What would be a good all around computer for college?

[Rebecca]

I have had my Toshiba Satellite for two years and it is just starting to break apart. Not to mention it was pretty slow and bulky. I have been looking into either a 13'' Macbook Pro or a Samsung 5 series. I just need an all around good computer that will last me for quite a while. I don't know if I would need an i7 processor or if I could do just fine with an i5, and if I should have a 4GB or an 8GB memory. I'm not that big of a gamer, but I do enjoy the occasional MMO and my Sims 3..my current computer has difficulty running anything besides facebook games. I need something lightweight to carry around for school, but I don't want to sacrifice that much in performance. I really like a Mac's refinement and durability, but it is also pretty pricey. I don't mind paying that much if it will save me in the long run though. Any ideas?

[William]

Well, for college you might want a MAC but I am talking from Windows perspective. If you are not doing heavy duty video and audio editing than you really won't need i7 processor. In fact I think an i3 will work fine because i5 is not such a big step from i3. Once again with just word processing, internet browsing, and simple tasks like that I think 4 GB is more than enough, but if you do play some games you might want a few gigs more like 6 GB. A good computer on the market right now is Dell's Inspiron Series. Now....these do have Windows 8, which in my opinion is horrible but if you get it used or online you can get Windows 7 or even Vista. MAC's are really good computers too, but really expensive. Another thing to think about is the safety of the computer. I am talking about malware and viruses. MAC's are immune to pretty much every kind of virus but do still get malware and spyware like Trojans & Rouge Software. Good brands for Windows are Dell, Samsung, and HP. Acer and Asus in my opinion are really bad quality.

[Dean]

I think you should go for an HP laptop, more towards the i3 processor. For what you're doing, you don't need more than 6GB, so I agree with the other answer. Then again, Windows 8 is not completely bad, but I'd take up Windows 7 over 8 anyday. If you're looking to game, you're gonna need something with a good graphics card. For college, I'm guessing you'll be typing alot. For that, I'd suggest something with a nice, sleek, smooth keyboard. I'm also suggesting something with exceptionally long battery life, in case your laptop dies in the middle of class, or something.
As for the graphics card, if you have a bit of money to spend, and are looking for extraordinarily good graphics, go for the Nvidia GTX 670.
So, based on whatever I've been saying, I think you should go for something in the HP ProBook S Series.
Also, I'd suggest an external hard drive, but almost everyone has one, lol.

Good luck with your laptop shopping!

[john]

this will work perfectly. this has dedicated graphics,meaning that the graphics and processor work independently. it is als the current generation of a6 processors,it just came out. sims 3 is a four year old game and will run on anything today,even when it came out it didnt require much,so your laptop must be old.. this will last you at least 4 years.this is alot lighter than a 15 inch,about two pounds lighter.contact me if you need more help.