Notebook for college

[KillerCharlie]

My sister is going to college in a couple months and needs a laptop (for her only computer). She's going into a nursing program so it probably just has to run apps like office and nothing heavy. I can't imagine her playing games on it. Hopefully it'd last all 4 years. I'd prefer Dell since I can get an additional 16% of everything through my employer. I'd also like to keep the cost down.

What laptop do you guys recommend? What processor (type and speed) and how much ram do you think is necessary?

 

[ai42]

IF you get a Dell go with a Latitude not the cheap Inspiron that certainly won't last 4 years in college. Personally I'd go with a Thinkpad T60. Also something that can run Vista at least for me would be a serious consideration since it is not likely THAT many people will still run XP in 4 years. As for RAM it is almost irrelevant it is always a cheap upgrade to do yourself. 1GB+ is what I would reccomend though.

 

[Ionizer86]

Yea, with Core Duo laptops as cheap as they are, there's little reason not to get one. A T2300 is fine. As for ram, just buy a laptop with a stock amount (256 or 512) and pick up another 512 or GB at Newegg for ~$40 or ~$70. A T60 is a great laptop that should last 4 years. $999 AR plus there's a $15 coupon floating around on the web.

 

[KillerCharlie]

It looks like most Dell notebooks have the core duo. It'll just be for word and crap like that I'm assuming. I just went to Dell's site and I'm surprised they only have 7 models - 4 Inspirons and 3 XPS.

 

[lazybum131]

You have to go to the Small Business section to see the business Latitude notebooks.

I recommend the Latitude D620. Thinner and lighter than the Inspiron 640m, better build quality with stronger magnesium alloy base and lid, and more battery options in case your sister needs a lot of battery life. Also available is a docking station, so if she takes it to and from class she won't need to bother with all the plugs.

 

[amac4me]

Did u consider a new Intel based Mac notebook? The value proposition is just amazing. You can legally run both Windows and OS X on a single computer.

Overall, you get more value and bang for the buck.

Apple also has a discount program for students through the Apple Education store.

 

[masteraleph]

Check whether or not the school offers specific configurations with discounts. Many do, and they're typically on the business lines, which you want.

For Dell, you want the Latitude line (from Small Business). The D*20 line is pretty sturdy (much better than previous latitudes). The widescreen ratio makes them better for watching movies, or for having a program open with an IM window on the side. The D620 is a 14.1" widescreen, the D820 is a 15.4" widescreen and is somewhat heavier. Both of these should be fairly cheap relative to other business grade notebooks.

Lenovo (IBM) Thinkpad T60 is probably the best built notebook out on the standard market today (there are a few that are sturdier, but we're starting to talk very expensive and appropriate for use in things like helicopters). It's a 4:3 aspect ratio, so it'll be the usual ratio. Lenovo also has the new Thinkpad Z61, which is in widescreen ratio. The T60 comes in 14.1" and 15" screen sizes (fair disclosure: I have a T60 14.1", and love it), and the Z61 comes in 14.1" and 15.4".

As mentioned above, your other option is the Intel MacBook pro. Note that there have been some serious technical issues with heat and such, which may have been fixed by now. If she's really liable to getting spyware and such (and won't particularly be able to check on it herself), then I'd suggest this, but if she's used to Windows, go for the Dell or the Thinkpad.

Regardless of the model you get, she should be getting at least a 3-4 year warranty and accidental damage protection (Complete Care from Dell, I think it's called; ThinkPad Protection from Lenovo, and there's an Apple one too). Don't go with anything less for a notebook, even though it hikes the price considerably.

A docking station also isn't a bad idea, as lazybum mentioned, though typically there won't be that many cords. Ethernet and power, obviously. A Kensington style lock isn't a bad idea- it won't stop anyone who really wants the laptop, but it may at least convince them to check the next room. Targus makes them too. Make sure to get a combination one, as the key ones are easily pickable with no significant tools. Also, a standalone mouse isn't a bad idea at all.