Laptops/Computers For Students
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Best Laptop or Computer for College Students

Most college students, no matter whether they are on their own or living with parents, tend to purchase a new computer or laptop when they start a new year at school – or their parents do. Sometimes the purchase is to keep up with the fast pace of ever-changing technologies, but other times it is because an older computer or laptop has a problem, or simply is not equipped to function as the student or school needs it to function. Because the student or parent will be shelling out up to $1,000 or more for the new equipment, knowing whether a laptop or desktop is better, and which brand of laptop or desktop is better is necessary.

Laptop or Computer?

The first problem is determining whether the college school student needs a laptop or a computer. To determine this, weighing the needs of stability against the needs for portability is essential. A college student will typically take a laptop to class to keep notes; however, not all colleges allow this, especially on test days. If the student stays in a dormitory setting, then a laptop would also be advantageous since it is so small. Any need for portability and space obviously needs the portability that a laptop offers, with the possibility of having a small desktop as a backup to offload files from the laptop when necessary.

PC or Mac?

This age-old question is just as old as computers are. While the PC was the first home computer ever sold to consumers, the Mac took the world by storm and became instantly popular. Since those days, the same argument has translated to the laptop devices offered, a PC or a Mac. Most students split 50/50 on this question, and in most cases, which one they purchase depends on two things, who is buying it and how much money they have to spend. If a parent is buying the laptop, then they might have more money to spend, but if a student is buying it, then they are most likely on a tighter budget. 

Apple MacBook brand: MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops are expensive, period. A student can rarely find one for sale for less than $1,000. Even the lowest priced Mac laptop costs $999 before tax, and with the tax, it can cost up to $100 more, and depends on which state the student is in when making the purchase. Nevertheless, the typical price range for a relatively decently loaded Mac laptop is about $1500 plus tax.

A typical MacBook uses an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is light on energy use, so the laptop’s battery lasts a long time. All Intel processors are also quite efficient, and coupled with the MacBook’s options on RAM memory, a student could have a very fast and efficient laptop for its price. This laptop comes with the typical Mac OS X operating system, and offers all the Apple software a person could want – for a little over $1,000. Overall, the MacBook original laptop is probably the best option for college students who want to purchase a Mac, as it is the least expensive, and offers almost the same options as the bigger, more expensive MacBook versions.

PC with Windows or Linux: If a student is on a strict budget there is no doubt about it, the PC is the way to go. These days, a student can pick up a great Acer or Asus for less than $400, and offering the same fully functional features that the bigger “brand name” computers offer. A typical PC such as an Acer Aspire or an ASUS offers either an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 Duo CPU, a, AMD Dual Core CPU, or an Intel Celeron CPU. They also include up to 8 GB of RAM with options to expand, and a massive amount of storage, up to 1 TB or more in some cases.

However, don’t be discouraged at the price or the fact that these are not an HP or a Dell. Acer and Asus have made names for themselves, as the two companies offer quality hardware and devices. In fact, in a recent poll conducted that studied the number of PCs purchased and what brand, of all students that purchased a PC laptop, about 40 percent of them bought one of these two brands and do not regret their decisions.

Personal Preference Outweighs Need

Overall, a student’s choice to purchase a laptop is his or her own, and personal preference may in fact outweigh any budgetary or hardware needs and other factors. For example, a student may simply want to buy a Mac even though he or she only has $800, and will save until the money is complete.

However, most students need their laptops “Now” and cannot afford to save, so in this case, purchasing the best laptop depends on what the student believes he or she needs and when. Nevertheless, answering the above questions, then practicing the tips in the real world could be a deciding factor in choosing the best laptop, as personal preferences do not always outweigh necessity and, simply stated, a Mac is not a PC and a PC is not a Mac.