{"id":778,"date":"2021-09-26T08:21:50","date_gmt":"2021-09-26T08:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.batteries-company.com\/battery-care\/?p=778"},"modified":"2021-09-26T08:21:50","modified_gmt":"2021-09-26T08:21:50","slug":"essential-tips-for-choosing-a-student-laptop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batteries-company.com\/battery-care\/essential-tips-for-choosing-a-student-laptop.htm","title":{"rendered":"Essential Tips for Choosing a Student Laptop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If I had been drinking something at the time, I would have spit it all over my screen. That\u2019s because I was reading a laptop buying guide that was so superficial, so full of errors, half-truths and oversimplifications, that I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes. I won\u2019t name any names, but this was my favorite gem: \u201cMost flash drives still exceed 300 gigabytes, which is enough for most people.\u201d Um, actually most SSDs start at 128GB.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another: \u201cBattery life<\/a> specs mean little. Have a power cord with you.\u201d Oh, and the processor doesn\u2019t matter at all.<\/p>\n

If I were a parent reading a guide like that heading into the back-to-school season, I would have just thrown up my hands and did some eerie eeny-meeny-miny-mo at Best Buy. But you don\u2019t have to. Just follow my simple buying tips.<\/p>\n

1. Choose The Right Size<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Although 15-inch laptops tend to be the cheapest, 13- and 14-inch models are better for students because they usually weigh under 5 pounds, making them much easier to transport to and from class.<\/p>\n

A smaller 11-inch laptop will often do the trick, but it\u2019s not as practical back at the dorm, where your student would probably want to plug it into a bigger monitor.<\/p>\n

2. Pay for Premium Design<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>One feature back-to-school shoppers tend to overlook is the look and feel of the laptop and materials used. After all, your student will want to be seen around campus carrying something that\u2019s sleek instead of clunky. At the same time, the notebook should feel like it\u2019s built to last. When possible, opt for a design that at least has a metal lid, which will help protect the display and resist wear and tear during those years away at school.<\/p>\n

The HP Sleekbook<\/a> ($599), for instance, has a brushed aluminum finish on the lid and around the keyboard, and a soft-touch finish on the bottom that\u2019s easy to grip. Another tip: if you press down on the lid or keyboard and you see a lot of flex, keep on looking.<\/p>\n

3. Get Specs for the Long Haul<\/h4>\n

Despite what you may have heard, the CPU can make a big difference. For instance, Intel\u2019s latest third-generation Core processor (also called Ivy Bridge) offers up to twice the 3D graphics performance, which means the difference between being able to play \u201cWorld of Warcraft\u201d at a smooth frame rate and watching it stutter on the screen.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to save money, though, a second-generation Core processor wi ll do the trick. Stay away from Pentium CPUs, though, as they\u2019re just not fast enough for the long haul.<\/p>\n

As for memory, 4GB is sufficient, but if you can find a notebook for the same price with 6 or 8GB of RAM, get it.<\/p>\n

A notebook\u2019s storage drive has almost as much impact on its performance as its CPU. While more expensive and lower in capacity than hard drives, Solid State Drives (SSDs) dramatically improve the performance of the entire system so consider a system that has one.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re buying a laptop with a traditional hard drive, go for one that operates at the faster 7,200 rpm speed and, when possible, opt for a minimum of 500GB, though you can get away with 320GB.<\/p>\n

4. Consider an Ultrabook<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>Intel and its partners are going right after students with a new class of laptop called Ultrabooks, which sport thin profiles and wake from sleep almost as soon Junior flips the lid. They also offer at least 5 hours of battery life.<\/p>\n

These notebooks tend to be more expensive, but there are a few value-priced models that parents and students should consider, such as the 14-inch Dell Inspiron<\/a> 14z (4.2 pounds, $699) and Toshiba Satellite<\/a> U845 (3.9 pounds, $749).<\/p>\n

Lower-cost Ultrabooks combine a solid state drive with a traditional hard drive, which is fine for students, but more premium notebooks, like the 13-inch MacBook Air and ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A, opt for all-flash memory. Your student will be trading blazing-fast performance for a smaller 128GB of storage, in which case the cloud will have to be their friend.<\/p>\n

5. Go for at Least 5.5 Hours of \u00a0Acer as07a41 battery life<\/a><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>Saying that battery life specs mean little and that you should just bring the power cord is a cop-out. It\u2019s not always easy for students to plug in when they\u2019re going to class or finishing up a paper in the campus coffee shop. So get them a notebook that lasts at least 5 hours and 30 minutes on a charge. How can you tell? Our reviews include results from our homegrown battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s too pricey for some, the 13-inch MacBook Air<\/a> blew us away with its 8 plus hours of endurance in our tests (continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi). Another long-distance runner that\u2019s a good choice for students is the Sony VAIO S Series 13 ($899), which not only lasts more than 6 hours in our test but features an optional battery slice that doubles the endurance.<\/p>\n

6. Pick a Good Keyboard and Touchpad<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/a>Your student will be doing lots of typing, from writing reports to Facebook updates, so they should try it out to make sure there\u2019s enough travel and springy feedback instead of a cramped or mushy keyboard. And don\u2019t ignore the touchpad, which is just as important. Make sure navigating the desktop is smooth instead of jerky and that multi-touch gestures like pinch to zoom and two-finger scroll are responsive. If the buttons are integrated into the pad, make sure they\u2019re easy to press and not too stiff.<\/p>\n

7. Consider Both Macs and Windows PCs.<\/h4>\n

\"\"Doing more of our computing online has indeed made choosing an OS less important, but there are still fundamental differences in the overall user experience. For example, some may like the fact that Apple\u2019s OS X Lion offers an iPad-like Launchpad to see your apps, while some will prefer the way Windows 7 lets you multitask. Generally speaking, Macs are more secure and are typically better designed machines, while Windows\u2019 systems tend to be cheaper and offer a wider array of programs (especially games).<\/p>\n

The differences between Windows and Mac will become even more pronounced this fall with the introduction of Windows 8 and Mountain Lion. Windows 8 has an entirely new interface that, while dynamic, involves a learning curve. Meanwhile, Mountain Lion will bring more iOS features to the Mac while keeping the overall look and feel the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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