Best Laptops For College Students - A Few Hardware Considerations

Some of us remember the good old days when students went to class holding a notebook and a pen. The nerdier ones would have a book or two. Times have changed. Nowadays, almost everybody owns a computer (or a few). Technology is advancing so fast and computing power is getting so cheap that, in some places, it seems a bit odd for college students not to have a laptop. So, can anyone say what are the best laptops for college students?

It depends on your criteria. Looking at the software, if you are an open source geek, you might extol Linux all over the hallways, bragging about what the latest Suse or Mandriva distribution can do. If you are a different type of computer geek, you might be in love with Macs, and their sleek design and simplicity of use. Or, if you are just like most of us, you might not even be aware that there is anything else besides the basic pc and good old Windows.

From a hardware point of view, it is important to keep in mind that a laptop is a piece of art made from both electronics and mechanical parts.

Laptop computers can serve the same function as paper notebooks do for college students. But when you think about it, you can easily drop your notebook on the floor and readily pick it up. It’s not the same with a laptop. Imagine the stress a student laptop is subjected to. (No offence; I was a student myself.) Oops, I spilled some coffee on my keyboard!...

Manufacturers are constantly working on making laptops sturdier and sturdier. What falls on the floor, or even shakes in your lap, is no ordinary paper pad. There is a hard disk plate that spins a few thousands of rotations per minute and it just doesn’t like hard impacts. A promising breakthrough in this direction is the solid state drive – a “hard disk” that is, in fact, just a piece of memory. You might want to ask about this.

Let’s consider the lid. It needs to be able open and close thousands of times. That is a lot of stress on the hinges. I know of Macs or IBMs that are still tight after many years. I’ve seen some Acers shaking rather early in their life.

Let’s look at the processor aspect. There are two main types of brains out there. Some consume a lot of electricity, get very hot, therefore need a huge fan. These are the ones suitable for desktop computers. A laptop processor absorbs less power; it is usually smaller, but is also more expensive. They are called mobile processors. If you get a laptop, make sure it uses a mobile processor. Once I’ve seen a no-name notebook, which was using a desktop CPU! It was blowing hot air like a hair dryer. You can imagine what that does to your battery...

What about the Macs? Have you noticed how most PCs have a plastic case? It’s because it’s light… and cheap to manufacture. Some Macs have a metal case (aluminum, titanium). Their entire body acts as a radiator, quietly dissipating the excess heat. All the while, PCs have to work hard with their fans. Obviously, a lot of fan work will drain a battery faster and will make your nice shiny laptop suck in a lot of dust. The rule of thumb is: the less a fan has to work, the less dust goes inside, and the longer is your laptop going to live. But then again, the metal solution does cost more.

Considering the brands in the PC market, if you hear Dell, Toshiba or IBM, pay attention because they make all have great deals. An IBM is really sturdy and last a very long time. They were the ones to make the first commercial portable computers.

So what are the best laptops for college students? There isn’t an easy answer to this question. Just like with everything: you want a Cadillac, you need to pay for it. A Ford will also get you there, maybe in a bumpier ride, but way cheaper.

Below is a short video that explains different things to look for when shopping for the best laptops for college students.