best pc laptops for college students 2011 image
Zoe
I'm a freshman and college and have been using the same laptop since 8th grade. I'm wanting a new one and am trying to decide on what to get. My mom said she'd get it for me for my birthday. I was thinking of getting the Mac Air because it's so lightweight but all my software is for a PC. What kind of laptop do you have, what software is on it?
Answer
I'm also a Mac enthusiast for many of the same reasons others have given in their answers here. The overwhelming majority of students at my college have a Mac, and our campus is very Apple friendly. All the dorms have computer clusters, and most are stocked with a 20 / 80 PC to Mac ratio. Macs are far less likely to get viruses, are extremely intuitive, have a great battery life, and retain their value much longer than PCs. It can take a bit of time to acclimate to a Mac because they're set up quite differently than PCs, but once you get the hang of it, they're fun and easy to use. And if you still prefer Windows you can simply use Bootcamp to transform your Mac into a virtual PC. I have a program called Parallel on my Macbook Pro and Mac Air that gives me the option of running both systems simultaneously, but I rarely use it because I dislike Windows.
Throughout high school I had two PC laptops (a Sony Vaio and a HP), a Dell notebook, and a Macbook Pro. The HP was absolutely terrible and hands-down the worst computer I've ever had in my life. It would overheat to the point where it would literally burn my fingertips. The Vaio impressed me at first, then quickly lost its appeal as it perpetually got bogged down with viruses, overheated, and didn't have a lot of the software I needed. I still love the Mac. I'm now in college and have a new Macbook Pro for home use, and just bought the Mac Air 11 inch to serve as a notebook. I ⥠them. Both have impressive battery longevity, are light-weight, durable, and come with Garageband, my all-time favorite program as a musician.
Of the two, I think a Macbook Pro is a better all-purpose computer. I've got the 15 inch, and it's very light and portable, and is so aesthetically pleasing. I love the backlit keyboard for working at night, on planes, and in other darker settings. Depending on the programs you're using and the energy settings you select, you can get up to 10 hours of battery life. I got the Mac Air simply because I cart a ton of things around with me including instruments and art portfolios, and I needed something ultra slim to use during the day. It's a fantastic computer for carting to class, but with the small size you sacrifice the storage capacity and built-in DVD drive of the Macbook Pro. I just use it during the day, then have all the files sync to my Macbook Pro as soon as I'm home. The white Macbook is also fantastic. All the students at my sisters' school now get them as part of the tuition, and it comes stocked with their textbooks and other software they'll need for the year. You can get the 13.3 inch white Macbook for $949 as a student, and it easily pops into most shoulder bags. It should satisfy most of your computer needs as a college student.
In addition to the standard, pre-installed programs such as iLife 11, I have Aperture, the Adobe Creative Suite 5 (including Photoshop CS5 and AfterEffects CS5), iWork 09, Parallel, Virtual DJ, and Microsoft Office 2011 for Business. I wouldn't have been able to afford all that software on my own, and only have it because my dad's company hooked me up it. Really, the only additional program that I need is iWork 09, and that's just because of personal preference. A lot of people use OpenSource, a free word processing program. I have used the Microsoft Office programs very sparingly, and wouldn't purchase them. Oh, and I also have a few excellent free software downloads like iFlash, a virtual flash-card program. You can get it to sync with an app on your iPhone and iPad. I also recommend OverDrive, a program that lets you download audio and e-books from your school and local libraries.
If you decide to get a Mac, make sure you get the education discount. If you don't have a store on campus selling Macs, you can get the discount at any Apple store by showing your student ID. I saved hundreds by getting my Macbook Pro during the back-to-school special.
CNET is a great resource for reading reviews on laptops and software. If you go the Download section of the site you can view the software available for PC and Macs in order of popularity, editors ratings and other factors.
I hope this answer is helpful to you. : )
I'm also a Mac enthusiast for many of the same reasons others have given in their answers here. The overwhelming majority of students at my college have a Mac, and our campus is very Apple friendly. All the dorms have computer clusters, and most are stocked with a 20 / 80 PC to Mac ratio. Macs are far less likely to get viruses, are extremely intuitive, have a great battery life, and retain their value much longer than PCs. It can take a bit of time to acclimate to a Mac because they're set up quite differently than PCs, but once you get the hang of it, they're fun and easy to use. And if you still prefer Windows you can simply use Bootcamp to transform your Mac into a virtual PC. I have a program called Parallel on my Macbook Pro and Mac Air that gives me the option of running both systems simultaneously, but I rarely use it because I dislike Windows.
Throughout high school I had two PC laptops (a Sony Vaio and a HP), a Dell notebook, and a Macbook Pro. The HP was absolutely terrible and hands-down the worst computer I've ever had in my life. It would overheat to the point where it would literally burn my fingertips. The Vaio impressed me at first, then quickly lost its appeal as it perpetually got bogged down with viruses, overheated, and didn't have a lot of the software I needed. I still love the Mac. I'm now in college and have a new Macbook Pro for home use, and just bought the Mac Air 11 inch to serve as a notebook. I ⥠them. Both have impressive battery longevity, are light-weight, durable, and come with Garageband, my all-time favorite program as a musician.
