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Does she want something highly mobile to take to class? A desktop replacement for the dorm? How long does she need the battery to last? Is there any specific high end software her major requires that will have to be accounted for? Does she just need a media consumption device to watch TV and take notes on? There's a LOT of laptops in that price range so make sure to ask her as many questions as possible and get back to us :) BTW I never see you around anymore, Team DIAB will rule the world!

Edit* Windows 7 or 8 will help a lot too since a lot of manufacturers don't officially support 7 with new notebooks. Also does she need an optical drive?
 
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Hm, let me think a bit I haven't bought a portable with a optical drive in a while, only my gamer. I got my wife a T440S which would give her light and portable with good battery life especially with the 6 cell, but no optical. If you haven't yet I suggest throwing up a thread in Notebookreview.com under their which laptop should I buy thread they're very helpful. I will try and think tonight and catch the htread again tomorrow.
 
http://blog.laptopmag.com/all-day-strong-longest-lasting-notebooks?slide=1

Personally I would go with the Macbook Air and buy an external burner.

I know you said no Macs but from my experience, the battery life and wear on the Apple machines are a lot better than some of the other brands.For example I received a Lenovo Carbon X1 touch for work and around the same time had purchased my Mid-2012 Macbook Air. Over the last two years, my Macbook Air (which I just sold recently) was still capable of consistently running 5 hrs+ (rated for around 6 hours or so new) but my X1 has now lost around 50% of it's battery capacity allowing it run for about only 2hrs to 2.5 hours if it feels like it. The issue doesn't seem to be limited only to the X1 as other company issued spanning varies brands we use have the similar issues.

For transparency's sake, there was nothing wrong with the Air when I sold it. In fact it might be one of the highest quality laptop I've ever owned but I really wanted a gaming laptop.
 
I do agree that Mac's aren't to be feared anymore especially with bootcamp so supported, we actually considered it before we go the T440S for my wife. But unfortunately an external drive isn't much good if she's watching Blu-Rays on the go between classes, etc.
 
Asus and Lenovo have good reputations. Battery life is killer. only tablets come close.
 
Should look into devices with pen support like the Surface Pro 3 to use with OneNote for note taking. It's hard to really get an idea of how much of an impact this will actually have your workflow without trying it out though. See if any local stores carry demo units of such devices. These tend to be convertible devices as well which have a tablet form factor that might be beneficial towards media consumption as well.

My issue with the current Mackbook Air is the display, it is both low resolution and TN. Apple could very well finally update it to a Retina IPS display with the next update/refresh. There are plenty of Windows devices in that price range with high resolution IPS options as well.

Also what size does she want? Keep in mind only the relatively larger devices will actually have built in optical drives. While the smaller ones (especially what is considered small and light for modern devices) will not have built in optical drives.
 
Surface Pro 3 is what I would get for school. The combination of size, weight, portability, battery life, pen input and 1440p display is tough to beat. Don't forget the 10% off .edu discount. For STEM, Medicine, Art or Architecture majors that are going to want to use diagrams, drawings, and symbols not found on a keyboard a SP3 is really the only choice, digital pen input is an absolute game changer.

I would recommend an external keyboard for use at home, the type covers aren't something I would want to use full time.
Get an external bluray player if necessary.
 
Brother I am coming up blank for you, I would really post on the Notebookreview.com which notebook should I buy. The problem is you can have portability, battery life, optical, and price, but not all of them together that I can find. I do wish you the best of luck and it's good to see you back on.
 
K10 said:
Mad[H]atter, I really appreciate your input.

Initially, i said "no" to macs because i had thought they were beyond my price point...but after reading all of your comments on it, it does make sense because it would allow seamless integration with her iphone. Battery life is key too. The 13.3" screen seems small on paper, but we shall see...

Thanks everyone. You guys are awesome.
Click to expand...

There's a deal going on right now for students. You should jump on it!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/student-deals-mac-123070

Also, just saw Mad[H]atter's input about bootcamp. Like he/she said, bootcamp is good if your daughter intends to use Window application but keep in mind that the laptop will take a significant hit in battery life due to poor drivers.
 
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