1. Overview

Before we look at the laptops most suitable for college students, we should understand what makes a good student laptop. Typically, a student would want a laptop that’s lightweight and comfortable enough to lug to and from their various classes. In addition, the laptop has to have great battery life and performance. And price is sometimes a concern, so the above features need to be packed into an affordable package.

After considering the types of laptops suitable for college students, I’ve decided to split them into three categories: budget, thin and light and ultraportable. So let’s take a look at them now …

Netbook (nettop, psion, mini notebook/laptop or subnotebook) - a small, light, low-power notebook computer that is designed basically for web browsing. It has less processing power than a full-sized laptop but is still suitable for word processing, running a Web browser and connecting wirelessly to the Internet.

Netbooks fall into a category of small sized computers. Such computers have been known by names like subnotebook, ultra-portable, mini-notebook, nettop, cloudbook and ultra-mobile PC. The name netbook is currently the most popular marketing buzzword. Typically, a netbook will have a slimmed-down operating system, a smaller keyboard, a smaller screen and smaller storage space.

With most mobile broadband providers now offering free laptop computers as an incentive, it is probably a good time to discuss the pros of cons of such deals. Increasingly, providers are adding such deals in an effort to stay with the market as we become addicted to mobile connectivity. But whilst it sounds an amazing deal, how good a deal is it really?

Firstly of course, it is not entirely free. You will have to commit to a mobile broadband contract with your chosen provider. The lengths of these contracts vary of course, though most are for at least twelve and can be as many as twenty four months.

The mini notebook, also called the netbook, worked up a storm in the technology industry when it first came out. Touted as cheap alternatives to bulky laptops, it was designed for simple usability. Most of them were not designed to be the fastest computer of the month, but they are helpful, especially if you travel a lot or often use your computer for spreadsheets and word processing.