No,He doesn't have a laptop now so this is all new to him also, although he's very computer intelligent, unlike his dad
These are great suggestions, thank you
Crowler
Does he use a laptop now?
If so get the same size screen if he likes it.
I would go go Walmart. I have bought 8 Aspire laptops in the past 2 years. Always the same.
Most recent one was
Aspire 7741a-4485 Exactly in the price range you are looking at BUT it is a 17" as I use it at home all day long.
Intel Pentium 2.13 GHz 3MB L3 cache Intel HD Graphics 4GB DDR3 memory 320 GB HDD DVD Camera
Or you can get it off of Amazon and have it delivered if you prefer.
If he wants a smaller screen I would suggest an Aspire as above but smaller screen.
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That was my initial thought about Best buy, overrated and over priced we happened to be out by Best buy and was looking at different laptops.
Thanks!
animalsdStewie, don't buy anything from bestbuy. You can get a comparable or better laptop online for the same amount or cheaper.
I use dealnews.com for good buys. My g/f bought a sony vaio last year for around $550. i5, 500gb hd, i forget the rest. Sometimes dell or microsoft throw in a free xbox 360 if you buy certain laptops... just something to think about.
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I didn't think of that I'll definitely mention to him about the size/weight, considering his books also, great point!
Thanks!
TrenBrah He will regret a 17 inch screen, even a 15 inch.
Get a 13 inch.
When I first went to college I had a 15 inch. Too big. It broke so I got a 13 inch. Broke that recently and even though I graduated last year I got another 13 inch. Much more convenient size.
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Excellent points!
Will definitely mention all this, Thanks!
CigarManIf your son is planning on using this to take notes on with during class, 17" is going to be to big to haul around.
I've hauled laptops around since about '96 and for the past 5 years, I have gone down to a 14" laptop. It is lighter, easier to haul around, the screen is big enough to work on and the battery lasts longer than the larger laptops.
I also have a 10.1 that I carry but that is just for notes and internet access as the screen is not big enough to so much else (screen resolution limited to 800x600 and max ram is 2gb).
I use my heavy 15.6" laptop as my main machine at home now as its a pain to haul around. I plug it into a 26" flatscreen tv and use an external keyboard and mouse with it.
Find out what programs he is thinks he will need while at school. He can find out from counselors or from student support. The 3 uni's near where I live use programs that are compatible with with windows, mac, and linux os's.
If a mac is a better choice, then once he gets his college ID, he can get the student discount from Apple or at the student store at the college.
Whatever you end up getting, here are some minimal system specs that I would suggest to last several years:
CPU - i3 or better
RAM - at least 4GB
HardDrive - size really doesn't matter, can use external if more storage is needed.
CD/DVD - again, doesn't matter, can use external drive. More of todays lightweight laptops are dropping the CD/DVD drive to make a thinner lighter laptop.
Screen size - 15.6" may end up being to heavy unless you spend the bucks for a lightweight "ultra" laptop. I would try and stay in the 4lb range for mobility.
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