Which laptop computer should we buy for a first year college student?

I’ve read all the articles and tried comparison shopping. Now I want first had opinions from users.

I’d buy something fairly cheap, around $600. The things you will need are wireless and Microsoft Office. Sure, there are “free” software options out there, but you’re asking for headaches. I’d say a cheap laptop for a few reasons.

1.) The business world still works in the land of Microsoft. I support both on a daily basis, and I’m always having to educate the mac users.

2.) You’re going to likely want a new computer in about 3 years anyway, so why spend so much now?

3.) You can get a decent laptop for gaming for around ~1000 on the dell outlet, if that’s a must.

4.) Make sure you get a laptop with a 7200 RPM harddrive. They almost never report this spec, but it’s one of the most important since it’s the slowest component in the computer. Many come with a stock 5400 RPM drive.

5.) You need at least 3 GB of RAM for Windows 7 to run at an optimal level. If you get a 64bit version, you can use more than 3.125 GB of RAM!

6.) the list goes on and on. Suffice it to say, keep it cheap and look for these particulars.

Horse spooked by laptop computer