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Buy.com Back to School Computer Buying Guide
By David
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Deciding what computer to buy for Back to School can be a difficult and confusing decision. What specifications should you get? Should you spend $400 or $4,000 on a system?
To help, we compiled a list of recommended specifications for your computer system, as well as important accessories. The "Recommended" technical specifications and products are suitable for general use at school. As a reference point, we are also providing "Top-of-the-line" technical specifications and products for each category. Given the rate at which technology changes, you may want to consider purchasing more advanced technology to increase the longevity of your investment or if your student will have extreme computing demands like extreme gaming or multimedia editing.
Deciding between a Notebook and Desktop computer is a personal decision - each has its benefits. For those that prefer mobility and space savings, we recommend a Notebook. This allows students to easily bring their computers to class, a friend's house, and the library. Desktops are well appointed for users that are looking for the most processing power available or to save money. A Desktop with overall computing speed that is comparable to a Notebook will generally cost less than the Notebook.
Processor
Recommended - Desktop: Intel® Core™2 Duo E8200 (2.66 GHz)
Top of the line - Desktop: Intel® Core™2 Extreme QX6850 (3.67 GHz)
Recommended - Notebook: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5750 (2.00 GHz)
Top of the line - Notebook: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T8300 (2.4 GHz)
The
processor serves as the brain of your computer and is the most critical part of the computer system. The recommended Intel® Core™2 Duo processor is a great processor if you primarily plan on using your computer to do homework, surf the web, and use multimedia functionality. For those who crave the latest and greatest or plan on using their computer for either extreme gaming or multimedia editing will want to go for the Intel® Core™2 Extreme QX6850 (3.67GHz) processor.
Both Intel and AMD offer a full range of processors that will fit any budget. Processors in notebooks cannot be upgraded, so be sure to buy the best processor for your budget and needs.
Memory
Recommended - Desktop: 2 GB of RAM
Top of the line - Desktop: 4 GB of RAM
Recommended - Notebook: 2 GB of RAM
Top of the line - Notebook: 4 GB of RAM
Having more
memory (RAM) will increase your multitasking capabilities and keep the operating system running smoothly. By multitasking we mean you will be able to have more programs running at once while not impacting your user experience. An example would be having your email open while surfing the web and listening to mp3s. With a little bit of technical know-how, RAM can easily be upgraded at the time of purchase or further down the road to keep your computer current. The upgrade cost is usually minimal, but the performance improvement is very noticeable.
Hard Drive
Recommended - Desktop: 160 GB Desktop
Top of the line - Desktop: 1 TB (terabyte) Desktop
Recommended - Notebook: 80 GB Notebook
Top of the line - Notebook: 250 GB Notebook
The hard drive is where all of your files are stored. 80 GB should be sufficient for most school-related purposes. Typically, photos, music files, and videos occupy the majority of space on a hard drive. When a computer's hard drive reaches capacity, the most popular option for more hard drive space is to use an
external hard drive that connects to the computer via USB or Firewire. These external hard drives can hold as much as 1 TB of data and are also portable, which adds to their convenience.
Display
Recommended - Desktop: 19 inch Widescreen LCD with a minimum resolution of 1440 x 900
Top of the line - Desktop: 25.5 inch Widescreen LCD with a minimum resolution of 1900x1200with a built-in HDTV Tuner
Recommended - Notebook: 15.4 inch Widescreen LCD with a minimum resolution of 1280x800
Top of the line - Notebook: 17 inch Widescreen LCD with a minimum resolution of 1900x1200
The days of big, heavy CRT monitors is gone. It's all about
LCD monitors today. You will spend a lot of time looking at your monitor, so it is important to get one that will not cause eye strain.
Higher-end monitors have faster refresh rates, higher resolution, higher contrast ratios, larger viewing angles, and more accurate colors. Also, the larger your screen size and higher your resolution, the more work space you will have. With larger monitors, it is easier to view multiple windows side by side. Students are even starting to buy a second monitor for their desktop or a separate LCD monitor for their laptop and using two monitors at once. This also creates a larger workspace.
With notebooks, screen size and portability are a careful balance. 12" and 13" screens are best suited for highly portable and lightweight laptops. 14" and 15" screens are a good balance with portability. 17" and larger screens severely limit the portability of a laptop.
Having an
LCD monitor with a built-in HDTV tuner offers an advantage in terms of space savings, as you only need one display to act as a computer monitor and TV. While these LCDs maybe a bit more expensive than a standard monitor, they offer a much greater value and save space.
Networking
Having
Ethernet or
WiFi networking is very important. The days of using a modem and telephone line for internet access are over. Many schools, especially universities, offer have high speed internet access. WiFi networking allows for wireless internet access. For a desktop, that means not running an Ethernet wire to the wall. For notebooks, WiFi allows students to access the internet anywhere they find a WiFi access point - school, dorms, coffee shops, friend's house, airport, etc.
Internal Drive
A
DVD Rom is essential for installing most software today. We also recommend investing in a drive that also has burning capabilities, especially with a desktop. This will allow students to create their own CDs and DVDs for sharing and storage. A DVD drive also lets students watch DVD movies on their computer.
Printing
While many schools provide students with access to printers in libraries and computing centers, having your own printer is much more convenient.
Inkjets are well-suited for an array of printing needs, like printing color reports and sharp photos.
Laser printers tend to cost more initially, but offer lower per-page printing and higher quality printing. An important cost consideration when buying an inkjet-based printer is that while the printer may not be expensive, ink can be expensive. Inkjet cartridges can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 each.
An
All-In-One printer offers the most functionality and space saving - they print, scan, and copy documents. Some All-In-Ones printers also have fax capabilities.
Portable Storage
A
USB flash drive or
external hard drive will help transport and protect important files. Flash drives are best suited for transporting documents between computers or backing up a few documents. Flash drive capacity range from 32 MB to 8 GB and are the size of a pinky finger. External hard drives have a greater capacity than their flash drives and capacities are larger, ranging from 40 GB to 1 TB. They can be as small as a two decks of cards to as large as a hardback novel. An external hard drive will allow you to store more files and can also act as a backup to your computer's primary hard drive.
Operating System
Microsoft's Windows operating system has been the standard for personal computing, but Apple's Mac operating system is gaining market share. When choosing an operating system, it is important to make sure it is compatible with both your school's technical support services and the software you intend to use on it.
Windows Vista® is the latest operating system for PC and
Mac OSX Leopard (10.5) is the latest from Apple.
Software
Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition was specially created for the needs of students. It contains the core Office programs that students use: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as OneNote, the powerful note-taking program. Other critical software to buy is a
Firewall and Antivirus program. Both of these will protect your computer from outside threats on the Internet.
Remember that most schools have their own specific requirements, so please check with your school before purchasing your next computer system.
