It's now time for both you and I to prepare for university so over the course of the next few months I'll be writing mainly about preparing for uni and today is no exception.
A good laptop is a necessity for any student but there are so many laptops in the market that it can sometimes get overwhelming. Fear not dear friends! For today I will be giving you all the information you need for buying a suitable laptop for your university needs. Do take note that I am a student like the rest of you and I am by no means an expert on laptops so I will be giving you my opinion plus a bunch of links to articles I have found useful while researching a laptop for myself. So without further ado, here are some things you need to consider first before buying a laptop.
1. Budget
Budget is very very important. Not all of us can afford a Macbook(which are freaking expensive). I know I sure as hell can't. You want a good or at least decent laptop for an affordable price so you have to set a budget and know what you can get for within that budget.
Here's a short budget summary:
- RM1000- A decent netbook/notebook or a second hand/obsolete laptop. Too low to get anything useful to be perfectly honest.
- RM2000- A decent laptop. Not bad but not great. Just good enough for basic stuff like surfing, e-mail, videos, presentations and thesis.
- RM3000- An pretty good laptop. Strikes good balance between affordability and usability. My recommended budget.
- RM4000 and above- Powerful with super high-end specs and a big ass display.
You can use a variety of different sites to check out laptops within your price range. Remember that if you are checking the prices through websites from other countries, you cannot just convert the price as they will be different from the actual price in Malaysia.
2. Battery
You wouldn't want your computer shutting down in the middle of a lecture or worse, a presentation. So try to find a laptop that can last for about 8 hours on one charge. You can do this by checking any battery benchmark tests done on a laptop by websites like laptopmag.com.
Here are some useful links that explain laptop batteries(power ratings, battery types, etc etc):
3. Display size
Display sizes are usually measured by the length of its diagonal. For university, I would recommend 13-14 inches because you want it to be big enough that you won't have to squint but still light enough to carry all around campus.
4. Weight
Check the weight of the laptop you want right now and make damn sure that its below 5 lbs(2.5 kg) because you definitely don't want to be lugging around a T-Rex in your bag. 5 lbs should be your max but aim for a lower weight if possible. You'll be thanking me when your friends are having backaches while you glide from class easily with your light laptop,
5. Type
Do you want a hybrid(laptop + touchscreen) or just a pure laptop? This one is all up to personal preference but just make sure that it has a physical keyboard because you'll be needing that when you have to type out your 9 million page essay or thesis.
6. Operating system
Windows or Mac? You will probably need Windows for Microsoft Office and software that you'll need for university work. Although I have heard that students in Design may need a Mac but please check with the university's website or talk to a counselor.
7. Processor
The most common processors are Intel's i3, i5, and i7 with i3 being the least powerful and i7 being the most powerful. it goes without saying that the more powerful the processor, the more expensive the laptop. For most university students, a laptop with an i5 processor would be best.
8. Your university course
Different courses will have different needs. For example, a student taking Animation will usually need a pretty powerful processor. Usually universities will list down the laptop requirements on their website. If not, check with your professor or counselor or contact the through their website.
Click here for The Ultimate University Laptop Guide: Part 2
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