In my course (applied psychology) computers are vital for research, and word processing. This means a basic computer/laptop would suffice as long as the essentials such as an internet browser and basic office programs can be installed and used.
Some Helpfull Factors Before Purchasing A Laptop/PC Would Be-
Cost- As students money can be short and hard to come by. This means buying a laptop/PC is a investment for many. Some tricks for finding the best value for money is shopping around, don’t make a hasty decision and buy the first one thats in your budget, chances are you could find a deal on them in another store for the same model for a slight saving.
Guarantee - Garantee’s are useful as most Laptop/Pc’s are mass produced. Mass production means it is easier for a fault in them to occur. Most decent machines have garantee’s for around 2-3 years. They cover accidental damages, any failure of the product itself and part replacement. At the time of purchase of the original machine it may be possible to extend the warranty of it. Make sure to buy of legitimate recognised sources.
Portability - Laptop’s are slower then Pc’s so you must consider if you are going to need to bring your computer around with you or weather your work can be done from one area. If it is not a nessity to bring your work around, a PC may be the better choice as the same programs for a Laptop work faster on a PC.
Memory - A basic laptop will have around 1GB-1.5GB of system memory.A basic Pc will have around 2GB of system memory(RAM). Memory sticks can be bought for bigger projects but at an additional cost. The applications that we use in our corse, large memory should not be needed with a basic operating system (Windows XP/Mac OS X) .
LAN (Local Area Network Port) - All Laptops/PC’s should have a port for wired network for access to the internet which is vital for our corse. They should also have wireless network capabilities.
Basic Office Programs - In our corse we use a word processor as well as powerpoint for presentations. These programs should be installed already in a Laptop/Pc before buying, as separate they can be costly.
Battery(only applies to Laptop) - If you are intending to use your Laptop in many different places, a good battery capability is essential as not everywhere will have accessible plugs. an average battery life would be around 3 hours, this time will decrease with age of the Laptop. Users must be prepared for this when using a Laptop.
Sites Used for some information:
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