what's a good basic laptop for a recent college grad?

mandibles

i have a toshiba satellite which has overheating problems, so that's something I would like to avoid in my new one. i dont need a ton of hard drive space, and i would prefer something on the smaller, lighter side. i'm comfortable with windows and mac os, so thats not an issue, but i'm kind of wary of ibooks just because there will be a ton of photo/video programs and junk on it i will never use. i just need microsoft office and the internet basically, and i am too lazy to do research on my own.

Answer
http://www.hp.com
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Usage&v1=Travel%2Fmobility&series_name=dv2000z_series

Customize it!

For a college-bound student, is a desktop or a laptop better?

Josie

Please list reasons why and I would be glad if you could give me a model and/or company name you would highly recommend.

Answer
From a recent college grad, I say Laptop without a doubt. Choose your own make and model, and if you have questions about this ask your future school's tech center for advice as some have preferences. Dell is a hot maker, though personally I prefer Compaq.
I say Laptop because you can actually take it to class if it's your preference (and with some classes it makes things much easier). Also if you ever study abroad (just FYI: do it if you can, even if you're a little afraid to it's always worth it) then you can take your computer with you which makes things a thousand times easier. It also means that you can take your computer and work with you to various places around your college or university's campus and work in varying places which can come in useful when you're starving and have a 10 page paper due in a few hours, or if where you're living doesn't have air conditioning and a library or cafe does.
Good luck to you whichever you choose.

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Doing a tax write-off for a laptop?

bigbill

I am a recent college grad that was recently laid-off from my full-time position. I have already accepted another position but it does not begin until August 1st. In the meantime, I will be working on an hourly contract basis for my former employer. My new paychecks will have no taxes taken out at all. My question is that, since I am now a consultant, and I do use a laptop for work, would it be justified for me to write-off the $1000 I just paid for a laptop? Also, would this be an issue since I will only be doing the consulting for about 2.5 months?
I already owned a home PC and a laptop and I purchased an additional laptop to use separately for this work so it will be 100% for business. HOWEVER, once this engagement is complete I plan to sell the older laptop for around $300-400 and keep the newer one for personal use as my new job will be providing me with a laptop.

Answer
You cannot write it off and transfer it to personal use in the same year. When you file your taxes you have to put the dates in service and out of service. You would have to pay back the monies you deducted. Others have mentioned depreciation and useful life. Any item that you write off and either sell or transfer to personal use during the useful/depreciable life you have to add back all the deductions. Once it is a business expense keep it a business expense or dont write it off. If there is a monthly expense that is involved like internet service you can write off the % of internet that is for business.

How can I learn to take quicker and better notes in my college courses?

Heron By T

Answer
Ahhh, as a recent grad I'm happy to share with you my experience. Here's some strategies that may help:

1) Use a computer, laptop or Brother's word processor (Brothers is a company that makes portable machines that aren't as pricy as laptops.)
2) Use a palm pilot and keyboard to type out notes.
3) Gather notes from all your friends and combine them after class.
4) Use a tape recorder to tape the lecture. (I dont' really recommend this b/c listening to it would be like taking the class over again, but it works well for some people.)
5. Instead of only writing out notes on a notepad, pull out the book and underline stuff the teacher talks about. Use a highlighter only for really important stuff.
6. Sometimes when the teacher talks too fast and lists something out, I'll write down the first few letters of each thing. This reminds me of what the rest of the word is. I'll finish up the word after the list is finished.
7. Ask the teacher about stuff you missed after class. This will show you care about the class and let the teacher know that s/he might be moving along too quickly.
8. Ask your smart friends how they do it.
9. Find the nerd and ask him/her how s/he does it.


Good luck.

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Doing a tax write-off for a laptop?

bigbill

I am a recent college grad that was recently laid-off from my full-time position. I have already accepted another position but it does not begin until August 1st. In the meantime, I will be working on an hourly contract basis for my former employer. My new paychecks will have no taxes taken out at all. My question is that, since I am now a consultant, and I do use a laptop for work, would it be justified for me to write-off the $1000 I just paid for a laptop? Also, would this be an issue since I will only be doing the consulting for about 2.5 months?
I already owned a home PC and a laptop and I purchased an additional laptop to use separately for this work so it will be 100% for business. HOWEVER, once this engagement is complete I plan to sell the older laptop for around $300-400 and keep the newer one for personal use as my new job will be providing me with a laptop.

