Choosing a Laptop for College

Picking a good laptop may seem initially overwhelming given the many choices in today's marketplace. The best laptop is one that will last the longest getting the most value for your money while possessing the necessary hardware and software specifications to make it through the required curriculum. Several popular national chain stores will carry a wide selection of laptops to choose from. Budget will be only one consideration when making your selection.

Types

The curriculum will be the place to start in determining the type you'll need. There are laptops prebuilt for gaming, graphic artists, musicians, information technology needs, and those strictly for word processing or internet research. These vary in physical size and features and options for customization.

Size

Laptops have mini keyboards varying in size to full size standard keyboards with 10-inch to 17-inch monitors. If you aren't sure which type you're comfortable with, go try some at the store. You'll almost know for sure how small is too small for your comfort. The hard drive, which dictates the amount that can be stored on the computer, can come with an average of 160GB prebuilt. You may need more or less depending on your needs although in most cases this enough. The speed of the processor will vary and will dictate how fast some of the functions perform. Laptops vary in weight so consider how much the laptop will be transported. Lighter ones can be more expensive.

Considerations

Determine the cost range you are willing to work within. Are there certain requirements the college has stated you will need? What do other students in your major recommend? For example, those using it for art, music, or gaming may find laptops come prebuilt with larger screens, more memory for faster processing and other functions to make working with that media easier. The information technology student may opt for the larger hard drive with less memory and a smaller screen. Students that just need a laptop for word processing and internet research may opt for the less expensive models that come with limited functions or a smaller layout.

Brands

If you don't already have a personal preference for a specific brand based on your experiences or advice from colleagues, ask the representatives at the store what type of warranties both manufacturer and extended that are available. Some brands when in need of repair can only be fixed by the manufacturer and use manufacturer parts. Think ahead of time if you'll will be able to afford the downtime of not having the laptop during the time of repair if it needs to be sent in.

Picking the laptop doesn't have to be as complicated as it seems. In summary, look at the requirements you need in a laptop from the college. Look at the budget. Next, determine if you can add more memory or want a larger monitor, faster processor, etc...If you only need the laptop for one to two years; will the minimum make it through for you? No matter what, anticipate major changes in technology roughly every 2-3 years if not less. If you can purchase one that will last that long or longer and suit your purposes for college and beyond, within your budget constraints, you've found the best laptop.

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References:

http://www.consumersearch.com/laptops/compare