Laptop recommendation for college student?

[ctf20]

Hi. I was just wondering if anyone could suggest a good laptop for my sister who is heading off to college in August.

i was looking at the dell inspiron 15 and studio 15. She will just need it for internet and word processing. would like it to be as light as possible - but not to sure about those minis.

any suggestions? was also looking at some hps

thanks

 

[xSauronx]

the minis are nice for on and off usage if shes going to have a desktop, since theyre so easy to carry around. if shes relying on a laptop for everything, id find a deal (check hot deals forum) on a 15" model. She wont need a lot of power for something thats mostly going to sit in her dorm waiting for her to check email, do her homework and hit up facebook.

 

[IlllI]

budget price would be helpful. that would narrow down things a bit

theres always back to school specials around august too

 

[coolTechno]

what sort of budget r u on. feel like a good second hand laptop seems ideal as well as you dont need high spec

 

[RallyMaster]

Lenovo Thinkpad T

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: ctf20
i was looking at the dell inspiron 15 and studio 15. She will just need it for internet and word processing. would like it to be as light as possible - but not to sure about those minis.

You want something that will be functional through her 4 years of school. Rather than a mini, I'd recommend a 13.3" full function laptop or a lightweight tablet PC.

I agree that you probably want to wait until late July/August for "back to school" deals. If your budget is an issue -- look in the Outlet/Clearance Centers for the various manufacturers. The major manufacturers sell fully warranted returns at deep discount.

 

[WildHorse]

Good price for what you get

 

[firewolfsm]

That's called overkill.

Look at the dell Latitude E4300 and XPS 13, the HP DV3T and the 13 inch Thinkpads.

or wait til August. I'm also getting a laptop for college and plan to look at those models or their refreshes at that time.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
That's called overkill.

Look at the dell Latitude E4300 and XPS 13, the HP DV3T and the 13 inch Thinkpads.

or wait til August. I'm also getting a laptop for college and plan to look at those models or their refreshes at that time.

Exactly, you can get an E4300 with 4GB RAM and 128SSD for about $750 with coupons from the Outlet. Add 3-year next-business-day, on-site service and complete care and it will come in at about $1000.

For a student though, I would seriously consider a tablet like the Latitude XT2 or Lenovo Thinkpad X61 -- both of which are available at discount from outlets with full warranties.

 

[WildHorse]

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
That's called overkill.

Look at the dell Latitude E4300 and XPS 13, the HP DV3T and the 13 inch Thinkpads.

or wait til August. I'm also getting a laptop for college and plan to look at those models or their refreshes at that time.

maybe so, but that E4300 has the little screen.

I'd go nuts trying to work on such a tiny screen for my primary computer.
Maybe it's good for portability as a secondary computer, with a good desktop available for most work.

 

[firewolfsm]

Most people are fine working on 10 inch screens, 13.3 inches is excellent.

Some people are always more picky than others, they need upwards of 60 fps on games, large screens, and can actually find every minute difference between speakers.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: scott
I'd go nuts trying to work on such a tiny screen for my primary computer.

Then you shouldn't get one. The user in this case needs only Internet browsing and word processing and the OP was even considering a mini/netbook. For that user a small but full-function laptop could be a viable alternative.

 

[Rottie]

Dont bother buy any HP even thought I am happy with my HP/Compaq notebook because I got in store 5 year warranty anyway the reason is that many people complained about HP's poor customer service and horrible repair shop...I had to send it to the store where I bought it for repair and they fixed it good than if you order notebook from HP directly it is not a good idea. I am sure she wants a notebook with little problems than to send it to the repair shop. I would go with Dell or Mac...Lenovo is great but it is more like business notebook anyway

 

[NitrouseXpress60]

i recommend a Thinkpad. I've beat the hell out of mine at school; from traveling with it in my backpack through freezing cold winter days to bringing it back and forth between coming home and school. It has survived.

 

[alkemyst]

I have a 12" D400 (not a netbook) and could not imagine using a 15" on a typical college desk. I'd even go smaller if it was something I was using to take notes with. I wish it did 1280x1024 though...I am used to 1600x1200 and 1024x768 is so cramped to me.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

IMO the new 13" MacBook Pro is hard to beat as an overall price/performance/quality package. Not sure I'd buy one if I principally intended to run Windows, but I certainly might, because I don't think there's a better 13" machine on the market.

 

[sxr7171]

Thinkpad X61 or X200. If you can afford it X61s or X200s. They are going cheap right now. Nothing beats those for school.

Maybe refurb DellE4200 - can be bought for less than $1000!

 

[Athena]

Never overlook the outlet options -- they run 50% or less than "new" (many Outlet products are in fact never used) and have good warranty coverage. Lenovo has both X200s and X61s in its outlet right now. The Lenovo Outlet site is not as easy to use as Dell's but you can call to get better explanations of standard and extended warranty coverage.

Re the Dell E4200: The only disk option for that model is SSD so it's hard to get the price below $1000 without a coupon of some sort. With a coupon, you can easily get below that mark on either an E4200 or E4300 -- with extended warranty coverage.

Note: Scratch and Dent items offer even more savings. The flaws are usually quite small but must be declared and end up being deeply discounted.

 

[coolVariable]

lenovo tablet pc.
12" - 13" screen.

15" for college? ridiculous!

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: coolVariable
lenovo tablet pc.
12" - 13" screen.

15" for college? ridiculous!

QFT.

I'm entering my 4th year of college. I have an HP dv2000t (14.1"). My screen has 2 bleeding cracks so I'm looking for a replacement.

Right now, 14.1" is my ABSOLUTE max, but I think 12.1-13.3" is ideal for me. 12.1" will probably seem small for a first time laptop user, so I would recommend 13.3" (preferable), up to 14.1".

I'm also going to give another vote for the Lenovo Thinkpads and Dell Latitude E-series. I know the Thinkpads are tough, and from what I hear, the Latitudes are amazing as well. My roommate has a Macbook Pro 15.4". He got extended care. It's a great laptop as well, but large for me. And I can tell you there Accidental Damage Coverage is pretty damn amazing.

DO NOT GET AN HP. Learn from me. Their Customer Service AND repair service SUCKS.

 

[Absolution75]

Originally posted by: sxr7171
Thinkpad X61 or X200. If you can afford it X61s or X200s. They are going cheap right now. Nothing beats those for school.

Maybe refurb DellE4200 - can be bought for less than $1000!

I'm on my 3rd year of college and I have to say: my lenovo x61t has done amazingly well over the years (got it before my freshman year). I definitally paid a premium for it at the time - but it was worth every peny.

I dropped it from 4 feet onto my kitchen tile floor while it was on - no damage. Unlike a lot of cheaper laptops, the x61t has been able to retain all of its keys thankfully. . . The thing is a beast. Just don't buy ram directly from lenovo; its too expensive and is very easy to replace yourself.

 

[firewolfsm]

Originally posted by: NitrouseXpress60
i recommend a Thinkpad. I've beat the hell out of mine at school; from traveling with it in my backpack through freezing cold winter days to bringing it back and forth between coming home and school. It has survived.

Did it get you laid?