This sponsored post was written by Maggie Durango, a freelance writer and occasional guest blogger.
With high school graduation season now over, thousands upon thousands of graduates are preparing themselves for their transition into starting a college education. For parents, this means a lot of driving, paperwork and, most importantly, shopping. We all want our child to have everything he or she needs in order to be happy and make it through college, but at the same time we want to locate the best deals to save us money.
With high school graduation season now over, thousands upon thousands of graduates are preparing themselves for their transition into starting a college education. For parents, this means a lot of driving, paperwork and, most importantly, shopping. We all want our child to have everything he or she needs in order to be happy and make it through college, but at the same time we want to locate the best deals to save us money.When it comes to picking out laptops, money is always a big concern because they can get pretty expensive. Besides cost, there are several other factors to consider before purchasing your college student a laptop.
1. The Student— This should be the biggest determination as to what kind of laptop you get. It needs to be catered to the needs of your student. Consider weight and durability, as the computer will probably be lugged around between classes, the library and dorm room. It will also need plenty of storage space to keep all their papers and projects safe.
But also consider your student’s major. Different majors require different software and computer specs in order to get the full experience. For example, students seeking degrees in print or magazine production, graphic design and photography may need a wide, high definition screen for proper editing abilities. Any majors that are business or communications related will need presentation and data processing software.
While a lot of this important software is available for separate purchase, you get a much better deal when it comes in a package with a laptop.
2. What Others Say— While you can’t always trust reviews on some products, laptops are one of the few items that tons of people like to talk about truthfully and in detail. There are thousands of websites and blogs specifically for laptop reviews that you can peruse once you have picked out a few computers of interest.3. About the money issue…The most prominent brands you may be aware of are most likely to be the ones that are most expensive. And by shopping in retail locations like Best Buy, you will be paying a retail price much higher than the actual cost of the laptop. Your best bet is to shop online, as the prices tend to be a lot lower. Many manufacturers offer student discounts if you order directly through them.
It also never hurts to have connections. Maybe your kid went to school with someone who likes to build computers, and you can buy it for relatively cheap. Or you could also get a discount through someone who works in a retail location selling computers. For example, Apple has a Friends and Family discount that they offer, but just don’t openly talk about.
Picking out laptops is like picking out the best college or university. The best decisions are informed decisions. By doing your research and looking at all the factors that have an immediate impact on your child, you can confidently make the right choice so your child will have the most fulfilled experience possible.
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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I know this is such a biased comment but honestly macs are the best investment. I know they are more expensive, but they stay alive longer, you have less tune-ups, you don’t have to pay for spyware/virusware/etc. everything just works the way it should. You will go through 2 acers in the time you can go through one mac.
Macs actually don’t last that long. A friend of mine, who has had a Mac for about 4 years, has a laptop that is starting to go. They called Apple and Apple said that they are built to last only 3-4 years. But my friend loves them anyway because she’s beaten it up so much and it’s lasted so long.