Best Laptops for college?

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There hasn't been much discussed on this forum about which laptops are best for college.

What laptops do you pre med/med students own?

I am looking for one that will last a few years. Has a lot of hard drive space. Lots of USB ports. Wireless internet, etc.

I hear that the MacBook Pro is great. My friend has one but unless you are doing something like Photography or, I don't know. Some artsy major, it seems pointless.

I want something with a built in microphone and webcam. Headphone jack, the whole nine.

I prefer to have a PC over a mac in this case.
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Macbooks are good if you are made of money. Honestly, I would suggest not a Mac though just because of problems that might arise if professor's want you use to Word, Excel, etc. Really up to you though. Get what you can afford/like.
 
Maygyver said:
Macbooks are good if you are made of money. Honestly, I would suggest not a Mac though just because of problems that might arise if professor's want you use to Word, Excel, etc. Really up to you though. Get what you can afford/like.
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TBH, my parents are buying it for me.

I'd rather get a $1,200 laptop instead of a $2,200 laptop. Use the extra grand for books, maybe a microwave. lol. There are other things I need to buy.
 
Well since you can run windows on a mac then sticking with one platform isn't that much of an issue anymore. And the common office documents (word, powerpoint, etc...) are fully supported on a mac so don't see why you'd have a problem there. So go with whatever platform you're comfortable with.

For everday school usage pretty much any recent laptop will do what you need it to do (wireless internet, notes, office documents, etc...)

Size - want something smaller/more portable, or larger with a bigger screen.

Speed - anything out there now is plenty powerful for normal usage. If you'll be doing things like video editing or gaming then you'll probably want something on the more powerful end with a dedicated video card.
 
Maygyver said:
Macbooks are good if you are made of money. Honestly, I would suggest not a Mac though just because of problems that might arise if professor's want you use to Word, Excel, etc. Really up to you though. Get what you can afford/like.
Click to expand...

you can get Microsoft office for Mac and still use word, PP, excel, etc. I love my Mac it looks cool and does cool things but it's definitely overkill for college.

I see a lot of students using tablet PC's exclusively to take notes. I thought about getting one but I don't think i would feel comfortable having ALL my notes on laptop that could easily die or get stolen/lost.
 
Well, you guys seem to like yours. I might consider it. :thumbup:
 
Macs are fantastic products. There's no question about that. Their customer support is also top-notch. However, they're nowhere near fantastic enough to warrant the price tags they bear when Lenovo makes some damn fine - possibly better - hardware as well.
 
SketchsaurusRex said:
you can get Microsoft office for Mac and still use word, PP, excel, etc. I love my Mac it looks cool and does cool things but it's definitely overkill for college.

I see a lot of students using tablet PC's exclusively to take notes. I thought about getting one but I don't think i would feel comfortable having ALL my notes on laptop that could easily die or get stolen/lost.
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You don't need Office for the Mac; you can do all that with iWork. It's cheaper, too. Don't forget to BACK UP YOUR DATA on your laptop because you will almost certainly lose something somewhere along the way.

Toshiba has laptops with an extended keyboard. Has anyone else seen these?
 
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jefgreen said:
Is it? Is it really?
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yes it is really. I personally have the macbook air, i wouldnt recommend that only because its pricey and has a shorter battery life. But the new aluminum macbooks rock. Seriously, i have been using dell for a while, and though i still use it for my desktop, switching to apple was a really good decision. A lot of my cousins, friends and my brother (all in grad school/college) all switched over to mac as well.

Also its easy to learn and switch over from windows. You can even RUN windows on it if needed. (you will need to buy a program though)

I think you get the most of it, and there less susceptible to viruses.

charfdorn said:
You don't need Office for the Mac; you can do all that with iWork. It's cheaper, too. Don't forget to BACK UP YOUR DATA on your laptop because you will almost certainly lose something somewhere along the way.

Toshiba has laptops with an extended keyboard. Has anyone else seen these?
Click to expand...

I dont like iWork, as a personal mac user. Though i havent really used it many times (just at a friends), i have Microsoft Office, and it rocks. The Office suite comes with it all. I think you can get the student version for not that high of a price when you buy the macbook.

Also if your into pirated stuff, its much easier to get office for mac. To be honest i did not get it from a torrent, but from an FTP site that had the newest version up for downloads and with patches.

