Disclaimer: I speak highly about the HP Mini, but I am not affiliated with HP. I purchased an HP Mini a while back and am very happy with it.
So your high school days are coming to an end and you’re just beginning the process of begging your parents for that sweet laptop for college, right? Before you go running to your parents and explain how much you NEED a laptop for all of your homework and studying (I mean Facebook, of course), you should first do a little research into which laptop is the best fit for you. With current technology electronics manufacturers are able to shrink the size of just about every piece of a computer. So before you begin begging for a new laptop with a price tag upward of $1200, consider cheaper alternatives that may be more practical and even a bit cooler.
Netbooks are quickly gaining popularity among high school and college students because of their unbelievably small size, increased capabilities, and of course, very low price tag. I have been using an HP Mini 1033 netbook for about a year now and I cannot imagine life without it. I did extensive research before making the purchase and found that the HP Mini 1000 series offers many features other netbooks on the market today do not offer. With a crystal-clear, 10.1 inch display and built-in web cam, Skyping with parents and friends is a blast. One of the overall best features of the HP Mini has to be the keyboard. At 92% the size of a full-size keyboard, it takes no time to adjust to the layout and size. After your purchase, you will be comfortably Facebook chatting with friends immediately (it also works well for homework and note-taking.)
With entry-level laptops ranging from about $600 to upwards of $1200, it is hard to beat the HP Mini, which comes in around $350 for a fully-loaded version. With 1GB of RAM, the Mini runs Windows XP smooth as silk, making surfing the Internet and sending emails a piece of cake. Weighing in at just around 2 pounds, this netbook easily fits into a backpack or purse without weighing it down and this makes it an especially great buy for students who walk or bike to class.
Although this little gadget is super useful and powerful considering its size, I would not recommend it for extreme gamers or music fanatics. Installing extensive gaming or music software will slow the system down as it was built to primarily support web surfing and email. I have several other software apps installed on my Mini, including Skype and several SEO software tools, and none of them seem to affect the performance of my system.
As netbooks began to gain popularity, they developed the reputation of being incapable of replacing desktop computers or full-size laptops. Netbooks are rather usually seen as complements for use in conjunction with main systems. I made my purchase with this in mind. But since day one using my netbook I’ve come to use my main desktop computer only about 5 times in the past year, primarily to access my printer.
I highly recommend a netbook, and especially the HP Mini 1033, to any high-school or college student, based on its impressive abilities, portability, sleek looks, and unbeatable price tag. As you begin to convince your parents how much you “need” a laptop for college, maybe they won’t be so against the idea when they hear how much this little guy costs.
Peace,
Troy Sultan,
Tech Blogger
