This one’s for anyone out there looking to buy a shiny new laptop for essential computing while at uni (so basically Facebook, downloading music and movies, Youtube, Uniplanet and the occasional bit of work).
Straight from our resident geek squad, every machine featured is available now from PC World. They’re one of the most established retailers in the country with stores all over the UK, meaning you won’t have to go far for in-store help should anything go wrong… And before you ask – no we’re not on commission…
The Netbook – Dell Mini 1011 (£249.99)
Processor – Intel Atom 1.7ghz
Memory / Storage – 1gb Ram / 160gb
Graphics - Integrated (so not a lot)
Size / Form Factor – 10” / 1.3kg
Netbooks are incredibly small, lightweight machines, good for wireless Internet browsing and basics like word processing. Dell’s Mini 10 range has been very well recieved. Sleek, a built in webcam, up to 8.5 hours battery life and weighing in at 1.3kg make this a very solid choice. Don’t expect it to be great for watching movies on though, or to be able to do much more than the basics, and we’re not convinced it’ll last you three years…
Compaq Presario – CQ61-417SA (£349.97)
Processor – Intel Dual Core 2.1ghz
Memory and Storage – 2gb Ram / 320gb
Graphics - ATI Integrated 1gb
Size / Form Factor – 15.6” / 2.68kg
A great cheap mid-range machine that’s fine for basic day to day use. You’ll be able to watch DVDs on the 15.6” widescreen LCD display, and burn cd’s, movies and backup discs with the DVD-RW drive. Beware however that the low memory/storage really limit the machine when multi-tasking and running more demanding programs – and dont expect to be able to run the latest games with the limited graphics. It’s a little on the heavy side, but in all honesty we’ve used Compaq Presario laptops before and they’ve always performed brilliantly… A great compromise between price and performance
Specs
Processor – Intel Core i3 2.13ghz
Memory and Storage – 2gb Ram / 250gb
Graphics – Intel Integrated
Form Factor – 15.6” / 2.5kg
This is a good laptop for the price – although you pay a slight premium for the cool macbook inspired looks. Overall though with it’s new i3 processor (Intel’s latest range), this will definitely last your university course and be able to handle most of the programs you’ll be chucking at it.
Specs
Processor – Intel Core i5 2.26ghz
Memory and Storage – 4gb Ram / 500gb
Graphics – ATI 1gb Deicated
Form Factor – 15.5”
For those of you wanting the true power of a desktop, this Dell will definitely suffice. It has everything; Intel’s new i5 processor alongside 4gb of ram, a massive 500gb hard drive, a 1gb proper graphics card for gaming and video editing, as well as an integrated webcam, bluetooth and dual layer DVD-RW. We’d say this is only worthwhile for people who absolutely need power on the move, otherwise just go for a cheaper machine and buy an external hard drive if you need the extra space (for all those essays you’ll be writing, obviously).
‘The Macbook Pro’ (from £999 – before discount)
Specs
Processor – Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4ghz
Memory and Storage – 4gb Ram / 5320gb
Graphics – ATI 1gb Dedicated
Form Factor – 13”
Battery Life – 10 Hours
A body to die for, and brainy in the bargain. The Macbook Pro is the most expensive machine that we’re featuring, but it’s in a class of it’s own. Yes you’re paying for looks to an extent (the entire body is machined from one piece of aluminium) but you’re also getting performance, stability, usability and virus free computing. Don’t let the numbers fool you, Macs work differently to PCs, and in most cases will outperform Windows machines with higher specs. Therefore in this case, less is definitely more. Do you need a Macbook pro in your life? probably not, but it’s fun to think about, and once you’ve started Uni you can get a higher education discount from the Apple store …
What’s the verdict then? We’ve included the solid Dell netbook for those who want ultra portability, and the Macbook for those who want something a bit more special. In all honesty though we think the best machine is one of the cheapest, Compaq’s Presario which is just under £350. It’s a great all round machine and should last most students their three year course easily, It’s not the best looking machine we’ve seen, but if you want something that is easier on the eye go for the HP G62 which is £80 more…