Of the two, I think a Macbook Pro is a better all-purpose computer. I've got the 15 inch, and it's very light and portable, and is so aesthetically pleasing. I love the backlit keyboard for working at night, on planes, and in other darker settings. Depending on the programs you're using and the energy settings you select, you can get up to 10 hours of battery life. I got the Mac Air simply because I cart a ton of things around with me including instruments and art portfolios, and I needed something ultra slim to use during the day. It's a fantastic computer for carting to class, but with the small size you sacrifice the storage capacity and built-in DVD drive of the Macbook Pro. I just use it during the day, then have all the files sync to my Macbook Pro as soon as I'm home. The white Macbook is also fantastic. All the students at my sisters' school now get them as part of the tuition, and it comes stocked with their textbooks and other software they'll need for the year. You can get the 13.3 inch white Macbook for $949 as a student, and it easily pops into most shoulder bags. It should satisfy most of your computer needs as a college student.
In addition to the standard, pre-installed programs such as iLife 11, I have Aperture, the Adobe Creative Suite 5 (including Photoshop CS5 and AfterEffects CS5), iWork 09, Parallel, Virtual DJ, and Microsoft Office 2011 for Business. I wouldn't have been able to afford all that software on my own, and only have it because my dad's company hooked me up it. Really, the only additional program that I need is iWork 09, and that's just because of personal preference. A lot of people use OpenSource, a free word processing program. I have used the Microsoft Office programs very sparingly, and wouldn't purchase them. Oh, and I also have a few excellent free software downloads like iFlash, a virtual flash-card program. You can get it to sync with an app on your iPhone and iPad. I also recommend OverDrive, a program that lets you download audio and e-books from your school and local libraries.
If you decide to get a Mac, make sure you get the education discount. If you don't have a store on campus selling Macs, you can get the discount at any Apple store by showing your student ID. I saved hundreds by getting my Macbook Pro during the back-to-school special.
CNET is a great resource for reading reviews on laptops and software. If you go the Download section of the site you can view the software available for PC and Macs in order of popularity, editors ratings and other factors.
I hope this answer is helpful to you. : )
can i burn my microsoft software to a cd or something like that to transfer it to a new computer?
A
I know it might not be legal but I just got my laptop 3 months ago and downloaded microsoft through a link from one of my professors for $100. I know its cheap but I cant afford to buy that again, I'm a college student. Anyways I got a new laptop so is there any way that I can transfer my microsoft onto it without buying it all over again
Answer
Microsoft software is licensed per product key, one to a computer. This is checked through what Microsoft calls "Activation," or in the case of Windows, "Windows Genuine Advantage." If you attempt to install a Microsoft program on more than one PC, once it's connected to the Internet it will run a validation check. If MS's database thinks you are attempting to use a key more than once, it'll fail and the program will not work (or will be limited in what it can do to the point where it's useless.)
The only exception is Microsoft Office Student / Teacher Edition, which is probably what you're talking about. If you buy the retail box it comes with three product keys and you are licensed to install the software on up to three CDs. If you downloaded your software; it may have only come with one product key. Some people have had success with uninstalling a Microsoft program from one computer and then re-installing it on another, but you may have to call Microsoft if it runs an Activation check and fails.
Also, you can't just copy most computer software to a CD. Windows programs install critical files into various folders on your PC and create system Registry entries that make the program work. You would have to download the software from the original link or site your professor sent, or get it again from Microsoft.
Hint: If it's Office 2011 you bought, and you have a valid Product Key, you should be able to download the 60-day Trial from Microsoft's website and then enter your Product Key when the trial ends. It will convert your trial version to a paid license.
Microsoft software is licensed per product key, one to a computer. This is checked through what Microsoft calls "Activation," or in the case of Windows, "Windows Genuine Advantage." If you attempt to install a Microsoft program on more than one PC, once it's connected to the Internet it will run a validation check. If MS's database thinks you are attempting to use a key more than once, it'll fail and the program will not work (or will be limited in what it can do to the point where it's useless.)
The only exception is Microsoft Office Student / Teacher Edition, which is probably what you're talking about. If you buy the retail box it comes with three product keys and you are licensed to install the software on up to three CDs. If you downloaded your software; it may have only come with one product key. Some people have had success with uninstalling a Microsoft program from one computer and then re-installing it on another, but you may have to call Microsoft if it runs an Activation check and fails.
Also, you can't just copy most computer software to a CD. Windows programs install critical files into various folders on your PC and create system Registry entries that make the program work. You would have to download the software from the original link or site your professor sent, or get it again from Microsoft.
Hint: If it's Office 2011 you bought, and you have a valid Product Key, you should be able to download the 60-day Trial from Microsoft's website and then enter your Product Key when the trial ends. It will convert your trial version to a paid license.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: What kind of computer do you think is best for a college student. What software should I get?
Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment