So what exactly is the best laptop for college students? There’s no definite answer. The type of college students vary as much as the types of laptops out there. Raging from high end power laptops from Alienware to cheap netbooks from Asus, there’s a whole spectrum of laptops to choose from.

The first thing that needs to be decided is the size of the laptop. These are usually categorized into three groups: Netbook, Mainstream and Desktop Replacement. The Netbook is the lightest of all the three. It’ ssize varies from as small as a 4.8 inch screen to 10 inches (size is usually determined by the screen). The mainstream’s size usually lies around 10-15.6 inches. The Desktop Replacement is everything above 15.6, sometimes even reaching size of 20 inches! What’s important to note here is that as size increases, power and price increases as well.

The netbook is the barebones laptop category. Slim, lightweight, power efficient and cheap, these machines can do regular, everyday tasks such as surfing the internet, using word processors or watching videos. Models such as Asus EEE, Dell Inspirion Mini and HP Mini are the more common ones. These usually run from $250 to $700

The Mainstream is the most common laptop there is. Powerful enough to run some demanding applications such as Adobe Photoshop yet still light enough to be carried in your backpack. The Macbook series is the most popular college laptop in this category but its price might be too much for some. Compaq is the budget line of HP, and offers extremely good laptops at its price points. These cost around $450-$1200.

The Desktop replacement is the biggest, and most powerful in terms of sheer hardware, there is of the three categories. These are usually bulky, weighing more than five pounds and usually has a 16 inch wide screen .These laptops are usually for people who sometimes need mobility, such as video editors who do on-the-spot editing.

A subcategory of the Desktop Replacement is the Gaming Laptop, as a good number of them lie in this category, usually sporting the best hardware available to run all recent games at maximum graphical settings. These hardhitting laptops could set you back for a good $800 to a whooping $2500!

One you’ve picked from these categories, you might be presented with options to somewhat customize them. Features such as webcams and card readers are almost always present in laptops today. USB slots and the Wifi card are always provided as well. There are, of course, some things that still need to be decided upon. Usually, laptops are equipped with disk-based Hard Drives with storage spaces that run from 120 Gigabytes to a whooping 1 Terrabyte. A general rule is that if one is interested in media and games, one would usually get more space. The option of Solid state Drives (SSD) sometimes also presents itself. These drives are expensive, yet offers the fastest read-write of them all, meaning that you save time when trying to save work or launching applications. The Usual RAM provided averages at 3 Gigabytes. This is fine for most cases, but people who use intensive applications or games might want to invest a little bit more on this.

Another general rule is that more RAM will almost always make your computer faster. So if your laptop is experiencing slowdowns, it might not be a bad idea to purchase more RAM for it. The CPU is the core unit of the laptop. It determines how fast and powerful it is in running applications.

Netbooks are usually equipped with an Intel Atom CPU, as this is one of the most energy efficient CPUs for netbooks today. However, it will experience severe slowdown when running more intensive applications.

Mainstream laptops usually use an Intel Core 2 Duo, i3 or i5 or AMD Athlon or Turion, enough for most applicatons.

Desktop Replacements usually carry an Intel i7 for the most demanding of all applications, though these CPUs are pretty costly. GPUs, or Graphic Processing Units, are usually not needed by laptops as these are seen as powerdrains. Most laptops are equipped with a integrated video card that comes along with the motherboard, or is integrated in the CPU if it uses an Intel i series. However, gamers might want one for their laptops as these integrated video cards could only do so much. Both nVidia and ATI offer mobile versions of most of their GPUs, however these will sometimes never reach the same specifications as their desktop counterpart as these were designed to be as compact as possible.

This should have mostly covered the question “What exactly is the best laptop computer for college students?”. If you’re still unsure as to what to get, the best way to find out is to go to stores and try it out yourself! There’s nothing more convincing than a hands-on demo.

This is a guest post by Jim Walken, who is well known about here as someone always willing to help out and answer a question. Thanks Jim!

One of the necessities a college student needs to help them in college is a laptop for term papers, researching, keeping in contact with family, etc. Of course, there are student computer labs on a college campus, but it is difficult and inconvenient to not have a laptop with you wherever you go instead of hanging around the computer lab until the hours close. However, when deciding on a laptop, there are certain laptops that are much better than others for college students.

