Iain Sime is on the hunt for his first laptop.
The Halifax resident is about to begin his frosh year at Brock University to study sports management and knows he doesn't want to schlep his desktop half way across the country. Mr. Sime expects to use his machine to write papers, watch movies and listen to music. He also hopes to spend less than $800, including tax.
Finding a quality laptop for less than $1,000 used to be a near-impossible challenge. Penny pinchers had to make huge tradeoffs, sacrificing speed, memory and hard-drive space to keep the price tag down. But these days, there are numerous affordable, high-quality options for cash-strapped students who'd rather spend their summer job money on bedding, books (and beer!).
Toronto's Justin Gadd-Thomson, for instance, has a tight budget of $700 to $900.
The soon-to-be University of Toronto economics major is looking for a "basic" machine that will give him the best bang for his buck.
"I don't need a lot of special features," Justin said, noting that he plans to use his computer mainly to research and write papers, watch videos and listen to music after class.
For students who don't need fancy bells and whistles for gaming and don't expect their computers to power through high-intensity programs, there's a host of options to choose from starting in the pocket-pleasing range of $500 to $900.
The Lenovo G530
You're got to hand it to Lenovo. The former IBM brand knows how to build a utilitarian machine.
The company's value-line G530 notebooks, starting at around $500 (yes, you read that right) are packed with high-quality components that you would never expect to find at the price.
Most notably, Levovo uses Intel-brand processors, which tend to be faster and use less power than most of their AMD counterparts, which are standard in many budget machines. This translates into longer battery life and less heat.
For those who like reading numbers, the mid-model at $529.00 comes with an Intel 2GHz Dual-Core Processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a 160 GB hard drive, which should be enough to store all of your photos, MP3s and video files.
But while it's never wise to judge a book by its cover, the fact is that the G530 is not a stylin' machine. There's no 'Ooh!'s when you slip your new purchase out of the box, no 'Ah!'s as you run your hands along its simple black plastic casing. Lenovo computers are not known for putting beauty ahead of practicality and the G530 looks an awful lot like those old-school ThinkPads that every business seemed to provide its employees before Dell and Apple made their mark.
Now that's not necessarily a deal breaker. The laptop's 15.4" screen has very high resolution and produces crisp, quality images. Its touch pad is responsive and comfortable; its keys are well-placed and have just enough spring. The computer even comes with a built-in webcam, pushing it far beyond a bare-bones business machine.
If you're a student on a budget and what really matters to you most is getting the best performance for the lowest price, Lenovo beats the competition, hands-down. Just don't expect any compliments when you pull it out in the lecture hall.
The G530 is available online at Lenovo.ca
The HP Pavilion dv6-1200
While other brands' budget lines feature bland black boxes with small screens and mediocre sound, HP gives the money-conscious student a multimedia machine that's just as comfortable playing MP3s and DVDs as it is word processing and surfing the web. And all starting at $749.99. Unlike the Lenovo, the HP is sleek and shiny, with a futuristic swirling bubble design and a metallic touchpad. The detailing may be too whimsical for some, but it gives the computer a flash of personality. A bonus number pad makes entering figures a breeze, which math and econ majors will appreciate.
Inside, the components are solid: A 2.1 GH Athlon AMD Dual-Core Processor, 3 GB of RAM, and a 250 GB hard drive to store MP3s and movies.
But where the HP really outshines the competition is in its multimedia features. The wide, glossy, 16" screen is big enough for sitting back and watching movies in a dorm room, and the speakers sound great, even at full blast. The laptop also includes an HDMI port, which allows users to connect to a monitor or HD TV, and an eSATA port for moving files quickly on and off an external drive.
But the machine is not without its flaws. The shiny case is a fingerprint magnet and there's a glitch in the volume control scroll pad, which continues to make an annoying clicking sound after the volume adjusts. The AMD processor also sucks power, so the computer can get hot and its battery life isn't stellar.
That said, if you're looking for the best of the basics, plus a little something extra, this machine is worth serious consideration.
To find a retailer visit this link on HP's website.
The Acer Aspire AS5536-5519
The Acer Aspire is a study in quiet simplicity.
The Aspire offers more style than the Lenovo without the splashy gleam of the HP. It has a sturdy, streamlined design with a softly textured black exterior and a matte-black interior that keeps your focus squarely on the screen.
Inside, the Acer is a powerhouse for the price. It's packed with an AMD Athlon Dual Core Processor, 4GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive, so you'll have plenty of room for all of your documents, music, and videos. At just $549.99, the 5536 is surprisingly well-equipped for web surfing, word processing, and watching DVDs.
The laptop also features a 15.6" screen with great resolution and a built-in webcam. It includes a full number pad next to the keyboard, which students entering math-heavy programs will come to cherish. The keys and touch pad are also soft, which English majors' fingers will appreciate when it comes to thesis time. Battery life is also good, lasting well over 2 hours.
Acer still has a few bumps to smooth. The hinges that attach the laptop's screen to the base are quite stiff, which makes opening the machine a two-handed job. The processor can also feel a little sluggish at times.
Nonetheless, this Acer is a solid choice for those left uninspired by Lenovo's lack of styling but who want a smaller, more portable, and less flashy option than the HP.
The Acer Aspire is available at select Best Buy stores: