7 Great Features to Look for in a Laptop for College Students

A laptop or desktop computer is a mandatory tool for the college student of today and other than important features like the processor, RAM and hard drive, college students should check for these 7 laptop features for college.

Extra Portability

Once you've figured out the best specs for your laptop, the next big feature to check for in a laptop for college is portability. As a college student you'll need to lug your laptop from class to class and pretty much everywhere you go on and off of college campus. Transporting a large laptop can put a lot of unnecessary strain on your shoulders so it's best to opt for a slim and more portable laptop. Not only will a portable laptop help to relieve unwanted stress, it'll also serve to take up less space on a crowded desk that's filled with text and reference books.

Webcam

While you're making your way in the world and struggling to survive college life, you can't forget to keep in contact with the folks back at home that are rooting for you. What better way is there to let your off campus family and friends take part in your college experience than by communicating via your laptop's webcam. Talking over the phone helps, but seeing your face will make your family feel all the better.

10-Key Pad

The average laptop user might not need an additional 10-key number pad on their laptop, but a 10-key pad can help to save college students lots of time. 10-key number pads are ideal for situations when you'll need to add lots of data input and would be ideal for accounting, spread sheets, mathematics, and other situations that college students will often face.

Additional USB ports

A simple rule to follow when shopping for a college laptop is to always choose a laptop with 3 USB ports or more. Extra USB ports will come in handy for college students that will find themselves needing them for connecting USB flash drives, printers, external hard drives, digital cameras, mp3 players and more.

Wireless-N Technology

Having a laptop that connects to Wi-Fi is a must for college students and can even save them money if they live on a college campus with free Wi-Fi. Most laptops on the market are Wi-Fi capable, but if you want to have access to the web with the fastest speed possible, it's best that you opt for a laptop the is Wireless-N capable.

Long Battery Life

Let's face it, what good would owning a laptop be if it couldn't stay powered up enough to use it. When shopping for a laptop for college, you want to make sure that you're buying a laptop that will be up and ready when you need it. It's easy to find a reasonably priced laptop with around 4 hours of battery life, but if you're looking to spend a little more, you can find great laptops that push upwards of 6 and 8 hours of battery life.

Optical CD and DVD Drive

One of the biggest reasons college students should avoid purchasing a netbook over a laptop or notebook computer - other than their inferior performance - is their lack of an optical CD and DVD drive. Lacking a CD or DVD drive on your laptop will make it extremely difficult for you to install most of the software you'll need for school - and seeing how lots of college books come bundled with CDs and DVDs you'll be at a huge disadvantage in college.

For more, read Five Tech Gadgets That'll Make College Life of a Lot Easier, 6 Great Laptop Accessories that All College Students Must Have, and 7 Handy Electronic Gift Ideas for College Students Under $100.

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