Back to School Laptop Guide: Do's and Don'ts
Image credit: PixabayAre you going back to school? Are you looking for an inexpensive laptop? Then this article is for you. At this time of the year, many companies will be pushing videos and advertisements of different laptops for students. When getting a computer for school, it is better to purchase a used or refurbished premium laptop.
Laptops are a vital part of our lives, especially as students. Whether you want to use it for music or watch a movie after a long day, your laptop is the core to everything. This is why it is crucial to get the right one.
The two major factors to getting a student laptop are:
how much you want to spend
which one is most suited for your workload
There is a lot to consider when getting a school laptop, including budget and your specifications. And knowing what to do and what not to do is crucial for getting a long-lasting laptop.
Do buy a used laptop
Buying a used laptop is usually the best way to go in. Generally, it is better to buy a high-end model of a used laptop rather than get a new laptop for the same price. Many innovations do not happen at the budget level. Buying used laptops is the only way to get actual value, especially when you want durability, good battery, and high-level performance. You can get discounted used laptops on Amazon, Best Buy, and other online stores.
Do Your Research
You need to take time to know the kind of laptop you want to buy. If you wish to use it for basic tasks such as word processing or for engineering or programming, you need huge storage space. It would be best to consider a laptop with:
a bigger hard drive,
a higher memory,
or a good processor.
It ultimately depends on its longevity.
Laptops like:
Acer Aspire 5,
Surface Laptop 2,
XPS 13/15,
and Lenovo X1/ Carbon
are the kinds of laptops to buy. They have excellent components, and you can quickly get replacement parts when needed. If you want to go for a MacBook, the M1 is recommended for the best battery, outstanding performance, and great resell value.
Do Consider Convertible Laptops
Many Windows laptops convert into a tablet, and that could come in handy if you need to use your computer on the go. Using a touchscreen hybrid makes you feel at home and efficient; compared to smartphones and tablets.
Do Buy Online
Buying anything online has gotten more accessible due to the progression of technology. There are lots of reliable stores online, such as Best Buy, Walmart or Target. Getting your laptops from these stores is highly advisable. You can easily purchase a used or refurbished device with certainty from these reliable retailors.
Do Buy A Laptop With Good Battery Life
As a student, long battery life is essential in your laptop. There will be moments where you need to be in several classes in a day without having to juice it up. The battery life you should opt for should be at least six plus hours. And if your budget is up for it, consider a laptop with 12 hours of battery life.
Don't Forget About Diminishing Returns
The more you pay for a laptop, the more you should expect from it. Even though most used premium laptops could give you premium features for a lesser price, you will still expect a certain criteria.
aesthetic
fast speed
lighter weight
thin design
These are a few things you must consider when investing in your laptop.
Don't Buy Gaming Laptops
Gaming laptops are not ideal for students as you may have to deal with the weight and short battery life. On top of all that, it could be a distraction because of its high functionality. The best choice in this regard is a regular or work-based laptop.
Don't Trust the Hype
Several tech blogs and reviews, tech enthusiasts, or people who have pseudo-intellect, seem to know all about laptops. However, you can only take what you hear or read with a grain of salt. Most of these outlets are just paid to write and will write with biases. It would be best to follow your intuition in cases like this after careful consideration instead of believing the hype.
Don't Worry
Do not stress yourself too much about getting a new laptop. All you need to do is have good research and buy one within your price range. Also, make findings on return policies of places you buy your laptop. Just in case you regret your decision and need a refund. Keep in mind that there is no perfect laptop, but as long as you find one that suits your workload and budget, you are good to go.
So remember:
DO
Buy used to save you money
Research for your needs
Look at features that are useful to you
Buy from reputable sellers and retailors
Look for substantial battery life
DON'T
Settle for less than what you want
Buy a gaming laptop for work
Always trust the hype
Worry. You can figure this out
If you're looking to buy from a reputable online store, consider sellbroke.com. Our staff is highly knowledgeable about filling your needs to find the right laptop for you. We have been in business for quite awhile now, and are more than capable in lending our knowledge onto you. Happy shopping.
Acer Swift X: Perfect Laptop for Students
The Acer Swift X is the newest portable and light laptop to come out of the Swift Series. It cannot be classified as a budget laptop, because it is more in the mid-range level. However, it is a more affordable option considering most of the models in the Acer Swift range and specs. Especially with its bigger screen, convenient form, and incredible features. The Swift X is similar to its predecessors with its very premium feel and look. Here is an overview of what to expect with the Acer Swift X.
Design
What Makes it Work
Measuring at 12.7 x 8.4 x 0.7", the Swift X comes in an anodized aluminum chassis. However, some parts of this laptop are plastic which gives it a bit of a cheap feel. Yet, it provides a fun look from the outside with its colorful edges at the back hinge. And right above the keys, a fingerprint scanner lets you bypass the stress of logging into your Google accounts.
For the ports, instead of the usual USB-C port, you get a tube-shaped plug charger.
There is also:
a thunderbolt 4.0 port,
2 USB 3.2 ports,
an HDMI,
and headphone jack.
With the laptop itself there is:
8GB of RAM,
a 512GB SSD,
and an Intel Core i5.
Overall:
REAL SOLID
Display
What Makes it Work
This whole HD 14-inch laptop has a decent display. And unlike most laptops, the Acer X does not come with a flat glass surface screen but a little elevated plastic rim giving it a not-so trendy look.
At 360 nits, you maximize the brightness that you can use in sunlight. Its unique matte display also reduces any distracting reflections you may encounter while using it outdoors. The color display of the Swift X is on the same level as most of the HP and Lenovo brands. It covers about 70 per cent of the Adobe RGB, 98 per cent of the sRGB, and 75 per cent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
So although it might not be convenient to use the Swift X for premium content creation, with its mid-range LCD, you can make good use of the Swift X outdoors.
Overall:
A CASUAL GOOD TIME
Keyboard and Touchpad
What Makes it Work
The keyboard of the Swift X feels comfortable within the laptop. It also has an auto backlight that automatically stays on or off.
What it's Missing
The touchpad of the laptop is a plastic-type – which gives it a cheap feel. Unlike the textured feel in most laptops, this laptop has a mechanical click which makes it a little hard to press.
Overall:
Not enough thought
Performance
What Makes it Work
The performance level of this laptop is excellent for content creations, multi-media usage and graphic design. However, its gaming performance may fall below expectations. This model comes with:
an 8 GB of RAM,
an Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU,
512GB SSD
and an Intel Xe Max GPU.
The Acer Swift can stand toe-to-toe with many premium laptops on the performance level. During the Geek Bench 5 test, the Swift X scored 5338. On the PC Mark Ten tests, it scored 4,785 points.
The CPU of the Swift X generally pulls its power from the GPU to promote the laptop's performance. If you want a great gaming experience, this laptop may not be a good option. However, for content creation and other multi-media options, the Swift X will do a proper job.
What it's Missing
The sound cannot be compared to that of a high-performance premium gaming laptop.
The computer has serious cooling issues as you might have to deal with high temperature and heat, and the 0.33mm fan blades are not enough for cooling.
Overall:
Needing more time for play
Battery
What Makes it Work
The 58.7Wh sized battery can last for over 18 hours, which is very impressive for a laptop. During the benchmark test, the Acer Swift X lasted for over 10 hours. Compared to most Intel Acer laptops, this laptop has a good backup battery. So whether it is for everyday tasks or something more challenging such as video editing, graphic design, or gaming, the Acer Swift X is a perfect option.
Overall:
FULL OF POWER
Final Verdict
The Acer Swift X is a subtle workhorse. You can use your laptop quietly without bringing too much attention to yourself. It is perfect for students and content creators. You can use it anywhere without having to think of carrying a charger around. If you have your budget to worry about and want to have productive work, this laptop is one of the best options and should be on the top of your list.
Sell Acer Swift X 14" SFX14-41G-R1S6 AMD Ryzen 7 RTX 3050 Ti laptop
Apple Laptops with Student Discount
School itself is hard and quite expensive. The school fees, the accommodation fee and transportation fee (if you stay outside the campus) might take its toll on you. Having a laptop is important to a student in this current era, and that’s another cost. This is why students look for discounted laptops to purchase for their use. A MacBook is great for every student, which is why discounts on them are sweet music to the ears.
This is why we have made a choice to bring you ways to own a MacBook using student discounts. Suddenly, owning a great laptop for school work doesn’t have to cost the earth. Apple also offers discount on several accessories, as well as freebies that come with purchasing their products as a student.
Here comes another good news, Apple’s student discount deals are quite flexible with its eligibility. As a student, whether you’re in the University, or the college, you are eligible to participate in these deals. Additionally, if you’re employed at these educational institutions, you can take part in these deals, although not to the extent at which students can take advantage of it. The discount percentage for staffs is quite lower than that given to the students.
Last year, Apple offered to sell MacBook laptops at great deals. It means if you buy a Mac, you are eligible for a great level of discount, as well as a free pair of Beats Studio3 headphones.
What makes it even more interesting is that all of Apple's current MacBooks are available for discount purchase. This means that either you want an affordable MacBook or the high-end models, you are likely to get a great discount on it.
Also, Apple has offered 20% off AppleCare+ device protection. This is a great deal, especially for owners of expensive and high-end Macs. If you want to make sure it gets free repair when it gets faulty or for a lesser fee, you have to take advantage of this deal.
Here are some laptops you can get students discount on the Apple website:
Apple MacBook Air
1.6GHz Dual-Core Processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
128GB Storage
Touch ID
Price - $999 (price before discount was $1,099, you save $100)
Sell MacBook Air 8,2 13" 2019 A1932 MVFH2LL/A laptop
Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro
13.3-inch Retina display1
Up to 4-core Intel Core i7 processor
Up to 16GB memory
Up to 2TB storage2
Up to 10 hours battery life3
Touch Bar and Touch ID
Backlit keyboard
Price - $1,199 (price before discount was $1,299, so you save $100)
Sell Macbook Pro 13 15,2 2018 Touch Bar A1989 MV962LL/A laptop
You can get several other great deals on the Apple website
Here are the set of people eligible for Apple student/education discounts
The students, the teachers, parent of students and school board members
K-12 staff: Staffs of public or private K-12 schools are eligible for the discounts. Also, home-school teachers and school board members currently holding posts are eligible.
Higher Education staff and students: Staffs and students currently in higher education institutions are eligible. Also, students already accepted are eligible.
Higher Education Parents: Parents of students in higher education institutions are eligible to purchase for their children.
Surface Laptop Go: The Perfect Laptop For College Students
We all want and need a laptop that will make our daily activities easier. There are a few categories of people that will appreciate such a laptop than college students. The schedule of a college student is always hectic, as there are numerous assignments to work on, notes to track among other things.
These reasons and more are why college students will appreciate the Surface Go. This laptop might yet be the best thing to happen to college students. In terms of affordability and performance, it fulfills their needs.
Display and Screen
The Surface Go has a 10-inch 1800x1200 sized screen, and it certainly looks great. it has a good level of color accuracy, better than most other laptops in its category. Its 99 percent sRGB and 76 percent Adobe RGB color accuracy betters some Surface Pros as well. If you love spending time outside of the campus, rather than indoors – the brightness, which is around 435 nits is great for sunny conditions.
Performance
The Surface Go doesn’t boast about being the most powerful, but its level of consistency and reliability is great for college students. It comes with a 4GB RAM and the Intel 4415Y processor for the base model. You could get models with 8GB RAM too. You can open your Microsoft PowerPoint or Word alongside multiple browsers at the same time, without seeing any slag.
While doing some work, you can also enjoy your entertainment apps. Listen to some music or see a movie, without experiencing any slowdown.
Keyboard
The Surface Go enjoys the Type Cover keyboard. It is optional but highly recommended. This is up there with the best keyboards I have used. It comes with the Alcantara fabric which is smooth to touch, while also strong and durable. I enjoyed typing on the low-profile keys, and the precision of the trackpad is great.
The only issue might be the smaller size of the keyboard, which can take time to get used to if you have always used huge laptops.
Battery
You need a solid battery as a college student. The Surface Go provides you with that. The battery lasts between 5-7 hours, which is dependent on the level of screen brightness and how much work the CPU is taking on. This level of delivery is sufficient for a college student.
Ports
It has the USB Type-C 3.1 port that allows for a fast transfer process and serves as a charging port with a tweak.
Why is the Surface Go perfect for college students?
Compactness
The Surface Go’s compactness is of high value to college students. At only 1.7 lbs, it epitomizes the meaning of compactness in a convertible laptop. It is not only featherweight, its small size also means it can sit pretty in any pocket of space in your bag.
When you consider the number of textbooks and notebooks that the college students have to carry in their backpack every day, you will realize how invaluable this compactness is. The student doesn’t have to sacrifice books to carry the Surface Go.
Affordability
As a student, you need to save money wherever you can. That is exactly what the Surface Go helps you to do. There is already the heavy burden of having to pay a huge amount of fees for tuition, which is why
Not everyone has $1,000 or more to splash on a laptop while in college. This category of people need not worry about not getting a good performing laptop, as the Surface Go is there to help.
You can get the base model of the Surface Go along with its Type Cover, for only about $500. When you consider what it delivers, this is an absolute bargain. The base model is what a college student needs. There is no harm in getting models with increased RAM and storage, as they have their benefits, but the base model will do all you need just fine.
If you are in a class that deals with plenty of videos, you might want to go for a higher model of the Surface Go. Asides from that, as a college student, you will enjoy the base model. You will likely not need the LTE version of the laptop, as most college campuses have Wi-Fi everywhere and you can just connect.
