Best Laptop Computers for College Students

1. Overview

Before we look at the laptops most suitable for college students, we should understand what makes a good student laptop. Typically, a student would want a laptop that's lightweight and comfortable enough to lug to and from their various classes. In addition, the laptop has to have great battery life and performance. And price is sometimes a concern, so the above features need to be packed into an affordable package.

Computers

After considering the types of laptops suitable for college students, I've decided to split them into three categories: budget, thin and light and ultraportable. So let's take a look at them now ...

2. Budget Laptops

For a college student who is short on cash, a budget laptop is a good buy. Some of the best budget laptops include those from Dell, Toshiba and HP. I personally find the Toshiba Satellite A215-S4747 to be a great budget laptop. You get an AMD based dual core CPU, which perfroms very well with most applications. You also get a huge 200GB hard drive and a large number of peripheral ports.

There's also a nice Sony VGN-NR160E/S model that is (surprisingly) within the budget category. Out of the box, this machine gives you the Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 processor, 1 GB of RAM and a large 160GB hard drive - that's a lot of computing power at budget price.

3. Thin and Light Laptops

If you prefer a more powerful laptop and don't mind a little bit of weight, then try going for a thin and light laptop. Some of the models I can think of include those from Lenovo, HP and Sony.

The Sony VAIO VGN-FZ280E is a pretty good choice for a thin and light notebook. This system comes with a Bluray compatible writer that can also burn CDs and DVDs. You also get an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM and a very large 250GB hard drive.

Another model I'd consider is the HP Pavilion dv6675us. You will get an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz CPU, 4GB RAM and 250GB of hard drive space. The 4GB of RAM is a great feature which will come in handy if you're a student of finance or science and need to run intensive computational applications.

4. Ultraportable Laptops

If the size and weight of the laptop is of high importance to you, then go for an ultraportable laptop. These laptops give very good computing performance in a very small, compact package.

In this category, I think the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 is a great choice for students. It is slightly pricey (but not outrageously so) but it is one of the best performing laptops around. It weighs only about 3 pounds and is hence an extremely portable piece of hardware. You also get an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM and an ample 100GB hard drive. You don't get a built-in DVD writer though - that unit is external to the laptop.

Another good choice is the Toshiba Portege R500-S5001X. It weights 2.4 pounds and is less than an inch thick. This is one of the thinnest and lightest notebooks you will find in the market. It's also very reasonably priced.

Conclusion

Well! I hope this article has shown you the various types of laptops which are suitable for college students. Regardless of your needs and budget, make sure that you do proper research before shelling out any cash. Until next time, best of luck and happy shopping!

Best Laptop Computers for College Students

Gary Hendricks runs a website about laptops. Visit his website at Best-Laptop-Guide.com to learn more about selecting the best laptops and accessories to suit your needs.

How To Stop World Of Tanks Crashing To The Desktop

World Of Tanks crashing to the desktop is a problem which even the most advanced systems have to contend with. Although this issue is a pain the ass for anyone looking to play this epic game (and yes, I actually play it too), the good news is that you *can* fix it very easily. This tutorial is going to show you the way to resolve the World Of Tanks problem on your system for good.

The reason why World Of Tanks will crash to the desktop will be caused by 1 of 3 issues. Either the game will not have sufficient privileges to run properly on your computer, it will have a number of errors with its settings, or your graphics driver will be out of date. In order to resolve the problems you're experiencing with the game, it's well worth looking at the various problems and then fix them in the most effective way possible, which will involve using some software & methods which may not be in your comfort zone.

Desktop

Here's how to fix World Of Tanks:

• Clean out any registry errors that your PC may have
• Make sure the game is working correctly
• Ensure that Windows has all the files & settings it needs to run

How To Fix World Of Tanks (the general fix guide)

1) Re-Install The World Of Tanks Application - Reinstalling WOT will not only make sure the game's files are working properly, but get rid of any conflicts that Windows might have had with it. You can do this by first clicking onto Start, selecting Control Panel and then choosing Add / Remove Programs. This will allow you to select World Of Tanks, which you need to remove. After that, let the program uninstall, restart your PC and then re-install the software.

2) Update Your PC's Graphics Driver - You should definitely look to update the graphics driver of your system, as this will basically allow you to clean out any of the possible errors and issues that Windows may have leading the WOT game to crash. You can do this by first clicking onto "RUN" and then selecting "DXDiag" to find the graphics card manufacturer that you're using. This can be done by downloading the updated graphics driver installation file from the Internet, installing it and then letting it run.

