Laptop for a freshmen in college?

[RabbitMage]

My last laptop was an Acer. That purchase ended in legal action. Wouldn't recommend.

Your daughter might try pushing you toward something with a larger screen, but I don't recommend it. The larger laptops are notably heavier, and many won't fit into standard laptop bags or backpacks.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Look at your needs and constraints.

Avoid Mac unless the school has a lot of Mac requirements or she is in an arts program.

Buy business grade laptops like MacBook Pro or Thinkpad. Stay away from consumer products like Inspiron. Most manufacturers have a consumer product line and a business product line.

If weight matters that much, consider a netbook. My EEE PC does everything I need for mobile work.

Try to avoid the cheapest machines. The middle of the product line is usually the sweet spot. Remember it is nearly impossible to upgrade a laptop.

If her eyesight is good you can save a lot of weight and money with a smaller screen. There are some great 13"-14" laptops out there.

If you must have a giant screen, just buy a desktop. This will save you about $1000. Use a little of that to get a mobile doodad. (For example: Alienware Desktop & EEE PC, or IMac & Macbook Air).

Avoid off-brands. Stick with common brands with good support. It is hard to go wrong with Thinkpad. Dell and Apple are OK. HP is hit and miss. Some people swear by ASUS.

Feel free to email me.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Different stores carry different models but this one looks good to me. It's a step up from mine which is over a year old now. I never keep laptops for over a year nor do they survive my abuse. This one has.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba...lack/1552571.p?id=1218268438309&skuId=1552571

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

With all the differing opinions out there on brand an OS this line is the most agreed upon statement you will hear.

Chicken.Lytle :

Try to avoid the cheapest machines. The middle of the product line is usually the sweet spot.

No matter the brand the low end model is junk an the high end model is way overpriced. Find something in the middle.

My brother only gets off brand PCs (usually E-machine) an has had great results by only getting the middle range models.​

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

xxxMac

Put anything in front of it, you will get quality. iMac, Macbook, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, ESP. MACBOOK AIR.

Or an iPad. You might want to consider an iPad. apple.com/ipad they do EVERYTHING great.

If you are sticking with Windows, or want to switch it to Linux (which I reccomend) I would go with HP or Compaq. Compaq is basically HP with a different sticker on it, made with the same parts and all. (And $100 cheaper)

Toshiba is also good, but stay away from Emachines, Asus, and other cheapies.

Hope this helps! if you want more info on iPads and academics, or the benefits of open source Linux, please PM me! I love talking geek!

 

[dsc6]

It is very likely that her school has a purchase agreement with one or another company . You can get good deals that way. My kids' schools both use Lenovo, think ThinkPad. Good quality Good deal.

 

[annaraven]

MacBook 13" is really the best choice. Remember that she gets an educational discount of 10% for college students. A MacBook will give you the best combination of price, quality, usability, and weight.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Heres all kinds of info on reliability.
http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/SquareTrade_laptop_reliability_1109.pdf

Interesting that Asus keeps being called a cheep off brand when it makes many of the parts in all the rest an has for years.

 

[annaraven]

If you can't afford an Apple, then go for the most RAM you can afford, a middling processor and don't worry about the size of the disk, because the entry-level disk is big enough. Check out places like TigerDirect.com to get good deals.

Good luck!

 

[annaraven]

DH just checked on TigerDirect.com for Laptop 15" (15" is the best pricepoint right now) and came up with this: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7047680&CatId=4965

If that's gone, avoid Windows XP (those would be too dated). 3GB RAM is better (DDR is a form of RAM).

He works at Google and is an UberGeek, so would know... ;-)

Hope this helps.