Find the Best College Laptop Computers in 2011!

Hi! Are you looking for the absolute best laptop computer for a college student in 2011? Well I know how you feel! I've been in the same boat -- 3 times! In the past year alone I've had to buy 3 laptops for three different college students. I've also bought a new "budget" laptop for myself, a little Asus netbook (ultra-portable laptop), and a tablet -- yes, I gave in and got an Apple iPad!

So I know a thing or two about buying laptops and portable computers... especially for college-bound kids. :)

On this page I'm going to provide some useful tips and insight into what I learned while shopping for college laptops. There are A LOT of choices on the market these days and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the options. So many brands, so many laptop styles, so many different features, so many types of microprocessors, and such a wide variation in prices -- it's easy to understand why so many college students and their parents dread shopping for laptop computers!

So just relax and read the tips outlined below. It's really not that difficult and there are lots of great values out there. I'll help you get the best college laptop for your money in 2011 and onward. Please leave your owns comments and tips below. Thanks!

Here are the best laptops for college students currently available in 2011:

1. Apple MacBook Pro -- Despite it's higher cost, the MacBook Pro from Apple remains one of the best-selling laptop computers among college students. It's tough to beat it because it has just about everything a typical student -- from business majors to graphics design artists -- could ever want. It is ultra powerful and can do as much as many high-end desktops can do. The MacBook Pro is especially great for working on "creative" projects that include things like editing videos and designing web sites. It's built to last with that famous Apple quality. And the "coolness factor" of this thin, sleek-looking computer is nearly impossible ... in fact, many college kids today wouldn't be caught dead with another product!

2. Toshiba Satellite -- If you're looking for the best value or "best buy" in laptops for 2011 the Toshiba Satellite is it. Toshiba has figured out how to give you a TON of portable computing power for a very low price. They offer cheap student laptops that have everything the more expensive laptops have, and in some cases even more! If you're looking for the best student laptop for the money you should definitely check out the line of Toshiba Satellite Notebooks.

3. Google Chromebook (Samsung and Acer) -- The "Chromebook" is a new type of low-cost laptop designed by those ingenious engineers from Google. It was just recently released but is already a big hit on college campuses. Chromebooks are ultra light and portable but extremely powerful. They boot up in just a few seconds and have incredible built-in security features that protect a student's important schoolwork in a variety of ways. Chromebooks require a high-speed internet connection to work properly, which certainly isn't a problem at most schools. Currently Samsung and Acer offer Chromebook laptops but more electronics manufacturers are expected to join in on the fun in the near future.

Buying the right laptop for college in 2011 is not quite as easy as buying a laptop for a "regular" person. College students and their parents have to take a number of things into consideration that the typical buyer does not. Also, since college is already expensive enough, it's extremely important to get as much value for your money as possible. You don't want to end up spending a bunch of money on a laptop that end's up not getting used for one reason or another!

Here are 5 of the best tips for getting the best college laptop in 2011:

1. Check with the college/university -- This is an important step that lots of students skip. Many colleges now have a set of minimum computing requirements so you need to find out what they are before doing anything else. You don't want to buy an expensive Apple MacBook Air only to find out later that the school requires a Microsoft Windows-based computer!

2. Consider security -- There are literally millions of computer viruses, trojans, and malware programs floating through the internet these days. Being connected to a college ethernet or WiFi network can expose a laptop to many of them. Many people prefer Apple computers for this reason -- it's much harder for a computer running Apple's OS X operating system to become infected. Still, there are some very good anti-virus and anti-malware apps for Windows machines now, just make sure the laptop you buy already has them installed!

3. Choose a mid-size screen -- Some laptops today have huge, beautiful screens of 17 inches or more. These are bigger, bulkier, more expensive, AND more fragile than smaller laptops. They are decent options if you've got the cash and if the laptop will almost always be staying in one place (such as the student's desk). But one of the primary advantages of laptops are their light weight and portability, so a smaller 15-inch or under machine is much more practical. I've heard of many students who thought they wanted a big-screen laptop and then later on in their first semester they realize they made a mistake and end up asking for a smaller, lighter, less-likely-to-get-stolen machine! On the other side of the coin, most students should skip the ultra-small laptop options -- such as netbooks -- because they're simply too difficult to use for extended periods of time. Very small screens and mini keyboards seem convenient until you have to spend 3 hours trying to type a term paper on them.

4. Go for a BIG hard drive -- If the laptop will be the student's primary computer it needs to have a very large hard drive with lots of storage space. Consider 500 or even 600 GB drives to be the minimum since it will have to hold lots of large files, as well as all those movies college kids love to download these days. Also consider buying a good external hard drive to use mainly as backup storage to protect important schoolwork files.