3) Clean Out The Registry Of Windows - The registry is one of the most important parts of the Windows system, as it is where your system keeps the likes of your most recent emails, desktop wallpaper and passwords. Unfortunately, it's also one of the biggest causes of problems due to its settings becoming damaged. In order to resolve this issue, we highly recommend you are able to clean out the various problems that your system will have with the registry, which can be done by using a registry cleaner.

We recommend downloading a tool called Frontline Registry Cleaner, installing it and then letting it clean out the various problems that Windows might have. We normally recommend this tool to our clients because it's the best available.

How To Stop World Of Tanks Crashing To The Desktop

You can stop World Of Tanks Crashes by using the tutorial and tools on our website. You can Click Here to fix the World Of Tanks game on your system.

Using a Bluetooth Headset with your PC

Bluetooth

For those of you not familiar with the term, Bluetooth refers to a wireless protocol (or set of rules) designed for short range electronic applications (usually less than 30 feet in distance). Although the technology has been around for several years, Bluetooth support for PC users has been limited due to hardware manufacturers focusing on the more traditional 802.11 wireless network protocols (wifi). In reality, Bluetooth and wifi achieve different purposes and each has its pros and cons.

Pc

Cellular Telephone Bluetooth Headsets

The cellular telephone community has long embraced Bluetooth technology, developing and refining numerous wireless devices. One of the more popular Bluetooth applications for cellular telephones has been cordless headsets which enable users to leave their telephone in their bag or pocket while still being able to make and receive calls. Bluetooth headsets are generally very lightweight, worn over one ear and achieve talk times from 1-4 hours before needing a recharge.

Bluetooth PC Headset?

So if cellular telephone users have warmly embraced Bluetooth headsets, why not the PC community? At the time of writing, this author knows of no PC hardware manufacturer who has designed a Bluetooth Headset primarily for use with a PC. However, there is nothing to prevent a PC user from using a cellular phone Bluetooth Headset with their PC. Keep in mind though, these headsets were originally envisioned for cellular phone use and may need a bit of 'tweaking' before they'll perform as well as 'corded' headsets on your computer.

USB Bluetooth Adapter

Unless you own a relatively expensive notebook PC, odds are that your computer doesn't natively support the Bluetooth protocol. If this is the case, you'll need an 'Adapter' or 'Dongle' in order to make your computer 'Bluetooth enabled'. Bluetooth adapters are generally very small (a few inches long) and insert into a vacant USB port on your computer. When purchasing an adapter it's critical that you buy one that supports the 'headset protocol'. The headset protocol is merely a set of rules which enables your Bluetooth adapter to communicate with and make use of Bluetooth headsets in its vicinity. If your adapter does not support the headset protocol, no amount of 'tweaking' will get your headset working with your PC. Adapters generally run between - USD and can be purchased at most PC retailers.

Buying a Bluetooth Headset

Bluetooth headsets for cellular phones are generally very expensive when compared with conventional 'corded' PC headsets. Depending on where you buy your headset, you could spend anywhere from to 0+ USD. If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive headset that'll simply enable you to make wireless VoIP calls using your PC, I recommend looking on Ebay. Although prices vary considerably on eBay between merchants for similar products, overall they are considerably less expensive than purchasing the same headset from a telephone store. A word of caution about eBay though; ensure that you read the fine print associated with shipping costs. Some eBay merchants advertise Bluetooth Headsets for USD however the real cost quickly rises to + when you account for their often exorbitant shipping charges.

'Pairing' the Headset with your PC

Once your computer is 'Bluetooth enabled' and you've obtained a Bluetooth headset, you'll need to 'pair' the headset with your computer in order to use it for VoIP applications. This is usually just a matter of setting your headset in 'discovery mode' and allowing your PC to 'search' or 'discover' Bluetooth devices. The steps needed to enable discovery mode on your headset and adapter will vary between devices and should be clearly explained in the documentation accompanying your devices.

Adjusting your Audio Settings

Depending on your hardware and operating system, you may need to make adjustments to your audio settings after the headset is 'paired' with your PC. In the Windows operating system, this will involve accessing 'Audio Properties' through the 'Control Panel' and setting the audio and voice devices to your newly paired Bluetooth headset. Again, adjusting these settings should be covered in the documentation accompanying both your headset and Bluetooth adapter.

Once you're up and running, you'll wonder why you didn't adopt this wireless headset solution sooner. The freedom to wander away from your computer whilst maintaining voice over Internet conversations is something you'll come to appreciate and love.

Using a Bluetooth Headset with your PC

Nathan Smith

Nathan is the owner of bluetoothpcheadsets.com which contains information about using Bluetooth Headsets with computers (PCs) and netphonedirectory.com which deals specifically with PC to Phone and PC to PC VoIP.

Nathan Currently lives in New Brunswick, Canada