laptop for uni

user8732847

5

what's a good laptop to use for notes and essays with a long battery life

Reply 1

NeoGalaxy

3

Original post by user8732847

what's a good laptop to use for notes and essays with a long battery life

Depends on your budget

Reply 2

EpicChefUK

12

I'm a MacBook guy and I've used the MacBook Air M2 13" throughout 1st year.
Chemistry student btw.
So far it's served me v v well.

If it's just notes / essays then the Air should be fine, but if you're planning on regularly gaming, editing HD videos or doing something else that needs more power, you may wish to consider a MacBook Pro.

I have 256 GB SSD (most of my stuff is on iCloud) and 16GB of RAM, just consider how much RAM you think you need.

There's a new 15" MacBook Air M2 which I think is in many ways similar to the 13" one which I have, but it's good if you need a larger screen size.

Can't really help w Windows bc I've gone down the Mac route!

Reply 3

random_matt

20

Nobody who is logical and rational spends over a £1000 on a macbook to browse the web and write an essay, that would be a very poor purchase. Those buyers simply buy them because they think they are cool and hip, nothing else.

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 4

EpicChefUK

12

Original post by random_matt

Nobody who is logical and rational spends over a £1000 on a macbook to browse the web and write an essay, that would be a very poor purchase. Those buyers simply buy them because they think they are cool and hip, nothing else.

That's your opinion, but I am clearly not the only one to disagree.
Where I go a lot of people use MacBooks! Many of my friends at least.

iPads too - a 4th year research student once told me an iPad with an Apple Pencil is one of the best things a chemistry student can get!

It's not about being "cool and hip", there are actual advantages to macOS, especially if you are already in the Apple ecosystem.

Being able to look at a page on your iPhone and click a single button to continue where you left off on your Mac, or being able to copy something on your iPhone / iPad and paste on your Mac, was actually quite impressive when I did it for the first time!

Above all, MacBooks are built to last for at least a good 5-6 years.

The MacBook Air entry-level model may be all you need for writing essays and browsing the web - no one is asking you to get a Pro.

If you buy a cheap laptop that does not work well more than a couple of years, that does not have adequate wiggle room to allow for anything you may choose to do in the next 5-6 years, I would say that is an extremely poor purchase.
I get that many people are on a budget, and if you are, a MacBook may not be your best choice, but equally not everything is about money.

Remember, there are also other factors that will determine which laptop you get.
If you will need frequent use of specialist software that doesn't support macOS, for instance, a MacBook is out of the question.

I don't take back my recommendation. My MacBook has served me well so far, my family's MacBook has served them well for well over 5 years too.
I really don't care about being "cool and hip". I care about high quality tech that is intuitive to use and will serve me well.

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 5

random_matt

20

Original post by EpicChefUK

That's your opinion, but I am clearly not the only one to disagree.
Where I go a lot of people use MacBooks! Many of my friends at least.

iPads too - a 4th year research student once told me an iPad with an Apple Pencil is one of the best things a chemistry student can get!

It's not about being "cool and hip", there are actual advantages to macOS, especially if you are already in the Apple ecosystem.

Being able to look at a page on your iPhone and click a single button to continue where you left off on your Mac, or being able to copy something on your iPhone / iPad and paste on your Mac, was actually quite impressive when I did it for the first time!

Above all, MacBooks are built to last for at least a good 5-6 years.

The MacBook Air entry-level model may be all you need for writing essays and browsing the web - no one is asking you to get a Pro.

If you buy a cheap laptop that does not work well more than a couple of years, that does not have adequate wiggle room to allow for anything you may choose to do in the next 5-6 years, I would say that is an extremely poor purchase.
I get that many people are on a budget, and if you are, a MacBook may not be your best choice, but equally not everything is about money.

Remember, there are also other factors that will determine which laptop you get.
If you will need frequent use of specialist software that doesn't support macOS, for instance, a MacBook is out of the question.

I don't take back my recommendation. My MacBook has served me well so far, my family's MacBook has served them well for well over 5 years too.
I really don't care about being "cool and hip". I care about high quality tech that is intuitive to use and will serve me well.

Biggest load of drivel I have read for a while. I have a gaming rig and a laptop which can be upgraded and will out last whatever Apple produces. Their hardware is overpriced with planned obsolescence in mind.

(edited 8 months ago)

Original post by user8732847

what's a good laptop to use for notes and essays with a long battery life

Hi there,

Here are a few things to consider and pay attention to when choosing a laptop that suits you the best:

Try to look for a laptop with at least 8 hours of battery life to get through a full day of classes or work without needing to recharge.

A lightweight and slim laptop will be easier to carry around. Consider a laptop that weighs less than 4 pounds (1.8 kg).

A screen size of 13 to 14 inches usually offers a good balance between usability and portability.

A comfortable, responsive keyboard is crucial for extensive note-taking and essay writing.

For taking notes and writing essays, you don't need a very high-end processor, but don’t go too low either. An Intel Core i5 should be more than adequate.

Aim for at least 8GB of RAM for smooth multitasking.

Set a budget and try to find the best specifications for that price. For note-taking and essay writing, you generally don’t need the most expensive model.

Popular brands that tend to have models that fit these criteria include Apple (MacBook Air), Dell (XPS, Inspiron), HP (Envy, Spectre), Lenovo (ThinkPad, Yoga), Asus (ZenBook), and Microsoft (Surface).

Hope you find this helpful,
Sophia :smile: