Top 5 Laptops for Students on a Budget

As a college student myself I have found that integrating technology with my college workload is easier and more cost effective than ever. During my four years in undergraduate study I have used an HP DV6000 laptop, Gateway DX desktop and most recently an Apple iPad 64GB. Choosing the right laptop for college is important and a personal choice depending on your major and course load. In this article, we will look at five great practical laptop choices for students without breaking the budget.

MacBook Pro ($1,199.99) Link

The 13.3" 250GB hard drive MacBook Pro is one of the best high-end budget laptops available for students. The computer is very easy to use, works with a variety of MS Office applications and has a great looking design. Having tried the MacBook pro, I was impressed with the ease of use, standard features and of course the iconic Apple design. This laptop is great for film majors, art majors, liberal arts majors and anyone that needs a computer for basic functions. I do however; do not recommend Mac products for business majors because many of the applications needed such as Excel and Stata fall short on Macs. Being a business major myself, I have tried out the MacBook pro from friends and though it was incredibly difficult in comparison to a lower priced PC laptop or similarly priced PC desktop for business related applications.

HP dv7-4065dx ($799.99) Link

Having used a previous model of the DV series HP laptop I was pleased by the mix of power and usability at a very affordable price. The laptop comes equipped with a 500GB hard drive, 4GB memory, large 17.3" screen, AMD Phenom II processor and Windows 7 OS. This particular model also comes equipped with some cool extras such as a Blu-ray player and fingerprint reader for easy password access. The downsides to the HP laptops are that they are not very reliable and are incredibly expensive to fix after the warranty runs out. My previous DV6000 model has USB issues and Wi-Fi troubles after two-years, conveniently after the warranty expired. Overall, the dv7-4065dx is an incredible machine for under $800, but be sure to get an extended warranty because this line of laptops is notorious for future problems.

iPad 64GB Wi-Fi ($699.99) Link

The iPad is technically not a laptop or netbook, but a great in-between product. I am recommending the iPad on this list because its productivity is excellent for the size, turns on instantly and is best for surfing the web. Most colleges have computer labs for students to use free of charge. The average college student uses his or her laptop for internet surfing, research and for typing papers. The iPad does all of this, however, it should be noted that it does not have nearly all the functionality of a laptop. The choice for laptop eventually comes down to major and what purposes it serves. I found laptops incredibly heavy to carry around and almost not needed with the free computer labs offered at my college. Overall, you are spending a decent amount of money and are sacrificing full laptop functionality, but you get a small device that does all the basics and is excellent at surfing the web. However, if you consider an iPad in replacement for a laptop I would recommend an inexpensive desktop as an additional purchase for more advanced applications.

Toshiba L655D-S5050 ($499.99) Link

For parents and students on a budget, consider the Toshiba L655D-S5050. The moderately priced laptop includes a 320GB hard drive, 3GB memory, 15.6" screen, Windows 7 OS, webcam, USB ports and Wi-Fi. This laptop is very basic, but is easy to use, can do almost any task most college students would use it for including business applications and essay writing. Overall, this laptop is basic, but is very reasonably priced and does all the applications needed for students.

MacBook ($999) Link

Can't afford a MacBook pro? No problem, the MacBook is an excellent easy to use laptop that does all the essentials. The newly designed MacBook features a long-lasting 10-hour battery, lightweight design (4.7 pounds), attractive design and newly designed trackpad. The MacBook features a large 250GB hard drive, 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 USB ports, Wi-Fi and many more standard applications. This laptop is great for students who need a basic laptop that is incredibly easy to use, lightweight and for its excellent protection against viruses. Look for student discounts on the MacBook at apple.com and at most Apple stores. Students purchasing a Mac laptop also receive a free iPod with purchase in addition to the discount.

Sources:

Personal experience

www.apple.com

www.bestbuy.com