<p>There are many choices as to how to buy a laptop OR desktop. Im assuming youll want a laptop since that seems to be the growing trend.</p>
<p>1) Laptops are not that great when it comes to high end production like adobe or illustrator. Its possible, but its not fun.
2) Laptops for gaming exist, but are expensive, hot, usually rather thick and heavy
3) Laptops for work exist and are mostly what is produced by the popular companies like Dell.
4) Dell does not necessarily produce the best laptops! Have you tried visiting say CompUSA? If you have that around? or Circuit City? </p>
<p>Basic Breakdown of a pretty good laptop (You can look at the customizz it page on DELL website if you want an idea of how to choose your components and follow along! )</p>
<p>Processors:
Centrino: This is a very good processor that has built in wireless consumes less battery. HOWEVER Centrino is really just a Pentium M with a few more components smacked on such as the wireless and the Intel 855 chipset family. So basically in a nutshell its Intel trying to promote its other products with leverage from the Pentium M.</p>
<p>Pentium M: This is probably considered the standard as of now manyy laptop geeks. Although it does not have wireless built in. Is also is said to consume less battery life. In the end some people would argue that Pentium M although requires additional gadgets for wireless would actually have superior wireless functionality than Centrino. So all in all Centrino and Pentium M are very similar. If you dont want to bother buying extra wireless Centrino would be good, but be prepared to shell out more money as usual(1.3GHz-1.6Ghz is pretty good)</p>
<p>Pentium Celeron M: This is the processor under M that consumes more battery life, However, if you can't or dont want to spend money on the M which Id recommend anyways, Celeron is still a viable processor although it might get outdated quickly as Intel seems to be cooking even newers ones up.</p>
<p>Pentiums 3,4: I dont reccomend these. They suck up alot of battery and are seen mostly in the gaming laptops and even then they arent very good, because of the heat battery life issue. And they tend to be a bit bulkier for some odd reason than the rest. Generalizing of course, but I would go for the Celeron and if not then the M</p>
<p>The next choice in DELL laptops is the Operating System or OS.
Windows XP Home is perfectly fine. Professional in my experience doesnt make a difference because college students rarely if never use the additional functions. Besides Windows is releasing its next OS called Windows Vista VERY SOON so you will be upgrading your OS in a year or two so why bother with XP professional especially at 120 dollars.</p>
<p>Operating System Backup and Recovery
I personally would choose this, because laptops like all computers can get touchy at times and wipe out your entire hard drive or become corrupted so that you will HAVE to reinstall windows etc. For 10 dollars it is not a complete insurance against this, but it is better than sitting there at 1AM typing your essay due the next morning and then watch your laptop eat up your essay and refuse to give it back to you. NOT FUN and believe me yes it does happen oooo and does it happen.</p>
<p>Printers
You wont need a printer unless you are too lazy to go downstairs to the computer labs in the dorms and on maincampus to print out your documents for free. Personal printers require you to buy ink which is already pricey in my opinion, but for some people it is valuable because it saves time of having to save your document on a disk or email it to yourself so you can run downstairs open it up again from email and print it out.</p>
<p>Rebate
Be careful read the fine print. Rebate often times can mean no refund!</p>
<p>Warranty
I would not get anything beyond 3 years. Usually I recommend 2 because laptops get outdated quickly so you end up paying extra. But to be sage 3 yars is good. Its default I believe with Dell</p>
<p>CompleteCare
Ehhhh I wouldnt, but if you want read the fine print on WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN ACCIDENT in terms of damage before you choose this. Because what you consider an accident is not necessairly an accident to Dell</p>
<p>AND FINALLY the more important part</p>
<p>The next thing youll want to look at is memory
Basically the standard now is 512MB among the geeks
256MB is OK, but if your going to be running many programs at one time such as having many internet explorers or firefox windows open in addition to your winamp or media player blasting music in addition to word in addition to your antivirus etc etc you will want 512MB.
Basically each new program you open consumes just a bit more memory until you run out and then your computer will tell you it has no memory left close a few programs if you want to open another one. Also 512MB tend to share memory at a bit higher speed with the processors so you will find a marked improvment in the time it takes to access the memory and open a program. Albiet not HUGE but still pretty good. 1GB is uncessary as of now for a laptop because Im assuming you wont be making large video productions or large graphics.</p>
<p>Hard Drive
most people consider 40-60GB hard drives to be standard. Youll find larger hard drives on desktop. 60GB can store a very nice amount of your mp3s and videos actually I think alot, but if your one of those people with 5 million songs then no youll need the ridiculous 250GB hard drive and an insurance policy against the RIAA or if your not downloading mps and buying that many CDS then a psychiatrist to help you stop. But really 60GB is completely standard and enough for the common user.</p>
<p>DVD/CDRW Drives
The default CD burner and DVD combo drive is fine at 24X. No need for double layer DVD, which is for the gadget lovers. Its not very popular yet so the discs for is are a bit pricey.</p>
<p>Extra Battery
You can probably find is cheaper on EBAY or some electronic store, but if you want go ahead. Most likely youll be working with your laptop on campus or around the South40 in a room since its cold most of the year and so your bound to find a outlet to plug your latop in so this battery in uncessary unless you like wide open spaces where no man roams.</p>
<p>Sound cards
For the price of one sound card and headphones I would rather just get a small boombox or cdplayer or even a IPOD SHUFFLE and listen to music from that instead of shelling out the same price so lug around a laptop to listen to music. Not to mention you can takemp3 or cdplayers around easier for exercising which you will want to do at college to avoid the freshman 15.</p>
<p>Extrenal hard drive
No need</p>
<p>Office Productivity Software<br>
Here is the catch. Windows XP doesnt come with word excel etc the last time I checked. If you want to take a risk...there is bound to be some compute freak on your floor that you can borrow a "copy" of word or exce from and install it. But if youd like to be safe and "legal" go ahead Microsoft Office or Works suite from Dell.</p>
<p>Dial up Internet access
No need</p>
<p>High speed internet
No need you get this at college if you need it</p>
<p>Wireless networking card
If you get Centrino you wont need this
If you get Pentium M you might want to get this
However most people at school just plug in the high speed connection ethernet cord (the blue cord) instead of having the find a wireless hotspot. So just make sure you have an ethernet card inside your laptop! Most do, but its always good to checl</p>
<p>All the rest isnt as important but if I missed something or said somethig wrong people feel free to restate anything.</p>
<p>Good Luck! =D</p>