I am looking for a labtop to use in college. I want one that is relatively quiet, won't overheat easily, and have a long life span. Main use will be just surfing, writing papers, chating, and some light gaming for like diablo 3, starcraft 2 whenever they come out. Max I'll spend will be in the low 1000's. I have been thinking about getting the macbook and taking advantage of the rebate for a free 8gb itouch and if i sell it on ebay then id get at least 150 back (already have a itouch). 13-14 inches is the ideal size for me. Any recommendations on other labtops??
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Looking for a laptop for college.
- Thread starter crhscoog
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heatlesssun
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You might want to wait and see what kinds of Windows 7 tablets are coming out. The low 1000's will get you a good tablet right now, like the HP tx2z of which I am an owner. The only issue that a tx2z might have for you is that standard 6 cell battery on power saver is only going to give you 3 hours max. Now with an 8 cell battery you are talking about 5 to 6 hours which is not bad but the battery is shaped that the unit doesn't lay flat, it raises it a little. But if you had on of each battery you're looking at a total of close to 9 hours of runtime, which for under 6 pounds total weight isn't bad.
If not the tx2z the Dell XT2 or Toshiba M750. Lenovo and Fujitsu have units as well but will cost more.
Just a suggestion. I think that a tablet is just the ultimate college tool. Being an software developer I do get to use mine for note taking and the like but I would definitely be using a LOT more if I were in school these days.
If not the tx2z the Dell XT2 or Toshiba M750. Lenovo and Fujitsu have units as well but will cost more.
Just a suggestion. I think that a tablet is just the ultimate college tool. Being an software developer I do get to use mine for note taking and the like but I would definitely be using a LOT more if I were in school these days.
Joe Average
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Sorry, I can't help it... "labtop..." and you're heading to college... hehe Hopefully there'll be some typing classes thrown into the mix among others 
Looking at your requirements (except for light gaming) and the requirements of most students - one of those $300ish Compaq Presario deals would fit the bill. Of course, it is larger (15.6 screen) but you will be taking it to class and probably leaving it unattended periodically. So, why put $1000 in a laptop that will be abused and could be a tasty target for theft?
My suggestion is to have a school computer and a personal one. Trust me, having a separate school laptop from your personal one will be a boon. The school one will be the one exposed to the beatings of carrying it, classroom viruses, and being stolen. The personal one will have your personal info and games and stay home, mostly.
Trust me, leave your laptop unattended, and your fellow students will look it over... Sucks to be you if there is personal info on there that would be costly (money or social.)
Besides, I guarantee there will be an event when you will need a back up computer.
I have seen $299 Compaq Presario deals( dual core cpus with 360gb hard drive) recently.
So buy a disposable for school, and get another, better laptop for personal use. I suggest getting the cheapo now, and saving up for the inevitable Win 7 / Christmas sales that should occur around October...
My suggestion is to have a school computer and a personal one. Trust me, having a separate school laptop from your personal one will be a boon. The school one will be the one exposed to the beatings of carrying it, classroom viruses, and being stolen. The personal one will have your personal info and games and stay home, mostly.
Trust me, leave your laptop unattended, and your fellow students will look it over... Sucks to be you if there is personal info on there that would be costly (money or social.)
Besides, I guarantee there will be an event when you will need a back up computer.
I have seen $299 Compaq Presario deals( dual core cpus with 360gb hard drive) recently.
So buy a disposable for school, and get another, better laptop for personal use. I suggest getting the cheapo now, and saving up for the inevitable Win 7 / Christmas sales that should occur around October...
mrmylanman
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I got the HP DV2Z and it's pretty impressive to me. The size is 12.1" but I believe it's more like a 13" case (the display bezel is wider than I'd like) but it doesn't ever get that warm (the 1.6GHz Turion X2 Neo runs a hell of a lot cooler than my older Intel Core 2 Duo laptop did), and the video on it (ATI Radeon Mobility 3450) is pretty good, and should be adequate for mild gaming, though I haven't had a chance to verify that yet.
So unnecessary to have two computers at school.. save your money for having fun at college. You won't spend that much time on the computer if you do it right.
Second the recommendation for thinkpad, T400 would be a great choice. You can get it nicely configured for under $1000 and will take whatever abuse it may come across.. (not much in my experience)