College Student Help

I need a laptop for College and I am thinking about purchasing a Dell. I do not know much about laptops but I have started researching which one I should get. I found the Inspiration E1505, and the XPS 1210 both of which I liked. I can buy a dell through my college, which gives me a discount and some benificial programs that I will need, but the college store only sells the Dell Latitude D620 and D820. Are these laptops as good as the other laptops I mentioned, and which laptop do you recommend for a college student?

 

a dell sounds great, but the price is over rated. I personally like hp and compaqs for skool. Personally, I like the MacBook. Used for media, skool, everything. It will last you your life. For $1000 it is really worth it. Knowing college, you will be using your computer for lots more than studying. But thats my opinion.

 

The D620 and D820 are great computers definitely, but you're going to pay more for one of those than you would for an Inspiron of the same configuration. As far as what model I would recommend, it depends on what you plan on using the computer for. Dell has great deals on plenty of different size and configuration notebooks. It also depends on what size you like. I would disagree with tazdude about HP and compaq, as I've had bad experiences with both of them and their warranty support. I also feel that Macs are overpriced, and since I'm a gamer, I wouldn't touch a Mac.

 

Agreed mZimm, HP's and Compaq's have horrible quality, atleast form my experence, and Ive used alot of them. And like you said about a Mac. If you want to do office, download music, edit movies, its a great system, but if you want to play games your completly out of luck on a Mac.

 

Windows and Mac, I think it's all depends on what you use at home. But having used both Windows and Mac, I definitely go Windows way, there are so many things that you can do with Windows then Mac(my opinion)
I suggest visiting epp Dell website, or better yet call Dell directly and see if they have better prices on the computer that you are looking for.

 

Yeah, I also have experience with both OSes I'd also have to say go with a Windows PC, especially since you're going to be in a college environment. Usually colleges support Windows over Macs, unless the college specifically requires a Mac.

If you still really want a Mac, there's always BootCamp, but its not the same as a genuine PC.

 

check the notebook deals section of this website. its much more cheaper than the student discount laptops. latitudes are supposed to be of better quality, so depending on your preference. for me i would like to get the most bang for the buck so i stick to inspirons.

 

Check the Dell Outlet too. They sell models that have been returned for one reason or another. You're gaurenteed that the machiene you ordered will be checked for quality control at least once since it was returned. I've never had a problem or complaint about the outlet. It saves a lot of money in a lot of cases.

 

Check your college's specifications for a computer. They may require some minimum requirements. My college has a 802.11B wireless networks, so the students shouldn't buy an 802.11a wireless card. Things like that.

The Latitude models are for business types and seem to be smaller than the e1505 and xps, so they can be a bit easier to carry around. The E1505 and xps are mostly designed for entertainment. Remember, Dell computers come with TONS of trial software!

My Dell college store is similar to yours, too. They feature only the Latitude models, but there is a link that leads to the entire Dell catalog so look for that link.

When you buy a laptop always ask yourself, what will I use this laptop for? Check out www.cnet.com for tips on buying a laptop.