Laptops for students are supposed to be, above all, value for money. You can’t expect students to be equipped with the best tech out there. Therefore, they need a machine that’ll help them stay focused and perform all academic tasks easily and swiftly. Students don’t earn tons of money and they can’t afford to get flagship laptops for simple Microsoft Suite tasks. All they require is a sturdy device with basic apps and a stable internet connection.
Speaking of the internet, we recommend deals that come chock full of various, affordable options for a student’s daily life. You don’t need to go all the way. You need an internet connection that helps you easily access the school Moodle, make zoom calls and take online quizzes. And that’s where CenturyLink shines. Let’s check out some of this year’s models that can uphold all these fronts for a smooth student life.
Acer Chromebook Spin 311
If looks could be deceiving then this Acer would top the list. This machine appears as a clunky and chunky laptop, full of modern-age tech. Apart from having a robust build, it has a 2-in-1 build that the average student can utilize while taking down notes in class, drawing out chemical structures, or making anatomies of various beings (if you’re a STEM student, you’d know). It’s only 11 inches big in screen size making it ultra-portable but where the screen lacks in size, it makes up for it by being touch and having good brightness.
MacBook Air M1
The 2020 MacBook Air is where Apple cemented itself as the king of the hill. Their M1 chips completely revolutionized Apple’s lineup to not only be aesthetically pleasing but also functionally top-class. The Air M1 is beefier in features and so is its price tag but also offers the best bang for your buck. Provided a student can afford it. Pricing wise, the M1 has come down quite a bit due to the M2’s succession quite recently.
Thus, this MacBook is also seeing a spike in its sales during the holiday season. We’d recommend this machine for all sorts of work. Be it 4K video editing, note-taking, or just about anything that a laptop should be expected to dish out. It is a bit heavier in weight but with a screen of just 13.3 inches, you get a complete package to be reckoned with.
Dell XPS 13
Not looking to dip your feet in Apple’s ecosystem? That’s quite alright. This year, Dell has been generous and incredibly smart with its XPS lineup. The Dell XPS 13 has gotten quality upgrades over the past year and this year’s model is a valid representation of that. There isn’t much processing power in this little guy but a student rarely needs that.
Where it does shine is its infinity edge screen, which offers a sharp, crisp display. The design is clean, smooth and stays true to the essence of the XPS lineup. Moreover, you can get this XPS customized by Dell to include a touch screen but be ready to pay an elevated price for it. Overall, a simple design, lightweight, and gorgeous display are enough to present this machine as a solid competitor.
Surface Laptop Go 2
The all-rounder directly from Microsoft for students looking to prioritize portability and power. The screen rocks Microsoft’s PixelSense Touch Display which means you get high pixel density with touch capability. Storage options are quite nice too with the minimum being 128 GB and the max going up to 256 GB. There’s an aluminum shell around this laptop for the most part with only the bottom being encased in plastic.
The screen has a 3:2 ratio, which specially caters to those of you out there who would like some extra real estate when working on word documents. The 3:2 ratio closely resembles an A4 sheet of paper so typing on the screen feels and looks like you’re writing on your regular academic paper. Battery life is brilliant, clocking around 8 hours give or take with a nominal amount of activity and there’s enough juice in the processors to handle your multitasking effectively.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 OLED Chrome Book
With a tasty features list, the Lenovo IdeaPad doesn’t shy away from taking the grunt of your daily in-school and after-school activities. The battery life is a juggernaut in itself, pumping out around 16 hours on a single charge.
Alas, it is a Chrome Book so one is limited to the thralls of Google but even then there’s a lot to go around. The design is also modular; having a detachable keyboard if you want to use it as a tablet with a gorgeous touchscreen. Feel free to use either Lenovo’s stylus or any budget stylus on the market to make this Chrome Book a handy tablet.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap for our top five laptop picks. All the aforementioned machines outperform their competitors in one way or another while keeping a good hold on pricing. Students get the best bang for their buck without burdening themselves or their parents. Splurge away or snag one of these during the holiday season and gear up for the next academic year in style.