Sell Your Old Microsoft Surface GO Tablet.
Top 3 Laptops For Architecture Students
Studying architecture requires and only talent and skills but also good equipment. As an architecture student, you will need the right computer and software to achieve success in your work. It is important to have a laptop that can comfortably accommodate the latest applications required for your work.
There are requirements that are basic for a laptop bought for the purpose of architecture. You need a powerful processor and plenty of RAM to cope with your projects. A Windows 8 should be the least OS you go for, but we recommend Windows 10. Also the display has to have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixel or more. To keep your installed software running smoothly don't forget about decent sized SSD.
Remember, these are the minimum requirements of the computers you should go for. If you can afford one with better specs, it makes your job easier.
Let’s take a look at the top 3 laptops we recommend for architecture students.
Lenovo Thinkpad P71
Pros
Great Performance
Advanced graphics
4K resolution
Great Powerhouse
Cons
High on the price side
SSD storage not as fast as it should be
Specs
Windows 10 Pro OS
Intel Core i7 processor
3 inches screen size
16GB RAM
1920 x 1080 screen resolution
Nvidia 2GB graphics card
3 Lbs weight
This laptop has the level of features required for an architecture student to succeed. The full HD display that comes with the latest IPS technology on the 17.3 inches screen is what makes it great for architecture students. It has enough power for rendering and it will comfortably run designing applications.
Sell LENOVO ThinkPad P71 17.3 Intel Core i7-7th Gen laptop
Macbook Pro
Pros
Comes with retina display
Good configuration
Powerful performance level
Cons
On the high side of price
Does not support all designing software
Specs
MacOS
15 inches retina display
2880 x 1800 2K screen resolution
16GB DDR4 RAM
Intel Core i7 3.3GHz processor
Radeon Pro 560 graphics card
1 Lbs weight
The best thing about the MacBook Pro is its battery life.it lasts for up to 10 hours without charging, which means you can do a lot of work on it. The speed of work is high and the display levels lets you run 3D designs.
Sell Macbook Pro 13 15,2 2018 Touch Bar A1989 MR9Q2LL/A laptop
Microsoft Surface Book 2
Pros
Great battery life
Large display but lightweight
2-in-1 display for professional drawing
Cons
Absence of surface pen
Small trackpad
Specs
Windows 10 Pro OS
9Ghz Intel Core i7-8650U processor
16GB LPDDR3 RAM
3240 x 2160 screen resolution
15 inches screen size
Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card
2 Lbs weight
The selling point of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 is the 2-in-1 display that aids professional drawing. It also has a 13.5 inches touchscreen that allows you to use it as a tablet. The laptop can last up to 17 hours after a full charge, and it has got enough power to execute the job smoothly.
Sell Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-inch Intel Core i7 256GB laptop
5 Rugged Laptops for Engineering Students 2020
Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on UnsplashAll engineering students want the best laptop for their work. Be it computer, electrical, civil or mechanical engineering students, having a laptop good enough to sort all your work seamlessly is the goal. We have come up with a list of 5 laptops ideal for an engineering student.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the benchmark specs in ideal laptops for an engineering student. At least the processor must be Intel Core i5, an 8GB RAM laptop at the least but 16GB is ideal if you do a lot of multi-tasking. Minimum storage should be 256GB, and at least a 13-inch screen size. An integrated Graphics Card is ideal for non-gamers, while Nvidia graphics card for people that plan on gaming on their laptops.
Here are 5 of the best and rugged laptops for engineering students.
HP Spectre X360 15t
The HP Spectre x360 is beautiful inside and out. It comes with a lot of power ideal for the work, while it also doesn’t lack in gorgeousness. The display is great and responsive, as it comes with a 4K touchscreen, and has the option of the HP Tilt Pen which can help design 3D models in a professional way. The 8th generation Intel Core i7 means it comes with enough power to execute the job. The 15.6-inch screen makes you see everything clearly.
Sell HP Spectre x360 15 Intel Core i7-11th Gen laptop
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme
Talk about having a workhorse that offers so much power, then this is it. Only downside is the price tag, which can be heavy for some, along with its actual weight. It comes with several configurations which serves different budgets and purpose. The graphics card, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with Max-Q design, is solid. The 4K screen display in its 15.6-ich screen size, is glorious. It is one of the best laptops an engineering student can dream of.
