Laptop Buying Guide For Students
Nowadays, laptop is a must have for every student especially the college goers’. As teachers impart lectures through high-definition video lectures, slide shows, students also require apt tech support to study them and prepare assignments. But budget happens to be a serious issue for most of the students. Not every student receives lump some money from their family to buy a new and expensive one. They save money by doing part-time jobs. Most of the time, these young stars get lured in buying laptops with high end specifications and end up spending a lot of extra money on such features, which they do not really require. All they need to do is, finding out what kind of jobs they want their laptop to do. Let us discuss the factors that should guide students while buying a brand new laptop during their initial college days -
• Weight is an issue as it hinders mobility.
• Good memory is a prerequisite as laptop becomes the sole source of entertainment like movies, music, videos, games and hell lot of other things for students.
• A sluggish laptop is nothing but a burden. It’s a time eater and turns into a nightmare when assignment deadline approaches near. RAM and CPU give computer its much needed speed and accuracy.
• It is hard, these days, to find a student, who does not play computer games and for that graphics card RAM speed matters.
• A number of USB ports required to connect external devices like portable hard disks, mouse, internet dongles, smartphones, speaker and headphones.
• Don’t spend valuable bucks on a CD drive instead look for extra high speed USB ports if possible.
• Widespread use of Wi-Fi makes it an indispensible feature for phones, tablets, laptops even desktops.
• You can’t forget battery backup as it will keep you going when you can’t have a power plug.
• Select an operating system that suits you depending upon your field of study.
• A convertible or hybrid laptop gives you dual benefit of a laptop and a tablet. Go for it if you can.
The above list gives a rough idea regarding laptop buying, so let’s dig into details-
• The world is moving towards more portability and better features. The era of ultrabooks is here. Computers have become an extension of our life so not just professionals but students too prefer carrying it wherever they go. Prefer screen sizes of 13 -15- inch that would weight from 2.5lb to 3.5lb.
• Windows 8 laptops with touch screen are quite alluring but you can do away with such luxury.
• HD 1366 x 768 is the standard resolution for all laptops and goof for basic computing tasks. Resolution of HD+ 1600X900 is enough for jobs like casual gaming and DVD watching. More is required if you are a graphic and visual art student or simply a game buff.
• LED display provides decent viewing experience where IPS is for wide angle viewing.
• For high speed browsing 4 GB Ram is a must have. It is a bare minimum amount which you cannot avoid.
• 250 GB is the base line amount of the hard disk space you need but for movie and game addicts the amount soars to 500GB.
• CD drives are passé now and pen drives are in. This portable drives have washed out CD culture.
• At least three high speed USB 3.0 ports are required to connect allied devices. But such devices should also support USB 3.0.
• Now comes the most important part, the processor. It is good to have latest processor like Intel Core i7 or Core i5 but for a college student it is not that necessary. Intel Core i3 (4th generation) is more than enough to meet your entire computer related tasks. Higher version costs much higher. For students who work with software like Photoshop, MATLAB, or AutoCAD, Core i5 will suitably manage all their needs. Core i7 is absolutely not necessary.
• A 2 GB graphics card is something you cannot avoid these days. It works for better performance during gaming and video watching and also reduces heating of the machine. Intel’s Iris or HD series works much in aid of battery life. Unless you are an avid gamer who like playing games with full specifications, a dedicated graphics card in lieu of an integrated one will fulfill all your requirements.
• Do not spend on good speakers if you live in hostel or PG. Your roomies may have objection for loud sound. Rather spend those bucks in a good headphone.
• Operating system is the main driving force. Its selection again depends on your need and field. Windows operating system is preferred as it comes under our tight budget and why would you lose a free windows 10 upgrade. A cheaper Chromebook is also advisable but for that you need constant internet connection. Mac books are quite costly although they provide a sea of opportunities but only tech or science students should choose them.
This article consciously avoids product names as there are ample sites, which offer wide range of product comparison. What a student with limited resource requires is a clear conception of his basic needs. Study is important and so learning new things apart from regular curriculum with little fun. Nobody in the world went college just to attend lectures. A laptop will allow students, if used properly, to open new windows of knowledge and an ocean of opportunity.