re: What is the best lap top for college students?

quote:

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I want something decent that will last her 4 years (ie it can be updated/upgraded)

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Since there's a lot of MacBook Air spewing about in this thread, I will point out that the MacBook Air cannot be upgraded later other than increasing storage. However, for a student's use, there is no reason it would need to be upgraded for the minimum 4 years she'll use it. That also applies to pretty much any PC within the ballpark of that price point. Even "upgradeable" laptops are generally limited only to RAM and storage upgrades, with everything else being impractical at best.

If she's used to Windows AND most of her software is Windows only (the latter being highly unlikely), it would be stupid to pay more for a machine with the internals of a $500 laptop just to run Windows. Otherwise, the MacBook Air is not a bad choice because of its battery life and the OS being suited for non tech-savvy users.

If she has a preference for Windows anyway, there are a few Lenovo models that compete very well.



Not trying to talk you out of a MacBook Air at all, but I do want you to properly see the other options and understand that Apple is not your only option for performance, portability, and longevity.