Is it too early to shop for a laptop? It may be too late by the time you read this! And if you’re already lugging a slow, six-pound brick with poor battery life, its replacement probably can’t come to your dorm soon enough.
Here are some suggestions on what your next laptop should be!
MacBook or MacBook Pro
Apple says their MacBooks are the number one laptops used on college campuses. And whether you believe them or not, MacBooks and MacBook Pros are extremely shiny and well-designed, and their unibody plastic or aluminum construction makes them durable, too. Depending on what classes you’re going into, they might even require you to use a MacBook — I have a friend who’s studying filmmaking, and who needed to buy a Mac. Of course, if you need to run Windows or Linux, you can install those on Macs using Boot Camp or virtualization apps, like Parallels.
The new MacBook Pro models now have Firewire ports, for use with digital camcorders, while the 13- and 15-inch models have SD card slots for use with digital cameras. The white plastic MacBook lacks both these features, but you should still be able to transfer pics (more slowly) using its USB ports. It’s also the cheapest Mac laptop.
Finally, as an added perk, Apple is doing a promotion where if you buy a Mac to use at college, you get a free iPod Touch. Take a look at their promo for 2010! They did this last year too, so they may continue next year.
Netbook
If you’re not going to be using your laptop for heavy-duty work (or gaming) at college, and you just need it for writing and web browsing, a netbook might fit the bill. These tiny computers fit easily in purses and backpacks, and the better ones have keyboards that are easy to type on, plus all-day battery life. Most run Windows — not the best experience on a tiny screen and slow processor — but some run Ubuntu or other versions of Linux, which are tailor-made for these mini laptops.
Click here to find out what Linux netbooks are like. Also click here to read an article I wrote about netbooks for college students, or click here to learn how to make your netbook more like a mini-MacBook!
Other Options
Some students swear by tablet PCs. These laptops are smaller than most (although larger than netbooks), and can run software like Microsoft OneNote, letting you take handwritten notes or annotate PDF documents by hand.
With the coming of Apple’s iPad, though, it may be time to reconsider the conventional tablet. Unless your college requires you to run Microsoft Windows software, like OneNote, you may get more mileage out of an iPad. It’s extremely light, and you can convert its surface into a keyboard for notetaking, or even use a bluetooth keyboard. And if you need to write handwritten notes, there are supposedly ways to make an iPad stylus on the cheap, as well as companies that sell iPad styli.
The Upshot
There might be ways to extend your existing laptop’s lifespan, like by buying a new battery, or ways to get a new laptop for free or nearly free. If you definitely need a new laptop for college, though, give some thoughts to these suggestions! Try to play with them at the store a bit, to make sure that you like them in person. And have fun at college, whatever laptop you use there!
