Parent’s guide to choosing a student laptop

A new laptop should last for around four years. Go for the one which will provide your
child with all the power and speed they need to make their life easier, Don’t just go for
the cheapest model. It is important to get the right technology to help the child with their
education.

Firstly, let’s look at the major considerations you’ll need to take into account when
choosing a student laptop.

Weight

The weight of the laptop will have an impact on the spine, if students have got lots of
walking to do. Ideally, it’s preferable to get one which weighs less than 1.5kg or it may
start weighing them down later in the day.

Battery Life

When in classrooms or lecture halls or seminar halls, it is important that the laptop has a
decent battery life, – so we’d recommend you buy one which can last around eight hours
as there might not always be a plug socket nearby. Of course, you could always get an
additional emergency power pack – but a longer battery life is much more convenient.

It doesn’t matter how great your laptop is if it runs out of power when you need it most.
That’s why battery life is a top consideration for student laptops.

While battery life is improving as technology advances, not all laptops can run all day on
a single charge. The more powerful your machine, the larger the screen, the bigger the
hard drive, and the more ports it has, the greater the drain on its batteries. Using a laptop
for high-performance activities like online gaming or engineering applications will
reduce battery life even further.

Much like with the weight of a laptop, the goal here is to maximize battery life while
keeping in mind what your student needs most out of their computer. If it turns out that
being able to stay unplugged is what your child values most, we’ve got good news: There
are many laptops that can deliver this level of electrical independence and still provide
the kind of computing power they need.

Durability

Young people are brilliant at dropping things and banging things against tables and
chairs, most parents will agree. So it’s important to get a laptop which can withstand
being dropped or can take all of those bumps and knocks.

Your child’s laptop will have to survive some pretty bumpy conditions. Unlike laptops
that are primarily used for business, your child’s machine is going to go with them
everywhere and be used for just about anything and everything. Classroom? Of course.
Dorm room? Definitely. But also, every place in between.They will need a laptop that is
built to withstand a bit more than casual typing, which is why laptop durability is such an
important consideration.

When shopping for a student laptop, look beyond the specifications and check if the
hinge is durable enough to withstand constant opening and closing? Does the keyboard
feel sturdy, or does it rattle when you type on it? If you open the screen from the front
edge, does it flex, or is it firm? These are all areas of potential areas of trouble.

Performance

If your son or daughter is going to be working on essays and needs to research online
there’s little need to spend £1000 on a high-performance laptop when a mid-range device
is perfectly adequate for everyday computing. Spend wisely.

Fast Wi Fi

Slow connectivity could affect the work of your child, so you need to look out for laptops
which operate well with wireless Wi-Fi.

Security

Make sure that you have good parental safeguards / security in place on the laptop for
school children. This will protect them from inappropriate content from the internet, and
it will give you peace of mind. You can install parental controls on the laptop, which will
block or filter content.