[euphanian]

Hey guys. I'm looking into buying a laptop for my use in college. I already have a decent enough desktop for everything else, so this laptop will be purely for school use.

I have a few specific things I'm looking for it to be able to do:
-Run internet browsers and word processors, preferably at the same time if I'm doing research.
-Have enough battery life to last at least four or so hours between charges.
-Be durable enough to last for four to five years of college without becoming too obsolete to run internet browsers and word processors.
-Have a built in wireless internet adapter.

The budget isn't really a problem. I can spend as much as I need, but I'd rather not spend extra on things that might not be necessary. If not specific computers, if y'all could just give me a good idea about the general specs that a computer like this will need, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance for any help.

[waldojim]

Given those requirements, I would suggest the Lenovo X230 or Apple Macbook Air.

The Lenovo x320 was designed with light weight portability in mind, includes a very nice IPS display, 8 hour battery life, top quality build, and one of the best laptop keyboards you will ever come across.
The MBA pretty well speaks for itself. The CPU's aren't quite as powerful as the Lenovo, but they work well enough in OSX that you shouldn't have to worry about performance for years to come.

I prefer Lenovo products. As of yet, the Lenovo products has outlasted every other brand in my home...

[orlbuckeye]

I have never owned a Lenova but what I'm reading they are hitting the Computer Electronics Show this week In Vegas with a storm. Looking how Lenova is handling Windows 8 they must believe it's going to be a major success. They are introducing many new devices to take advantage of Windows 8 while most of the other vendors are being conservative with Windows 8 devices. I bet Acer will be active also. I've become an Acer fan i the past 6 years because those machines have lasted for mean and I bought PC's loaded power.

[LiveBrianD]

waldojim, on 07 January 2013 - 11:23 AM, said:

Given those requirements, I would suggest the Lenovo X230 or Apple Macbook Air.

The Lenovo x320 was designed with light weight portability in mind, includes a very nice IPS display, 8 hour battery life, top quality build, and one of the best laptop keyboards you will ever come across.
The MBA pretty well speaks for itself. The CPU's aren't quite as powerful as the Lenovo, but they work well enough in OSX that you shouldn't have to worry about performance for years to come.

I prefer Lenovo products. As of yet, the Lenovo products has outlasted every other brand in my home...

I'll add to this - it's a matter of opinion, but if he wants to run multiple things at once (while doing research, for instance), a bigger screen might be nice. For instance, the 1600x900 option on the t430 and t430s (both 14"). Speaking of which, the t430 has ~13 hours with the 9-cell according to reviews (the 6-cell is the default though), and there's a slice battery if you need even more.

One other thing about batteries - I don't know about other brands, but Lenovo lets you limit the amount the battery charges for the sake of longlevity. (being empty or completely full are the harshest states for a battery) If you need it to last 4 or 5 years, this might be a good idea. (you do, however, reduce runtime by doing so, though you can always change the setting if you happen to need more charge at the moment - this is what I do on my x120e)

orlbuckeye, on 07 January 2013 - 12:19 PM, said:

I have never owned a Lenova but what I'm reading they are hitting the Computer Electronics Show this week In Vegas with a storm. Looking how Lenova is handling Windows 8 they must believe it's going to be a major success. They are introducing many new devices to take advantage of Windows 8 while most of the other vendors are being conservative with Windows 8 devices. I bet Acer will be active also. I've become an Acer fan i the past 6 years because those machines have lasted for mean and I bought PC's loaded power.

Another thing to note is that most Thinkpads have a Windows 7 option (it's just the new touchscreen ones that don't if I remember correctly), if that's what the OP wants.

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 07 January 2013 - 04:40 PM

[waldojim]

For what it is worth Brian, the only reason I didn't mention the 'T' series was weight. I am working under the assumption that a lighter machine is important for the given use.

However, the T series does have the distinct advantage of the HD+ display. Though going down this line of reasoning, it is also worth noting that the W530 has a 1080P option with an extremely long battery life.

[LiveBrianD]

True. Personally, when I go to college, I'll probably get a laptop like the t430s (which supposedly isn't very heavy for it's size - and obviously what's available will change), as I find that's still portable enough, and ~12" is a bit annoying for a main machine. (though he did say he has a desktop as well) The only problem with that particular model has around 5 hours of battery life, and the only option to extend it is the ultrabay battery (although that gets you ~8hrs total, I'm concerned about the fact that it's drained to 0% before switching to the main battery, which can't be good for longevity).

[GunMonster]

I'd say, after using laptops for so many years, the new generation tablet is a better solution, in term of weight and convenience.

Window based tablet offers a familiar interface, and Android based is simply cheaper with handful of free office-compatible apps available. If you return home everyday, it'd be nice to record stuff with tablet at day time, and work at home with desktop at night.

[Szczecinianin]

If you want a laptop for a college,  you may not want to spend too much money and this list from Tech Crumch may be helpful. I understand, too, you don't want to play the latest games so the gigaherzes don't matter much. And  now it's unusual to have a laptop without wi-fi.  I think a tablet is not recommended as it's a torture, especially for your hands, to write e.g. a thesis with it. Enthusiasts please excuse me, but tablet Office is a big misunderstanding.

[euphanian]

Thanks for the input, guys. I decided on a laptop not too long ago. Hopefully it'll be here soon.

I do have one last thing to ask. Do you guys have any general tips on how to keep a laptop running smoothly as long as I can? I've used nothing but desktop computers for most of my life, so I have no idea whether or not a laptop needs anything different done to keep it running in good condition. Thanks in advance for any help.

[LiveBrianD]

For one thing, don't pick up the laptop by the top of the screen (this stresses the hinges). Second, the rest of the laptop will almost certainly outlive the battery - you are guaranteed to have capacity loss over time. (I'm at about 16% wear after 1.5 years, though I only recently started limiting the charge capacity.) One thing you can do to minimize this is to avoid keeping the battery fully charged (40-80% is optimal). Lenovo includes a power manager that lets you do this, and I think some others do as well. (I set my laptop to charge to 80%, and start charging at 65%, for example.) Also, try to avoid really short charges. (see this for more info: http://batteryuniver...based_batteries) Don't get freaked out over this, but it is something to be aware of.

Also, clean the vents every now and then - laptops tend to run hotter to begin with, and heat kills.

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 12 January 2013 - 12:47 PM

[Justin123]

College students like the laptop that looks stylish and trendy. Lenovo is the product of laptop that provides a stylish design in laptop and also awesome features that a student want. You can buy Lenovo laptops in any price range. The price depends upon the configuration that you used in laptops.