Buying a Laptop for College

 
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In recent years, having a laptop for college has become a necessity.  Students are now using laptops to do everything; take notes, research, write papers, and even take exams.  Almost every college professor allows students to even use their laptops in class. 

Some colleges have computer and software requirements, so the first thing you should do is consult your school before buying a new laptop.  Some schools are very Mac friendly, while other college test-taking applications are not Mac compatible.  Most schools also sell laptops through their school store, but it’s important to remember that you might not find the best price here.  Some schools even offer to increase your financial aid if you purchase a laptop through their school store, so it’s important to do your research.  In an ingenious marketing move, some laptop producers even have deals to provide free laptops for college students.  This really helps laptop providers lock in some younger users who are very likely to continue using their product post-college.  If your school offers this, you’re likely not even reading this article J     

Weight is an important factor to take into account when buying a laptop for college.  Remember that you’ll be carrying it around campus all day, likely in addition to a number of heavy books.  Thinner, more lightweight laptops are generally more expensive, so ultimately you need to decide how much you care about lugging around an extra half pound. 

As far as memory, hard drive space, and processing power goes, here are some good baselines:  512 MB of RAM and 80 GB of hard drive space.  This is generally more than enough for the average college student, and those receiving free laptops for college students that some companies provide cannot complain anyway J.