Looking to buy a new laptop for Your Student? Our list of priorities will help you find just the right one.

1. 14/11/2011 03:53
blog.batteryfast.co.uk
Student Laptop Guide: What You Need,
What You Don’t
What You Need
L
ooking to buy a new laptop for Your Student?
Our list of priorities will help you find just the
right one. 1. Long Battery Life
Your laptop is If you’re a college student, you’ll be carrying this
hopelessly ou- thing around all day, taking notes in class and fi-
tdated. Maybe nishing up assignments at the last minute. A 4-hour
you’re accusto- battery won’t cut it.
med to using the
family compu- 2. Low Weight
ter at home, and
will need one of
your own as you
head off to col-
lege. Or perhaps
you’re a high
school student
who just can’t
take another
year of sharing
your computer
with relatives.
Whether you’re
a parent pur-
chasing for your child or a student spending your
own limited funds, you should look for a few key Your bag will be heavy enough with all those books
things when buying a laptop for academic life. With in it. Although an extra pound or two doen’t seem
our list of what to consider and what to avoid, the to make a big difference at first, it adds up quickly.
dizzying array of choices just might seem less ove- Look for something under 4 pounds–your shoulders
rwhelming. will thank you.
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2. 14/11/2011 03:53
blog.batteryfast.co.uk
Student Laptop Guide: What You Need, What You Don’t
3. Good Keyboard 6. Security Software
Laptops are stolen all the time at schools, even from
students who are really careful. Look into software
that will help you recover a missing laptop and keep
your private information safe, such as GadgetTrack,
Hidden, or LoJack. You definitely want to run a good
antivirus program, such as Avast or Microsoft Se-
curity Essentials, as well.
See Also:
What You Don’t Need 1. Quad-Core Processor
You’ll do a lot of typing on this machine. It isn’t There’s nothing wrong with a quad-core processor;
just about writing papers, either: Online chat, Fa- for most of what a student uses a laptop for, however,
cebook, Twitter…95 percent of what you’ll be using two cores is plenty. A dual-core CPU typically uses
this laptop for involves more typing than anything less power and costs less, while providing plenty of
else. Find a laptop on which you can type quickly, performance for writing, researching, goofing off
comfortably, and accurately. online, and editing photos.
4. High-Definition, Low-Light Webcam 2. Powerful Discrete Graphics
For video chat, duh! It’s fun with your friends–and A good graphics chip is useful for a lot of things,
if you’re off at college, your parents will appreciate from better video quality to faster web browsing. A
the ability to see your smiling, hung-over face every powerful discrete graphics chip is practically man-
now and again. Nearly every laptop has a built-in datory for playing modern top-shelf 3D games, too.
webcam, but not all are created equal. Look for a Unfortunately, they come with a bunch of draw-
high-def webcam that works well in low light. backs: They generate heat, they eat through your
battery, they make the system bigger and heavier,
5. Warranty or Protection Plan and of course they cost more. Stick with a high-qua-
lity integrated graphics offering (such as AMD’s) or
We don’t often recommend extended coverage a modest discrete graphics chip.
plans for technology, but students are notoriously
rough on laptops. Notebooks get tossed into bags and 3. Solid-State Drive
dropped, accidentally kicked by clueless roommates,
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spilled on by clumsy classmates, you name it. Choo- SSDs are a lot faster than traditional hard drives,
sing a durable laptop is a good start, but make sure and arguably more durable. They also offer a lot
that you aren’t without your second-most-critical less capacity and can add hundreds of dollars to the
piece of technology (next to your phone) the day cost of a laptop. We love SSDs, but the typical college
Printed with
before a big assignment is due. or high school student doesn’t need one. A student
http://blog.batteryfast.co.uk/student-laptop-guide-what-you-need-what-you-don%e2%80%99t/
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3. 14/11/2011 03:53
blog.batteryfast.co.uk
Student Laptop Guide: What You Need, What You Don’t
needs the capacity to hold lots of music, videos, and
photos in a laptop that’s affordable enough not to
bankrupt you if it has to be replaced.
4. Touchscreen
Touch is all the rage these days, and it’s even popping
up on a few laptops. But laptop software optimized
for touch isn’t commonly available yet. A touchs-
creen is a costly–and mostly useless–feature on a
laptop right now, especially for budget-conscious
students. Maybe Windows 8 will change all that
next year. For the time being, however, save the
touchscreens for your phones or tablets.
5. 4G Wireless
A 3G cellular modem dongle can be a good way to
obtain emergency Internet access when you can’t
get on Wi-Fi, but a student certainly doesn’t need
WiMax or LTE. Access plans cost enough already
without the extra amount for 4G speed. Students
taking a break from homework can wait to watch
a YouTube clip or Netflix movie until they get back
on Wi-Fi.
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