Get a good deal on a student's PC

With computers and the internet playing a significant role in education, you may be thinking about buying a computer for yourself or someone heading to school, college or university.

Given the difficult financial times, getting good value on a computer for education is important. Good value does not, of course, always come from the cheapest deal. So let’s think about what to look for before we suggest ways to find great deals.

The first choice seems simple: desktop or laptop? If there is any requirement for the computer to be portable, then a desktop may not be practical. If not, a desktop will usually be better value, giving more processing power and higher hard disk capacity, usually for less money than the cheapest laptops.

That has begun to change recently, though, at least on price, with a new range of ‘netbook’ computers. Netbooks are smaller and often cheaper than standard laptops. They are designed for portability and are generally suitable only for quite basic computing tasks, such as office applications, email, browsing the internet and so forth. They are light too, rarely exceeding 1.5kg.

The ideal option?
As such they seem ideal for students but there are drawbacks. The small size of the netbook screen can make browsing some websites and documents tricky. The keyboard is smaller too and can become uncomfortable when typing long essays.

Netbooks use processors that draw less power so battery life tends to be impressive. This could be useful if the computer is going to be used away from a power socket but, lesson time and lectures aside, it’s worth asking whether the majority of study will be done at a desk close to the mains.

If so, impressive battery life is not that important. Most netbooks also lack a disk drive, which means you will need a USB disc drive to install software.

Laptops tend to be better value than netbooks, although if money is tight end-of-line netbooks have been selling for around £150. These deals sell out quickly, so you need to keep tabs on discount blogs and websites such as our own Cheapo Computers and Money Saving Expert.

If the recession has a silver lining, it’s that computers are cheaper than ever, and many retailers offer special ‘back-to-school’ deals.