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.

I used to work in a college IT department on all different makes and models, different operating systems and Macs so I know first hand that certain manufacturers are better in quality than others.

For students in an art type of major, Architecture, Interior Design, Fashion, I would hands down recommend a Mac due to the graphics quality. But there are equally good Windows-based laptops for school that are very popular. After reading this you should have a better idea of what to look for when shopping for a laptop and your personal preferences for things such as screen size and color.

The three best brands I’ve worked on are Gateway, Dell and Apple. You’ll want to go with an Intel Core duo processor or better for speed and a minimum of 2GB of memory. If you plan on using your laptop for games or using multiple applications at the same time (toggling between open applications) get 4GB.

Hard drive size is dependent on what you plan on storing. If you are just going to be storing documents for school any of the standard hard drives the manufacturers are offering now will work. For music and picture storage you’ll want to increase the size depending on your usage. For those who store a tons of music and large pictures, keep in mind that it takes up a lot of space and will ultimately slow down your computer. So you may want to invest in an external hard drive. But for the average person, as I mentioned before, all the hard drives offered in the new laptops have a lot of space, about 250GB or more and will work just fine.

It is important to get a laptop with Wi-Fi capability as it is probably needed in certain classes and every college now offers Wi-Fi on campus and in dorms.

Also keep in mind battery life – some last just 3 hours and others last 6.5 hours or more. Video and sound are dependent on what you plan on doing with the laptop. This is particularly important to gamers but for your average student, the standard video and sound feature offered by the manufacturer will work. Personal options to decide is whether you want a webcam, if you are looking for a laptop with Windows or a Mac Operating System, the screen size and weight. There’s some laptops you can customize the color but there’s also different styles of skins for purchase as another option and perhaps less expensive. All these latter options are based on personal preference.

I would suggest going with a Gateway, Dell or Apple Macbook. However, the best laptop computer for college students is the Dell Inspiron 15R or higher. This laptop has excellent standard features with Intel Core i3 370M processor (better than Intel Core Duo), 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive, built in wireless and webcam, CD/DVD burner and 1 year warranty just to name a few options! You can also check; Best College Laptops 2010 for more suggestions.

Whichever laptop you decide to go with, all three that I mentioned above have a much better quality than others on the market, and this is based on my direct experience fixing a variety of student computers on a college campus.

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.

The Holiday 2010 shopping season will be fast upon us, with the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) sales set to begin shortly. Computers, specifically computers for college students—those returning to school or perhaps starting for the first time after the winter break—will be among the hottest sellers this year. Choosing the best college laptop is not as tough as you might think. In this expert review, we will present the five best laptops for college and explain why one of them should be on your shopping list.

In terms of value, the top selling college laptops fall into two categories, ultra inexpensive netbooks, and deeply discounted notebooks.

Netbooks encompass small computers with screens generally under 11 inches like the Coby 10-inch Netbook PC. What is particularly unique about the Coby is that it is one of few netbooks still shipping new with Windows XP instead of Windows 7. One fantastic benefit of that distinction is that the Coby is about the lowest priced new stock netbook available. It can be had online for under $250, about $20 less than its close rival, Acer.

Acer’s 10.1″ Netbook PC with Intel Atom Processor and Windows 7 Home Starter is another super bargain, selling now for as little as $270. Your choice of which to buy depends to a great degree upon whether you are willing to part with Windows XP and move on to Windows 7.

Before discussing another popular netbook, it is important to know why this review considers netbooks a top choice for the best college laptop. It comes down to space. Many colleges were not built with computers in mind and ample desk space is often scarce.

That is a key reason why the Dell 10.1″ Inspiron Mini Netbook PC is also a fantastic deal. Coming in at just under $350, the larger battery in the Dell makes it superb. With nearly double the power of many netbooks, it is just the thing for when AC power is hard to find.

Before closing this review of the five best college laptops, we need to look at some larger models for those who need a 15-inch screen, the Toshiba 15.6-inch Satellite Laptop PC with AMD V140 Processor and the Toshiba Silver 15.6-inch Satellite Laptop PC with AMD Sempron Processor. The Silver sells for under $380, an outstanding price for a 15.6- inch laptop. The Silver is best suited to students who will have ample access to AC power, as the battery in this model is limited to about 3 hours or less. Compromising slightly on power capacity is one factor that allows Toshiba to offer the Silver at such a bargain price.

In the selection criteria for the five best college laptops, the three most important factors are cost, size, and power capacity. If smaller screens are fine for you, we recommend a netbook with the best battery you can afford. If you need something larger, both of the two Toshiba models receive top marks. Your ultimate decision comes down to battery life.

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.

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%.

** This is a guest post by Charlie Bensone, one of our new readers **

I’ve been using Sony Vaio laptops for a while now. The general view for netbooks when it comes to hardware hasn’t really changed too much. Most people still use an Atom processor, 1-2Gb Ram memory and a hard drive. The software on the other hand, has in fact changed. In most cases, Windows XP is finally well forgotten. Windows Vista, with its ups and down, had a tremendous hype that was transmitted into most computers, and now the most predominant OS in Vaio laptops, is Windows 7.

The past two weeks, I have been able to use the new Sony Vaio P Laptop Series quite a lot because my roommate owns one. So how good will this new model series fit with the rest of the competition? With a first look at this Vaio, maybe we might not notice much change. As a matter of fact, its weight, screen size, and general aspect, is pretty much the same, with the exception its colors, of course. If we make a quick hardware analysis, we will find that even the specs are basically the same as the Vaio model from last year. The same Atom processor, 2Gb of Ram, an 8” screen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a Memory stick PRO and SD reader.

But once we start to actually use the laptop, we will find some major improvements from Sony that will make it one of the best college laptops I’ve seen. The improvements made to this Sony Laptop model were consequence of the large amount of criticism the first model received. One of the primary reasons people weren´t satisfied was that fact that in spite of having an 8” screen, it had a 1600×768 pixel resolution. Even though this would images and videos look pretty spectacular (It´s a LED screen) it made text look almost impossible to read in certain websites. Sony has now implemented a very useful button that lets us jump from 1600×768 to 1280×600. The joystick on the other hand was never really user friendly, now it´s much more comfortable to handle. Sony has also added a trackpad with buttons that gives us a different option for a much better use of our Laptop.

The new Sony Vaio Laptop P Series not only looks good, but is also extremely light, allowing us to use it while lying on the couch and using its tactile control to move around. I would even dare to say that this new function works better than if it was a touch screen. This is because even though Windows 7 has this “touch” capability, the operating system is not built for it. The options menu, for example, would be impossible to select with a touch screen. The trackpad on the other hand, becomes very easy to use the Sony Laptop.

Once again we see how every year; Sony delivers an even higher quality laptop to the market. The new Sony Laptop P Series carries a better battery, a well implemented trackpad, and a screen with an alternate resolution capacity, all this, while still retaining the great advantages from last year’s model. This new Sony Laptop has become one of best models out there when it comes to its characteristics, functions and lightness.

In today’s technology-saturated world, lacking a laptop or even an up-to-date laptop can be a serious disadvantage. This is especially true for students, who represent not only the newer generation that relies upon technology more than ever, but also engage in a plethora of tasks that require specialized tools found most conveniently packaged in a laptop. Another boon for possessing a college laptop is its usefulness in taking class notes because it enables students to transcribe their professors’ points more quickly than the traditional pen and paper. However, the problem would be acquiring the laptop, especially when many college students are so cash-strapped due to increasing tuition costs and other fees. Luckily, there are many strategies for saving money when purchasing the best laptop for college students.

College students can decrease their expenditures by doing research, taking a class on information technology, and improving upon a lower quality laptop. Doing a little bit of research will go a long way toward helping college students save money on laptop computers. This includes getting a feel for the different styles and models available.

One of the most crucial questions many laptop-shoppers ask is whether to acquire a Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac book laptop. They can settle such issues through familiarity with the different types of laptops, and that often comes through paying attention to friends’ and acquaintances’ computers, as well as asking them questions about their likes and dislikes. Additionally, most college students have easy access to some of the top computer-experts in the world in their schools’ engineering and computer science departments.

These people, who undoubtedly have deep knowledge of different computer systems, would provide valuable assistance as well. Through people with better or worse laptop systems, college students can obtain information about laptops, which forms a necessary component of saving money when purchasing. Also, through this process of asking different people about laptops, potential laptop-buyers can gain critical insights into bargains that other people obtained, as well as good deals they have seen. This would serve as an addendum to ads and coupons the student personally found. These savings and sales can save laptop buyers a considerable chunk of change.

Secondly, taking a class on information technology can prove to be invaluable to anyone purchasing a laptop computer. The fact is that most college students today consider themselves quite tech-savvy because of their ability to operate a wide range of different technological systems. However, when it comes to understanding the details and underlying workings of these systems, many are lost. Yet, these seemingly superfluous details can be some of the most crucial when purchasing computers because they inform the customer of exactly what is needed.

Instead of spending a great deal of time puzzling through laptop specification and potentially making mistakes by buying laptops that contain unnecessary components or lack essential ones, knowledge of these details would solve the problem. A class need not be a formal lecture class, even though enrolling in a class with a group of other students often times is the most effective way to learn; listening to free lectures posted online or working through a textbook would suffice. Whatever way students choose to take their information technology class, the knowledge they acquire from the more general such an understanding of RAM and operating systems, to the more specific, such as the number of cores for the processor or the dots per inch for the LCD screen, will help them know what they want and need. The macbook/”>best laptops for college students will depend on the particular student, and taking a class will enable them to determine exactly what that best laptop should contain. By knowing what they need in a laptop, students will save both time and money from going to gadgets they do not need.

Lastly, a somewhat strategic method for keeping laptop costs down that students can employ is to purchase cheaper laptop computers and upgrade some of the lower-quality components in it. The knowledge from the information technology class comes in handy here because college students need to know which components cost more money and time, and are incredibly difficult to install, and which components are relatively cheap and easy to replace. For example, if students want more temporary storage, they can save the cost of purchasing a laptop with a great deal of RAM, and instead buy individual RAM chips for a much cheaper price and add them to their system themselves.

