When considering what computer to buy for my applied psychology course, there are a lot of factors to consider, such as memory, size, weight, hardware, software, cost and dependability. Before I even go into detail about these factors I will rule out all Mac computers, not because there is anything wrong with them in particular, but because I find them extremely difficult to use. The main criteria for my ideal computer are quite obviously that it is a laptop. Laptops are portable, which is vitally important for my course, so I can work while travelling and bring all of my work into college with me. The laptop also needs to be small and lightweight. A small laptop is a necessity so I can easily carry it around in my bag, and it must be lightweight so it is not a chore to bring it around with me everyday. It is important that the computer you buy has the necessary hardware and software available not only if you are buying it for educational needs, but for your own use of the computer aswell. The internet is an absolute necessity for anyone buying a laptop, especially for someone in college in order to use it for research and references. Other software packages that are important are Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Publisher, so investigate is these software packages come with the computer or if you have to purchase them separately. I would recommend that if you are buying a Windows laptop that it comes with Microsoft XP or a version that has come out after that. Do not buy a computer with a previous version of software than Windows XP, it is not modern enough for applications nowadays. For my course in particular, USB ports are a must have on a computer, in order to be able to avail of memory sticks. A CD disc drive is also great to have, but in my opinion not a necessity. That is one problem with small laptops as a lot of them do not have CD drives built in to them. Other great features to have on a laptop is a reasonably big screen, touch mousepad earphone ports.
A computer with a good memory is also extremely important for my course, in order to store documents for assignments and any other work. Microsoft recommends a minimum RAM (random access memory) of 128MB for Windows XP, which in fairness is not a lot. We have a Multimedia Design module in my course and a huge chunk of that is using Photoshop. So considering Photoshop takes up about 1GB of RAM, Microsoft’s recommendation would not be near enough for my ideal laptop.
Probably the biggest factor in deciding on a laptop to purchase (for a student especially) is cost. Laptops are not cheap, and in other to get a good one, you’re going to have to pay for it! There is no point in buying a laptop that costs an astronomical amount, in order to have a computer fancier than those at NASA. However, you know if you’re paying €100 for a laptop, it’s not going to be very effective, so you need to strike a balance. Establish the things you need for the laptop, and buy one that has these things. Don’t be tempted by unnecessary add-ons that will cost you more. There are hundreds of different computers out there, so find the right one for you!
Lastly, but most certainly not the least important factor is dependability. It is all well and good buying a brilliant laptop that has all the most modern software for a decent price, however if it only lasts for a year you have wasted your money. I would recommend buying a laptop made by a well-known company e.g. Dell. I would also advise anyone buying a new computer to inquire if warranty comes with the laptop or if you have to pay for it separately. Even if it does not come with the laptop, buy it, it will prove worthwhile if anything happens to your computer. So taking all these into consideration, I’m looking for a cheap mini-laptop, with Windows XP or Vista and software packages for Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Publisher included, a relatively large RAM, with USB ports, a touch mousepad and warranty included. I might be looking for a while!
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