Computer and Networking Technologies, LTD May 2016 Laptop Buying Guide for College Students S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T : Here are some tips for equipping a budding young scholar Laptop Guide for that College Students Windows 10 Upgrade Windows 7 Desktops Laptop May Special Windows Business Laptop FIRST, CHECK WITH TH E SCHOOL Before you start shopping, surf to your school's Web site and find out if the school recommends a specific operating system (Windows or Mac OS). Many students should consider a Mac because they are immune to most of the viruses and worms-a big problem because students often share files among themselves and may have unfiltered connections to the Internet. Business students should stick to Windows, the platform of choice in most business environments. Some engineering programs, such as AutoCAD and Pro/Engineer, are available only for Windows. We prefer the Home Premium version of Windows Vista for its multimedia features. Arts and sciences majors are probably safe with either Windows or Mac OS. (If you must have the best of both worlds, you can buy a Mac and then install Windows as its secondary operating system.) Macs continue to outrank PCs in security and tech support, although they tend to cost more out of the box than Windows systems CONFIGURE YOUR SYSTE M Unless you need an extra-powerful system and don't need portability, buy a laptop. Check our tech-support and reliability surveys for the best brands (available to subscribers). Don't skimp: You want a model that will last four to five years. Be sure to get at least a dual-core processor (from Intel, that's a "Duo" or "Core 2 Duo"; from AMD, it's "X2"), a minimum 2 gigabytes of memory and a 250GB or larger hard drive. If you plan to use the computer as a gaming machine, you'll need a fast 3D graphics chip: Get an ATI or NVIDIA graphics card with at least 512 MB of memory. Here's a quick rundown on the pros and cons of various computer types: 12- to 13-inch laptop: Easy to tote. Usually lightweight (almost a pound lighter), but can cost more than larger laptops. 14- to 16-inch laptop: Still OK to tote to the library or classroom. Less expensive than other laptop types. 17- to 18-inch laptop: Can serve as a desktop replacement and an entertainment center, but heavy to carry around.
OR P A G E 2 How to decide: Should you upgrade to Windows 10? If you are running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 you can update to Windows 10 for free for what Microsoft calls "one year from the time Windows 10 is available," which should be just about July 29, 2016. After a year, you'll be paying about $119 for an upgrade, for self doing, but as found when you do the upgrade certain drivers on your current computer are not compatible with Windows 10. Now if you take your computer to a professional you ll pay 159$ for the software, operating system, and about it usually takes about 2 hours of straight labor to switch everything over and run all of the updates needed. As with all things Microsoft, the company has a wide range of editions. Windows 10 has four Intel processor versions and two Arm-based versions. For you folks in the enterprise world, Windows 7 is still available on new PCs. Whether you go this route really depends on what software and systems your organizations are running. Because Windows 7 is now six years old, you're also likely to run into compatibility issues with new devices and drivers. If you want the free upgrade, you're not getting a choice of editions. If you're running Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 8.1, you're getting Windows 10 Home. If you're running In any case, do keep in mind that an upgrade will be far more cost effective if you do it before the one-year clock runs out. Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate or Windows 8.1 Pro, you're getting Windows 10 Pro. If you're running Windows 8 and you can, you should update to 8.1 anyway. And if you're running Windows 8.1 and your machine can handle it (check the compatibility guidelines), I'd recommend updating to Windows 10. In terms of third-party support, Windows 8 and 8.1 will be such a ghost town that it's well worth doing the upgrade, and doing so while the Windows 10 option is free. Those of you who are still using Windows Media Center will want to watch out. Upgrading to Windows 10 will remove WMC functionality. That said, I use the old XBMC, now known as Kodi, and I like it a lot. If you have an Xbox One and want to stream games to your PC, then you'll want Windows 10. If you want to try out HoloLens or Oculus Rift, you'll want Windows 10. If your organization is all-in on Microsoft products from phones through tablets up through desktop PCs, then you'll probably want Windows 10. RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY The following set of recommendations are weighted by the assumption that you're updating (or considering updating) before Windows 10 stops being a free update. That said, most of the following choices are still relevant, just factor in the cost component. If still not sure talk with a professional for best advise before upgrading.
Intel Pentium Dual Core 3.2GHz Processor 4Gb RAM 120 Solid State Drive On Board Video and Integrated Sound DVD-RW Drive 10/100/1000 Network Card, Micro-Tower Case 104-Key Keyboard and Optical Scroll Mouse 6 USB Ports (Two Front Side Four Back) 20 LCD Monitor Microsoft Windows 7 Home Pro 64-Bit One Year Manufacturer s Warranty PRICE WITHOUT MONITOR $679 ONLY $789 OPTIONS: HP Envy 5540 Wireless Printer add $139.00 Upgrade from 20 to 23 LCD Monitor add $ 49.00 Microsoft Office Home/Student 2016 add $159.00 NOTE: Prices good while supplies last.
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E550 Intel Core i3-5005u 2.0GHz Processor 8 Gb DDR3 RAM 120Gb Solid State Drive DVD+/-RW Drive 10/100/1000 Network Card, and Wireless N 1 HDMI Port & 3 USB Sound and Speakers; 1.3 MP Webcam SD Card Reader 15.6 Color Display Microsoft Windows 7 Pro 64-bit One Year Manufacturer's Warranty ONLY $699 OPTIONS: Add a Carrying Case $ 35.00 Microsoft Office Home/Student 2016 $159.00 HP Envy 5540 Wireless Printer $139.00 Logitech Wireless Notebook Mouse $ 35.00 NOTE: Prices good while supplies last.
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E550 Intel Core i5-5200u 2.2GHz 8GB DDR3 RAM 120Gb Solid State Drive DVD+/-RW Drive 10/100/1000 Network Card and Wireless N 3 USB and 1 HDMI Port SD Card Reader 15.6" Display Windows 7 Pro 64-bit One Year Manufacturer's Warranty ONLY $799 See previous page for additional items for your laptop CNT Celina 918 N. Main Street Celina, Ohio 45822 419-586-9906 CNT Van Wert 1189 Westwood Drive Van Wert, Ohio 45891 419-238-9728 CNT St. Marys 1198 Indiana Ave. St. Marys, Ohio 45885 419-300-9906