What Computer for College - 2008 Edition

So every year we get a few requests about "What computer should I buy for college?" Here are some of our thoughts, as well as some specifics that every new computer should have.

Laptop or Desktop (or Tablet)? - I'd say a large majority of college students have laptops, simply because the mobility of a laptop is important to students who are on-the-go. Further, a laptop is simply easier to move around while moving in and out of your dorm room. Laptops are more expensive, however, so this is a trade off decision that you must make yourself.

Tablet PCs are still a specialized category of computer - most students do not get this unless they know that they need a tablet PC. Most of the major online retailers (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba) have tablet PC options.

PC or Mac? - Most people don't really need to ask this question, as you should just get whatever you've been using before at home or school. Macs do have the reputation of being less buggy, more stylish, and simpler to use than Windows. These things come at a hefty price tag, though, as a PC is often much cheaper than an equivalent Mac laptop or desktop.

Vista or XP? - right after Windows Vista was released, some people were sticking with Windows XP, but now that Vista has been updated significantly, there is no reason that a new computer should be purchased without a copy of the latest, most secure version of Windows - Vista.

Now some idea on specifications (these are more appropriate for Windows laptops)

Screen Size - This defines the overall size of the laptop. A 15" display is the typical average, but some students will get a smaller screen because they want to be more mobile, or a bigger (17 inch) screen if they want a desktop replacement (a computer that they intend to leave on their desk a majority of the time)

RAM/Memory - If you're getting Windows Vista, 2 GB of memory is a must, if not 3 GB.

CPU Speed - Intel Core 2 Duo is important to get if you want a speedy laptop - do not get a Celeron or a Intel Dual Core. 2 GHz is the typical speed, and slight deviations from this (e.g. 2.2 GHz) won't affect overall performance that much.

Hard Drive - A typical hard drive is between 150-250 GB for laptops. This is plenty of space for a decent amount of music and school documents. If you will be doing video editing (which takes up more hard drive space), you may want to get something bigger.

Optical Drive - A standard laptop will come with a CD Burner + DVD Player. This is probably enough for an average student, but a DVD-burner upgrade is nice if you want to burn DVDs of video or for backups.

Video Card - A laptop will probably not play games very well, simply because a top-of-the-line video card cannot fit into the laptop. The standard video card is fine for everyday use.

Wireless - Wireless is essential for school laptops. Upgrades to "802.11 Draft N" or things with "N" are not essential - your school wireless will use the widely standardized 802.11b.