Also i should add that buying a mac is a great investment especially before school starts. Last summer when i got my macbook air, i got it with a free ipod touch (they let you choose the nano but why would you want that?) and a free printer (both after mail and rebate).
 
I have a HP w/extended battery (gotta have that) and love it. I would have to say that the majority of my classmates have either a HP or mac. I think that it all depends on your preference. I am mac illiterate so mac is out of the question for me.
 
I prefer to have a PC over a mac in this case.
Click to expand...

Love these discussions because it turns into the Mac debate without respecting the wishes of the OP.

If the OP wants to use PC, why isn't it possible for anyone to give the best recommendation possible according to his wants?

Anyhow, the prices of laptops have come down so much that you can get a killer one for $1200 from just about any company. If you want something knockaround, you can go into the 6-800 range and still find everything you require.

My suggestion is to get something that doesn't have the bundled programs, unless it's cheap. Like I got Acers a couple years ago for myself and my gf. Just XP Pro on them and nothing more. We added everything else. HD's have been upgraded to 250g Scorpios for the shock resistance. However, these specs and the motherboard specs and more are available at under even 800 sometimes. You can get deep cuts for sales too. Even though I know that many things are directly compatible with Mac, I have found lots of programs I get for classes not in some way and because they're custom, support can't help. You can try some virtual pc stuff, but in that case, wouldn't you want a PC anyhow? Then where's the goddamn right click on mac? They look nice, though, but 50% of my friends have had problems with theirs, including ones that required total replacement.

Check Newegg.com for the comparisons to get a baseline.
 
For medical school (especially if you know ahead of time that most/all lectures will be available as powerpoint/pdf and campus has wireless setup)... consider a tablet PC.

At the very least, it will save you a lot of space with regard to paper.

Tablet.jpg
 
As far as all this mac love goes I do not have much experience with mac's to really be fair but honestly I am so comfortable with pc I don't care to change, but hey if you end up buying one you will probably love it.

A note about the tablet pc: do not consider it for the note taking capabilities if you have bad handwriting. They do not even begin to recognize my writing lol. Also I am a lefty so I do some numbers and letters "backwards" to the normal style, nintendo's ds and tablet pc's do not accept my way of writting 3's, 5's. 7's, e's, s's, etc. BUT they are fun to play with regardless, I just think it is overhyped.

So if you want a pc I suggest Hp laptops. I just went searching for a laptop for college and I ended up buying a prettty nice Hp dv3 for like $700 (a sale at fry's). It is definitely smaller but I prefer mobility to size. It has a slot drive to make it smaller and has webcam/mic/headset/fingerprint reader and all that. My only complaint is three only three usb ports, but that really isn't that bad for the size. It also has the hdmi port, monitior/projector port, and ethernet. The battery is about 4 hours which is a huge factor to me, and that is the regular non extended battery. Finally it looks very nice, that is important to me.

From my shopping experience most laptops have around 320 gigs, 4gig ram, webcam/mic and all those standard specs so it comes down to pick a computer you like looking at that is the right size for you.
 
MilkmanAl said:
Dell's business line or Lenovo Thinkpads (also a business line). Can't go wrong either way.
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I would highly recommend Lenovo Thinkpads. They are pretty much the new IBMs and they are unbreakable. I have a Dell, it has $400 in it. The design is ugly, but it's definitely worth the money. Battery life is only about 1 hr, though :(

The business line is great because you get business service. That means the customer representative is here in America, and they'll pretty much service everything in warranty with no questions asked. You don't even need your own business to get one of those laptops.

I heard great things about Asus computers. They are underpriced because Asus wants a bigger market share for now. My friend got a gaming Asus laptop for $1200, anywhere else it would easily cost over $2500.
 
I agree about Thinkpads. I absolutely believe they're the way to go. I've had 2 of them, and they've both been unbelievably reliable. I was just stupid and fried my first one by not replacing the fan despite the computer warning me it was wearing/worn out. That was after 5 years of use. They also have that nice magnesium chassis around all the hardware to keep everything from getting damaged, and the accelerometer in the hard drive that braces it when you drop it is awesome.

That said, I realize that some people look for flashier designs than Lenovo offers. While I actually like the solid black look, I can see why someone who ranks appearance highly would want something else. Dells are certainly much more stylized, and the business class models are excellent computers. The consumer line is garbage, though, so do your research before buying a Dell.
 
