A laptop is no longer just a fashion statement or a luxury that is enjoyed only by the well-to-do community of computer users. In fact, recent market surveys have revealed that laptops are one of the topmost selling electronic products. Present laptop sales are at a much higher level as compared to those of desktop computers. There is one catch though. Laptops do pose users with a major problem - the problem of choice. Choosing a laptop computer is much more difficult as compared to choosing its desktop counterpart. There are a number of nitty-gritties involved when choosing a laptop that perfectly suits your needs. High school or college going students have different computer-related needs as compared to professional software developers. On that note, let us have a look at some of the best laptops for students.
Best Laptops for College Students
Before we move on to enlisting some of the best laptops for students, we need to understand the general computer-related requirements of a college student. Typically, college students require laptops and notebook computers for doing project-related work, academic research, making presentations, taking notes while in lectures and seminars, etc. (I have already taken it for granted that students will use their laptops for playing games, listening to music and watching movies). Therefore, in terms of computer hardware, the bare minimum hardware requirements of an ideal student’s laptop are as follows:
   Processor with a minimum capacity of 1.8 GHz or higher
   Minimum 1 GB of RAM (preferably 2GB)
   Minimum hard drive capacity of 120 GB (preferably 160 GB)
   CD drive with both read-write facility (DVD equivalent will be even better)
   Minimum 13 inch display screen
   Minimum 2 hours of laptop battery backup
   4 USB ports, 1 Ethernet port
   Bluetooth connectivity
   At least 64 MB of video i.e. graphics memory (preferably 128 MB)
   Sturdy body and easy-to-carry
   Last but not the least, modestly priced.
Finding a laptop which fulfills all the above requirements often requires a lot of research on part of the buyer. Many a time, you manage to zero in on a laptop with all the right technical features, only to back out because of the fact that it costs a bomb. Price can often be a deterrent when it comes to choosing a good laptop having a decent hardware configuration. However, the following laptop models are definitely worth a buy when it comes to affordable student laptops.
HP Pavilion dv2 Notebook
This is a new laptop from HP that has recently hit the market. Powered by an AMD Athlon Neo processor, this chic notebook has a spacious 320 GB hard drive, a powerful 4 GB of RAM and an inbuilt 512 MB Radeon HD graphics card. With a screen size of just over 12 inches, it is on the smaller side. However, that makes it all the more portable. Priced at approx $700, it is a great option for students who happen to have some extra pocket money lying around in the bottom of their desk drawers.
Dell Studio 15 Notebook
Another great buy, this laptop is powered by a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It has a hard drive capacity of up to 320 GB and comes with 4 GB of RAM. It has an inbuilt 256 MB Radeon HD 4570 graphics card along with a DVD combo drive. It has an inbuilt 2.0 Megapixel camera which provides excellent pictures that you can enjoy on its 15.6 inch widescreen HD display. With a starting price of approximately $800, it is slightly on the steeper side, but is a total value-for-money product.
Apple MacBook
Apple computer users will love the new Apple MacBook that comes power-packed with a host of good features. With an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, 160 GB hard drive, 13.3 inch screen display and with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M taking care of the graphics department, this notebook is surely a leading contender for the ‘best laptop for students’ award. However, the only drawback is its price. Priced in excess of $1000, it is an affordable option to only a select group of college goers.
For those of you who have a budget between $350 to $600 and are willing to compromise a little bit on the technical front, here are a few laptop models for you to consider:
   Dell Inspiron 1318 notebook
   HP G60t laptop
   Toshiba Satellite P205 notebook
   Asus EPC1000HE notebook.
These were some of the best laptops for students. As I sign off, here is a small bit of parting advice. If you’re short on cash and you can’t compromise on hardware specifications, think about buying a good quality used laptop. It is much better than buying a brand new laptop of an inferior quality.
By Tintin
