How to Buy a Laptop for Back to School

These days, most students can't get through school without the use of a computing system. Laptops, in particular, have become a popular computing choice, due to their mobility and power, as well as their pleasing design. Some, admittedly, will put a hole in your wallet, but there are also modestly-priced options out there. But which to choose?The first thing to do is check with your school for specific system requirements. Some colleges and universities want their students equipped with a Windows-based laptop, to cut down on software incompatibility issues. Others will let you use almost any operating system, from Mac OS X to Linux. Many institutions will have on-site repair centers that only service university-bought laptops, where the turn-around time is much quicker than if you were to send it airmail to the original manufacturer. Also note that most schools offer price breaks for particular vendors and include extensive software bundles, which can shave off a good amount from your laptop purchase.Keeping it LightA big screen may not be such a good idea. It's great to have a mini home-theater in your dorm room or play the best games in full 1080p glory, but a laptop with a big screen will be a real chore to haul across campus while you're running from class to class. You'll want something that's light: A laptop with a maximum 13- or 14-inch widescreen is ideal, as it'll make room for other items in your backpack and minimize the weight burden. The Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz) and Asus U30Jc-A1 are two low-priced 13-inch laptops that meet the criteria. Depending on your tolerance level, a smaller screen works as long as you understand that full Web pages and productivity applications involve more scrolling, and fonts will appear smaller than those on bigger screens.Essays, research papers, and chatting online with your classmates will take up most of your computing time. You'll want a laptop with a full-size keyboard and mouse buttons that aren't overly resistant. When you venture below a 13-inch platform, you run the risk of not getting the same typing experience. The easiest way to ensure that you have the best keyboard is to stop by a brick-and-mortar store and spend some time typing on prospective choices.Standard Features Are EnoughEven the cheapest laptops come with many of the features you would find on a $2,000 laptop. There are ample USB ports on most laptops, but look for ones that double as an eSATA port, so you can expand storage capacity when the internal hard drive isn't big enough. Most of the time, you won't even use a port like eSATA since most laptops nowadays come with at least 320GB of storage. Upgrading to a 500GB hard drive won't cost you an arm and a leg either, but do so only if you're a video junkie or an aspiring filmmaker. While VGA is still used to present PowerPoint slides on a big screen, technologies like DisplayPort and HDMI are better equipped to stream high-quality video and audio. Many mainstream laptops, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 and HP Pavilion dm4, have built-in HDMI ports that you can use to stream a DVD flick to any monitor that supports the format.Unless it's a netbook, a DVD burner is the de facto standard for internal optical drives. Look for one that burns dual-layer discs (twice the capacity of a single-layer DVD), and don't settle for a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. Of course, an optical drive isn't an absolute must, especially if you're intent on minimizing weight. The Asus UL80Vt-A1 and Dell Inspiron M101z, for instance, gives you everything but the internal optical drive. A webcam and a media card reader are already integral parts of any laptop, as video conferencing and digital photography are as mainstream as surfing the Web.A Word on WarrantiesAlmost every laptop is backed by at least a 1-year complimentary parts and labor warranty (systems bought from a retailer like Costco actually come with a 2-year warranty). Extended warranties are also available, but that depends on who you are as a user. The standard warranty doesn't cover accidents that stem from a spilled drink, a little brother that rips off a button, or a drop on a hard surface. Most vendors sell accident coverage as a separate plan, on top of extended warranties that work on top of a standard one, so you might end up spending close to $300 for three years of coverage. Apple offers a maximum 3-year extended warranty ($250), while most Windows-based laptop vendors will offer up to 4 years.Our rule of thumb is that if the warranty costs more than 15 percent of the total laptop price, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or services that minimize downtime in case something does go awry. Of course, you can't put a price tag on peace of mind. There are instances when the logic board or the displayâ€"the most expensive pieces of a laptopâ€"fail, and while rare, that can cost you half of what the laptop is worth. Faulty components usually break down during the first year; anything after that is probably your fault.How Much Power Do You Need?Depending on your budget, laptops offer a wide selection of processorsâ€"for instance, you can choose one that maximizes performance or one that favors battery life. Or you can select one that plays to both strengths: CPUs from the Intel Core Series, found in Gateway ID49C07u and Toshiba Portégé R705-P25, for instance, have the benefits of both power and battery efficiency. If you desire all-day battery life, it's best to go with a low-voltage or an Atom processor, such as those found in the Asus UL80Vt-A1 and netbooks, respectively. If performance ranks high on the list, an Intel Core i7 processor gives you the most oomph but at the expense of battery life.Unless you're a part-time gamer or a CAD user, most integrated graphics should be more than enough for graphics-intensive tasks. High-end graphics cards are terrific for 3D games, decoding a 1080p video, or watching a Blu-ray movie but, like a fast processor, they also feast on the battery.Laptop Battery LifeA sizable battery can be your biggest ally in a day filled with classes and extracurricular activities. Most of these back-to-school laptops come with multiple battery options. Others, like the Apple 13-inch, have only oneâ€"and it's non-removable. In this case, figure out where battery life ranks in the grand scheme of things. Netbooks, which come with a 6-cell battery option, can last between 7 to 10 hours on a single charge. The Asus U30Jc-A1 lasted 8 hours on our battery tests. It might be a good idea to purchase an additional battery, if an extended one isn't available. The more "cells" you buy, the better the battery life. A big battery is accompanied by some heft, but the weight gain is well worth it if it means leaving the system unplugged from dawn 'til dusk.
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