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Is this a good laptop for a college bound student

B

Borg20001

Senior member
My son goes to college next year so I've started to shop around for a decent Laptop for him.

**UPDATE** based on your great feedback, I have stepped down the laptop size from the 17" dell to a 14" HP - here's the link that I was looking at:

http://detonator.dynamitedata.com/c...ilion-dm4-1160us-14-Laptop/product_904965_HC2

Any comments on this choice would be greatly appreciated.

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I saw this for $570.

You all were very helpful when I was trying to find a decent desktop for my in-laws so I'm back for more expert advice.

Here's the specs:

This 17.3" Dell Inspiron laptop is designed to make life simpler from the classroom to the family room. The built-in Wireless-N Mini-Card lets you connect and share with friends and family. The powerful Intel Core i5-430M processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 4GB of memory and 500GB hard drive help you tackle your to-do list with ease. The large, high-definition display provides a crystal-clear view of your favorite movies, games and more. Finally, the sleek design and stylish obsidian black finish tie it all together into one amazing machine.

Product Features:


2.53GHz Intel Core i5-430M processor with 3MB cache delivers efficient mobile computing
Intel Turbo Boost automatically speeds up processor when you need more speed
17.3" high-definition display for a crystal-clear view
500GB hard drive provides ample storage space for music, video and other files
4GB DDR3 memory offers efficient multitasking
8x dual layer DVD±RW drive reads and writes a variety of formats
Wireless-N Mini-Card lets you connect to a wireless network at home or at a hotspot
4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals
HDMI port lets you connect your laptop to your HDTV
Intel HD Graphics and 2 built-in 2W speakers enhance the multimedia experience
7-in-1 media card reader makes for easy data transfers
Built-in 1.3MP webcam for video chatting with friends and family around the world
Premium obsidian black finish for a stylish appearance
Includes Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system
Software included: 30-days of McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall and Microsoft Works 9.0 with Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student 60-day trial
Inputs/outputs: 4 USB 2.0 ports, microphone, headphone/speakers, mini-card slot, RJ-45, 15-hole video connector and HDMI port
6-cell lithium-ion battery offers dependable rechargeable power
Includes laptop, battery and AC adapter
Warranty: 1 year mail-in service, parts, labor and 24/7 phone support

(Model I17646075OBK)

Appreciate any feedback!
 
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It is decent for the price, i would try to find something with sandybridge but that will cost you a bit more (800-900 range)
 
17.3" is a behemoth of a laptop.

Personally I would get something much thinner and lighter (like a 13.3" or 14" at the most) and a external monitor (say 22 or 23 inches). This gives your son the flexibility of taking his laptop to library, friends place, orgroup meeting. A 17.3" laptop is just too big to carry around easily. It would just sit in his room and not get much utility outside of it.

A side benefit of giving him a smaller laptop with crappy graphics card is that he won't be able to play games on it 😀.

Something like this Acer TimelineX AS3820T-6480 for $529. 2.53GHz Core i3, 4gb RAM, 500gb HDD, weighing 4lbs, and have up to 8hour battery life would be ideal IMO.
 
jchu14 said:
17.3" is a behemoth of a laptop.

Personally I would get something much thinner and lighter (like a 13.3" or 14" at the most) and a external monitor (say 22 or 23 inches). This gives your son the flexibility of taking his laptop to library, friends place, orgroup meeting. A 17.3" laptop is just too big to carry around easily. It would just sit in his room and not get much utility outside of it.

A side benefit of giving him a smaller laptop with crappy graphics card is that he won't be able to play games on it 😀.

Something like this Acer TimelineX AS3820T-6480 for $529. 2.53GHz Core i3, 4gb RAM, 500gb HDD, weighing 4lbs, and have up to 8hour battery life would be ideal IMO.
Click to expand...

i have to agree with this post, though i have to say the most addicting games are ones playable on crappy graphics.

(i'm looking at you heroes of newerth..)
 
A notebook with a 17.3" screen is going to have a short battery life. Maybe 3 - 4 hours.

For someone going to college and taking their notebook to class and also working with it in the library, you should get something that has a 10+ hour battery life.

If they don't have a really good battery life then they will also have to carry a power adapter with them (another pound) and will always be hunting for a place to plug in.

A 13.3" screen. Maybe an Asus.

jchu14 said:
17.3" is a behemoth of a laptop.
Click to expand...
 
I agree with the others. A 17.3" machine is just going to end up chained to his desk in the dorm room. Now, that might actually be a good thing considering the number of people who browse Facebook during class, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt here.
 
If you're planning to haul this thing around, 17" is definitely too big.

A high-resolution 14", I imagine, would be really nice.
 
I do not suggest getting that laptop to carry it around. If you're intending to use that 17 incher as a desktop replacement in your room it would be good but to carry it around it is a pain. I tried carrying a Dell XPS M1730 17" gaming laptop before and it weighs a ton to be useful and practical. Not to mention the battery life suck for such a big laptop.