I bought a macbook w/ microsoft office. It's very nifty, haven't had a regret about it yet.
 
I bought a Dell Inspiron 600m 4 years ago. It has worked extremely well. The thing is, with Dell, I'd recommend buying the extended warranty and accident coverage for your own well being. I paid nothing for these warranties after I found a $750.00 coupon online. Definitely look for coupons.

I'm glad I got the accident coverage. My computer had the misfortune of being "rained on" due to some plumbing issue in the apartment above my bedroom. Because I had the coverage, Dell replaced the motherboard, keyboard, heat sink, and base assembly at no extra charge. I'm sure, even though the parts might be refurbished, if I took the computer to a technical center I would have easily spent that in labor and parts, or more.
 
Definitely agree with the Thinkpad that was recommended.

Macs = horrendously overpriced no matter which way you twist it.
 
yanorglu said:
Definitely agree with the Thinkpad that was recommended.

Macs = horrendously overpriced no matter which way you twist it.
Click to expand...

This actually depends on what class of laptops your talking about.
If you compare it to a netbook, of course its over priced.

To the OP, you should check reviews at cnet.com
i usually do, they have videos, specs and summaries. It is a great way to
know which electronics are probably good to buy.
 
When it comes down to it, here's what you have:

Macs: pretty, great for media (except games), ridiculous price tags

Dell: generally good, sturdy, high price tags

IBM: freaking workhorses, built like tanks, can be pricey

HP: excellent desktop replacements for the average user, but not much beyond, great prices

Sony: good for media and gaming, lousy tech support, a bit overpriced

Toshiba/Compaq/Asus/Acer: you'll hear more than one person refer to these as "Wal-mart computers", but they'll usually get the job done, great prices

When looking at specific models, you should focus on battery life, weight/size (I don't care how into gaming you are, a nineteen inch laptop is not going to lecture with you every day), and included software. If it isn't out of your price range, get Windows Vista Business and then downgrade to XP--or switch to Linux 'cause it's made of awesome--and make sure that you get decent word processing software.
 
nlax30 said:
Well since you can run windows on a mac then sticking with one platform isn't that much of an issue anymore. And the common office documents (word, powerpoint, etc...) are fully supported on a mac so don't see why you'd have a problem there. So go with whatever platform you're comfortable with.

For everday school usage pretty much any recent laptop will do what you need it to do (wireless internet, notes, office documents, etc...)

Size - want something smaller/more portable, or larger with a bigger screen.

Speed - anything out there now is plenty powerful for normal usage. If you'll be doing things like video editing or gaming then you'll probably want something on the more powerful end with a dedicated video card.
Click to expand...

Do you have any specific examples of laptops on the very powerful end? I was actually planning to just bring a desktop to college, mostly for monetary reasons, and then later purchase a mini-laptop if I ever need something with greater portability. However, I cannot really imagine why I should ever need anything portable, as I prefer to take notes by hand. Having a powerful computer with a great video card is of the most importance to me, and as money is an issue, are laptops really that necessary?
 
If you're looking to game, then you want to go desktop. You'll get a hell of a lot more for less. But don't be so quick to write off the convenience of having a portable computer, and also, just how much time you're going to spend playing video games in college.
 
Algophiliac said:
Do you have any specific examples of laptops on the very powerful end? I was actually planning to just bring a desktop to college, mostly for monetary reasons, and then later purchase a mini-laptop if I ever need something with greater portability. However, I cannot really imagine why I should ever need anything portable, as I prefer to take notes by hand. Having a powerful computer with a great video card is of the most importance to me, and as money is an issue, are laptops really that necessary?
Click to expand...


Hey, I went through the first 2 years with just my desktop that I love. I treated myself to a Dell laptop this summer and I really haven't used it that much. I mainly just use it so I can work in the family room and I can take it the library if i absolutely need to. If you are tight on money, it is definitely not a necessity.
 
Algophiliac said:
Do you have any specific examples of laptops on the very powerful end? I was actually planning to just bring a desktop to college, mostly for monetary reasons, and then later purchase a mini-laptop if I ever need something with greater portability. However, I cannot really imagine why I should ever need anything portable, as I prefer to take notes by hand. Having a powerful computer with a great video card is of the most importance to me, and as money is an issue, are laptops really that necessary?
Click to expand...

