Best Laptop for College?

ianeberle
Wed, 10 Dec 2014 08:25:39 +0000

Here’s the thing about laptops in college. MacBooks are great because they are reliable and have great battery life, but for the majority of people, they’re unnecessary. In college, you basically need a laptop that is three things: reliable, portable, and good on battery life.

MacBooks are some of the most reliable computers out there. Both because the Apple OS is more secure and lacks the bloat that many Windows manufacturers pre-load onto the machines, but also because they’re built with solid hardware. That being said, I have used an Acer laptop for two years and I’ve been fine. It all depends on watching what you download, deleting all the trial software, and keeping your machine updated and organized.

The second thing you need is portability. Most students have the 13 inch MacBook, which is portable by default. Don’t buy a 17 inch giant laptop because it might not fit on your desk in all of your classes. Stick to 13 or 15.

The last thing is battery. Cheap laptops tend to have sucky battery life, so you will be tied to the back or sides of a classroom so that you can stay plugged in the whole time. My Acer lasts me about 2-4 hours without having to be plugged in, depending on what I am doing. MacBooks generally last twice that.

It all comes down to budget and personal preference. In this modern world, the operating system is mattering less and less because most people don’t leave a web browser for the majority of things they do. Technically you could use Google’s free spreadsheet software if you wanted. It’s free online at Google Docs. MacBooks, being around $1,200, are WAY overkill for what the majority of college students actually need. You could get by with a $250 Chromebook if you really wanted to. But if you’re familiar with Windows, just buy a basic Windows laptop and take good care of it because you’ll be surprised how much it really doesn’t matter.