How To Choose the Best Student Laptop? by Titus Hoskins
Merchants are singing those three magic words again,
‘Back to School’ and the fallout is everywhere!
Just as you’re getting your deep dark pre-cancerous tan
going – you hear those words – and it spells the end
of summer. Once again we are bombarded with advertising,
featuring the latest in ‘teen ware’ ‘school ware’ and
‘metal detector ware’. Kidding!
Is it just me or does it seem this year there is a lot
more ‘Back to School’ advertising for notebooks and laptops?
They seem to be everywhere… on TV, radio, and online.
Laptop ads are everywhere. Why is this?
Well, notebooks have come down in price, they have become
more affordable, even for the modest student. Laptops have
also come down in size, making them ideal for that school
napsack, or dormroom. They have also become tougher
and sturdier – better equipped to meet the hard/wear/tear
that students give it.
With notebook technology changing every two years or
so – notebooks can now handle most tasks students throw
their way. These advanced notebooks can do the job. They also
present a much stronger entertainment value to students, they
can handle better graphics and gaming, but most students
try to keep parents in the dark about this factor as they
plead for a new laptop for college or school. All this
pleading is further fueling the demand for laptops.
Then there is a little thing called the Internet. Throw
in a wireless connection and the student laptop is coming
into its own. Big Time!
The Internet has become a second teacher/parent/counselor
to most students. God help us all! But it has also become
a priceless source of the collective knowledge on this planet;
frightening but true. The Internet is an invaluable source of
knowledge for any high school/college student.
Not having ready access to all this knowledge and information
will put any student at a disadvantage with his peers.
It’s a very competitive world, in high school, in college and
in the future job market – every student should have an even
playing field.
That’s where the little notebook computer enters stage right!
Laptops or notebooks have quickly become a school necessity.
When? How? Why?…
It’s the perfect learning tool for students:
* very portable, you can carry them anywhere, class, cafe,
dorm, home…
* very convenient, you can take notes in class, type up assignments,
print assignments, communicate home, access the Internet…
* very tough, many newer notebooks are designed to withstand
a good pounding and keep on computing, ruggerized for sturdy
use…
* very powerful, notebooks or laptops are catching up to their
desktop cousins in computing speed, hard drive storage and
performance…
* very affordable, prices have dropped and are falling even further,
laptops are now outselling desktop PCs so this price will drop even
further, there’s a whole slew of used and refurbished laptops
hitting the market…
If you’re a parent, student, or guardian; here are some of the factors
you should consider when buying the best student laptop or notebook:
* size, it must be small, lightweight and very portable, fit
comfortably under the arm or in that backpack
* sturdy, it must be tough, sturdy, ruggerized, and able to take
more than one hard knock because students are students
* connections, wireless connections should be offered, the Internet
is such a valuable tool in itself – a student should be able to
access it anywhere. Most notebooks have these connections but
check – a printer port, a 56Kbps-modem, a VGA port for an external
monitor, and should have at least one USB port for external
keyboard/mouse, digital cameras, drives, and MP3 players
* technical specs, it should have enough RAM, storage space (hard drive)
and computing speed to do any job the student can throw at it
* battery life, make sure your student notebook has a reasonable battery
life, 5 hours or more
* price, it should be reasonably priced, refurbished laptops may be an
option for those on a strict budget
However, some words of wisdom, students or parents shouldn’t skimp
too much – if you’re spending 10′s of thousands on an education, you
should also provide for the best possible equipment in the form of a sturdy,
lightweight high performance laptop. Besides, a high quality laptop will
last for years… just imagine your son or daughter writing their resumes on
it after they have finished college… keep this image in your mind as you go
about buying that perfect student laptop.
About the Author
Check out some of the top rated laptops for students here: Notebook For Students
Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins Click here for a Free Desktop Calendar & Planner, compliments of the author and DATEwise.
This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
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