Not necessary, but really convenient. Most of the major brands (Dell, IBM, Apple, HP, etc...) have some sort of higher end/high performance laptop line: Dell's XPS, Macbook Pro, etc..

If you are big into gaming then using a laptop is usually always going to involve some sort of compromise. With a desktop you'll get more bang for your buck and can always upgrade components when you need to.

I'm not really into computer games so for me portability and having access to my computer and files is more important. I usually have my laptop with me or in my car all the time. Plus I don't usually study at home.

I have a desktop as well but I turned it into a media server, home theater computer and just leave it hooked to the TV.
 
I used to be into gaming but since the laptop will be for school I don't need something will an ultra high end graphics card.
 
I just got the Asus 1000HA Mininotebook and I upgraded the RAM to 2gb for an extra $20(orginally 1gb)...So it's fast, has a huge hard-drive for a mini (160gb) very portable and you save a buck...It only costs around 380 (at the time I bought it, it was only 330) after shipping and the extra cost of the RAM upgrade...

linkage: http://www.amazon.com/10-Inch-Netbo...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1240108554&sr=8-1
 
Mm... Minicomputers and eePC's are cute, but it's not a computer replacement. They're meant to be temporoary substitutes while on business trips, or as a computer for a small child. Anyway, you can get a full-fleged laptop for a hundred bucks more, so why not go with the one that offers more functionality?
 
Honestly does it matter?

Thinkpad here :)
 
Alienware is quite possibly the only company that can compete with Apple in the overpricing wars. (Seriously, is it that important to have a green glow instead of a red one? Seriously?)

Although you'll get obscene amounts of devotion from the gaming community for your financial expression of your love for video games. :D
 
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MilkmanAl said:
Macs are fantastic products. There's no question about that. Their customer support is also top-notch. However, they're nowhere near fantastic enough to warrant the price tags they bear when Lenovo makes some damn fine - possibly better - hardware as well.
Click to expand...
:thumbup: also not to sure about apples quality control.

I actually went through all of college without a laptop. When I was in the library id see people with their laptops and of course they were facebooking and such instead of studying. Not having a laptop made me all about business when i was in the libs and there were computers there I could use if i wanted to check email or write a paper or wutever.
 
broken tibula said:
When it comes down to it, here's what you have:

Macs: pretty, great for media (except games), ridiculous price tags

Dell: generally good, sturdy, high price tags

IBM: freaking workhorses, built like tanks, can be pricey

HP: excellent desktop replacements for the average user, but not much beyond, great prices

Sony: good for media and gaming, lousy tech support, a bit overpriced

Toshiba/Compaq/Asus/Acer: you'll hear more than one person refer to these as "Wal-mart computers", but they'll usually get the job done, great prices

When looking at specific models, you should focus on battery life, weight/size (I don't care how into gaming you are, a nineteen inch laptop is not going to lecture with you every day), and included software. If it isn't out of your price range, get Windows Vista Business and then downgrade to XP--or switch to Linux 'cause it's made of awesome--and make sure that you get decent word processing software.
Click to expand...
:thumbup:

This is a great post. I've owned a Dell for about 4 years and I'd buy another. I'd also consider IBM.
 
MilkmanAl said:
Dell's business line or Lenovo Thinkpads (also a business line). Can't go wrong either way.
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup: So many people around here use those (like me!). Your school will probably have a plan where you can buy a computer with a 4-year warranty - I would go for that. I have replaced SO many things in the last 4 years (they told me once that my total costs have been more than 3 new computers, sheesh :rolleyes:).

Macs are OK, but they STILL have some compatibility issues. It's all about preference though.
 
A friend of mine got a barebone laptop called the Asus C90. He had to install the CPU, RAM, graphics processor, hard drive, wireless card, and other things to get it running. Overall he runs a 2.66 GHz processor, 4 gigs RAM, 320GB hard drive, and a really nice video card. All of this for about $1500.

I would recommend one of these if you like building stuff.

It also comes with a 2.0 Megapixel webcam, which I think the OP said he wanted. I'm not sure about Microphone, but I bet you could find a way to easily upgrade it in.
 
Building your own laptop is pretty sweet, especially because you get full control over your features and usually for a cheaper price, because you're not paying for labor and such.