Answer
You cannot write it off and transfer it to personal use in the same year. When you file your taxes you have to put the dates in service and out of service. You would have to pay back the monies you deducted. Others have mentioned depreciation and useful life. Any item that you write off and either sell or transfer to personal use during the useful/depreciable life you have to add back all the deductions. Once it is a business expense keep it a business expense or dont write it off. If there is a monthly expense that is involved like internet service you can write off the % of internet that is for business.

How can I learn to take quicker and better notes in my college courses?

Heron By T

Answer
Ahhh, as a recent grad I'm happy to share with you my experience. Here's some strategies that may help:

1) Use a computer, laptop or Brother's word processor (Brothers is a company that makes portable machines that aren't as pricy as laptops.)
2) Use a palm pilot and keyboard to type out notes.
3) Gather notes from all your friends and combine them after class.
4) Use a tape recorder to tape the lecture. (I dont' really recommend this b/c listening to it would be like taking the class over again, but it works well for some people.)
5. Instead of only writing out notes on a notepad, pull out the book and underline stuff the teacher talks about. Use a highlighter only for really important stuff.
6. Sometimes when the teacher talks too fast and lists something out, I'll write down the first few letters of each thing. This reminds me of what the rest of the word is. I'll finish up the word after the list is finished.
7. Ask the teacher about stuff you missed after class. This will show you care about the class and let the teacher know that s/he might be moving along too quickly.
8. Ask your smart friends how they do it.
9. Find the nerd and ask him/her how s/he does it.


Good luck.

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What kind of job can I get that is weekends only?

Blue Ribbo

I am a recent college grad that will have my "real" job mon-fri 9 to 5 but I want to make extra money on the weekends. What type of job can I work ONLY on the weekends??? A hostess??? Tell me.

Answer
my brother has always made good money being a DJ. All you need now is an amplifier some speakers, a laptop computer and a light show. Then get an ajent to book you some jobs. If you need extra cash to buy equipment, find someone that already has the equipment and DJ with rented equipment. You usually split 50/50 then once you have all the stuff you need yourself cutr out the middleman. High scool dances and weddings and all the functions you do will be fri and sat night. you still get sundays off this way.

Is this a decent computer to take to college and study business?

7874568784

500GB SATA HDD (7200rpm)
Memory - 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
Processor - Intel® Core⢠i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
Optical Drive - Slot Load Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
Monitor - 17.3â Full HD (1080p) B+RG LED Display with TrueLife⢠and Camera/Facial Recognition SW
Battery - 85 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
Color - Ruby Red
Security Software - McAfee Security Center with VirusScan, Firewall, Spyware Removal, 36-Months

Office Software - Microsoft® Office Professional 2010

I also know it has a 1GB video card

Answer
That is a nice computer but that would better fit as a desktop replacement computer that you wouldn't plan to take with you to class.

I have a friend that was a photography major and she had that type of computer. but never took it to class except for BIG projects.

As a business student you may want to take your computer to class more often than that unless you prefer to write notes by hand. you will want a smaller computer that weighs less and fits into a backpack easily. the easiest way to do that is just by looking for a computer with a smaller screen. Most computers will still have the basics or can be upgraded to the specs you have above except the ultra portables which i wouldn't recommend they are incredibly expensive in comparison and net-books are a better option now.

Also look for a good warranty as you take your computer to multiple locations it is more susceptible to damage, viruses, as well as more wear and tear from general use from both work and play.

check the average time on the battery also. 9 cell is a larger battery so you will have more use time but it is also heavier than the standard 6 cell battery.

and also if you haven't made a final decision you may want to look into a mac. macs are becoming more and more common and they also offer discounts to college students as well as a free ipod the only thing is that if you are required to run some specific business program other than MS office such as SPSS (which often comes with stats books) you will need to run windows on the computer which can be a hassle if you aren't computer savvy.

Hope this helps im speaking from experience as a recent grad.

Most people in the day and age of technology use 2 or more laptops over the course of their college experience, i was able to use one computer over the 4 years but i couldn't have done it with out the warranty i cant stress that enough.

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