<p>I had a Thinkpad but it only lasted 3 years (pretty good for a laptop I guess) before it started overheating so bad that it was like touching boiling water everytime I typed and the fan began making this very high pitched noise. </p>
<p>Currently I have a Dell Inspiron that is 1 year old but I will take it back to college because I replaced the battery 2 times already.When I first turned it on, the battery wouldn’t even charge! </p>
<p>Macbooks aren’t really my style so no Apple products please.</p>
<p>Budget: 600 (without warranty)
I don’t plan on using it for gaming.</p>
<p>You can always get another Thinkpad, they’re solid products. The Toshiba Satellite series is also good.</p>
<p>lol sorry about this but honestly the best choice is a macbook. least problems by far and good customer service. other than that thinkpads should last longer than 3 years so another thinkpad is fine.</p>
<p>I understand that the larger the screen, the more strain on the battery (and the heavier the laptop is to carry). Some people buy a smaller screen laptop but then plug in a bigger monitor when they are in their dorm room.</p>
<p>I’m personally a fan of Dell Lattitudes, which are much more durable than Inspirons. They are designed for business use. You can get a great refurbished one at the Dell Outlet website for $600. Sign up for their emails and do a google search for the 15% discount codes that they offer periodically for the Dell Outlet site.</p>
<p>Also, for $20 you can buy an Xpad from Amazon. They reduce overheating when a laptop is used on your lap or on a desk. A review in one of the main computer magazines said it works as well as the heat pads that have fans in them. The fans in those other heat pads are noisy and can take away power from the laptop if they are plugged into it.</p>