Student Notebooks

So, you want portability, durability, plenty of power, and multimedia prowess-and you want it on a budget. It may seem unattainable, but you can find notebooks geared toward students that meet all of these criteria.

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Who Are Student Notebooks For?

Student notebooks are designed with high-school and college attendees in mind. They can be used for both schoolwork and play (more of the latter, we suspect), so they need decent power and components good enough to let them act as music library, stereo system, DVD player, and YouTube-creation stations.

What Can You Expect From Student Notebooks?

• Dual-core processor
• 2GB RAM
• 14.1- or 15.4-inch screen
• 240GB hard drive
• Webcam

Simple Buying Tips

• Check with your school. If you are college-bound, check with your school before you buy a particular student notebook. The IT department will usually have a list of requirements a machine should meet. Plus, many schools often cut deals with notebook makers to provide machines at a discount.
  
  
• Choose your screen size. If you typically take notes long-hand in class while your machine stays behind, opt for a 14.1- or 15.4-inch model. That will give you plenty of screen real-estate to work on.
  
  If you are a fast enough typist to take notes directly on the machine, you'll want a smaller, lighter laptop-but don't get a screen smaller than 13.3 inches, or your young eyes will eventually feel the strain. Also, since you'll be staring at it for hours, late into the night, get the sharpest, brightest panel you can find.
  
  
• Get something sturdy. Most student notebooks will see travel during their useful lifespan, so features like a magnesium-alloy outer shell, reinforced inner frame, spill-resistant keyboard and a shock-mounted hard drive are important.
  
  Ideally, look for a machine with active hard drive protection technology, which parks the heads to prevent damage to the platters should the machine sense it is falling. If you tend to be particularly tough on a machine, consider one with a solid-state drive (SSD). Capacities are low and prices are high, but the drives are crash-proof (and draw less power, too).
  
  
• Upgrade your battery. If you will be using the machine in class and at the library for hours at a time, opt for the notebook's extended battery. It adds a little bulk, but often a couple extra hours of runtime. If all-day computing away from an AC outlet is essential, buy an extra battery.