Factors to Consider When..

BUYING A LAPTOP FOR MY COURSE

This is the final part of my I.C.T Autumn continuous assessment,

I am studying psychology, so which laptop would suit me best....

What exaclty would I need for my course requirements? It's research time!

Starting with the core requirements:

• Random Access Memory is perhaps the most important factor to consider when buying your laptop or any computer. RAM will greatly determine the speed of your laptop or computer. How fast it will process your tasks and graphics. You must make sure you have enough for your needs. You can now find many laptops pre-loaded with 1 Gig of RAM and capable of upgrading to 4 Gigs or more. RAM is critical for my course, I'll have several word documents open, several tabs on Google Chrome, Photoshop open for Multimedia module and possibly Itunes for easy listening, open all at the same time. I will need a laptop with a high RAM to cope with it all and process it fluidly.
• The Hardrive, for my own personal use (Photos and immense library of music), simply must be close or over 500GB. It is more expensive the more the hardrive, but ultimately with my personal documents and assignments, a hardrive full of memory is a must.
• SIZE: Obviously you must pick the best sized laptop to suit your needs. Laptops are divided into different categories, here's a quick rundown: -Tablet PC (smallest) Size of a paper tablet or notepad, less than 3 pounds. -Ultra Portable (small) <11" x <10" Less than 1.3 inches thick, less than 4 pounds. -Thin and Light (mid-size) 11-14" x <11" 1 to 1.4 inches thick, from 5 to 7 pounds. -Desktop Replacements (largest) >13" x >11" More than 1.5 inches, more than 7 pounds and up. I would look to purchase an ultra portable laptop. I travel for Kilkenny to Dublin twice a week, therefore I need a lightweight and portable laptop that will smoothly fit into a comfortable bag. I want it to be small and unassuming, otherwise potential pilfers will look at my bag, see the outline of a rectangle and know exactly what it is!
• Price: Yes, I am a student, and like the majority of us I am financially playing a balancing act from September to May. I have a weekend job but this is only enough to tide me until the next weekend. Every week I have to alot money to food and other basic requirements- theres only so much money left over and this would need to be saved up over a long time in order for it to be substantial to buy a laptop. I'm looking for affordable but not cheap.
• Programs: Deals with laptops in other words. I undoubtedly need Microsoft Works/Powerpoint Viewer, a virus scan and Photoshop (Adobe) for my course. Currently I am never off Word between assignments and journals. Photoshop is pivotal for Multimedia and a virus scan is a must to protect my laptop. So I would be looking for a deal like ''halfprice M. Word when you buy this laptop'' for example. Word itself is a whopping 120 Euro. Which is simply not on for students like myself. To summarise, I would be looking for:

1. 4 GB RAM or more.
2. Nearly 500GB of hardrive memory.
3. A highly portable design.
4. Affordable but not cheap.
5. Twinned with deals regards virus scans and typical student software.

With that, my list is complete. I feel content that if I printed this 'checklist' and went shopping for a laptop, I would find the perfect one to match my course requirements.