I am a college freshman what laptop should I buy?

Question

I'm majoring in pre-med. I'll sometimes watch clips on my computer or listen to downloaded music. I don't really do either too often. I basically just want my computer for internet and word processing. I would prefer to spend between $1000-$1500. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

For what your doing, I suggest a Mac Book with the follwing specs:
13 inch screen
1.83 Ghz
512 RAM
60 Gb Hard drive
Super drive

you can always add RAM later. (more RAm makes the computer go faster.)
Ordering it can be done here: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=A4791B5D&nclm=MacBook
For the education discount: http://store.apple.com/1-800-780-5009/WebObjects/EducationIndividual?type=higherEd&promo=StudentUnion&cid=EDU-AOSA10000008186


As for word processing, Apple doesnt have Word already installed, only text edit, which is very basic.
So, you'll have to get Office for mac which includes, word, excel, powerpoint, and MSN messanger: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/5.RSLID?mco=EEDAC640&nplm=T9188LL%2FA

Or, you just get iWork, which is made by Apple and comes with Pages (word prossesing) and keynote (which is the same as powerpoint): http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/5.RSLID?mco=1B2C608C&nplm=MA222Z%2FA

iwork is cheaper than Office.

Answer 2

When buying a laptop (notebook) computer, you want to look for a few important details.

* Warranty
Laptop computers tend to contain be very proprietary hardware. Items such as the screen, keyboard, power supply, and video card tend not to be easily replaced if they fail. In addition, they are subject to more abuse than a desktop and at greater risk of component failure. Therefore, it's very important to get a long (3 year or longer) warranty with any new laptop purchase. If something should go wrong with the laptop during the warranty period, the manufacturer will most likely repair or replace it (unless damage is caused due to negligence).
* Buy from Reputable Manufacturers
A 3+ year warranty isn't going to do much good if the maker is out of business 6 months after you purchase the laptop. Thus, it's important to purchase a laptop from a known manufacturer who will be in business next year and the year after. Reasonably safe bets include buying from Dell, Gateway, Lenovo (IBM), Toshiba, HP/Compaq, Fujitsu, and Sony. That said, I personally avoid Sony and HP/Compaq. In my experience (granted, this is experience from around 2002-2003), Sony support is poor and can take several days, more likely weeks, to repair a system sent back to them. In addition, they have in the past limited their warranty to 90 days if you do not register the notebook with them. HP/Compaq (Compaq more specifically in my experience) has declined to support their products - even relatively new products. For example, if you want to upgrade the operating system of the laptop, they have, in the past, taken the attitude of "it didn't ship with it, we won't help you with it. Also, in the summer of 2006 when I last spoke to support from HP for their printers, I was very disappointed in the level of knowledge demonstrated.
* RAM
Today, RAM is crucial to system performance, but many computer makers will actually sell systems with what most technicians would consider too little RAM. For a balance of price and performance, any computer running Windows XP, not just a notebook, should have 512 MB RAM. More if you intend to do video editing, play high-end games, or run with many applications open. The upgrade from "base" memory is often a $50-$100 upgrade, but usually well worth it. Keep in mind, Windows Vista likely requires 1 GB of RAM (1024 MB) to run smoothly.

And remember, even the worst rated products will work flawlessly for some people and the best rated products will fail on occasion. When buying you want to buy with the best odds of having a good experience.

Answer 3

I'm using an IBM Thinkpad in college right now; they are the best laptops for professional use and word processing, like you said. They are also better than Macs because most universities and businesses have Windows XP compatible computers as their standard.

Answer 4

Well, Amanda, I'd recommend the AMD 64 X-2 Turion [which you can view all details of at http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_13909,00.html ]because [a] this is cutting edge technology which will not need any upgrades for the next 4 years and [b] is good value for money.

All the best.

Cheers

PS,

The Acer Aspire™ AS5002LMi-XPP (LXA5106001) PC Notebook, with this chip, costs just $856.00 +tax and shipping! You can order it from http://www.shopping.com/xPC-Acer_ACER_AS5002_7_1_6_80GB_512MB_DVR_XPP~S-P~OR-0~linkin_id-6061825~r-1~CLT-INTR~RFR-www.amdboard.com

Answer 5

Acers are good. Look for a laptop that doesn't have a glass screen. Be vigilant of sales going on at Best-Buy or Circuit City.

Answer 6

Really, laptops and PC's are commodities anymore - the biggest decision you have to make is APPLE vs. MicroSoft. You probably want to select from someone who offers the support you want - features are pretty much the same across the board.

Answer 7

Well... I don't have any great recommendations. My Acer works okay.

My father runs a computer shop, though, and he says that most of his income comes from doing repair work on Dell computers -- not a great endorsement for Dell.

Answer 8

I would say apple. But you would need a wireless router. Those only cost about $60. I'm posting here on a wireless apple iBookG4.

Answer 9

Not a Dell, I can tell you that much.
Dell laptop+lexmark printers= premature heart attack