How to Choose Best Laptop : Students Edition

Who doesn’t need a laptop for the duration of college? Almost everyone these days demands a decent laptop for their studies, projects, games, and work. Several students do online jobs in their free time during graduation or post-graduation, besides it, students need a laptop for the research of their projects. The laptop is a necessity for the students those who are into computer courses such as Basic computer to computer engineering courses.Since the computer is knowledge is required everywhere from teaching to corporate offices, post offices, banks, etc. The system of this 21^st century has changed a lot since decades; today computer knowledge has become an essential part of every student and every employee.

Thus, we have provided some tips for the students that how to choose the best laptop.

How to Choose the Best Laptop: Students Edition

1. Portability: A general screen size that ranges from about 11 to 17 inches is the best option for students, but the size of the laptop depends on the requirement of the person. Suppose if a student needs a laptop for video editing, photos, movies, then the size of the laptop would be a larger screen. You can find the sizes less than 12”, 12 inches to 13.9 inches, 14 inches to 16.9 inches and the last screen size would of 17 inches or more. Usually, laptop falls into the following three categories of weight:

• 3 lbs. or less: These laptops are great for students and for the travelers who need to perform some basic web-surfing tasks, emailing,
• 4-5 lbs: These streamlined laptops are mainly made for users who occasionally works on a laptop at any coffee shop or airport.
• 6 lbs or more: It is ideal for gamers.

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2. Resolution: Every laptop screen comes in a different range of resolutions which is measured in pixels, horizontal x vertical. There are total six resolutions of laptop screens including HD, HD+, Full HD, Retina Display, QHD (Quad HD), 4K Ultra HD. HD resolution (1366 x 768) is standard on mainstream laptops which are good for emails, web surfing, and basic computing tasks. HD+ resolution (1600 x 900) is specifically made for watching DVD movies and casual gaming. Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) let you pay video games and allows you to watch Blue-ray films. Retina display (1303 x 1440) resolution is found in the Apple’s 12 inches and 13.3 inches to 15.6-inches laptops.For creating images, editing images and graphics you would need a 4K Ultra HD resolution of 3840 x 2160.

3. Durability: Laptop made from magnesium alloy, aluminum or carbon fiber are good to use. Every manufacturer claims a durability period, check that. Some laptops such as Asus C202 is made for students that survive for a particular height. Though there are some business laptops that are undergone MIL-SPEC 810G durability test, and it works best.

4. OS Platform: Right operating system makes things easy for you. If you are into the computer related course, then you can check the software requirements of the university and purchase laptop accordingly. As sometimes, some colleges or universities requires a specific type of software. If you aren’t familiar with PCs or Macs, then these are three most popular operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X (for MacBooks only) and Chrome OS.
   

• Windows: It is known as most flexible and most popular operating system globally. It appears on many devices. It has several interesting and helpful features that we need. The latest version of Windows is Windows 10.
  
• OS X: It is installed on Mac computers. OS X operating system boasts easy to use interface and has an elegant look. Historically it has fewer viruses and malware issues however MacBook begins at a higher price than other laptops.
• Chrome OS: It is featured in the Chromebook. Chrome OS operates custom cloud-based program and apps than other traditional software. Chrome operating system is a great option for net surfing, emailing, staying in connection with social networks, data-intensive tasks such as editing videos and hardcore gaming.

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5. Battery Life: Buy a laptop that offers quality battery life. The average battery life of laptops is 7 hours, 55 minutes. Laptop enhancements including larger and higher resolution screens, high processing power and fast hard drives drain the battery quickly. But make sure whatever laptop you buy should have at least 8 hours’ battery life or more.

6. Recommended specs: If you want a laptop that can function for years even after completion of your graduation then you must look for the given internal components.

• Processor: Processor of any laptop is like a brain of it. Powerful processor makes your laptop fast and can run complex software. Intel processor is a famous processor in the world and is known as the heart of every modern device such as MacBook and Windows laptops. The requirement of solid performance for today and future can be fulfilled by Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor. If there is some problem with the budget, then you can also get Intel Core i3 processor. Intel Core M processor is adequate for basic internet, email, and other productivity tasks but the speed limit is limited. Whereas Core i3 is the entry level of core processor and enough for daily e-mail or internet tasks. It’s also fine with listening to music activities. Core i5 and Core i7 are new and Mid-grade core processor to top grade core processor respectively.

Besides Intel processor, there is a different processor named as AMD processors.  AMD processors are categorized into FX and A-Series and E-Series. AMD A-Series processor is best to be used, but AMD E-series is made for low-cost laptops that offer enough performance to enable basic tasks on the laptop such as document editing, video viewing, and web surfing.

• RAM: Random-access memory (RAM) is essential for your processor to tackle multiple tasks at one time. Minimum RAM is 2 GB which is for basic computing, but if you are into graphics or video editing course, then 6GB RAM would be best for you. Most of the laptops come with 4GB to 8 GB pre-installed RAM that is extendable to 32 GB.
• Hard Drive: For faster opening of apps, you should go for SSD (solid-state drive) as it has no moving parts but offers a great speed. SSDs offers a huge advantage in weight, physical size and power efficiency along with some features such as noiseless operation, negligible heat production, A 5400 rpm drive is enough for daily web-surfing, documentation work, and e-mailing system. A 7200 rpm drive is efficient in transferring data quickly and is best for regular work with large files.
• Wi-Fi: Buy a laptop with 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard than older 802.11n.
• Ports: These days, laptops typically come with several latest ports and Bluetooth capabilities as well to sync your smartphone and other portable devices with a laptop. Those who are free travelers, they should consider a laptop that connects to 4G LTE network. Some commonly used ports for connecting to cameras, TVs, and other devices are USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type C, Thunderbolt, HDMI and Media card slots.

7. Consider a Two in One: Are you looking for a laptop that has a power of laptop and portability of tablet then consider a 2 in 1 laptops which are also called as Hybrid or convertible laptops. Touch screen functionality also can be seen in these laptops, and it is easy to twist, fold, lock in place and hang. 2 in 1 laptops provides the perfect angel for presentation.

8. Check that Keyboard and Touchpad: A comfortable and springy keyboard are what everyone’s demand. The touchpad is also equally important as the keyboard is. There are some business laptops that offer some of the best keyboards & touchpads including Dell Latitudes, HP EliteBooks, and Lenovo ThinkPads.

9. Mind the Brand: The Laptop Brand is also the important thing to consider before purchasing the laptop. There are many best laptop brands available in the market. They offer the best Warranty and after-sales service to their customers. So, it is highly recommended to consider the Best Laptop Brands before going for unbranded laptops.

Conclusion

These are the tips for students to choose the best laptop. There are a ton of laptops in the market, so it becomes hard for students to choose the best one. If you follow these tips before purchasing any laptop, then you can get the best laptop in affordable price which suits your needs.

This is a Guest Post Contributed by Swaraj Nandedkar from TechLila.com – Tech Blog.