But building a laptop takes a whole lot more skill and finesse than building a desktop--everything's very compact and delicate. I wouldn't do this unless I knew someone who was experienced with building laptops, because it's just too risky to do it solo with just you, some parts and some printed internet directions.

(I'm going to stop posting on this thread, really... It's just that no one ever talks about computers around here! It's so exciting!)
 
One thing to look for that stores typically do not show in the specs is CPU (usually specs focus on memory capacity, etc). This is especially important if you are the kind of person who always has eight firefox tabs open while you are running iTunes, inputting an Excel worksheet, and typing into Word :)
 
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Yeah, CPU is something to look for. I think battery life was something that I overlooked when I got mine.

It's great for a $400 computer, and the CPU speed, RAM, and hard drive specs were definitely on par for that price. However, the CPU was very power draining and they gave me the ****tiest battery. Usually I'd be lucky to run 1 hour with my Dell Vostro 1000 on batteries. That's why I always keep this heavy thing plugged and it pretty much serves as my portable desktop.

Do I really need battery life in college, or are there always places to plug in?
 
*grin* I have a little 13" XPS and everyone's like, "Oh, Tib, I didn't know you gamed!" And I tell them, "Nah, it was just portable." Honestly, I don't even know why they made a 13" XPS, but they did and it is wonderful.

Anyway. Battery life is the pits, especially with dual-core processing, and I'm considering asking for a 12 cell for graduation. Maybe. I get ~3 hrs out of my computer now, with the backlight down and no heavy processing going on. There are lots of plugs around my CC, but I'm too lazy to bring the cord with me most of the time.
 
kleyad said:
A note about the tablet pc: do not consider it for the note taking capabilities if you have bad handwriting. They do not even begin to recognize my writing lol. Also I am a lefty so I do some numbers and letters "backwards" to the normal style, nintendo's ds and tablet pc's do not accept my way of writting 3's, 5's. 7's, e's, s's, etc. BUT they are fun to play with regardless, I just think it is overhyped.
Click to expand...
As long as you can recognize your own handwriting, then who cares?

Med students use the tablet primarily to fill in their syllabus/pdf with handwritten notes.
tpc_039_sm.gif

aiptek_my_note_digital_notepad.jpg

tinynotes%5B6%5D.jpg


DLi said:
A friend of mine got a barebone laptop called the Asus C90. He had to install the CPU, RAM, graphics processor, hard drive, wireless card, and other things to get it running. Overall he runs a 2.66 GHz processor, 4 gigs RAM, 320GB hard drive, and a really nice video card. All of this for about $1500.
Click to expand...

broken tibula said:
Building your own laptop is pretty sweet, especially because you get full control over your features and usually for a cheaper price, because you're not paying for labor and such.
Click to expand...

I am definitely looking into doing this in the near future. :)
 
Add me to the Dell/Walmart crowd. If Macs weren't so expensive I'd consider them. And I don't like Gateway. My brother's HP desktop is still running pretty well at 4 years.

Although the VAIO P is super cute. One of my dudes has a big VAIO and a little Dell business line-- any opinions on those?

Are Lenovos actually any good?
 
Lenovos are tough beasts that can handle through the years and work well in terms of performance. You can count of those.

I largely hear mixed reviews about Dells and Sonys and it really depends on what you paid for them. My $400 Dell laptop is excellent for the price but really is a piece of crap. My dad's dell that he paid $1200 was great back then, but is a bit outdated, but still runs fine after 4 years. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted another 4.

I heard some VAIOs are ****ty computers that would fall apart pretty quick, but others say they're great computers.
 
DLi said:
Lenovos are tough beasts that can handle through the years and work well in terms of performance. You can count of those.

I largely hear mixed reviews about Dells and Sonys and it really depends on what you paid for them. My $400 Dell laptop is excellent for the price but really is a piece of crap. My dad's dell that he paid $1200 was great back then, but is a bit outdated, but still runs fine after 4 years. I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted another 4.

I heard some VAIOs are ****ty computers that would fall apart pretty quick, but others say they're great computers.
Click to expand...


yeah I bought a Dell laptop this summer when they went on sale and got a really good bargain. So far it's been really nice but I definitely don't push it to the limit as much as my PC. Definitely worth it though if you just want a generic laptop.
 
MacBook or (if you can afford it) MacBook Pro
Mac all the way
 
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