Also, students can buy laptops with lower-quality sound and video cards. In many cases, they will be sufficient for their purposes, and they will have saved money; and if it turns out that these lower-quality sound and video cards are bothersome, students can buy high-quality ones and install them for a cheaper price than wasting money purchasing expensive laptop computer with high-quality cards already built-in. Thus, it is evident that college students can decrease their expenditures by doing research, taking a class on information technology, and improving upon a lower quality laptop.

By going through this process, students not only invest in their bank accounts, but also in their futures. The time and energy put into learning about laptops, finding good deals, and doing some self-installation work benefit the student greatly because they provide the student with a deeper understanding of computer systems. As computers are such an integral part of society today and increasing in importance in many parts of the world, that understanding is good knowledge to have.

I’ve bought a few laptops over the years and each time I’ve bought a different brand. Why is that you ask? Mostly because of the fact that each one that I’ve bought in the past had something I didn’t like about it. I figure that eventually I’d find the “one” that would feel right without too many software/hardware issues

This last time (three months ago) I bought the Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6 Notebook with Windows 7 as the operating system. The notebooks size is an acceptable one with it’s 15.6″ diagonal high-definition2 Brightview LED display. The overall thickness of the laptop is just 1.33″. I’ve had keyboards that were thicker than that. It weighs less than seven pounds. This laptop has been the first one that I’ve own that didn’t need a cool pad.

As for it’s ability, I found it to be so much faster than any other laptop that I’ve had. As a matter of fact it has the same amount of RAM (4GB) as the one before the HP. I”m sure using Windows 7 as it’s operating system doesn’t hurt either. The HP Pavilion also came with a 6GB hard drive (it can be expanded to 8GB), which makes it one hell of a stout little laptop. The Pavilion also has 4 USB ports, as well as a HDMI and VGA port. The 6-cell batteries that comes as the standard type will last to up to 5 hours (depending what programs and how many you’re using). It’s one of the top three on the list of the best college laptop for college students.

This post is mainly to talk about the laptop, but I do have to mention that Windows 7 has been a much better operating system than any other Window version. I’ve heard some negative concerns, but on the most part, it’s been receiving praise and positive reviews.

I purchased my laptop at Best Buy instead of going through HP.com. Not only was it cheaper at Best buy, but I was able to have them remove Norton Security program and install Webroot instead. All I had to do was wait a few hours and go back and pick it up. buying a laptop online will always take any where from 4-10 days before you get it. At least that has been my experience every time I’ve bought one online. Either way you buy the Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6 Notebook PC, it’s money well spent and is one of the best laptops for college students.

Choosing a laptop for college can be a complicated thing. There are so many options out there, offering such a vast array of capabilities, features, and bells and whistles that selecting the right one can be daunting. Laptops can run anywhere from about $300 to $2000 or more, and that price difference often has less to do with quality and reliability than with features and capabilities you may never need or use. How, then, should you make your choice? Read our tips for choosing the best laptops for college and use the coupons and codes listed here to save even more money!

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The first thing to do is to develop a clear sense of exactly what you need in a college laptop. If you are primarily concerned with the basics, like word processing, internet access, wireless, et cetera, you may be fine with something as inexpensive and simple as a netbook. These are extremely compact, relatively no-frills laptops intended for basic needs. Unless you plan to study something like music or video editing, which may involve more elaborate software and capabilities, a netbook should meet virtually all of your academic needs.

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For most courses, you will only need to be able to write and edit on your computer, to participate in online discussion groups, and to e-mail, and almost any currently sold laptop will allow you to do those things. If you intend to study music or something involving video editing, you may need to do some research into higher-end laptops with more memory and possibly with more software included at the time of purchase. If you know your potential major and believe it may require particular computer capabilities, you might contact a professor or department chair to inquire about recommendations. Remember, the best laptop for college students depend on each individuals needs.

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Aside from academic needs, of course, you may want to consider other uses in a laptop for college. If you are interested in watching streaming video, for example, you may want to select a laptop with HD (High Definition) video capability, or higher-end wireless technology. You might also think more about audio and speaker quality than you would if you were thinking of your computer as a primarily academic tool.

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Once you figure out what features and capabilities you need, do some research about what brands are most reliable and represent the best deals. Consumer Reports is a good site for product reviews, and customer reviews on sites like Amazon.com can give good guidance. Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, and Dell are all reliable and well-reviewed throughout the range of laptop options, but each produces some specific models that are superior to others. You will also need to decide whether you want to go with a PC or a Mac. Both have advantages — PCs tend to be loaded with software that will be compatible with what most others have (like Microsoft Word), while Macs tend to be very good for music recording and similar applications.

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In closing, choosing laptops for college comes down to three steps: decide what you need for school, decide what you want beyond those necessities, and do some research to find out who makes what you need best for the best price. If you think of the process systematically like this, you should be able to make a solid choice with a minimum of worry.

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