Buying guide – Selecting the best student laptop
If you’re a student and are considering buying a laptop to help you navigate your program, you need to consider a handful of factors before buying one. The choices available on the market can become overwhelming, so it is important that you make use of tips and factors that should help you make the right choice.
Determine your budget
There are a lot of laptops with peculiar features and specifications to choose from. It is imperative that you decide on a ballpark estimate of what you have to spend so that you don’t end up going over budget.
Choose your preferred operating system
These days, a lot of laptops use Windows 10 OS. A main advantage of it is that it is simple to use. Virtually any kind of software can be installed with this operating system. However, your choice will depend on the courses you’re studying as some of them may require other operating systems other than Windows – for example, Linux or macOS.
Choose your RAM and processor
Most laptops come with a minimum of 4GB of RAM, which is ideal for completing tasks like watching movies, surfing the web, and using Microsoft Office. You can decide on getting a laptop with 8GB of RAM if you have enough money. There’s no harm in it. As for processors, most laptops use AMD and Intel processors. If you plan on using the laptop for regular school assignments and projects, an AMD A8/MD A6 processor or Intel Core i3 will be sufficient. However, for students that will run high-end graphics software and heavy programming, it is advisable they get laptops with AMD A10, Intel Core i5, or Intel Core i7 processors. Lenovo has a range of laptops that will provide any of the processors you may prefer.
Determine the amount of storage you want
As a student, you will likely have to store a lot of information. These may include documents, photos, presentations, music, movies, etc. Laptops these days come with hard drives that have capacities from 500GB to more than 2TB. A 500GB hard drive will likely be enough for the software you will require. However, if you need to store movies and install games, then you might need to go higher. If you don’t have enough funds to buy a bigger hard drive, you can still opt for the 500GB hard drive and buy an external hard drive later on.
Select the battery
This is a very important factor if you’re a student. When you take your laptop to school, you might not have the opportunity to charge it any time you want. That’s why it is important that you get a laptop with a good battery that can last for hours. The easiest way to determine a battery’s capabilities is to check its rating. It will likely be labeled as a 9-cell, 6-cell, or 3-cell battery. This information can usually be found on the website of the manufacturer.
Consider portability
As a student, you need to choose a laptop that is easy to carry around (since you’re going to be taking it with you very often). You can also consider a laptop with a large screen as it will provide you with an avenue to play games and watch movies with your friends. It will also make note reading and presentations easier to navigate.
