Buying a laptop for online classes could be challenging without knowing some important factors. Read the entire context to know what things you need to consider.
A laptop is a crucial device for students to make assignments, regular classes, and class tests easier. Now, laptops are more necessary than ever, as students have to attend remote learning classes because of the Corona pandemic. Students will need to have a laptop to participate in online classes. But not all laptops will be ideal for attending online classes.
Students will need to have a reliable laptop to prevent interruptions during classes. But the fact is, choosing laptops is not an easy task because markets are flooded with different fancy laptops. When choosing a laptop, especially for online classes, you have to consider various factors for getting the right one. For your help, here we will explain what factors you need to consider while buying a laptop.
Is A Laptop Necessary For Online Classes?
The current epidemic situation has shifted classroom teaching to online classes. Students used to learn in a classroom, now they are learning from their teachers through online classes. To participate in the online classes, students need a reliable laptop to study at their respective homes. Along with attending online classes, the laptop will help simplify the learning process for students in different ways.
For example, if you are a nursing student, you may have to work with different assignments, class tests, labs, and so on. Using an education platform such as Studocu may also be necessary to give you access to study materials that are already available. It is a good tool for enhancing learning. In that case, using the laptop for nursing students will help you make these tasks easier. But the fact is that not all types of laptops will be ideal for such tasks. In that case, a laptop with a good processor, display, RAM, ROM will make your education easy and fun.
Minimum & Recommended System Requirements
While purchasing a laptop for online classes, you may encounter different specifications. Your chosen laptop should meet certain requirements; otherwise, it will fail to meet the performance the students need. Below we have made a table with the minimum & recommended system requirements of a laptop for online classes.
| Considering Factors | Recommended Requirements | Minimum Requirements |
| CPU/Processor | Intel Core i7 or latest AMD | Intel Core i3 or AMD |
| RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage/ROM | 512 GB | 128 GB |
| Display | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) | 10-inch (1800 x 1200) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX series GPU | Integrated Intel HD 615 |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours | Up to 7 hours |
Things to Keep in Mind When Buying a Laptop for Online Classes
Just purchasing a laptop will not ensure the starting of good online classes. Below we have explained what factors you should consider before buying a laptop, especially for online classes.
Processor
Choosing the right processor for your laptop is one of the crucial decisions. The processor is known as the brain of a laptop that determines the entire performance. Currently, there are numerous options on the marketplace. Both Intel and AMD processors will be a good choice to fulfill the students’ needs. Although processors are pretty expensive, a sound processor helps operate your laptop faster.
Display
Consider a small format laptop if you wish to purchase a laptop with portability and versatility. Although a small display laptop may negatively impact your online learning, you can do the same as other laptops. A large display laptop will help students view classes properly while attending online classes.
Operating System
Operating System is another crucial factor to consider when purchasing a new laptop. Many operating systems are available, but macOS and Windows are the most popular. Windows-based laptops have become popular for their friendly and easy-to-use interface. On the other hand, macOS is specifically designed for Apple computers and focuses on the strongest stability and security.
RAM or System Memory
RAM is key to laptop performance, especially when you need to work with lots of multitasking. If you have sufficient RAM, you can access data faster. It also allows you to run different applications smoothly at one once. 4 GB of RAM is the minimum requirement, but for using high-power applications, you should go for 8 GB or more.
ROM or Storage
Just having a large amount of storage will not be enough, but the type of storage also needs to be considered. You will find two common types of hard disks in marketplaces: HDD and SSD. Typically, an SSD is much faster than an HDD, which helps run a laptop smoothly. Although an SSD is expensive, choosing a laptop with a solid-state drive will be a good choice.
Battery
Purchasing a laptop with a powerful battery life will be an ideal choice. This is because portability and versatility are the main motives for purchasing a laptop. The battery life mainly depends on the screen brightness and the number of apps you run. The laptop’s battery is measured in Watt-hours (Wh) or milliamp-hours (mAh). The bigger the Wh, the longer the laptop will back up power.
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Almost every laptop comes with Wi-Fi which is necessary if you take your laptop everywhere to study. Wi-Fi connectivity enables you to access the internet from airports, hotels, coffee shops, and local libraries. Besides, if you are fond of constantly traveling, purchasing a laptop with pre-built 4G LTE will be worth considering. This will help you use data plans from different service providers.
Ports
Having a wide range of ports can be extremely helpful. Most of the laptop contains 2 USB ports, a 3.0 USB, a LAN, and a VGA port. USB ports are responsible for transmitting data between devices. LAN port helps connect to the internet connection, and VGA port lets display the laptop screen to a projector or other monitor.
Conclusion
We hope you understand what you need to consider while purchasing a laptop for online classes. Finding the right laptop for needs can be a daunting task for someone without knowledge and experience. For that, in this context, we have demonstrated an overall guideline about choosing the ideal laptop. A laptop with a proper processor, RAM, ROM, display, battery life will help students participate in their online classes without any interruption.
