| Laptops are the perfect educational tool | | | | components depending on whether or not |
| for students. They can handle an | | | | you want to use your notebook for any |
| innumerable amount of tasks and serve | | | | extra curricular activities, such as |
| many different functions that allow | | | | gaming or multimedia production. |
| students to consolidate all of their | | | | Unless you intend to do higher-level |
| class assignments and home studies into | | | | networking, or unless your school |
| one convenient location, which | | | | requires domain-based authentication to |
| simplifies workflow and increases | | | | access the school network (check with |
| productivity. | | | | your IT department), Windows XP Home |
| The two most important things to look | | | | Edition should more than meet your needs |
| for in a student laptop are portability | | | | for an Operating System. |
| and battery life. This laptop will | | | | Lastly, you will need some office suite |
| likely be carried in a backpack or | | | | software to process and edit your |
| shoulder bag from class to class, so you | | | | reports and class assignments. Microsoft |
| will definitely want a system that is | | | | Office Basic will be able to handle most |
| light and easy to transport. There is | | | | of your needs, however, if you plan on |
| also no guarantee that you will have | | | | doing any slide-show presentations or |
| access to an auxiliary power supply in | | | | website creation, you will want to go |
| your classroom or on campus, so you will | | | | with Office Pro. |
| most likely want a battery that lasts up | | | | These are the main things you need to |
| to several hours per charge. | | | | know and consider before purchasing a |
| Desktop real estate can be limited in | | | | student laptop. This is just a general |
| your class, so you want to make sure | | | | outline. Feel free to make additional |
| your laptop is compact and economical in | | | | customizations if you have specific |
| size, preferably around 14" X 10" in | | | | requirements for school. |
| general dimensions. | | | | Please, check out these recommendations |
| As far as individual specifications, you | | | | for the best notebook computers for |
| can get by with most base | | | | students. |
| configurations. A 1.66GHz processor, | | | | This article may be republished freely |
| 512MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, and a | | | | as long as this copyright notice and box |
| standard DVD/CDRW drive should suffice, | | | | of resource links are included at the |
| but you may wish to upgrade certain | | | | bottom. |