When buying a laptop for college, there are many factors you should consider to ensure you’re purchasing the right computer for your needs and budget. Rather than hand you a list of “recommended computers” that quickly gets outdated, this extensive buying guide equips you step-by-step with the inside scoop you need to interpret the tech jargon and make your own informed buying decisions. Last updated August 2013. 1 Where to Shop My Recommendation I generally recommend buying a laptop through Amazon.com, because of their wide selection, low prices, and extensive consumer reviews. What about buying directly from the manufacturer? Buying your computer straight from the manufacturer (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) is another option.

In the past, cutting out the “middle-man” made the computer cheaper. However, that’s not the case anymore. When you buy the laptop straight from the manufacturer, you usually get to customize some of the components. This means the manufacturer has to assemble each computer individually.

But when a reseller (like Amazon), on the other hand, buys the same computer model from the manufacturer, the computers are all configured with exactly the same parts, so the reseller can buy them in bulk and sell them at a lower price. For example, I’ve seen Amazon sell the exact same computer for over $100 less than the manufacturer’s price. What about purchasing at a store like Best Buy? Shopping at a “brick-and-mortar” store gives you the advantage of being able to handle the laptop before you purchase it.

However, realize that you’ll end up paying more for your computer, because the store has to recoup the costs of having a physical building, hiring employees, etc. 2 Top Brands As you’re shopping, you’ll come across many different brands of laptops. Here are the three highest-ranking brands from: 1 2 3 3 Type of Laptop As you shop, you’ll probably run into various classes of laptops, such as Ultrabooks or Hybrids. This section will define those terms for you so that you know what the marketing materials are talking about.

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Ultrabook An “Ultrabook” is a laptop designed with portability as the first priority. Consequently, Ultrabooks are very thin, lightweight, and have good battery life. However, they are usually quite expensive. If you’re willing to pay extra for good battery life and a lighter backpack, an ultrabook can be a good choice. Photo credit: MacBook “MacBooks” are laptops made by Apple.

They run the Mac OS X operating system by default, but can also run Microsoft Windows ( ). MacBooks are constructed with high-quality materials and have the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any laptop brand.

The downside is that they’re very expensive compared to other laptops. Some universities require or recommend MacBooks for certain academic majors.

Photo credit: Chromebook Chromebooks are usually very cheap, but they have very limited functionality. They run the Google Chrome OS operating system, which, for the most part, just lets you access the Internet. This means you won’t be able to run any special software that your classes may require. For this reason, I would recommend against getting a Chromebook unless you’re absolutely sure that you’ll only need to use your college laptop for the Internet and nothing else. Photo credit: Hybrid/Convertible/2-in-1 A “hybrid,” “convertible,” or “2-in-1” is a computer that can switch between “laptop mode” (screen and keyboard) and “tablet mode” (touchscreen only). Computer manufacturers have experimented with many different hardware designs that let you accomplish this laptop-to-tablet transformation.

Some hybrids let you hide the keyboard behind the screen, while others let you detach the screen from the keyboard entirely. Sade Stronger Than Pride Rar Extractor. A laptop/tablet convertible would be ideal for the student who would rather hold and touch a tablet than type on a keyboard, but who at the same wants to have a keyboard available for typing notes during class.

Photo credit: Laptop Technically, Ultrabooks, MacBooks, Chromebooks, and Hybrids are all types of laptops. But typically, if a company markets a device as a “laptop,” that’s their way of saying that it doesn’t fall into any of those other categories. Photo credit: Summary • “Ultrabook” means “thin, lightweight laptop” • “MacBook” means “premium laptop” • “Chromebook” means “Internet-only laptop” • “Hybrid,” “Convertible,” or “2-in-1” means “laptop that can turn into a tablet” What about tablets? I’d generally recommend against getting a tablet as your primary college computer. One of the primary uses of a college laptop is (or should be) taking class notes and writing papers, and it’s almost always easier and faster to type on a physical laptop keyboard than it is to type on the virtual touchscreen keyboards found on tablets.