10 best laptops for students 2015

The best laptops for school, for a variety of students

Even for those who feel at home with their nose in a textbook, the end of summer break (or Winter recess) is a big bummer. But as much as it's a return to school and schedules, it's an opportunity. This is a fine excuse to invest in some fresh tech to make the coming academia-addled year a little more bearable.

If you're still reliant on a desktop, or if your laptop winces at the sight of a high-definition video lecture, it's time to look into an upgrade. And thankfully if you know where to look, it's possible to get a sleek and impressive notebook without blowing through your savings (or student loans).

1. Asus Zenbook UX305

A most affordable and excellent Ultrabook

+ Solid performance

+ Incredibly thin and light

- Wonky video driver

- Tinny speakers

Call it a MacBook Air knockoff all you want, the Asus ZenBook UX305 is one of the best and most affordable Ultrabooks available now.

2. Acer Chromebook 15

Chrome OS comes to the big screen

+ Absolutely radiant display

+ All-day battery life

- Sudden crashes

- Tinny but serviceable speakers

The Acer Chromebook 15 asks if you need a big machine to just run a Chrome browser, and I say 'oh, yes.' The Chromebook 15 takes Chrome OS to new places as it's the first device to arrive with a 15.6-inch display and the first to come with Intel's newest Broadwell processor.

3. Apple MacBook Pro 13.3-inch with Retina Display

The fastest small MacBook Pro yet is a force of nature

+ Retina Display

- Faster processor

- Force Touch underdeveloped

- Unchanged design

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is an excellent option for students who may need more power than a Chromebook or a MacBook Air without sacrificing portability thanks to its long battery life, relatively light weight, and high resolution display. Students on a budget will be happy to know that they can get started right away as the MacBook Pro with Retina display ships with free copies of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote out of the box as well as iMovie, Photos, and GarageBand for basic, creative projects.

4. Acer Chromebook 15 C910

The colossus of Chromebooks

+ Fast processing speeds

+ Long battery life

- Too heavy

- Awkward keyboard

Don't be fooled by this fatso. The Acer Chromebook 15 C910 is a durable workhorse that will reward you for looking past its size in favor of its performance, long battery life and stylish good looks.

6. Asus ROG GL551

The best entry-level gaming laptop available

CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710HQ Processor (quad-core, 6M cache, up to 3.5GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M (2GB GDDR5 RAM); Intel HD Graphics 4600 | RAM: 16GB DDR3L (2x 8GB at 1600MHz) | Screen: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080), matte finish | Storage: 1TB HDD (7,200 rpm) | Connectivity:802.11g Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 1.2MP, 720p webcam | Weight: 6 pounds | Dimensions: 15.0 x 10 x 1.3 inches (W x D x H)

+ Impressive performance

+ Solid build

- Finicky screen

- Rather thick

With a surprising amount of horsepower under the hood, you couldn't ask for more from the Asus GL551, save for maybe a better screen.

7. Acer Aspire V7

Offering great all-round performance this is ideal for a student

CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.60 GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 750M (4GB DDR3 RAM); Intel HD Graphics 4400 | RAM: 8GB DDR3L RAM | Screen: 14-inch, 1920 x 1080 glossy IPS touchscreen | Storage: 500GB (5400 rpm with a 16GB SSD cache) |Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 720p webcam | Weight:4.41 pounds | Dimensions: 13.4 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches (W x D x H)

+ Seamless design

+ Gorgeous screen

- Rough trackpad

- Short battery life

A short battery life and an obnoxious amount of bloatware hold back this otherwise excellent notebook that tows the line between Ultrabook and gaming laptop.

8. Microsoft Surface 3

Thinner, lighter, quieter, cheaper

CPU: Quad Core Intel Atom x7-78700 processor (2MB Cache, 1.6GHz turbo boost to 2.4GHz) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 10.8-inch ClearType Full HD Plus Display (1920 x 1200) | Storage: 128GB | Connectivity:802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 3.5 megapixel front-facing camera; 8.0 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus | Weight: 1.37 pounds |Dimensions: 10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 inches (W x D x H)

+ Display

+ Design

- Keyboard

- Storage

If you want the cheapest and most portable Surface tablet money can buy for lightweight computing tasks, the Surface 3 fits the bill. Power-hungry users should consider the low-end Surface Pro 3 instead.

9. Microsoft Surface Pro 4

The tablet that can replace your laptop

CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 3GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520 | RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 | Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense 3:2 aspect ratio display | Storage: 256GB PCIe 3.0 SSD | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2 x 2 MIMO), Bluetooth 4.0 (Low Energy) | Camera: 8MP rear-facing (1080p HD); 5MP front-facing (1080p) HD camera | Weight: 1.73 pounds | Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.36 inches (W X H X D)

+ High screen

+ Vastly improved Type Cover

- Type Cover still sold separately

- Intel Core m3 at entry level

A higher resolution screen, a thinner design and a move to Intel's more powerful Skylake processors all help to make this portable tablet a capable replacement for your laptop. Sadly, the Type Cover keyboard is still an optional necessity for this laptop replacement.

10. Lenovo ThinkPad E555

A ThinkPad, but without the price tag

+ Great keyboard

+ Decent performance

- Poor battery life

- Heavy

Forget Lenovo's Essentials range, the ThinkPad E555, bears all the qualities (well, almost) of the legendary ThinkPad family but without the price tag.

SOURCE: Techradar.

Gadget News

Tuesday, December 29, 2015