The best laptops for college students
The HP Pavilion Aero 13 has a long battery life and only weighs 2 pounds. Credit: CBS Interactive
It's hard to get through college without a laptop, and that's why you want the best one possible for the job. Taking notes the old-fashioned way isn't feasible anymore, but with so many laptop options on the market, it can be difficult picking the right one for you.
With the supply chain issues and chip shortages that have occurred over the past few years, you might think it's hard to get your hands on a decent budget-friendly laptop for school. However, it's still possible: Read on for three of CNET's favorite laptop models to suit nearly all college students.
WHAT MacBook Air M1
THE COST From $999
AVAILABLE FROM apple.com
Despite the availability of the bigger and better M2 MacBook Air, the M1 MacBook Air (one of the first to switch from Intel to Apple silicon) is sticking around and that's a good thing. Apple's entry-level laptop is still the go-to recommendation for a MacOS laptop for basic everyday use. It has great performance and long battery life — up to 18 hours — and is a solid choice for school and entertainment anywhere.
Like the previous Mac laptop models, the M1 Air has Apple's Magic Keyboard, Touch ID, a Force Touch trackpad and a 13.3-inch Retina display. If you're a college student, it's hard to go wrong with the new MacBook Air.
WHAT HP Pavilion Aero 13
THE COST From $499.99
AVAILABLE FROM hp.com
HP packed a lot of value into the Aero 13: Eye-pleasing magnesium-aluminum chassis, strong processing performance, long battery life, a bright, colorful display and a weight of just 2 pounds (0.94 kilograms). Amazingly, considering all that it offers, it has a reasonable regular starting price.
WHAT Lenovo Yoga 7i
THE COST From $549.99
AVAILABLE FROM lenovo.com
This thin, 3-pound convertible is a solid choice for anyone who needs a laptop for office or schoolwork. The all-metal chassis gives it a premium look and feel, and it has a comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth precision touch pad. As a two-in-one, you can use it as a laptop or tablet and it supports pen input with Lenovo's optional Active Pen. It also has a physical shutter for its webcam that gives you privacy when you want it. And it has a long battery life to boot at 12 hours, 45 minutes.
The following CNET staff contributed to this story: former CNET staff editor Dan Ackerman, managing editor Joshua Goldman and copy editor Jim Hoffman. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit cnet.com.
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