Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Which Laptop Computer Company?

You can run Windows through an emulator, or natively. Either will work easy as pie for an engineering student. Don't buy him any pre-purchased software unless he needs it Day One (which he won't). His school probably has licensing deals for free that they give out to students via their IT Dept. Let him get the lay of the land first. As a first-semester freshman, the primary use of his computer (around 98% or so) will be for playing video games with his buddies. The speed, or lack thereof, will have zero effect on his coursework or grades.

If you really want to be frugal, just buy a cheap Lenovo Thinkpad used with the minimum specs required. By month two of his program, he will know what he really wants/needs in comparison to everyone else, and then could purchase it for Christmas instead. 95% sure that in an engineering dept. that is going to be an Apple of some flavor. Apple usually releases updates/speed/new stuff in late September to be shipped by Christmastime.

Surface Pro 4 is alright but haven't been around long enough to have longevity. I've not met anyone who actually uses the writing capabilities beyond just playing for fun. If they do, they will be working on an Apple Ipad Pro not a Surface. Once IOS11 releases for the ipad this fall, Surface will be old news as just another Windows experiment.

Apple products maintain their resale value also, so if he needs to get out of it, he can do so easily on eBay or to one of his classmates.

All this is being typed on a Windows 7 HP laptop warhorse hand-me-down. For surfing the net, none of it makes any difference. But when I spend my own money for a work computer and for my new freshman college student this fall, which I just did last week, it's an Apple product every time now. Buy once, cry once mentality.

for windows i recommend lenovo. we've been using them for 10 years and other than the occasional clunker, they are solid machines.

This one should do,
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=5655774&sku=40658024&SRCCODE=3WWEBEML1097&utm_source=EML&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=3WWEBEML1097&ecm=BVZcM8cfkjvxXo%2B4AyMG%2BoOIwE9qOP1iUQMlN9SxcvG2hRPEiP%2FdNvj2KvzktJDq&elqTrackId=507eb88d7a6d4054ad3807602997c9e1&elq=f36db6aa717b46f3a88e7288270184d0&elqaid=2589&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2147

charlee

Check out Sam's Club Auctions, got me a new DELL Inspiron 15 with 15.6" HD Touch Screen w/WebCam, Intel Core I7-6500 processor, 8 GB memory, 1 TB hard-drive, and 4 GB AMD Radeon graphics. for $512 a few months ago. Really nice lay-out, thin but not like some of the newer ones, and has a DVD R+/-RW optical dirive, Bluetooth, a media card reader, and Wireless AC, HDMI and USB-3... its a little wider and not quite as deep as most so the keyboard and number pad is a little larger.

Pre-installed with Windows 10 and not really loaded down with a bunch of crap like some. Main reason I got it was to familiarize myself to Windows 10, but should be fine for a college student.

Might also try the new Army/Air Force Exchange system and get one tax free., but and as others have mentioned if you have access to one of the many student purchase programs offered by manufacturers, that also might be a way to go.


Phil

^^^^^^^^^This!

I recommend lenovo.

I don't. Bought a top of the line lenovo with the I7 processor for my daughter and after 2 years it shuts itself off intermittently for no reason.

I'll be getting her a Mac Book before school starts.

Until it starts shutting itself down for no reason. I'll never buy a lenovo again.

Not from my experience.

Asus laptops and tablets have done well for me. I would never do anything HP. My mid-range Asus Laptop from 2010 is still clunking along, Win 7 64bit. While not perfect, it's been very DURABLE and mostly predictable too.The wife's identical unit is troublesome as she allowed the Win 10 upgrade. Will look into Lenovo when forced to act. Laptops with chit batteries are chit!

Would be nice to have something that simply turns on and off near instantly, more Androidlike than Windows. Microsoft can kiss my ass. LOL Would maybe a bare Linux set up for browsing be handy? Am on the road a lot and just want a simple browsing unit, full laptop, Durable, long battery life, fast bootup, damned few updates. What's that sound like?

I can't think of any reason to use anything other than a Mac except price.

Mac Book Pro - I purchased the Office suit with my Mac and I was able to read/write to any of my old files (1TB external hard drive) from the Dell that died. If being used at school and packed around I recommend purchasing the Apple protection plan (extended warrantee).

I hate Mac, but my college kids love em.
One had a bit of a runaround with a top end HP.
Youngest has had zero probs with her Mac.
I have a mid priced HP that's been fine.

I don't overheat it.......like running it on a bed comforter all night watching Netflix.

Agree, Microsoft is a royal PITA. Each new version of Windows gets more friggin' hippie/stupid.

Dittos. I've had quite a few work and personal laptops over the years and Toshiba has impressed me the most over other brands.

I've had good luck with Toshiba and ASUS at home. At work, my Lenovo has been bullet-proof.

The most trouble free device without question is the Mac I've never once not a single time with three now had a lock up or shut down.

The dell my company provides is top of the line and it's a frustrating product. Probably as much because it's a PC as the product quality itself. My son had a brand new Dell. Two weeks after purchase new back to Dell for new hard drive. Two weeks after return no sound. It's locking up and stalling for no identifiable reason.

Just pay once get a Mac and be done with it.

I have had good luck with HP and Dell. Lenovo would be my absolute last choice due to cyber security issues. I'm not a security guru, but have received a few briefings from government experts.

I just bought a Dell E6410 without a hard drive on ebay for $54.

Has a dual core i5 processor and 4gb of ram. I have a hard drive laying around here I can throw in it.

Bought windows 7 for like $20 on ebay as well.

I'm not very picky about my laptops any more. I don't play games and I don't run CAD.

A 7 year laptop will do just fine for my sitting around on the couch computer.

We are looking hard at a MacBook Pro. Probably going to order it tonight.

I never buy extended warranties on anything, but I am considering AppleCare+ for this purchase. The extended warranty cost $379.

Any suggestions on the extended warranty?

Thank you, everyone for the advice.

I doubt you would need it unless he damages it somehow. Mines 4-1/2 years old and works like the day I bought it. The battery might be getting a little weak but that's about it.