5. Get a faster processor -- There are lots of cheap "discount" laptops on the market today, but most of them have slower, soon-to-be-very-outdated microprocessors. It's definitely worth spending a little more money to buy a faster processor that will be able to run all the necessary college-related applications for at least the next 2 or 3 years!

So there you have it, some useful college laptop buying tips for 2011 and beyond. Please leave your own questions, comments, and laptop buying tips in the Feedback area below. Thanks!

Every year thousands of high school students graduate with plans of furthering their education in college. In 2011 there is one thing nearly every college freshman needs: a good laptop computer. But what laptop should you get? There are many different options and it can be easy to spend too much money or buy technology that will quickly become very out-of-date.

First of all, you should talk with the university's academic departments to learn what computing specifications they recommend. This is especially important for engineering and graphic design students, who may need to be able to run powerful software that requires powerful computers.

Here are the most popular college laptop choices in 2011:

Apple Laptops

The perfect Apple Mac laptop boils down to your preference. Every MacBook on the market today will meet just about any school's general requirements. The extremely popular $1000 entry-level MacBook has the following specs:

- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor

- 250-gig hard drive

- 2-gigs of RAM

It’s also got a 13-inch LED backlit screen, built-in webcam and DVD burner. Wireless networking comes standard on this MacBook.

You can also choose the MacBook Pro, which will give you additional power and has an aluminum body. This $1,200 model includes the following specifications:

- Intel Core i5 processor

- 320-gig hard drive

- 4-gigs of RAM

The graphics capabilities of this laptop are much stronger than the previous model. Plus, it contains a backlit keyboard and a SD slot for SD memory cards.

The MacBook Air, which costs less than $1,000, is not a good primary laptop for most students. You’ll make some pretty big sacrifices just to have its thin size and ultra-light weight. It has a relatively small amount of internal memory an no hard drive. Many people don't like the smaller screen size either. This nifty little "cloud-computing" laptop could make a good backup to a desktop or more powerful laptop though!

Windows Laptops

It can be a little more difficult to buy a Windows laptop than an Apple. After all, they come in a huge array of specifications from many different manufacturers. Plus, there are several versions of Windows to choose from. It would be in your best interest to carefully shop for this kind of laptop.

It would be a good idea to get a Windows 7 Ultimate or Home Premium laptop - one that includes the 64-bit version. Be sure it includes a good deal of RAM memory to give it speedy performance. You don’t want to lack for processing power when you have a multitude of programs open.

It would be a good idea to go with an AMD Phenom processor or Intel Core i5, if you can. Most students are fine with a dual-core model. If money is an issue (and it is for me) don’t bother getting a top of the line processor since even older models like the Core 2 Duo and Turion II processors do very well to satisfy most students’ needs in 2011.

If you have 64-bit Windows, you need to have at least four gigs of RAM installed on your computer. If you have 32-bit Windows, three gigs of RAM will be fine. Your hard drive space is very important too. Be sure you get a hard drive that’s at least 250 gigs.

Laptops tend to come standard with Ethernet and Wi-Fi internet connections. There are usually also several USB ports as well as a DVD burner. A good college laptop will be more comfortable to use with a larger screen and full-sized keyboard so don’t ignore this aspect when shopping around. Of course, you’ll want to watch the weight as well. You don’t want your laptop to weigh more than four or five pounds, especially if you plan on carrying it around a lot.

You can find full-featured Windows laptops that have all the above specifications for as little as $400 or $500.

Netbooks are still being sold on the market today. These little machines are similar to laptops but are much smaller and have a limited amount of RAM. Most netbooks use the Intel Atom processor. Unless weight and portability are extremely important, you should probably avoid netbooks, as students generally need more computing power.

Tablet Computers

Many college bound students these days want tablet computers, such as the popular Apple iPad and iPad 2. These are really not yet true laptop-alternatives because they have serious limitations in design and power. The screens are usually 7-10 inches. The processors are week. And the internal RAM memory is low. If you want to do any extended typing you’ll need an external keyboard and tablet stand to hold the device.

Tablets don’t have great connectivity either. Some don’t even have USB ports or ethernet ports. And none that are available in 2011 have built-in disk drives. The biggest problem with tablet computers may be the limited types of software they can run. They basically only run apps, not necessary programs like Microsoft Office.

Tablet compters are best used as laptop sidekicks. They are extremely light and portable and they perfect for taking notes in class or reading ebook textbooks.