COVID has forced students into an online learning environment that they never imagined. And with online learning come new challenges – accessing lectures, course assignments, discussion boards, zoom collaborations, timed tests, and more. The issue becomes this: will your current laptop deal with it? Perhaps, it’s time for an upgrade.
When making a choice, you have lots of considerations, including your budget, size of the laptop, quality of screen display, CPU, etc. Given all of this, let’s take a look at the best 10 laptops you need to look at.
- MacBook Air
If you do not have serious budget restrictions, this one’s for you. It runs roughly around $1,000. You will get a 13+” screen, a huge amount of storage, long battery life, and much more. Best of all, it is thin and light for students who move about. If speed is important, there will be no problem here. So, if you might be looking for some online academic writing help, you can quickly get to the TopWritersReview site and find an agency that can meet your needs. And speed gives you a “leg-up” when doing research too.
- Dell XPS 15
Again, this may be a bit pricey (the average price is about $1200.00), but for students who are in creative fields with a need for such things as graphic design, this is probably the best choice. RAM runs up to 64GB, the screen is 15 ½” anti-glare, and it has huge storage potential. Add to this a comfortable keyboard and great speakers.
- MacBook Pro 13-inch
Again, if your budget allows, here is a re-remake of a laptop that has always had great features. With an integrated 8-core GPU and 16 GB’s of unified memory, it sports a 13+-inch screen and 256 gigs of storage. Still lightweight. Price tag? About $1200.00. The long battery life is especially important for students who move about as they work.
- Acer Spin 5
With an Intel Core i5 – i7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics, and plenty of RAM and storage, this is often called a two-for-one laptop – keyboard and touchscreen both. It comes with a 13 ½” screen and a stylus with lots of features. Add to that long battery life, and this may be a student’s perfect solution. It will run for about $1000.00.
- ASUS Chromebook Flip C436
Lightweight but loaded with features – a great keyboard and touchscreen combination, 14-inch screen, and loads of RAM and storage. And it’s cheaper than most Chromebooks, coming in at about $800.00. Extra features include a fingerprint sensor and Wi-Fi 6 support. Having security and the speed that comes with this device can be critical for grad students who may be working on a thesis or dissertation.
- Google Pixelbook Go
If you’re on a bit tighter budget, this may be a good choice. It comes in at about $650.00 – $700.00. While not sporting all of the features of the more expensive version, it does have an Intel Core m3 – i7, Plenty of RAM and storage, an HD screen, and a 1080p webcam. Add great battery life, and you will probably find that this Pixelbook can meet all of your needs.
- HP Chromebook 14
Here is a laptop for anyone on a really tight budget. But it has the basics that at least a high school student will find adequate for his work, even if he needs to get online and ask someone to “write my essay.” Not as much RAM or storage, obviously, but the Intel Celeron processor is a good one, and it has basic HD graphics. The 14-inch diagonal screen is a decent size too, and it’s lightweight for moving about. Add a nice keyboard, and you have a great little device for about $250.
- Dell Inspiron 13 7000
Another two-in-one laptop that will easily do most of what any high school or college student might need – plenty of RAM and storage, a 13+” screen, and Intel Core i15 – i17. The one negative is a faster battery drain than a lot of other contemporary laptops. This one can be had for somewhere between $650 – $700.
- Microsoft Surface Go 2
This unit does not have the RAM or storage that other devices have, but it should do the job for most students who have budget restrictions. The cost will run between $400 – $500. One great feature – it will run the full Windows 10 system.
- Acer Swift 3
Here is a lightweight device with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU and Intel Iris Plus Graphics. RAM and storage are adequate, and it has a 14” HD screen. For student use, it’s great and will run between $675 and $800.
When looking for a new laptop, consider all of the features mentioned above. K-12 students will obviously not need the RAM, storage, speed, and battery life that a student in a rigorous graduate program will. Then, decide what your budget is and buy one of these top 10 – you’ll have a great device.
Author Bio: Mark Blackwood is passionate about being a lifelong learner. He loves to research and write about contemporary topics of interest and contributes to a wide range of blogs with the results of his work. When not blogging or writing/editing for several online writing services, he is performing with a local band.
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