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Smart Shopping for Students: Laptops

First Posted: October 27, 2007
Last Updated: August 11, 2009

By Andrew Lau

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I think I want a laptop, but which?

You will have to weigh the importance of screen size, performance, keyboard size, portability, ruggedness, weight, battery life, and price. Going up in screen size generally results in bigger dimensions, more weight and less battery life. Ultra-compact and lightweight laptops, on the other hand, tend to have proportionately smaller screens and keyboards. You might then think that a smaller laptop would have longer battery life, but that isn’t necessarily the case since batteries may also be smaller to minimize weight and size. Things like ultraportability come at a price, so be prepared to compromise.

For a detailed breakdown of laptop components and design features, CNET has a very informative article that you can find here. Once you have a basic understanding of laptop components and what they do, you will want to consider your specific college or university needs:

If you are not planning on doing much “on the go” besides surfing the net, writing reports, and taking notes, you can probably get away with a less feature ridden, less powerful, and ultimately, less expensive laptop.

“Portable” is relative. You might be tempted by a laptop with a biggest wide screen display possible, but how well will it function on “half-desks” or with cramped seating? Some professors like to teach with textbooks or papers out for easy reference -- so trying to position and balance a 6 or 7 pound laptop can be quite troublesome.

With notebook computers becoming increasingly popular in schools, there can be competition for power outlets. Consider selecting a battery and laptop configuration that won’t tether you to a power outlet every 2 hours.

The term “desktop replacement” is difficult to apply to heavy gaming. If you’re the sort who enjoys the latest FPS game with the settings turned up, any laptop you choose will balk at new games within a year or two. Laptop video cards simply aren’t readily upgradeable like their desktop PC cousins.

Many laptop manufacturers produce separate home and business lines. Business class laptops as a whole tend to be more ruggedly constructed and kept to productivity essentials in terms of included software, so keep them in mind.

Laptops, with their compact form factor and propriety parts, are difficult to service. If your laptop is going to be your only computer, it might be wise to invest in a good multi-year warranty.

What about netbooks?

Netbooks have matured quite a bit since they began appearing in late 2007. Ranging in size from 7" up to 12", many models now pack enough computing power and storage for basic everyday computing. You're still not going to pull off much in the way of gaming, or playing high definition videos, but note taking, surfing, writing essays, and viewing photos are feasible. Many modern netbooks typically have 120GB or 160GB hard drives, so storage isn't nearly as problematic as it was when netbooks were just introduced.

The current generation of netbooks fare very well in terms of battery life. With 6-cell batteries, 4-5 hours is pretty routine, and many models can reach 6-10 hours. Factor in their comparatively light weight (3lbs or less) and small dimenions, and netbooks are, without question, nicely suited for a long day of classes.

Price wise, netbooks start cheap (around $300) and can move up to $800 for high end models. It's not hard to find more powerful, full blown laptops at $500 and up, but if battery life and portability are your primary concerns, netbooks warrant some serious consideration. Having a netbook for note taking and a desktop PC for heavier work and play is a very appealing solution.

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