What kind of laptop should I get for college as a graphic design student?

shannon555

I'm looking for a laptop for school next year (I'm going to be a freshman at the University of Illinois). I found these basic questions to help you guys answer my question :)
(Also, I'm trying to avoid buying a mac for now)
Thank you SO much for any quality responses!

1) What is your budget?

up to $1500.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

a good sized screen but still easily portable


4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like:
b. Dislike:
no preferences, just looking for the best :P

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

graphic design (photoshop) + I would like to be able to have multiple things running (web pages, photoshop etc) at the same time without the laptop freezing or freaking out.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Both. A good battery life would be very nice but not completely necessary

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?

No, no games.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

More rather than less

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Itâd be nice to see it beforehand but no big deal.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
windows


11) From the choices below, what resolution would you prefer?

whatever would be best for graphic design

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

No preference.

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Yes.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

a good 3-4 years at least

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
all would be convenient lol

THANK YOU! :)
very nice! thank you!!
I was actually looking at an HP also (the hd x16) if you had any opinions on that.

Answer
Im good with computers. Ok if your worrying about bluetooth at all you can install service pack 2 for windows vista. It comes free. So i went over what you said i think i found a pretty stylish/awsome computer. heres a list of sepcs

dv4t series From HP -LAPTOP

Color Espresso Black edit
Operating system Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz)
Memory FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!
Hard drive FREE Upgrade to 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Graphics card 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M
Display 14.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
Primary optical drive Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
Personalization Webcam + Fingerprint Reader edit
Networking Wireless-G Card
TV & entertainment experience No TV Tuner w/remote control
Keyboard HP Color Matching Keyboard
Primary battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Modem Port No Modem
Productivity software Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
Photography software Adobe(R) PhotoShop(R) Elements 7.0
Your additional options:
If your a little curios on the graphic card heres its website http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_g105m_us.html
Now heres the link to the lap top at hp http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Ultra-Portable&series_name=dv4t_series Just use those specs and the price will come out to be $982.96 With the accerious HP 4GB USB Flash Drive

Targus Heat Defense Pad for Laptops
I highly advice you get those 2. Specially the heating pad. Laptops due tend to over heat along the way. After like 5 months.

Recommend a laptop for a college student?

night shad

I'm going to college next year and need to pick a laptop. I want a toshiba preferably, but what other brands would you suggest. Not dell because i've never had good experience with them. What laptop would suggest? I do plan to do a little gaming with it, but I also write and videos as well. Any suggestions would be nice. (No macs please. I'm trying to stay under 1000)

Answer
What kind of gaming are you talking about? You won't be playing Crysis on any laptop under $1000. With that said, here are two decent machines in your budget-
http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=505778
or
http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=505773

The top one has better battery life and a 13.3" screen but the bottom one has a 14" screen, slightly worse battery life, and is more powerful. Whether you want extremely portable and amazing battery life or good portability and a more powerful computer is up to you.

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