If you’re like most students, money doesn’t exactly grow on trees. Choosing the right laptop can be a matter of saving you a lot of headaches and money at the same time.
In this article, I’m going to go over the most common uses a student has for a laptop, as well as talk about the most important components you must have for these uses.
Most students will list the obvious things a laptop is needed for; things like word processing, email, etc. The reality is that today’s students use computers more than ever for so much more. The list of the average student might look like this:
– Word processing
– Internet
– Music downloads
– Possible video editing
– And more …
Each of the above can now be part of the student’s functions when using a notebook. You may or may not need some of the above, so I’ll go over that below as well.
Let’s review the 5 most important notebook components for today’s student.
CPU – In short, the CPU basically evaluates and executes the commands assigned to it. So a faster CPU will be able to execute commands faster, right? Yes, but it is definitely not necessary to have the latest Intel or AMD chip. Depending on your memory and operating system, you can cope well with a 1.0GHZ processor, or even less. Most newer systems come with over 2.0GHZ, and you may want this if you’re doing some video editing or something that requires faster processor speeds.
Memory – The amount of memory your future laptop features has a big impact on how quickly applications will load and, in general, on how fast your computer will run. For this reason, memory is one of the most popular computer upgrades available. Newer machines will come with at least 256MB of RAM (memory), but if you’re going to be using Windows XP, I recommend getting more. You can get it by running 256MB of memory while using Windows XP, but it will slow down.
I remember when I replaced my 256MB RAM with 512 megabytes. It felt like a brand new computer. If you’re on a tight budget, stick with 256MB. If you need more, find a laptop that already has more than 512 megabytes of RAM or get a RAM upgrade. Getting a memory upgrade isn’t really that expensive.
HDD – If you are the type of student who loves to have a lot of music or video files, you will want a bigger hard drive. Getting at least a 60 gigabyte hard drive would be the perfect solution in this case. If you are not going to download music all the time or put large files on your laptop, 40 gigabytes or less will work just fine. Most newer laptops come with at least a 40 gigabyte hard drive.
CD-RW – This is probably one of the most used parts in a student’s notebook, hands down. If you download music and want to transfer it to CD, you will need a CD burner. If you want to burn DVDs, you will have to go one step further and get a DVD-RW drive. If you don’t need any of these features, having a regular CD or DVD drive will work just fine.
Internet – Virtually all students need to connect to the Internet. With such a wealth of knowledge available online, virtually all students are online today. Almost every laptop you find will be able to connect to the internet in some way, but chances are, you want something that works on your campus. To do this, you want your potential laptop to have a wireless Internet card.
Ok, those 5 parts may not be all there is to be considered, right? You’re right; There are a few more things that can be very important to some students.
Weight: If you constantly carry your laptop around campus, you don’t want something to break your shoulder. If weight is important to you, look for something in the 6 to 7 pound range.
Screen: If you don’t need something ultra-large, look for a screen size of around 15 inches. Most people agree that 12 to 14-inch screens do not offer comfortable viewing. Screens larger than 15 inches are nice, but they also add more weight to the laptop.
One last important note before you go out to find your baby … Plug him into an electrical outlet as much as possible. Laptops don’t run on batteries forever, and it’s wise to save battery power for when you really need it.
Taking the time to really go over what you need a notebook for and then finding something that meets those needs will save you where it matters most: your pocketbook.