Tech Blog

[#1]

I've been in university for the past 13 (or is it 14?) years and through that time, I've used desktop, laptop, and netbook computers, as well as a PDA and now a BlackBerry.  And over the course of this time, I've made mistakes when purchasing my computers, and I've learned from those mistakes.  Here are some tips for when you're looking at a new laptop based on my experiences, so that you can avoid the same mistakes and regrets.

1.  Consider what you will want/need your laptop for, and don't just make the selection based on price. A lot of students make the mistake of going out and looking for the cheapest laptop they can find because they don't want to spend any more money than they need to.  That's all great until you realize that you can't play that computer game you wanted to play, or you can't run a program because it's sooo slow on your computer, etc.  Spending a little time to think about your needs and spending a little extra money now will save you a lot of regret, hassle and money down the line.

2.  Portability vs. Power. If you want a laptop that can double as a TV screen for watching movies and for playing games, look at the 16" laptops or larger.  For playing games and running graphics intensive programs, you should also consider getting something with dedicated graphics rather than an integrated graphics solution.  But be aware that this typically comes at a higher cost and lower portability (trust me, lugging around my latest 16" laptop everywhere I go has not been fun - I can't even imagine a 17" laptop).  13" laptops were nice and portable, but I found their screen was sometimes hard to stare at for extended periods of time (especially when I was entering research data).  Personally, I like the 14" laptops the most as I found them portable, but I could still stand to stare at their screens.  If you want a happy medium, the 15" laptops are often a good selection.  They are on my upper limit of what I would consider to be portable, but they have the advantage of having larger screens and may offer more powerful options than their smaller counterparts.

3.  Battery life, battery life, battery life. Ok, this one goes hand in hand with portability and power.  If you want a portable laptop, chances are that you won't want to be carrying around a laptop charger, meaning you want your laptop's battery to last as long as you need it to.  But you should also be aware that more powerful laptops with dedicated graphics will drain your battery life faster than less powerful laptops with integrated graphics.  For maximum battery life, look for a laptop with a ULV (ultra low voltage) processor, and consider avoiding the 17" core i7 laptops.  Of course, if you do this, don't expect to play a lot of new and fun games on your laptop (probably a good thing since you should be focusing on school, right? ).

4.  Windows PC vs. MacBook. This is a debate that I won't get into, but here are a couple of quick points to consider.  You can typically get Windows PCs for less money, there is a lot more choice when it comes to selecting a Windows based laptop, and there are fewer issues with program compatibility.  On the other hand, MacBooks are typically regarded as more stable with excellent battery life and are generally highly regarded for artistic uses (e.g. video, graphics arts, music, or simply creating amazing presentations).  Both have their uses, and ultimately, this selection comes down to price, personal preference and software.

5.  Netbook vs. Laptop. If you have a desktop computer or a large 17" laptop that you don't want to lug around, a netbook is a handy tool for taking notes or for checking email while on the go, but if you are looking at a netbook as your primary computer, stop.  I had to use my netbook as a sole computer for a several weeks and I could not wait to get my HP HDX back.  Netbooks are fine for temporary use, but their screens are too small to stare at for extended periods of time, and your fingers will cramp thanks to the smaller keyboards.  They have their advantages, but they also have their disadvantages.

So what's the ultimate lesson here?  After 2 degrees and a PhD, I can comfortably say that it's worthwhile to spend a little extra time to research your needs and a little extra money to ensure you get the computer you want/need.  Remember, you don't have the money to go buy a new computer every year, so you want something that you'll be happy with for a while.  And since your a student and can't afford to replace your laptop if it dies after the manufacturer's warranty is over, it is worthwhile to make sure you are covered with some sort of extended warranty.  Take a look into manufacturer's extended warranties, a warranty through your credit card company, or the Future Shop Product Service Plan, and see which one fits best for you.

If you need any help in making your selection, feel free to post a question on the Forums including your needs, approximate budget and any other specifying factors and we'll gladly pass along our recommendations.

[#2]

Rockin advice doc. On the power adapter question, if you're going to have to lug one around (I follow the maxim, when there is power, use it), look at buying a second power adapter. Here's the reasoning: How many times have you needed to juice up but you forgot your adapter at home?

Yeah, me too. Which brings an interesting Mac/PC twist ... it's a lot easier to find another Mac user with a matching power adapter then a fellow PC user.

On the Mac/PC debate (yeah I know dangerous waters), I've noticed that my friends with older Macs tend to be a lot happier with their machines than those with older PCs. Maybe it's just the crowd I'm in, but I think that Macs seem to age more gracefully than PCs.

[#3]

Agreed!  I have a second power adapter as well and keep that one at my new job so that I don't have to constantly unplug my home one.

