Question:
Budget Laptop for College
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1200
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
College work (papers etc), internet browsing, music, burning cds and dvds, some movie watching.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Mainly used in dorm, occasionally to class or a coffee house.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
No (solitaire is about it)
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No preference (just the best quality that can be afforded)
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Nothing excessive, yet not so little that I can't use the battery when needed.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No
9) What country are you buying this in?
United States
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Either is fine, standard would make more sense but many seem to come wide nowadays.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Glossy is fine
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No, its the hardware that counts.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
4 years would be nice.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
The more the merrier
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Dual layer dvd burner would be nice.
Answer:
Re: Budget Laptop for College
i would consider the hp dv5000t, dv2000, or compaq v3000 as i find that hps make good multimedia notebooks. for something cheaper, you can always look at the dell e1505/1405 with the dell coupons. for better durability and less multimedia goodness, there is the dell d620.
Answer:
Re: Budget Laptop for College
For a 14" size, the Sager NP5460 is a nice machine:
http://www.sagernotebook.com/pages/n...5460&SubType=C
The design and overall look is very nice. Build quality is better than you'll find in a mainstream notebook, but you'll end up paying a bit more. It has a glossy display, so movies will look very nice on it.
The HP dv2000 is also a good looking machine, I'll second that for a mainstream notebook.
Since you are going to be carrying it around a lot, a 14" size is a nice balance between power and portability.