Best laptop (not MAC) for student?

<p>I agree, STAY AWAY FROM DELL!!!</p>

<p>Dell once had a sterling reputation for its customer service. But in recent months they agreed to a settlement in a consumer protection case initiated by several state attorneys general (led by A. Cuomo of New York). The shoddy practices revealed in the case were beyond obnoxious. Dell was forced to provide $ millions in compensation. I’d give Dell several more months before I buy to see if their behavior has improved.</p>

<p>You know why Dell has the best customer service? 'Cuz their ****s always broken! :)</p>

<p>Honestly, I prefer Windows due to its vast compatibility, but from what you describe, your daughter is probably better off going with a MAC unless she is really tech savvy. Most malware is written for the windows user in mind, and unless she is a clean computer user (most people load their computers with unbelievable amounts of crap), she is probably best off just going with a MAC (its based off of Linux so its a bit more stable, along with (some) incresed security.) However, you will pay a hefty premium ($1200 vs. $700 for a windows laptop with similar performance) …</p>

<p>You could go with this for thin and light:
[Newegg.com</a> - MSI X-Slim X350-408US NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300(1.30GHz) 13" Wide XGA 4GB Memory 500GB HDD Intel GMA 4500MHD](<a href=“Are you a human?”>Are you a human?)</p>

<p>or check newegg.com / best buy / microcenter for some good deals</p>

<p>By now I assume the OP already acquired the laptop since it’s a couple of months old. This thread was revived by someone looking to recover something from a computer.</p>