Laptops and computers have played lots of very important roles in our everyday life. We all know the importance of the smart computers called smart phones we use daily. It's hard to imagine life without these systems.
For college and higher institution students smartphones are important and essential but there are limits to what it can do. At that point the PC and the laptop comes in.
Why Students need Laptops and what do Students use their Laptops for.
The reason students buy laptops are numerous. However, here I am going to list some reasons students can't do without laptops especially as they move forward in their education. Lots of things come up that the regular smartphone just can't handle and something much bigger is needed.
Design and Construction Apps.
Although there have been a growth in the amount of apps for designing on your smartphone, they can't be compared to laptop design softwares. Ask any architectural student or those in the engineering line and they will tell you how difficult studying and designing without a laptop or PC is.
Editing and Project Work.
When writing and researching projects, you may find it more easy typing with your phone using a word application, but editing is impossible with your phone. For you to be able to properly edit and correct your work a laptop is your next best bet.
Media and Movie.
Smartphones are for personal use, anything you watch it's for you to see alone. Your phone might have a big screen, but more than two persons will find it uncomfortable for movies. For that singular reason most people prefer to use a laptop because it feels like a TV. It's wider and more people can be entertained at the same time.
Programming.
There are some assignments and work that requires a PC, like for students in the programming department, it is impossible to program with a smartphone. It is always better with a laptop, it has way better functionality and practicality in that aspect.
Save Time and Money.
For students into designs, programming and construction, laptops are your best friend. So having one for your personal use will save you lots of precious time on assignment and help you meet deadlines on projects. Do you know why? It is because you will not have to spend you time going between cafes and business centres only for the operator to tell you that they have problems with their systems and you can't meet up with your deadline. A student should know what I mean. The pressure is not to be trifled with.
So these are some of the necessary use of laptops, to show you how indispensable they are and how it is necessary to have one in your possession.
Budget Friendly Student Laptop Models that Get the Work Done (by customer ratings: top 4 under $300).
Alldocube i7 Book.
Specifications.
- 14" High Definition Slim Screen and Slim Body. 1920 x 1080 Full HD for resolution. Which is okay at that price.
- It comes with a full keyboard and also comes with keyboard stickers in 7 major languages; Russian, Hebrew, Italiano, Spanish, French, Deutsch and Portuguese. So nothing to worry about if you don't understand English.
- Less than 1.4kg in weight, possible because of the sturdy by light aluminum body it has. You can take it with you without much stress.
- Very fast reading and writing speed. Able to switch application pretty fast thanks to the 8Gb Ram. Saves you time on work and assignments.
- For ports, it has 3 USB 3.0, mini HDMI, earphone port, a normal dc port for charging, a SD card slot and a Type-C port. Lots of connectivity at your fingertip.
- Bluetooth is version 4.2. Quite okay and stable at least.
- The battery is a 4500mAh/11.4v type that can offer battery life upwards of 6hrs based on use. To top that off is the available fast charging feature for quick full.
- Lastly, it has a 256 SSD Rom, which is expandable if you want to expand it.
Alldocube GT Book.
Specifications.
- At 1.2kg, this PC is really lightweight for the functionality it packs in its frame.
- A 14" Full HD display screen. 1920x1080 resolution. Enough good quality graphics for Media.
- Has excellent connectivity. The WiFi is version 6 which is +100% faster than the previous version. The Bluetooth is also the lastest at 5.1 making it fast and stable.
- Large capacity Ram at 12Gb. The ROM is an SSD 256Gb type. But is expandable thanks to the purpose built SD card slot for memory cards. No need for card readers or pendrives, if all you have is your external SD.
- Has a 10000mAh battery- quite massive. It also packs a 36v fast charging for when you need to charge and use. Battery can last up to 8hrs for play time here.
- Has an earphone jack for your earphones, USB 3.0 ports, SD card slot and a Type-C port.
- Excellent dual speakers and microphones.
- Lastly, it comes with windows 11 pre-installed. Has a backlight keyboard for when you want to type at night, and an American style full keyboard setup.
Chuwi GemiBook.
Specifications.
- Less than 1.35 kg, making it easy for you to take it around in your bag to lecture or for work. Comes in a full metal construction. Solidly built and very pleasing in the eyes.
- Battery is at 5000mAh/7.6v capable of lasting up to 6+hrs for regular usage.
- Ram pegs at a quick 8Gb and with a Rom of 256Gb SSD that is expandable to a 1Tb max.
- For ports it has one USB 3.0 ports - so you will need a port hub if you need more connectivity, a fully functional Type-C port, headphone jack, an external SD card slot and DC charger port.
- The screen is a 3:2 aspect display with a 2160x1400 resolution you can trust for clear movies and pictures. Although the screen's aspect ratio is 3:2 you can switch it to 16:9 if that is what you find more comfortable.
