What are the best laptops for college students?

Things to look for in a laptop:
-Glossy (shiny/reflective) screen vs. matte screen
-Harddrive size > 100 GB
-Ram >= 2 GB
-CPU at least Dou core
-Warranty terms
-Battery life (9 cell or better if possible)
-DVD/CD burner

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-Look at the location of USB ports, are they in the way if the laptop is on your lap? are they handy?
-Glossy screen, do you want to see your reflection and the bright window behind you?
-Does the laptop look good/fit you. Can you put stickers or decorate it to add personality
-Is it to big to carry around?
-Is it comfortable to carry around
-Will it fit into other bags you have (backpack, messenger bag)

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In all honesty, it’s hard to go wrong with a laptop these days. These are just some guidelines I could think up to help you find the one that might be a better choice. Good luck. Let me know if you have further questions.

Just remembered. Also decide if you want a number pad on the right. Some have it others don’t

I personally don’t recommend macs, but that’s up to you.

Go to circut city, I bet they have some deal going on right now **wink** with that bankruptcy thing an all

Don’t go to circuit city. They most likely do not have a deal right now. I’m on my phone so I cannot link but check out consumerist.com for stories about how the “deals” won’t really be deals at all.

What do you plan to major in? If you want to go into, say graphic design or a social a science you may be better served to get a mac. Most art departments and social science departments use them. For English or chemistry a PC is fine. Your college will most likely send a spec list out (what they recommend as a minimum).

I have used Windows PC (Tower + Laptop) for a long time and recently upgraded to Mac (Workstation + Laptop) and I would never buy windows again.
Having said that, EmpressPixie makes a good point. Find out what programs you need to be able to run.
I study Graphic Design so the choice is an obvious one for me. It may be different for you however.

Last but not least: Any intel mac can run Windows too! So if in doubt I would say the Mac is more versatile. And the latest MacBooks or even MacBook Pros if you have the money are fantastic deals.

There are two important criteria for any computer purchase.

A. Can you get the work done on it that you need to get done?

B. Can you get help for it if you need it?

Unless you need Windows-specific software, criterion A is really about power, performance, and screen real estate. Pick the fastest computer with the biggest screen that you can afford.

Criterion B is the most important. What does the helpdesk at your college recommend? What’s used most widely in your field? If your computer breaks, where will you go to get it fixed? Apple support is head and shoulders above most PC manufacturers’ support, but a lot of colleges have helpdesks, so it’s good to see what they use.

In the absence of any software requirements (like, say, AutoCad) that would require Windows, and in the absence of any extra support from your college’s IT department, I’d recommend getting a MacBook, because they fulfill both criteria with less hassle. On the other hand, if you have a good friend who’ll do Windows support for you, or if your college has good Windows support, you’d probably do well with a Windows computer.

@EmpressPixie btw, I was joking with a current event of circuit city, that’s all.

Also, mac vs. pc with graphics design is just a myth, either system is equal these days. Mac built itself a stereotype that has been helping there marketing for years. In reality, it does not matter. You may ask my friends who are graphic design majors.

My Mac Office Word has a really cool setting called Notebook. It allows you to record lectures while you type in outline form.

@TheBox: They may be equal, but if you are doing something computer intensive, it is generally easier if you are working on the same system at home and in the classroom. I was more trying to get at that—our art department had Macs, our Psych department had Macs, I would have liked having a Mac just for those reasons. And really, it’s super easy to transfer files between them, it was honestly just that I am mentally lazy sometimes and would rather use the same system everywhere.

I say from my Boyfriend’s Mac. Just when I thought I was away from them….

@EmpressPixie Yep, I could see the argument there. I mean a PSD file can be opened on both easily, however inside the program the shortcut keys will differ slightly. So it could be easier mentally that way. It really is up to user preference ultimately. There is a fine line diffence.

Thanks for all the responses! I don’t plan on majoring in any type of graphic design or art, and I probably will get a PC just because?

@TheBox: Very true. I started design on a Win PC and now do it on a Mac. Both work equally fast. However I feel this is nothing i could proove that my mac performs more stable and reliably than my windows pc.
The change was mostly due to what was used at my university and by my peers. So mostly a choice of practically and style rather than a necessity.

Apart from all this I would still recommend getting a Mac because the way the operating system behaves is much much more efficient (in terms of usage speed) than Windows. Mac Os X 10.5 has a feature called ‘Spaces’ that when I read about it prior to my purchase(s) held little value to me but I could now hardly live without. Essentially it is like having 9 Windows Desktops silmutaeniously so you don’t ever have to minimize/maximize any windows but rather navigate via a simple CTRL+Number shortcut.
Amazing feature!

@ TheBox193 -

Every design / ad agency I’ve ever worked in, and every designer I know (which is many!) use Macs. Go figure.

@benseven that’s because mac has the stereotype, facts be facts, they are essentially the same thing. Trust me, any ad agency would let you use a pc if you wanted to, and if they didn’t then sadly they are close minded.

mac books.

@TheBox – of course, it has nothing to do with the reliability, superiority of UI and stability. How silly of me to think agencies and freelancers spends nearly double what they need to simply because they think it’s the done thing.

I get the distinct impression you’re not as qualified in this discussion as you think you are…

@benseven Thanks for that. I bet your right, I bet your always right. I bet I’m an unqualified. In fact, I’m surprised I even tried to help, I’m such an idiot.

@TheBox193 – Arguably, you’ve been the most helpful contributor to this thread. However, the entirety of my experience in the design world as a power-user of both platforms, as well as my experience and contacts in various areas of the industry both inform me that Macs are not used to conform to a social sterotype but in fact because, for design and publishing, they are a superior platform for the reasons previously listed. Am I supposed to feel bad about that last comment? Ultimately the platform you use is down to personal preference, but it would be wrong to suggest the design world places a large emphasis on the Apple platform for the sake of conformity, and thousands of professionals would agree with me. I was a windows user for many years until I switched during a Graphic Design diploma, and I was followed in switching by no less than 7 other folks in the class. They weren’t being sheep, they’d discovered something better.