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Being a student is rough enough as it is, given the challenge of juggling partying, studying and getting enough sleep in-between the two, without having to worry about which computer will be most suitable. It doesn’t help that there’s an enormous range of computers to choose from, along with a long list of manufacturers. We trust this guide will simplify the computer shopping experience so students can get back to what matters most: where and when the next party is happening.

Netbook, Laptop or Desktop

Once, this was easier. You had two options and depending on budget, you were either relegated to a desktop or were fortunate enough to own a laptop. Now, with laptops being priced the way they are, and netbooks squeezing into the market and catching everyone unaware, students are understandably overwhelmed by choice. The short answer to this question is: what will you use it for?

Netbook

Netbooks are sleek and lightweight and their size makes them ideal for cramming into bags with all those heavy textbooks. Netbooks, however, are severely underpowered machines that hang when you attempt to multitask too much and are unable to run resource-intensive apps such as Photoshop. If, however, the bulk of your work will be done in web apps such as Google Apps, you require optimal mobility and your application requirements never stray outside of word processors and media players, these may very well be the category of computers for you.

Laptops

Annual laptop sales in recent years have finally exceeded those of desktop computers, and for good reason. The price of a workhorse laptop has gone through the floor and the comparative convenience is simply undeniable. The emergence of the netbook has made the laptop seem decidedly less portable, but they still fit quite well into a backpack. The beauty of a laptop is that it is the middle ground between a desktop and a netbook – a very capable computer with great mobility. A high-end laptop can run resource-intensive applications like Photoshop and film editing suites without so much as a hiccup, making this the ideal machine for nomadic student who likes having a powerful machine on hand.

Desktops

The desktop, remember that? There was once a time in the not-so- distant past when the desktop was the predominant computer in the workplace and the home. A desktop is advantageous if you are on a shoestring budget and if you enjoy having a computer that can match your needs. Furthermore, the desktop is still the best way to enjoy computer games.

Clarity

For you, the student, it comes down to your academic needs, really. If portability is your number one concern, for note taking during lectures and so forth, netbooks are the route to go. If a balanced offering is what you need, laptops remain king. If processing power and scalability are important to you, desktops are ideal. If we were to assign computers by degrees, engineers would need desktops, commerce students laptops and arts/humanities students netbooks (unless you need Photoshop, which means you’d want to go the laptop route, too).

Students need computers. For life in an age governed by these machines, it would be impossible for them to excel without these devices. At the same time, you cannot expect them to work on desktops all the time. Laptops are a better option as they are portable and give students a chance to go anywhere, sit comfortably and work. Choosing the right sort of student laptop is the biggest challenge and to make this simple, Laptops For Students Going Back 2 School have been designed which have been fabricated exclusively for pupils and to suit their needs. Some of the very best notebook PCs for students going back to school is the Apple Macbook, HP Pavillion dv2915nr, Averatec Voya 6494, the Dell Inspiron 1525 and the Lenovo IdeaPad U110.

One gets to see a lot of students using these laptops for their assignments. All of them offer a long battery life which means that students will not have to carry the adaptor and charger everywhere along with them. The screens are big and the resolution is impeccable. The most surprising element is the fact that these laptops are ultra thin and can even fit inside the bags that students carry back to school. Apprentices who are really looking forward to having a great experience in school should take their pick from any one of these laptops. They have everything that will be of use to students and will give them an extra hand in their home work. The prices are very reasonable and the efficacy is very impressive.

Caucasus University has recently presented 462 high performance laptops to freshmen students as gift for the New Year. According to the university professionals, students must have permanent access to a portable computing machine in order to cope with the latest curriculum. Students studying Corporate Finance, Data Analysis, Financial Accounting and other subjects must have a fully functional Internet enabled laptop so that they can access the online library and other academic resources anytime they want. This will also offer the students practice on the latest computing machines.

Despite of the fact that the university has to bear huge cost to present 462 laptops (especially in the period of recession) it believes that the moral satisfaction and success of the students are more important than the financial crisis. So, the university has taken this bold step and presented Hewlett-Packard HP 550 laptops sporting Core 2 Duo processors. A total of 462 freshmen received the laptops out of which 270 were from Caucasus School of Business (CSB), 145 from Caucasus School of Law (CSL), 30 from Caucasus School of Media (CSM) and 17 from Caucasus School of Technology (CST).

Tiko Gugberidze, Director of Marketing and PR Department,” When you study at CU you need to have permanent access to a computer. In subjects such as Corporate Finance, Data Analysis, Financial Accounting and others students need to have a laptop. CU has added School of Technology where students are constantly using computers. We gave our students laptops in order to make it easier for them to study. Of course it was a huge burden for CU from a financial point of view, but the satisfaction and success of our students is most important. At CU we provide the best quality service that needs constant development.”

Tags for this article: laptop, Laptops, students

Disability Support Services (DSS) has decided to raffle a laptop next year in order raise funds to buy special laptops loaded with unusual software which will help the students suffering with disability.

The students will be offered the laptops of their choice and they will also be allowed to take away the unit to their homes. That means it completely depends on the student’s choice whether they want to use the laptops in the lab or at their home, because some of the students find it difficult to come to the lab for work. And as the students are offered the laptop of their choice, they can even pick advanced and capable machines like the Sony Vaio VGN-FW21Z to help them out. Most of the DSS students are suffering from learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. For such students the laptops, which have adaptive software installed, are really useful. The adaptive software basically contains Kurzweil 3000, which can convert the printed text into audio. It can also increase the size of the printed text. The DSS department is looking forward to raising enough money to buy at least five laptops and licenses for the Kurzweil 3000.

According to Regina Pino, assistant to the coordinator of disability support services, “If I was dyslexic, for example, I could use this software to see the words as I hear them being spoken, so I know exactly how to spell the word. If I couldn’t see well, this program allows me to make the text bigger.”

Till now the smartphones were used to communicate effectively, browse the Internet, share data and enjoy movies, music and photos. But for the first time these devices have been optimised to help medical students at the University of Louisville.

This is all thanks to Sprint, which has signed the contract with the university and agreed to provide Windows Mobile smartphones, such as the Palm Treo 800w or the HTC Touch Diamond P3700, at discounted prices to university students. Using the wireless technology the students will be able to enhance their learning and improve their clinical treatments.

The special things about these smartphones is that they will come loaded with relevant medical applications like ePocrates and medical drug reference databases that can be used by the professors, medical practitioners and students to access the university e-mail programme and address. Edward Halperin, dean of the School of Medicine said, “Sprint’s wireless technology will allow our students to access a virtual library of textbooks and medical references. We believe it is worth investigating whether or not giving medical students these tools and technology will enhance their knowledge and sharpen their decision making. Ultimately, our graduates will require these skills as outstanding physicians. It is important to assess the role of technology in the acquisition of clinical skills.”

According to Stephanie Ferguson, general manager of the Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft Corp, “The wireless industry is experiencing an incredible increase in smartphone adoption within specialized fields such as medicine. Students at the University of Louisville can get the most out of their medical education and professional careers through the use of our familiar, customizable Windows Mobile smartphones.”