s a combination that even outperforms most Mac offerings in graphics-heavy applications, and at a fraction of the price. Given, it’s a bit less attractive as a streamlined personal computer. But, if I had been more responsible.

3) U20A (for the bargain hunter) One of the personality traits I can’t claim is having an eye for a bargain. The U20A is quite possibly the best value out there in computers, because the aesthetics that you sacrifice (like the attractive lines of the U30Jc or the suave aluminium of the MacBook) just aren’t worth the premium they cost. The U20A is a economic alternative that may be less consistent with the coffee-shop stereotype of notebook user, but its innards are truly impressive for the price. With storage capacity in the hundreds of gigabytes and graphics ability for running any game imaginable, it’s just a good deal! Plus, with its 12-inch display and slender body, it really isn’t too uncompetitive with sleeker options. In the end, though, I’m not as bargain savvy as I should be. But that isn’t to say you aren’t. And perhaps, if you are, you’ll notice at first glance what I only recognised in hindsight.

Saving Money On Laptops For College

Leave A Comment

In the uncertainty of the already crumbling economy, students have had much more trouble budgeting their college expenses. The best laptops for students are generic low-end models which use slightly aged hardware, but can still get the job done. The best college laptop can end up being a refurbished laptop.

Budget laptop brands for college students who do not require much power (which are interchangeably called notebooks) include Toshiba, Compaq, Acer, Asus, Emachines, and Gateway. Some of these brands sell laptops as low as 300 dollars when on sale. It’s imperative for college students on a tight budget to be aware of these sales. You can also get more power with a refurbished laptop for a similar price, such as the Compaq Factory-Refurbished AMD Athlon II processor / 15.6″ Display / 3GB Memory / 250GB Hard Drive laptop (model cq62-209wm.)

If you’re a design student, you will want a laptop that has a dedicated graphics card. The two main brands of dedicated graphics cards are ATI, which recently has been acquired by AMD, and NVIDIA. Their lines are named Radeon and Geforce. If the graphics card in the specs of a laptop you are looking for are neither of these, it most likely is a low-end, integrated graphics card. Not having enough video memory or speed can hinder the design process. A dedicated graphics card is crucial for students working in 3D as well as in programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. You will need an adequate cpu and ram in order for a dedicated graphics card to function to its full potential. A design laptop is a much greatest investment.

While a laptop like the ASUS G51JX-3DE, which sports 1GB of video memory (NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics,) 6GB of ram, a Intel Core i7-720QM processor, and 500GB of 7200 RPM hard drive space, and a $1,700 dollar price tag will give you all the power you need to design and also play games, it is overkill on a budget. A more appropriate laptop would be the ASUS UL30Vt-X1, which cuts ram down to 4GB, video memory to 512mb (NVIDIA G210M,) and 500GB of 5400RPM hard drive space, and the price tag down to roughly 710 dollars. This will do all you will ever need in college. Will you be able to play the latest PC game on the highest graphics settings? Probably not, but you’re not in college to play games.

It’s also advisable to game on a desktop computer, as laptops are prone to overheating. For Apple fans, Apple offers discounting for students with its laptop models, but it is not much. You can’t find much of a deal when it comes to Apple computers. If you must have one and your budget can afford it, go for it, but the PC counterparts are just as good, if not better, for the same price. The major advantage of Apple brand laptops are the long battery life, which can last upwards of 10 hours on one charge. If you decide to purchase an Apple laptop, the MacBook will run you $999 and the Macbook Pro starts at $1199. Some colleges and universities may recommend you buy an Apple laptops for various reasons, mainly for compatibility with course material.

The last thing you should keep in mind when it comes to purchasing your laptop, is to read the warranty carefully. Some can be tricky and won’t cover incidental damage. Some students take out 3rd party warranties to protect their purchase. Hopefully this has been helpful for you.