Back to School: 5 Best Student Laptops

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There was a time when parents would hit the back to school sales looking for the cheapest price on pens and paper. Now they’re searching through hundreds of options in search of the best laptops for their kids.

best laptops, 5 best student laptops
Source: Apple

It seems that nothing is ever straightforward when it comes to technology, and, naturally, “best” has a different meaning for everyone. For example, the “best” laptop could be the cheapest, the one that can also play games, or the one that converts into a tablet.

Picking the wrong pen is a 99-cent mistake. Pick the wrong PC and parents could be out hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

To make the whole back to school shopping thing a little less intimidating, we’ve put together a list of the 5 best laptops for students. The picks are based on a wide range of needs, but all are chosen with a budget in mind.

Back to School Laptops: HP Stream 11

Best laptops for back to school, hp stream 11
Source: Hewlett-Packard

For parents looking to equip their kids with a lightweight, inexpensive (and I must say, colorful) laptop that can run Windows, the Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) Stream 11 is about the most budget-friendly option out there.

This laptop is far from a powerhouse, though.

The 11-inch display is just HD resolution, it uses a relatively pokey Intel (INTC) Celeron CPU, has just 2GB of RAM and only 32GB of storage.

However, it will run Windows 10 (a free upgrade), it has a usable full-sized keyboard, and the battery is rated for 8 hours. The HP Stream 11 weighs just 2.74 pounds and includes a free 1-year subscription to Microsoft (MSFT) Office 365 Personal — including 1TB of free OneCloud storage.

What seals the deal for most parents is the price. At under $200, the HP Stream 11 is one of the best student laptops for the money.

Back to School Laptops: Dell Alienware 13

Best laptops for back to school, dell alienware 13
Source: Dell

For many kids, a new laptop isn’t just for school, it’s also for playing video games.

The problem is, video games are extremely high-demand applications, and they need a dedicated video card for best performance. And that runs contrary to the whole “trying to save money on back-to-school shopping” mantra.

However, there is an option from Dell and its Alienware gaming division that should satisfy both gamers and their parents: the Alienware 13.

At $899, you get a 13-inch Windows laptop with a 5th generation Core i5 CPU and most importantly a Nvidia (NVDA) GeForce GTX960M graphics card with 2GB of RAM.

If budget allows it, you can boost the specs all the way up to a Core i7 CPU and Quad HD display, but even the base model makes for a decent mobile gaming rig.

And it will work for school, too. It’s on the bulky side, and you won’t get anywhere near all-day battery life, but this laptop is powerful enough to run any software a student might need. It’s eligible for a free Windows 10 update as well.

Back to School Laptops: Acer Chromebook 13

Best laptops for back to school, acrer chromebook 13
Source: Acer

Chromebooks have taken off like wildfire in the educational sector, and with good reason.

They’re relatively secure and easy to maintain (security updates are automatically applied), they primarily use Google’s (GOOG, GOOGL) free productivity apps, they’re compact and lightweight … and above all, they’re cheap.

That being said, the Chromebook I would have on my back to school shopping list costs a little more than most — but your student will thank you for shelling out the extra.

The Acer Chromebook 13 (CB5-311-T5BD) retails for $300, but for the extra 50 bucks or so above the typical Chromebook price, you get a 13-inch Full HD display, 11 hour battery life, the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi and USB 3.0 ports.

Compared to most entry-level Chromebooks, this one has a larger and higher-resolution display, faster connectivity and better battery life. It easily ranks among the best laptops available at this price point — as long as you’re willing to give up Windows.

Back to School Laptops: 13-Inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Best laptops for back to school, macbook pro
Source: Apple

If you’re shopping for a student who prefers a Mac over a Windows PC, then you’re looking at the MacBook line.

As cool as it is with its ultra-thin form factor and gold-colored case option, you do not want the new MacBook. Not everyone cares for the keyboard, it’s pricey for what you get, and finding peripherals that support its single USB-C port is a hassle.

The MacBook Air offers decent power for the price in a very sleek package, but its display is outdated.

Among Apple’s (AAPL) line-up, the best laptops for typical students are the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display models.

The $1299 base 13-inch MacBook Pro offers a high resolution Retina display, Intel Core-i5 performance, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, 10-hour battery life, a backlit keyboard and Apple’s new Force Touch trackpad.

All this in a package that’s still only 0.71-inches thick and weighs just 3.48 pounds.

Back to School Laptops: Microsoft Surface 3

Best laptops for back to school, microsoft surface 3
Source: Via iStock

Many parents are interested in 2-in-1 laptops, a device that their kids can use as a traditional laptop that also has the ability to transform into a tablet.

This has the advantage of saving money (one device to buy instead of two), and the design can be very useful in the classroom.

Microsoft took a few attempts to get this right, but the new Surface 3 is one of the best laptops in the category.

With a 10.8-inch Full HD touchscreen display and running Windows 10, it makes an excellent tablet. App selection won’t live up to iPad standards, and it’s a little heavy at 1.37 pounds, but compared to laptops that use a rotating display to achieve a slate-like design, the Surface 3 is slim and sleek.

Add in stylus support, the kickstand and a magnetically attached TypeCover and the Surface 3 is a compelling choice as a 2-in-1. Now you have one of the lightest laptops around, which is great for students whose backpacks are already a back-straining burden.

The one thing parents should be aware of is misleading pricing.

Microsoft advertises the Surface 3 at a very reasonable $499. But that doesn’t include the Type Cover and Surface Pen the device is usually shown with. To get the full 2-in-1 capability, add $130 for the keyboard and the stylus is another $50.

As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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Brad Moon has been writing for InvestorPlace.com since 2012. He also writes about stocks for Kiplinger and has been a senior contributor focusing on consumer technology for Forbes since 2015.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2015/08/back-to-school-best-laptops/.

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