You’ve heard me say it before….the best laptops for college students will be ones that can best fit the student’s needs. Being a college student myself, I have been through my share of laptops and seen what everyone else uses as well, so I have come up with the best laptops that I think are great for college students like myself.

First off, I prefer Mac to PC, so one of my pick for the best college laptop of the five is the Apple MacBook. The MacBook is not extremely cheap, but for under a grand you can get a decent sized laptop with great power and functionality. Mac is a different operating system and a different interface than PC, but it is not very hard to learn how to work on one. I like the MacBook because it is a decent size, it’s still portable and actually quite popular with a lot of college students. It also has a great battery life, and also has attractive features, and you buy it with different memory sizes and different options, but the basic MacBook is just under a grand without tax, not too much for a college student. They can get up to as much as $2,000, depending on the size of the screen and what core components you decide on.

I would also pick the new Apple iPad for college students as well. I actually have one, as do a few students that I know, and it is fully capable of many things that a regular laptop could do, except it does not have a web camera. It is very light, and very versatile, allowing students to buy their eTextbooks on it and read them right at their fingertips. It also works as a sketchpad, where students can purchase a pen for the iPad and draw and take notes. It also has a very long battery life, and even though the keyboard is on the touchscreen itself, it is not that difficult to use. If students have an issue with this, they can purchase an optional wireless keyboard for around $70 and use it with the iPad. I have asked a few people besides myself about the iPads that they own, if they prefer their laptop or their iPad, and many prefer the iPad as it is easier to carry, and less weight in their backpack. The iPad comes with two options, with the Apple 3G wireless network ability and WiFi, or just WiFi, and the option of 3G adds to the cost of the iPad by about $150. The iPad comes in different sizes of memory, from 16GB, 32GB to 64GB. I also really like the touch screen, and the thousands of apps available. You could think of it as a larger iPhone, but more like a PC tablet, without the phone capability. The iPad starts at $499, and goes up to a little over $800, cheaper than the MacBook.

Another personal favorite of mine would be the ASUS Eee pc, a small and portable netbook perfect for web browsing and taking notes. It is rather small, and is primarily used for just web browsing, at netbooks are made for, but at a price of around $400, and a full keyboard, it is still a pretty good deal for a college student. It does able you to run programs like Microsoft Word and programs you would generally need for classes, but only if you want a portable laptop for only taking notes and web browsing. Otherwise, the ASUS Eee netbook probably would not be what you want if you are looking at doing more than strictly class work on it.

Another top pick for college students would be another small one, the Acer Aspire AS1410-2954 laptop. It is a decent screen size of 11.6 inches, and is considered a laptop. It has Windows 7 on it, a relatively newer operating system, but it is not hard at all to get used to. It also comes in a very stylish maroon, instead of a traditional black, white or silver, giving it a little bit of character as well. It costs around $500, which for the portability, the features and the screen size, it is a pretty great deal in my opinion.

The last top pick I would suggest for college students is the HP Pavilion DV6-2162NR. Hewlett Packard has constantly kept its laptops fast, and fair priced, without sacrificing on much as well. It has a large screen of 15.6 inches, and allows to upgrade to a lot of RAM and memory for students who need more for classes like computer science majors, or for watching movies, playing games, or running multiple programs at one time. This laptop is under $1000 at the basic model, and adding more components, memory and features will raise the price, but for everything the laptop has to offer, it is a reasonable deal for students in college.

The best laptop for a college student truly depends on their needs for classes, and their personal preferences. Some students may prefer a Mac operating system to a PC, or they may want something smaller and portable. It also depends on your budget as a college student, and how much you are looking for in a laptop. It depends on how much you will use the laptop as well. Some students have a netbook or tablet and a regular sized laptop, so they can use one at home, and take the smaller one to class instead of a notepad. It all depends on the student and what is the best option for them.

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.

Money is tight for everyone right now, especially college students. More and more students are doing away with the bells and whistels in a laptop and buying just what they need for their studies. This review was submitted by one of our new readers, Clyde Taylor.

1. The HP G62-339WM Laptop is Black with a 15.6″ screen. This computer comes with a decent processor, the AMD Athlon II P320 and 3GB of RAM. IT will handle your standard essays, online homework assignments etc, just don’t look for the hardcore gaming experience. With Windows 7 you will have access to almost any software suite your professors throw at you. And the double layer DVD burner will make short work of any media projects you turn in. For the science majors the heavy number crunching modelling will be slow but not impossible, just start it Friday night before you leave for the party and by Sunday night your assignment will be ready. New the computer will run you $499 but you could find a refurbished unit in the $400 range.

2. The HP Pavilion Laptop series has a 14.1″ Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with 1 GB RAM and 160 GB Hard Drive, Single layer DVD and comes standard with Vista Premium. Vista will be a pain and you will end up having to upgrade it quickly, as online assignments seem to annoy Vista quickly and often. The screen and graphics processor will be above average in terms of gaming quality, if a bit small. Again, the heavy mathematics students will cringe at doing any intensive work on this, but that’s what the computer lab is for, right? The lack of a built-in webcam will make chat roulette impossible without a peripheral camera but with a plethora of USB/Firewire ports you will have space to plug it in. This model runs from $499 to $550 depending on where you order from.

3. Acer Aspire One, although technical a netbook, with its 10.1″ screen and hefty Intel Atom N450 processor and 1 GB RAM it can handle the day to day grind of taking notes, writing reports and providing entertainment in the library. Its light weight and wide choice of colors makes it attractive to look at and carry. With an additional monitor in your room you can even use it in more robust media projects. And at $298 it leaves plenty of room in the budget for add-ons or other priorities.

4. The Toshiba Satellite has a Celeron 2.2 GHz processor, 15.6? screen and 3 GB of RAM. From most distributors it comes with Windows 7 and the lack of a webcam is again not a problem with the number of USB ports available. It is a bit on the heavy side, weighing in at 5.9 lbs. It will be difficult to lug between classes and its WIFI card is undersized for wireless internet access. However, if screen size and robust OS is your main priority you will be hard pressed to beat this one at $350.

5. Dell Inspiron Laptop with a generic Pentium Processor and 15.6″ display comes with 2 GB of RAM for $400. Although Dell’s service reputation is not what it once was this machine will serve you well in the day to day student activities. It will also be more than enough for all the viral videos, and facebook updates you desire. The lack of a DVD burner will mean that thumbdrives and online storage will be the online way to move data around but these days that’s all you really need 95%.

Starting college? You’ve got the new sheets and towels. You’ve got the sturdy walking shoes. You’ve got the mini-fridge. Now you need to find the best college laptops. Might as well just start at Dell.com. They make some of the best laptops for college students.

You won’t go wrong with a Dell Inspiron if you’re looking for good college laptops. The Inspiron 15 has plenty of power, with Intel Core2 Duo processors. At 2.0GHz, it will keep up with your term papers, music files and editing the video of last week’s party. And storage space won’t be a problem with a 320GB SATA Hard drive. (Your parents were lucky to have 100 Mb on their first computer!) No problem toting your computer to class to take notes and surf for tidbits to impress the professor. The Inspiron has an 8 cell battery with up to 8 hours of power. It could be the best laptop for college students.

The built-in WiFi lets you access the Wi-fi your campus provides. (Not to mention your Starbuck’s, your McDonald’s, your Barnes and Noble…) Burning your own CDs and DVDs is a snap with the 8X burner. And watching DVDs on the gorgeous, slick, wide, glossy 15.6 inch HD screen (with a 16:9 aspect ratio!) puts you in your own personal theater. Pop in some headphones and it’s movie time without bugging the roommate. (Add the optional Blu Ray for eye-popping video.)

Keep worms and viruses and nasty Trojan horses at bay with the included subscription to McAfee SecurityCenter; 15 months, yes over a year, of worry free virus protection! No shortage of places to plug in your USB dancing hula girl, or the external monitor, or the microphone. The 7-in-1 media card reader lets you pop in the card from your camera so you can share those game pictures before the hand-stamp wears off.

Of course, Mom will need to know that you AREN’T wasting away, and you HAVEN’T gotten your nose pierced. The integrated 1.3megapixel webcam lets you send her regular updates on your hair color, or chat with Skype. You’ll want to see what she’s done with your room, now that it’s the new “media center.” And although Mom may tell you looks aren’t everything, your laptop CAN say something about you! Choose cool glossy black for a sophisticated outer shell. Or not. The Inspiron comes in 8 eye-catching colors. Or personalize your new machine with over 200 artist designs, from your favorite MLB team to fractals. And what Mom loves the most? (Besides you.) The Inspiron is a great machine at a great price that will keep up with you as you jump into the college experience. Dell is the way to go.