- Lastly for processing ability, it prides itself on the J4115 Intel ® Celeron chip and the 600 UHD graphics which empowers it to deliver really well on CPU performance and Graphic performance.
BMax X15 MacBook.
Specifications.
- A bigger 15.4" IPS screen with a 1920x1080 resolution. A glossy screen that make your pictures more vivid, clear and real.
- A 0.3Mp front camera for pictures, face and video chat. A 5.0 Bluetooth and an upgraded WiFi for excellent and stable file transfer.
- 10000aMh/3.8v lithium ion battery that can deliver up to 6-8 hrs of work time.
- For the CPU and graphics it pairs the fast quad-core 1.1Ghz - 2.6Ghz Intel® Gemini Lake N4120 with the UHD Graphics 600 with are respectively 8th and 9th gen processors, but still deliver pretty well in processing and video speed.
- The mouse of this PC has one special feature that other laptops on this lack. It is the ability to respond to multiple touch just like the screen of your smartphone. You can swipe, pinch, tap with 3 fingers and with 4 fingers.
- For ports, it has 2 USB ports, a power port, mini-HDMI port, a port for SD card and a headphone jack. No port for Type-C cord with is something that might make your take a brake and wait, but you can work around that and benefit from the enormous abilities in this laptop.
- Lastly for memory space and Ram, it comes with a 8Gb DDR4 ram and 256Gb SSD ROM. Though not much, you may get a flash to act as a backup storage for your extra files.
So there goes my list of the 4 student laptops under $300 by customer ratings.
You can find used laptops for a bargain here.
Must-have Laptop Accessories for Students.
After getting a laptop, what is the next thing on your mind? Accessories I hear you say. These little peripherals are what get the PC going and functioning as smoothly as we want it to.
These accessories meets needs that we just can't overlook in the day to day operation of the laptop. So what are these accessories? Below is the list of the must-have laptop accessories for students.
Earphones.
Earphones are a necessary peripheral for students in general. There are times you need some privacy while working on a project or in an online class these little things really work wonders then. An earbud or an headphone is a good starting point. See best earphones rated by users.
Recommended.
The Bludio Hi TWS is an earphone that offers good and clear sound both for Media and calls. It has a microphone for smooth communication. The Bluetooth is V5.0 and it can handle distance of up to 10m.
The earphone has a face recognition function which turns off the music immediately you take off the earphones. It manages a working time of 5-6 hours from it's 600mah aa batteries after up to 1-2 hrs of charge.
Lenovo HD300 Bluetooth headset is a good one to have. With a battery life of approximately 11 hrs you get to enjoy music to the fullest, just like with these picks. It has a heavy-caliber driver speaker with delivers to your listening pleasures vibes with good depth.
It's portable, packable and has a port for an auxiliary cord. So you get an headset that is both wired and wireless at the same time.
Cooling Fan.
Cooling fans are things laptop owners can't do without. No matter what the power and quality of a laptop is, it will get hot one of these days and what will help you to regulate their heat is a cooling mat or a cooling fan.
It is necessary to keep a laptop cool when in use so it can function well. Heat can damage the internals of the system and deplete the battery very fast, making it last a lot less than normal.
Recommended.
This portable laptop cooling fan has movable arms with nonslip pads to safely grip your laptop. It arms can be spread out for your laptop to sit on. It is USB powered with no need for other power source.
The big blades give sufficient air flow so it can dissipate more heat as it builds up and it has a low noise but can be loud at times according to one user.
Portable Keyboard and Mouse.
I have found that it is easier to type on my phone than on a laptop. If you are like me and your are not as fast as other people when using the PC keyboard then this is what you need to consider - a portable keyboard and mouse. It may be wireless or wired so long as it helps you type and edit things faster then it should be on your mind.
Recommended.
Viboton air mouse keyboard is an excellent choice if you want a wireless portable keyboard. Aside the wireless function it also uses a mini USB cable for connection and charge. It has an inbuilt battery, it's very light and it's compatible with most operating systems.
Extra Storage.
Now we can easily backup our files to the cloud provided by it companies or the cloud from school notwithstanding, it is more faster and easier to just backup your files in an external SD card or use a flash drive that offer a good amount of space for your documents.
This is not an afterthought, it is necessary to save you from wasted efforts and undue pressure down the line, because the laptop might lose all data including assignments and documents. Then you have to start all over from scratch. I leave you with the saying ‘a stitch in time saves nine'.
Recommended.
The Yvonne Y40D is a 3 in 1 backup memory thumb drive that I personally like because of its versatility. This system is called 3 in 1 because it can function in your Android smartphone and your laptops.
It has a USB, Type-C and micro USB interface. It has a metal body and can store enough documents, videos and photos in its 256Gb memory space.
Small Printers.