And I have a feeling that a big reason for the Macs aging more gracefully than PCs has to do with the hardware, and this comes back to point number 1.  If you buy a cheap laptop, it's not going to age well and it will be outdated in no time at all.  Spend a bit more money and get something with a good processor and various extras that you might want access to in the future and you'll be a lot happier.  My boyfriend is still using my old HP dv1540ca with no problems whatsoever (sure it's a bit slower than what's now out there, but for a 4.5 year old computer (or something like that), it still works amazingly well).  My current HP HDX is also the first laptop that I don't feel the urge to upgrade after a year has gone by.  I'd love a new laptop, but not because mine doesn't perform, rather just because it's big (and I carry my laptop almost everywhere).

You get what you pay for ultimately, and when you buy a MacBook, you buy something with higher end hardware, so it's going to age more gracefully than most PCs.  If you spend the same money on a PC, my guess is that it would be similar (assuming you reformat both from time to time).  But few people bother buying a $2000+ PC since there are so many other cheaper laptop options, and generally, those that do tend to like being on the edge of technology, meaning they typically like to upgrade every couple of years anyhow, just to have the latest and greatest.

[#4]

Don't forget to regularly back up your laptop drive if it's taken out of the home often.  The odds of lost data greatly increase with theft or a dropped machine.

[#5]

And great advice there too XL. Take it from someone who had 2 laptops stolen (from my condo, including one that was locked up), and also had the laptop that replaced the last of those stolen laptops die after 29 days... Backing up your hard drive is incredibly smart advice. Thankfully most data was backed up for me so I didn't have to start from scratch, but even then, I still had to rewrite some things and re-enter some data. So yes, backup!

[#6]

Great advice!

If there's one thing that I get constant positive feedback from friends and customers that I've sold laptops to, it's that LED screens are worth the little extra money. Just for researching, studying and even gaming, the LED screens seem to cause a lot less stress on the eyes and many folks reported back saying their eyes feel less tired and strained after the new laptop. Not to mention they use less power than your traditional LCD backlight, so you are getting extra benefits on top of that!

[#7]

I don't think that certain 13" screens are too hard to look at for extended periods of time.  I had a 15.4" HP with a dark and drab LCD screen which was harder to look at than the bright crisp and altogether brilliant 13.3" Sony screen I'm staring at now.

Also, I agree that battery life is a paramount issue.  I know what those long days on campus are like...and you don't want your lappy to run out of juice.

[#8]

It all depends, that's for sure.  I had a really nice 13.3" laptop from HP with an LED screen, and it didn't hurt to stare at the screen by any means... the part that hurt was staring at all the small text.  It's just easier to type out long essays on larger screens.  I found that it was alright as I just plugged it into my 19" LCD screen when I was at home, but the extra screen real estate on larger laptops is nicer, especially if you can get as good a quality screen on a larger laptop.

[#9]

I have a Macbook Pro 15" because of the graphics and when they picked up on the Intel processor. I've been waiting for this solution for some time. It was perfect because it did bootcamp for Windows... And quite well. No bluescreens from here. I've been impressed with it's speed and graphics and it's never died or do anything strange on me... which is awesome because I've used it all the time... because I didn't have a need for a desktop computer anymore. I do programming on both sides (.NET on the windows side) and the rest on the Mac side and I do my graphics work on the Mac side as well... I'm a programmer and a designer... steam gamer... I'm someone you would consider a heavy user.

It all depends on what you're going to use it for and how much use you're going to do sometimes as well. Some laptops can't handle the constant use I would do to it.

The only complaint I have with my Mac (what a complaint about a Mac? can be of it's battery, but then you have to not have the brightness on the LCD so much. That can be a pain if you're doing graphics work as you have to have the best

If you need a bigger monitor, get something like a Samsung monitor (they're awesome) and go home for the extra use. The Samsung HDTV/Monitor 23" hasn't disappointed me any.

When I went to Fragapalooza (a LAN gaming thing in Alberta), I get hassled a little bit because it's really a show and shine for desktops that they custom made... mostly they hassle me because I got a Mac, but then I boot it into the Windows side and then they were actually impressed. My Samsung monitor only made them feel more comfortable with the idea of a Mac being in the area. lol!

My tip to the wise when buying a laptop is if you use it a lot, and you love it a lot, make sure it meets requirements that you have (It's what the dr. up above ordered and top out on it's memory, video card and processor. These things are things that you can't/have a hard time to replace and upgrade if you want... it also extends the life of the model by a few years so you're not left buying a new laptop year after year... you save a little bit of money this way, too. My Macbook will be heading out on year three soon! I can play steam games on Windows side easily, not top out on the newer graphics, but handles well!

Very thoughtful blog post.

[#10]

Sorry, a bit of a typo... a bit too much to write...

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The only complaint I have with my Mac (what a complaint about a Mac? can be of it's battery, but then you have to not have the brightness on the LCD so much. That can be a pain if you're doing graphics work as you have to have the best...

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I meant to say that I had to try to have the best calibration and closest to true colour as I can get. lol... my bad.