Back to school time is here and a lot of first-time college students are scratching their heads wondering, “what laptop should I get for school”? Now that it’s 2019, there are a ton of companies selling laptops that serve a bunch of different purposes. For the consumer, this is fantastic… but it can also get a little confusing when it comes to deciding which laptop you should ultimately buy. In order to make this easier, I have comprised what I think are the 3 best laptops for college students in 2019. We’ll cover everything from what makes the device stand out all the way to each machine’s individual specs and numbers! We’re intentionally skipping gaming laptops because they are too expensive and too heavy to carry around a campus.
The Apple MacBook Air (2018)
There is a reason that people have made memes about college classrooms being a sea of glowing white apple logos and that is because Apple simply makes good laptops. Apple’s latest rendition to the MacBook Air family is no different in quality and power. Featuring a 13.3” retina display, this device delivers a picture comprised of four million pixels that will never stop surprising you. Not only that, but this machine is shockingly lightweight at only 2.75 pounds. Now don’t let that fool you – just because this computer is light doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. This laptop comes with an eighth generation Intel i5 processor, 16GB of memory, and up to a 1 terabyte SSD. The MacBook Air types comfortably, it’s easy to lug around, and makes a great companion for any Netflix series when you need to just sit back and relax.
SPECS:
Price: starting at $1,099.00
Display: 13.3” Retina Display
Memory: 8GB LPDDR3 memory
Storage: 128GB SSD storage
CPU: 1.6GHz dual-core 8th-generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
The HP Envy Laptop – 13t
If you asked me about HP laptops about 7 years ago, I might have had a negative opinion, but HP has since proven themselves to be a great manufacturer for laptops. The HP Envy 13t was designed to perform well and keep you and your data safe. This laptop comes with a webcam kill-switch and a fingerprint reader which will keep you feeling safe and secure while typing up papers at the library overnight. When it comes to graphics power, this laptop goes above the power of integrated graphics and features an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card which will keep you hyper-functioning while editing photos and videos. Lastly, this machine will never stop running with its astonishing 13 hours and 45 minutes of battery life. Just like the MacBook Air, this device is lightweight and packs a punch for a much more competitive price point.
SPECS:
Price: starting at $749.99 (competitive price point)
Display: 13.3” FHD display
Memory: 8GB memory
Storage: 256 GB SSD Storage
CPU: 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor
The Microsoft Surface Go
Alright, let’s be real… when you’re going to college money can be tight. Microsoft understands this and they wanted to deliver you a device that won’t be expensive and still deliver upon the laptop power you expect in 2019. Enter the Microsoft Surface Go: this device performs like a laptop but answers portability with functionality like a tablet. The Surface Go features a 10” touch screen display and with a single fold, your laptop can be a tablet without losing a single byte of power. The only con with this machine is that adding on things like type covers, mice, or pens will cost a little extra – but starting at only $399.00 it’s worth it. With around 10 hours of battery life, an Intel 4415y gold processor, and 128GB of SSD storage this laptop is ideal for any budgeting college student.
SPECS:
Price: starting at $399.00
Display: 10” PixelSense™ Display with 1800 x 1200 resolution
Memory: 4GB memory
Storage: 128 GB SSD Storage
CPU: Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor 4415Y
Battery Life: Up to 9 hours of video playback
Conclusion
Hopefully, this list makes it a little bit easier to make your purchasing decisions. I tried to include 3 different laptops that are functional, carry great performance, and each come in at a different price point to match up with a variety of budgets. No matter which machine you pick, each of these laptops will last you efficiently from your first freshman papers to the final proposal for your Ph.D dissertation. Lastly, I just want to wish you good luck on your collegiate journey! ☺
