Ask LH: What’s A Good University Laptop?

Dear Lifehacker, I’m just starting my second year of university and my home laptop is too bulky to take with me. I’m on the hunt for a secondary laptop but since I’m a full-time student, I’m on a bit of a budget. I don’t have too many requirements — just that it is smaller, has long battery life, fits at least 2 USB ports and runs relatively smoothly. I’m really struggling to make a decision here. Any suggestions? Thanks, UniStudent

Laptop image from Shutterstock

Dear UniStudent,

As luck would have it, we recently published an in-depth guide on this very topic. Rather than regurgitate the entire article, I’m going to touch on the areas that relate to your personal needs. (We’re going to assume you don’t require 3D gaming or other intensive applications for this laptop.)

As this will be a secondary laptop, I think you can afford to go as small as possible; namely 10 to 13 inches. These models are highly portable and also boast longer battery life — two must-haves for any university laptop. On the downside, they tend to use cheaper components and obviously have much smaller keyboards. You should definitely test the typing and speed performance of these models prior to purchase to see how they handle.

When it comes to the central processing unit (CPU), you won’t need anything higher than a Intel Core i5. If you’re primarily using it for web browsing and basic word processing, you could even get by on a lower-end Celeron CPU. This will drastically cut the price of the laptop with some models selling for $300 or less. You should aim for 4GB of RAM; this will provide the best bang for buck and will ensure the laptop remains relatively zippy during basic multi-tasking.

If you don’t mind spending a bit more money, go for a model with SSD storage and at least one USB 3.0 port. This will save a lot of time during file transfers and generally makes for faster productivity. We wouldn’t place too much importance on screen resolution — the smaller screen makes it largely unnecessary; especially if you don’t plan on doing much photo editing on the device.

For specific model recommendations, check out the aforementioned Back To School laptops guide — prices start at just $300.

Alternatively, you may want to consider buying a tablet with a Bluetooth-equipped keyboard. This approach will grant you longer batter life, a smaller/thinner device and the option to leave your keyboard at home. If you go down this route, just make sure that the tablet’s OS is compatible with your laptop to make life easier.

We’re also keen to hear what readers think. If you have any cheap laptop recommendations that would suit a university student, let us know in the comments section below.

Cheers
Lifehacker

Got your own question you want to put to Lifehacker? Send it using our [contact text=”contact form”].

Cheers
Lifehacker

Got your own question you want to put to Lifehacker? Send it using our [contact text=”contact form”].


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


4 responses to “Ask LH: What’s A Good University Laptop?”