Student notebook suggestions

[DJESMOND]

Hi guys!

So one of my female friends is looking for a new computer for college.

I personally use a MacBook Pro and I find the Windows Notebook market at big

pile crap with some awesome gems in there.

So I have tried to browse arround but I find i hard to decide since I have different needs than her.

So I come here hope that you guys could come up with some great suggestions for a Notebook

for her.

Here is some general info:

Budget: $800 - $900 (Note: Im from Denmark, but I have tried to adjust the budget to US prizing)

Usage: Notetaking, reports, other assignments, Netflix and all that jazz.

Gaming: Nope

Size: 15.6" or just around that

 

Quick Note: Im looking for Windows based machines

 

So fire away! I really need som inspiration here!

Thanks and happy holidays

[yannickverc]

I'd suggest her one of those fancy tablets with a keyboard attached! 

[DJESMOND]

I'd suggest her one of those fancy tablets with a keyboard attached! 

Any specific in mind? Surface or?

[yannickverc]

Any specific in mind? Surface or?

Not entirely sure about the price of a surface pro 3 (or 4) but if your budget allows it I highly suggest it. My friend (and many other people) love it. (And I would buy one myself if I didn't have a laptop already) 

[DJESMOND]

Not entirely sure about the price of a surface pro 3 (or 4) but if your budget allows it I highly suggest it. My friend (and many other people) love it. (And I would buy one myself if I didn't have a laptop already) 

How is the typing experience? If you have to write longer assignments? She does a lot of math with Mapple and other software like that. Any experience with that? Side note: She use OneDrive so i guess its a pretty good idea

[Castdeath97]

15 inches in this budget is not a great idea, you will end up with low res screen (not great for reading PDFs). Maybe get a 13 inch laptop.

[Crafting]

Hello

 

I think she'd be happy with almost any computer with an I5 and SSD, that sounds like her needs, a good reliable fast pc, also, don't go with HP laptops, they're generally noisy and such.

 

But Lenovo and Asus make great laptops as well, but you could also recommend a flex, or other laptop, that can tilt the screen beyond 160 degrees

 

(Danish too)

-Crafting

[yannickverc]

How is the typing experience? If you have to write longer assignments? She does a lot of math with Mapple and other software like that. Any experience with that? Side note: She use OneDrive so i guess its a pretty good idea

I have no experience with a surface, but a lot of people love it so I assume that experience is good as well

[Imabigmac]

I have a recommendation, not a device but something to consider with the size of display. I think for note taking and school type activities 13inch screens are far superior to 15.6. Smaller footprint on desk and in a bag. They are 13inch models are generally lighter which is something to consider if the device is being carried around a lot. 

 

I have to recommend an 13 ultrabook device as the best for school. Tablets are nice but a physical keyboard is something to be desired IMO when it comes to doing school work. That said I have not tried to use a surface for school. If the the tablet is desired for play or movies etc - a touch screen convertible like the Lenovo Yoga's are good. Not sure what kind stuff the device would be doing within its entire life, so this may or not have any relevance but a 13inch will of course remove the ability to have a NUMPAD. 

 

I personally use a HP Spectre x360 convertible 13inch machine for University and it has done everything I could want it to do, but it was a similar price for my level trim and in CDN as a MacBook pro 13 and is also about the same weight and dimensions. But unfortunately I wouldn't recommend it for two reasons, the screen seems to have an issue with dead pixels... I have 2, once finals are over I will try to warranty mine. Secondly the screen wobbles a lot when someone shakes the desk its sitting on. Also it would at the very top end of the budget you have listed. 

 

The Spectre has to be one of HP's best devices, 

 

[GoodBytes]

I would recommend the Surface Pro.

When I was a student (recently graduated), the Surface Pro 2 (at the time), was really god send. Light, yet really powerful, small, yet nice work space. The keyboard was good, and it has been improved with the Pro 3, and even now Pro 4 ESPECIALLY the trackpad (by the way, you can use the Surface Pro 4 keyboard with the Pro 3 if you go with the Pro 3 to save money).

What I love about the keyboard, is that, well ok first of all, I like laptop style keys, so let's get that out of the way, but what I like about it, is that:

1- It doesn't re-invent the keyboard.

2- It has nice travel

The only downsides of the Surface Pro is:

1- You cant' really tap on your legs more comfortably, you'll have to use a desk for best experience.

2- Due to teh kick-stand, it requires desk space. So if at school you have normal desks, then you are good. If you have those where a single sheet of paper doesn't fit, then you'll have a problem typing your note with the keyboard. You'll need to flip it as a tablet, and use teh touch screen keyboard or use the pen

The touch screen keyboard of Windows is great. Why? Because you can have the full normal keyboard. If you have Windows 8 or 10, you can check it out.

If you press "Fn", the row of numbers at the top: 1, 2, 3, etc... turns into F1, F2, F3.. etc keys.

You have the traditional touch screen keyboard if you prefer, where you are missing the up and down arrow keys, and you need to press a button to access numbers, and all that, similar to smartphone, if you are used to that. But I have a feeling you'll go with the full one.

Anyway, back to the physical keyboard. Personally, I can program on it. There is a bit of used to, mind you I did not try the new latest keyboard cover for the Pro 3/4, but it despite the thinness, it has good travel, it is quiet which is great (you'll probably have the quietest keyboard in class, while everyone feels bad as they type, unless they have business class system, which are also, usually, quiet keyboards), but you still have the key press feedback of keys.

But what makes the Surface Pro really great, is the pen. The pen is super powerful. The problem with a laptop in class, is that it REALLY fails on you, the moment you have special symbols that you need to put, or math formula in middle of your notes, or graph, or diagrams. You just can't with keyboard, and even if you had a mouse. Surface.. no problem, pull out the pen, and write. OneNote (especially the desktop app) is a SUPER powerful tool for note taking, and allows you this typing and writing notes. Got a math class? The Surface Pro will handle that. No more split examples or proofs in 2 or 3 pages, you can have it all continuous in OneNote with the Surface, and you have colored pen, and highlight colors, and all your notes are in sync between your systems

Keep in mind that students get 10% off from the Microsoft Store (Surface Pro and also the keyboard and any other accessories), and if you have a school e-mail, you have Office 365 for free waiting for you. Contact your school IT department for more information on how to get it.

[MacAlisterL]

https://portablepicker.com/part/toshiba-laptop-pspqeu00900p

 

Or a surface, I have a surface and it is great.