Nowadays emails and PDF are a thing. Assignments can be sent by emails and with social media in the form of PDF files because they can be received anywhere the lecturer is. However, more work are submitted in class hence the need to print in paper format. That's where having a portable printer comes in handy, it saves you time and money down the line, and with that you can offer printing services to your colleges and dorm mates for more cash when the need arises.
Web Cams.
We know how poor laptops cameras are. The quality of video and photos are bad. While you could use your smartphone for video chats and photos there are times you need to use your system. If you can get a web cam then your online and zoom classes will be attended in style.
Laptops Bags.
This is very necessary. Of course I don't need to say that because we already know you need a bag to bring along your laptop to the lecture, library or any other place you want to take it to.
Recommended.
The Aliencross laptop backpack is a laptop bag with good enough features to keep your laptop safe at a price of $40+. It is water proof, has an antitheft lock and with lots of space for your laptops, tablets, headphones and others. And excellent feature is the reflecting marks on the back so any oncoming vehicle can detect you in time.
The Tigernu backpack has lots of features and is priced similar to that of aliencross back packs. It is water-resistant, it comes with a rain cover, has lots of space to hold a lot of stuff and it has lots of hidden pockets to hide your stuff. Like the Aliencross, it also has an anti theft lock.
Laptop Light/Lamp.
If you use your laptop at night and your laptop lacks a backlit keyboard then you should make sure to get a keyboard lamp for your own ease, health and comfort. Because you will need it when time for projects and works that demand you work at night to meet deadlines come.
Recommended.
This led lamp is a good investment for laptop users. It is a plug and use type of light with no internal battery, as it function with a USB which you insert either into your laptop or into another adaptor (it doesn't come with an adapter).
Extra Power.
Who doesn't need it. If you own and use your laptop often, an extra source of juice is something you need to think about. Aside from the frustration of getting cut short when you are on a project, there are times when you just don't have access to electricity and you need an emergency supply, at that point backup power systems in the form of extra batteries and power banks come in handy. They save you time and give you versatility in how you use your laptop.
Recommended.
The C16 removable power bank shell is something you should think off as you make use of your laptop. It comes empty without a single battery, so you buy and insert the battery yourself since it's detachable.
It can hold up to 16 batteries max which based on the size of the individual batteries can amount to 30000+mAh of power when fully charged.
Other important essentials are;
USB hubs. If your laptop lacks sufficient USB ports which is a very useful resource, then a hub with 3-4 ports can go a long way in covering for that shortage in ports.
Recommended.
This Type-C/USB outlet hub does the work of providing you with extra USB ports and a Type-C port. The hub is plugged directly to the power supply so it can supply power to your other accessories like the light and the cooling so they don't rely on the laptop power the whole time.
It is reliable, has short circuit, overload, over heat and interference protection. And it comes with up to 4 plug to fit into any type of wall socket your location uses- UK, US, EU and AU styled plugs.
The Veggieg USB hub has only USB ports. It numbers up to 4 ports available for use. It receives power through a micro USB which you will buy separately. It has a USB plug to connect to your computer and it is compatible with all major OS.
Fast Cables.
In times of data transfer between systems, nothing gives peace of mind and saves time as good quality data cables. The speed might be the determining factor in the decision to transfer the file immediately or postpone it to another time.
Recommended.
Baseus 100W fast charging data cable has two inputs - USB and Type-C, and three outputs - micro USB, Type-C and iP (iPhones). It has a 5W fast charging and it's also compatible with lots of devices, very versatile.
Cable Organizers.
Cables need to be properly maintained. If you can properly manage them then no problem with that. If however you need to carry them from place to place and the cables are numerous then a cable organizer should be bought to do that.
Recommended.
The Blitzwolf flannel light bag does the simple work of organizing your cables or keep thing like power banks, headphones in a place. However it can only store so little.
Phone Holders.
At times when we want to work on a system, we tend to have our smartphone at the side as a coordinating device. A phone holder makes it easy to hold your phone up and helps you work on both laptop and phones simultaneously.
Recommended.
This magnetic extension arm holds your phone in place before you as you work on your projects, designs and assignments. No more looking down to see what next to do, thereby increasing you work speed and efficiency.
Card Readers.
Card readers might not be for you if you have a system that accepts flash and SD cards. However card readers don't read SD cards only, they also read credit cards and SIM cards so if you will be using those once in a while having a card reader on the side will make things easy.
Note: You will need to do some installation and stuff before you can use a card reader.
Conclusion.
In this article, I have addressed quite a lot of things on laptops, peripherals and why students need laptops. Their importance can't be overlook because when the time comes to make use of your laptop or it's accessories and you don't have one, then you will know how it feels not to own one.
It can be pretty frustrating and eats well into the time we should be using for better things. Instead of easily doing a work at your own comfort, you will have to be moving from one place to another to coordinate your work and it might not work out well at last. So, you see the need to own one, as time is too precious to waste on things that don't move us forward.
Thanks for reading.
Uniquely Yours in Tech.
Victor Love.