<p>I'm sure lots of people have asked this question before, but I'm new to this site and it's pretty difficult for me to get around lol. But anyways, my question is: what computer should I get for college.</p>
<p>I'm going to be a biochemistry major and UT Austin, so I don't except using too many complicated programs. Probably just Excel or Word, nothing too heavy. I also don't think I'll be playing too many online games or things like that, so graphics cards aren't too important for me either. I pretty much just want a computer that will be fast, has a generous amount of storage, durable, and, most importantly, will last me 3-4 years with little difficulty. My price range is at maximum $1,000, but I'd only be willing to reach that max value for a really good and trustworthy computer.</p>
<p>In terms of my computer background, I've had both a Dell and HP laptop before, but wasn't too fond of either (my Dell laptop died within two years.) So if I had a choice, I'd say HP > Dell for my purposes. I've also been considering Sony computers since they really haven't done me any wrong yet, but I'm not too certain about their capabilities either. Lastly, I've never really worked with a mac before, so I'm not sure whether or not I should try that, but from what I've been told, they're good for school. </p>
<p>If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! And thanks in advance for the help! :D</p>
<p>HP laptops have high rates of failure (I heard), so I wouldn’t suggest getting an HP. Acer, Asus, Toshiba, and Lenovo are good brands though. I guess a $500 - $600 laptop will suit you as long as it has an Intel CPU and at least 4 GB of memory if you want to use Windows.</p>
<p>For Mac, you can go for the 13-inch MacBook Air which costs $999 I think (with student deals I think you can get it for less or it comes with a free iPod Touch that you can sell), and from what I hear from other CCers it is light, sturdy, has a very long battery and is suitable for everyday tasks.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about computers, but I have an HP laptop and it’s doing okay so far. I’ve had it for about two years and the battery is starting to weaken (I’ve been told this is normal). I’ve heard really good things about lenovos, though.</p>
<p>I have a Toshiba Satellite and it’s served me well for the past 3 years.</p>
<p>Sounds like an ultra book would work great for you. One I like is the Sony Vaio T. They all have great battery life, solid state or hybrid drives meaning they boot really fast. (look into ones with a hybrid hard drive because it boots fast while still having a lot of storage). They also have great battery life. If you buy a laptop from best buy that costs over $700 you get a free XBOX or if you buy from Sony you can get a free PS3 or PSVita (which you can sell if you don’t want).</p>
<p>I’d go with a Lenovo Thinkpad… MUCH higher build quality than Sony, HP, Toshiba, Asus, etc… I have a Thinkpad that’s 14 years old and still runs fine (needs a new charger though), so if you want a computer that’ll last, go the Thinkpad route… Most have rubber-coated magnesium cases, and these days they’re pretty thin too. I saw one on eBay (in new but not in box, with a return policy) with 16GBs of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and an i7 processor, as well as an extended battery, for $850! It has a 15.6" screen, and Windows 7 Professional, too. That’s a Thinkpad W510… For $150 more, you can get the smaller Thinkpad T420 (14" screen) with an even faster processor. I’d definitely consider a Thinkpad… They last MUCH longer than the average laptop, and if you buy one with an i7, you won’t have to worry about outdated performance for a long while, ahah. Consumer reports generally rates the Thinkpad line at the top, and rates Lenovo’s customer support second only to Apple’s. A Vaio or Satellite or whatever may be cheaper, but you get what you pay for…</p>