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Published by Programme B
College and university students depend on their laptops. A good laptop is an essential part of college life. You rely on it to take notes in class, write papers, complete projects, and attend virtual classes and that’s on top of streaming, music, and entertainment.
As much as you depend on your laptop for class, work, and life in general, you’re on a tight budget, and you can’t always buy top-of-the-line products. In order to make sure you get a fast, reliable, lightweight laptop that will meet all your needs, you need to do a bit more research and make some compromises.
This guide will help you compare laptops and prioritize the most important features.
Price
At the end of the day, you can’t buy what you can’t afford, and the price is going to be the most important factor. That doesn’t mean you should head straight to budget laptops. Sometimes paying a little bit more up front can save you down the road.
One of the best ways to find a better quality laptop in your price range is to find a laptop for sale online. The more you expand your search, the more likely you are to find bargains and deals.
If you can, it also pays to wait. Set automatic alerts for when the laptops you want go on sale.
Battery Life
As a student, you’re always on the go. When you’re trying to get work done between classes, you take any seat you can get, and there won’t always be an outlet available. A good battery life should give you between 8 and 10 hours of work.
You’re going to be spending hours taking notes in class, working on projects in libraries or coffee shops, and you won’t always have a way to charge your laptop.
Portability
When you’re hauling your bag, textbooks, and laptop around all day, you have to be careful about the size and weight of a laptop. If it’s too heavy or too large, you’ll regret your choice in no time. On the other hand, a small screen can be frustrating when you’re working with specialized software or even just streaming a movie.
There are varying levels of portability, but the standard for a thin and light laptop today is one that’s between 11 to 15 inches in length and between 3 and 6 lbs. If that sounds too heavy for you, ultraportable laptops are between 9-13” and only weigh 2 to 5 lbs.
Processing
If you have to use specialized software for school, the processing power of a laptop may also be relevant. That all depends on your CPU. Modern CPUs are made by Apple, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. The speed is measured in GHz.
You don’t have to be an expert in CPUs. Look up the name and research it online to see how it compares.
Memory
Finally, there’s memory. Your laptop should be able to hold all the projects you need, so your memory needs really depend on your personal needs. You won’t want to carry around an external hard drive when you’re on the go, so make sure you’ve got enough space for everyday use.
A quality laptop meets your specifications. You can buy it at the price point you need while it also has the battery life to get through your day, enough processing power, and enough memory to bring your work with you.
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