Sell Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 16" i7-11th laptop
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro
Talking about an ideal 2-in-1 laptop, this is it. It has one of the best looks in the game, and comes with the S-Pen, a stylus that comes with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The battery life is also great, which makes it ideal for a long period job. Although, the battery life can be sometimes inconsistent depending on different factors. You might also have issues with the downward-firing speakers.
Sell Samsung Notebook 9 Pro Touch Intel Core i7-7500U laptop
Dell G3 15
Talking about getting good value for a good price, then it is the Dell G3 15. It perfectly combines power and affordability, as it comes for under $700 with the 9th generation Intel chips and GTX graphics. Major issue you will encounter will be the build, which might be too heavy to carry around sometimes. However, it is one of the best laptops for an engineering student.
Sell Dell G3 15 3500 Intel Core i7 10th Gen. NVIDIA GTX 2060 laptop
Asus K501ux
This laptop might be originally built for gamers, but its great processor, good storage space, and RAM makes it ideal for engineering students. The battery life is great, which means you can work on it for a long time without the worry of charging. It comes in a 15.6-inch screen that is great to look at, has the Intel Core i7 processor and 8GB RAM. Another lovely feature is that it is built to stay cool even after using it for a long period.
Sell Asus K501U Intel Core i7-6500U laptop
Surface Laptop Go: The Perfect Laptop For College Students
We all want and need a laptop that will make our daily activities easier. There are a few categories of people that will appreciate such a laptop than college students. The schedule of a college student is always hectic, as there are numerous assignments to work on, notes to track among other things.
These reasons and more are why college students will appreciate the Surface Go. This laptop might yet be the best thing to happen to college students. In terms of affordability and performance, it fulfills their needs.
Display and Screen
The Surface Go has a 10-inch 1800x1200 sized screen, and it certainly looks great. it has a good level of color accuracy, better than most other laptops in its category. Its 99 percent sRGB and 76 percent Adobe RGB color accuracy betters some Surface Pros as well. If you love spending time outside of the campus, rather than indoors – the brightness, which is around 435 nits is great for sunny conditions.
Performance
The Surface Go doesn’t boast about being the most powerful, but its level of consistency and reliability is great for college students. It comes with a 4GB RAM and the Intel 4415Y processor for the base model. You could get models with 8GB RAM too. You can open your Microsoft PowerPoint or Word alongside multiple browsers at the same time, without seeing any slag.
While doing some work, you can also enjoy your entertainment apps. Listen to some music or see a movie, without experiencing any slowdown.
Keyboard
The Surface Go enjoys the Type Cover keyboard. It is optional but highly recommended. This is up there with the best keyboards I have used. It comes with the Alcantara fabric which is smooth to touch, while also strong and durable. I enjoyed typing on the low-profile keys, and the precision of the trackpad is great.
The only issue might be the smaller size of the keyboard, which can take time to get used to if you have always used huge laptops.
Battery
You need a solid battery as a college student. The Surface Go provides you with that. The battery lasts between 5-7 hours, which is dependent on the level of screen brightness and how much work the CPU is taking on. This level of delivery is sufficient for a college student.
Ports
It has the USB Type-C 3.1 port that allows for a fast transfer process and serves as a charging port with a tweak.
Why is the Surface Go perfect for college students?
Compactness
The Surface Go’s compactness is of high value to college students. At only 1.7 lbs, it epitomizes the meaning of compactness in a convertible laptop. It is not only featherweight, its small size also means it can sit pretty in any pocket of space in your bag.
When you consider the number of textbooks and notebooks that the college students have to carry in their backpack every day, you will realize how invaluable this compactness is. The student doesn’t have to sacrifice books to carry the Surface Go.
Affordability
As a student, you need to save money wherever you can. That is exactly what the Surface Go helps you to do. There is already the heavy burden of having to pay a huge amount of fees for tuition, which is why
Not everyone has $1,000 or more to splash on a laptop while in college. This category of people need not worry about not getting a good performing laptop, as the Surface Go is there to help.
You can get the base model of the Surface Go along with its Type Cover, for only about $500. When you consider what it delivers, this is an absolute bargain. The base model is what a college student needs. There is no harm in getting models with increased RAM and storage, as they have their benefits, but the base model will do all you need just fine.
If you are in a class that deals with plenty of videos, you might want to go for a higher model of the Surface Go. Asides from that, as a college student, you will enjoy the base model. You will likely not need the LTE version of the laptop, as most college campuses have Wi-Fi everywhere and you can just connect.
Sell Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 1943 12.4" i5 10th Gen 1035G1 laptop
Final verdict
This might be a great trading laptop for college students due to its affordability. For a device of its level, it is quite reliable in how it performs. All these added to its compactness makes it a great device for younger consumers.