laptop ideas (other than macs)

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>so i'm going to school next year, and i know its a little early but my parents want a couple ideas for an appropriate laptop. to be honest macs are already on my list so i really needs so additional pc ideas to check out</p>

<p>i'm probably gonna be a poli sci or econ major but the minor i want has wharton classes so i'll have to take some business classes</p>

<p>i only play console games so that is not an issue...and mostly i'll be on the web and writing </p>

<p>so yea, any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!</p>

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<p>Greetings fellow Quaker-to-be! Here are some suggestions:</p>

<p>Apparently Wharton utilizes some software that can’t even run on a Mac, so check up on that before you commit yourself to that particular avenue. As for PC suggestions:</p>

<ul>
<li>Sony VAIO (I’m personally looking at the Z series 13.1", which is an extremely lightweight but remarkably powerful pc). Z: 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 320 GB HDD, 4 GB DDR3 RAM, both an integrated Intel chipset and a discrete Nvidia 9300M (which can be switched on or off to increase battery life). It can be had new in sealed box from ebay for $1200-$1400 or direct from Sony for ~$1800. Another option is the SR series 13.3", which is slightly less powerful and a little heavier, but still relatively portable for the power it offers. ~$1300 direct for a configuration similar to the above. Ebay prices are inexplicably high for the SR. Both of these laptops have solid reviews and are quite stylish (the Z is mostly composed of carbon fiber and aluminum, with very little plastic).
Here’s an infomercial: [YouTube</a> - Sony VAIO Z Series - Supreme Performance on the Move](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JGlH6uF8nw]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JGlH6uF8nw)</li>
</ul>

<p>-Another excellent option is basically anything from the Lenovo Thinkpad series. They are light, have incredible battery life, excellent build quality, and tend to be quite fast and free of crapware out of the box. </p>

<p>-Asus makes certain notebooks that are considered good quality (and some that are pure crap, so watch out). The f6ve series, in particular, offers good value in terms of the amount of hardware they manage to jam into a tiny 13.3" frame and at a great price. The reviews are mostly positive about the f6ve aside from its battery life. So, this may not be too great an option if you want to be mobile. </p>

<p>-I will concede that even a Macbook can be a great option b/c of its amazing build quality and top notch hardware. If you choose Apple, then you should install Windows and set it as the default OS since that will help you avoid potential compatibility issues. Bootcamp is really not a viable option for regular Windows use (which is what you’ll be looking at with Wharton courses). </p>

<p>Personally, I’d recommend you steer clear of the crap being offered by HP, Toshiba, and Dell unless you’re purchasing from their business series.</p>

<p>Good luck in your search!</p>