Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Back to school tech

Knowing what kind of technology to buy when heading off to university is tough — do you get a laptop and try to use it for everything, or a desktop and use it in combination with other technologies? In a way it depends a lot on the courses your
opinion_cybernaut1

Knowing what kind of technology to buy when heading off to university is tough — do you get a laptop and try to use it for everything, or a desktop and use it in combination with other technologies?

In a way it depends a lot on the courses your taking. For example, people taking math and sciences tend to take a lot of notes by hand, drawing diagrams and formulas — something you just can't use a laptop for.

For those people I seriously recommend getting an Evernote account and a Livescribe pen (www.livescribe.com). The pens allow you to export your notes directly to your Evernote account and organize them however you choose, and come with neat features like the ability to do calculator functions on the fly. And if the professor is talking too quickly for you to keep up then simply press a button and you can record the audio. When you look at your notes later, and have no idea what's going on, you can listen to every word that was said.

There are too many features to discuss, so go to the website and watch the demo videos for yourself.

If you're taking class notes via Livescribe then you might not need a laptop. A better option might be a desktop computer, which are generally more powerful, have more storage and are often better value as well. You can select your own screen, picking something large for multitasking and use a full-sized keyboard as well.

Big screen also allows a desktop to double as a movie/TV/gaming hub during downtime, so you don't need to bring a TV to school with you. Or a stereo — just plug in a surround sound system or sound bar and your entertainment is taken care of.

All-in-one desktops don't take up a lot of space, and are comparable in power to most desktops. Dell, for one example, makes an XPS 27-inch all-in-one with a 2550x1440 touch display that can easily double as a gaming computer — and the price tag, $1,600 for the base model, is only slightly more than a MacBook Pro with a 13-inch display, while the 15-inch models start at $1,800. If you're an Apple person, then their 27-inch iMacs, which are seriously nice, also start at $1,800.

If a student decides to go the Livescribe/desktop route they might find that they need something during the day to send emails, surf the web, call home, etc. An inexpensive tablet could fill this gap. You wouldn't write an essay on one, even with a keyboard attachment, but they're fine for light work.

For students in arts, or those who spend a lot more time listening to lectures than keeping up with what's happening on the chalk/white board, a laptop is probably the best device. They're not great for multitasking, which is why you probably need to invest in a second monitor that you can plug your laptop into in your dorm room at night, along with an external keyboard and mouse. Laptop trackpads suck.

Deciding what laptop to buy depends on your budget and personal preferences, but one of your main priorities should be battery life. Four hours isn't going to cut it on a day when you have three classes and an essay to work on over lunch.

The title for best battery life in a laptop goes to ThinkPad. Their X230 laptop, a 12-inch model, has a battery that can last over 20 hours if you purchase an accessory second flat battery and 12 hours if you don't. They also retail under $1,000 and comes in an efficient 14-inch model, which is a decent size.

That said, for aesthetics and ergonomics, most students will probably prefer a MacBook Air. The model with the 13-inch screen (the 11 is seriously small) will last around 12 hours, and starts at $1,100. It also has a solid state drive which boots in seconds if you're running late to class.

Battery life isn't the only thing to look for. Make sure your laptop has a few extra USB ports for charging your phone and devices, SD card slots if you have a camera and a port to connect to an external monitor.

School is expensive and buying a bunch of hardware is going to set you back. To save money, consider this advice:

1) Your cell phone doesn't really need a data plan — university/college campuses are some of the most wired and wireless places in the world. Save the $20.

2) Always check to see if a student rate is available before buying hardware. Students can also get a good discount on hardware and software like Microsoft Word.

3) If the hardware you want isn't offered with a student discount, check your school book/computer store before paying full price.

4) Always use a data backup, whether it's the cloud or a USB drive. Professors have little sympathy for technical difficulties.

5) Buy a lock for your laptop, desktop, etc. Lock everything you own.

6) Use passwords for everything, including when logging onto your computer. Dorms aren't the most private places and you don't want someone to use your computer without your knowledge and download a virus.

7) If you need a printer, don't get inkjet or colour — both are expensive. Instead, find an affordable black and white laser printer with reasonably priced ink to save money.