Good news for students expecting the inevitable back to school computer upgrade: there’s never been a better time to buy a new PC.

Not only are computers becoming incredibly powerful and packed with convenient features — such as wireless connectivity and memory card readers — but prices are at an all-time low. What’s more, PCs are also replacing other home technologies these days, including stereo systems (thanks to MP3s and Internet radio stations), telephones (thanks to webcams and embedded mics) and televisions (thanks to broadband video).

Despite being slightly more expensive than their stationary desktop counterparts, laptop computers (also referred to as “notebooks”), are more ideal for a student’s lifestyle since they can bring the computer with them anywhere — be it a university lecture hall, study session in the library or in or around the home (or dorm room).

But choosing the right laptop to match your needs and budget can be an overwhelming task, so the following should help you decide what’s best for you and your budget.

When you’re shopping for a laptop, keep in mind the bigger the screen (e.g. 17-inches as opposed to 12-inches), the bigger the laptop will be. A larger monitor also tends to add more weight and drain the battery faster than smaller screens. This shouldn’t be as much of a concern for those whose laptop will be used as a stationary desktop replacement, which will be plugged into a wall’s electrical outlet for its power. Tablet PCs, which let you write on the screen with a stylus pen, will also be smaller and lighter in design than a traditional laptop, but tend to cost more.

Today’s laptops can often stand up to their desktop counterparts in speed and performance – in other words, there is no longer a clear trade-off between power and mobility. That said, look for a laptop with a “dual-core” processor, which is like having two engines under the hood instead of one. And the more system memory, or RAM, the smoother your programs will work (and the easier it will be to multitask); go with 1-gigabyte (GB) of RAM at a bare minimum. 2GB or 3GB of RAM is even better, especially when running Windows Vista. Video memory (such as 128- or 256-megabytes) relates to graphical performance, such as for games or video editing; the bigger the number, the smoother those applications will run.

Next: Hard drive space

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