Getting a netbook or a 14" or smaller laptop is advisable as it is lighter to carry around and have ample battery life to be used throughout the day.
 
It's been said, but I agree. I assisted my sister in purchasing her laptop prior to heading to university. She told me that she liked to watch movies in her off time so I opted for a 17 screen to accommodate. She was thrilled for about a month. She was still thrilled that it worked perfectly (and still does) in her apartment, but she stopped carrying it to class. And she complained often when she had to port that thing to the library. I would head others' advice, opt for a smaller screen and get an external monitor for "home" use.
 
Is your son going to be gaming? If not, get him an 11.6", it's the perfect combination between size and weight. I started with a 14" thinkpad about 5 years ago and I definitely noticed it in my backpack (like carrying around another textbook). It wasn't burdensome, just not really necessary. 11.6" was much easier to carry around and when I was in the dorm I merely hooked it up to a 22" LCD. I had the Acer Timeline 1810t and highly recommended it at the time, it's only downside was the speakers were crap.
 
Borg20001

If you buy a laptop to satisfy your Enthusiast ego, buy the "Buldozer" from Dell.

Otherwise, read Venom20 post.

Then buy a light 13", a 11.5" is not really very functional for academic work.


😎
 
JackMDS said:
Borg20001

Then buy a light 13", a 11.5" is not really very functional for academic work.


😎
Click to expand...

Care to elaborate? For class, 11.6" @ 1366x768 is the perfect balance of size while maintaining sufficient resolution. At home, he can hookup to a monitor and use apps that benefit from higher resolution. Unless he is a media major and will be doing photoshop in class (in which case he shouldn't get anything below 15"), there's no need for 13".
 
Thanks for the comments. I saw the laptop in question and was a bit concerned about the size of it and it is a good point about power consumption of the larger monitors. Too bad I did not think of that when I was at a Target and saw the Acer 18.5" monitor going on clearance for $65 (I think) it was the only one but I thought what do I need an 18.5 inch monitor for -even though it was a decent price.

But I will take a look at some of the linked laptops you have suggested as well.

Does it matter regarding the cpu if it's an i3 vs. i5? He's probably going to be an engineering major but I don't think that would really matter much for the college work for which he will be needing a laptop.

Personally I wouldn't go smaller than a 13" monitor but then I'm going blind these days whereas his eyes are still young and able to focus, and I need him to read the backs of OTC meds for usage instructions (sucks to get old).

Thanks and appreciate any other feedback.
 
If it is a choice between the i3 and the i5, then get the i5. There are programs like Matlab and CAD/CAM that does take advantage of the i5 has to offer.

You could go for a laptop that is 13" or 14" and like the others have said to get a 20"+ external monitor to plug it to the laptop via HDMI to make viewing easier in the dorm room.
 
jchu14 said:
17.3" is a behemoth of a laptop.

Personally I would get something much thinner and lighter (like a 13.3" or 14" at the most) and a external monitor (say 22 or 23 inches). This gives your son the flexibility of taking his laptop to library, friends place, orgroup meeting. A 17.3" laptop is just too big to carry around easily. It would just sit in his room and not get much utility outside of it.

A side benefit of giving him a smaller laptop with crappy graphics card is that he won't be able to play games on it 😀.

Something like this Acer TimelineX AS3820T-6480 for $529. 2.53GHz Core i3, 4gb RAM, 500gb HDD, weighing 4lbs, and have up to 8hour battery life would be ideal IMO.
Click to expand...

IMO a very good response. The 22" LCD will cost under $150 these days. You might find a laptop with HDMI output, which will give better display on the external monitor. For instance I got an Acer for well under $400 that had HDMI output, however the Acer died. Good laptops for being less apt to crap out on you are Toshiba, Asus:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/laptop-reliability-survey-asus-and-toshiba-win-hp-fails/
 
Older generation i5 but not bad, 4GB of RAM is good. The integrated graphics will allow for youtube and netflix and stuff BUT wont allow for games.
 
mnewsham said:
Older generation i5 but not bad, 4GB of RAM is good. The integrated graphics will allow for youtube and netflix and stuff BUT wont allow for games.
Click to expand...

He's not really a big PC gamer, more of a console gamer and the 360 is going to stay home for at least the first year if not longer. But thanks for the feedback.
 
Borg20001 said:
Thanks for the discussion everyone. I saw this HP listed at Staples.

Is this a likely alternative in the size range that everyone is recommending here?

It's a 14" i5 core laptop, but I don't think it has hdmi:

http://www.staples.com/HP-Pavilion-d...uct_904965_HC2

Appreciate any feedback.
Click to expand...

That one looks very nice. If you can afford it, I would get it. 7 hours battery life is really good, and so is a core i5, 4GB RAM, and 500GB HD.
As long as it has some sort of output (VGA, HDMI, etc.) then you can connect it to an external monitor. It depends on the monitor, but on my 26" KDS LCDs, there's really no appreciable difference between the DVI and VGA and HDMI inputs, they all look sharp.
 
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