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Laptop computers are a smart choice to fit in with a college student's lifestyle.

Versatile PCs Help Students Live And Learn

by Ralph Bond, Consumer
Education Manager, Intel Corp.

(NAPSI)-From the first day at school through the last college final, the right PC can help students live and learn.

How do parents pick the right PC? Start with a clear understanding of how and where the PC will be used.

• Will "mobility" be important? For many college students, mobile computing is essential. With a laptop, students have the flexibility to study anywhere-in the library, while on a dinner break from a part-time job, from a fellow student's dorm room, while exploring the ocean's habitat from a floating lab or unearthing artifacts from an archeological dig. For a student still living at home, a desktop PC may be a better choice since it will likely be used by more than one person and for multiple tasks, including education, home finance, Internet access and entertainment.

• Is the living space small? Students tend to live in tight quarters whether in a bedroom in their parents' home, a dorm room or an apartment shared with roommates. If living space is confined, a laptop can be used in more spaces around a room and then locked away when not in use, freeing other pieces of furniture to do double duty as a dining table or a game table.

Both desktops and laptop PCs can be all-in-one entertainment centers, as well. With the addition of a TV tuner, PCs can be television sets. PCs can also act as stereos, radios, DVD players and gaming systems. One versatile PC can replace several other space-hogging devices.

• How much PC performance do students need? Today's students tend to be the most demanding computer users in the world, largely because they view their PC as a study center and an all-in-one digital jukebox, photo darkroom, DVD player and gaming system. These types of applications require a powerful processor, lots of memory and a big hard drive.

A processor is the PC's brain and it tells the computer what to do. A processor's speed is measured in megahertz or gigahertz. A higher "hertz" number equals a faster processor. Currently, the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.53 GHz is the world's fastest desktop processor while the Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor-M at 2 GHz is the world's fastest laptop processor. Buy as much processor performance as you can afford to ensure the longevity of your PC investment.

Memory-or RAM-works with the processor to make software programs run more smoothly. Look for at least 128 megabtyes of RAM for a laptop or desktop PC.

The hard drive is the PC's "filing cabinet." Since music, video and photos and many of today's hottest software programs tend to be big files, look for at least a 10-gigabyte hard drive in a laptop and a 40-gigabyte unit for a desktop.

• Does the school have computer requirements? Increasingly, colleges expect students to have PCs and many institutions have built networks to provide wireless Internet access campus wide and "e-learning" programs. Before you buy a desktop or laptop PC, find out what the school requires and if it offers technical support. Also, find out if the campus has teamed up with PC manufacturers to offer discounts or promotions that might help you save money.

For more information on how to find the right laptop or desktop PC for your student, go to www.intel.com/home.

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