Budget Laptop suggestions for B-School

Question

Hi All,

I am looking for suggestions for a  reliable  and  lightweight  (< 2 kg/4 lbs) budget laptop under $1000 for B-school. I don't have any other specific requirements apart from the standard requirements for a B-School laptop and I am not going to be doing any high-end gaming on it (it is going to be solely for B-school since I already have a lower end personal laptop which I will be keeping as a backup). Since technology is rapidly changing, I am not planning to invest too much in a laptop that I would probably use only for the next 2-3 years. Would greatly appreciate a few suggestions.

Note: I have been using a Lenovo for the past 2 years so I am partial to it (especially satisfied with the keypad).

EDIT  : I just realized that some of the laptops do not have optical drives. Would prefer to have this.

dtse86 · Answer

I got a Lenovo T440s last fall to help me finish my b-school apps when my old laptop crapped out on me. I see that it's just over $1k, but if you're current employer has a corporate discount program or anything you should be able to get it under $1k.

I've also seen a lot more people using Microsoft Surface Pro's in lieu of full laptops. I've actually heard some good reviews on it's capabilities as a computer and a portable touchpad. I know that with various configurations they can get really expensive, but it might be worth the investment.

Other than that, I think the ultrabook class of laptops is great for extremely portable and extremely capable computers in general. My only suggestion is to be wary of Acer. The laptop that crapped out on me was an Acer and although it was great while I used it, the screen absolutely stopped working about 12 months in and then 4 months later it completely stopped working. I think the battery failed. The durability and quality of the computer I think is what ultimately caused it's doom.

Sareen21 · Answer

I too am researching for a suitable laptop for b school and my requirements are as below

- Portable and light 
- Good battery life
- Good build quality
- Potent enough to run all office software smoothly
- Less than $1k

Basis above, I have shortlisted the following 3

https://www.amazon.com/Newest-Model-Dell-Ultrabook-Computer/dp/B00RY4X8A4/ref=zg_bs_565108_47

https://www.amazon.com/Zenbook-UX305FA-ASM1-13-3-Inch-Ultra-Slim-Aluminum/dp/B00SGS7ZH4/ref=zg_bs_565108_51

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-i5447-6250sLV-14-Inch-Touchscreen/dp/B00K4PAPG0/ref=zg_bs_565108_89

I am not a fan of touchscreen/dual mode laptops hence the selection.

Hope this helps !

MBAGirl17 · Answer

Thank you  dtse86  and  Sareen21 . That was helpful!

SoCalMBA2017 · Answer

In addition to any existing corporate discounts, most business schools will offer student discounts on software and laptops (often Dell and Apple). Talk to IT or with the Bookstore to determine savings.

I'm personally leaning toward the Asus Zenbook as a budget laptop just for school. I'll treat myself to a better one when I get my next job!

VeritasPrepMike · Answer

For under $1000 you can get some pretty nice laptops. I'm personally partial to Lenovo. Here is a nice one on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-17-3-Inch- ... 2421890011

You could even get a macbook pro
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-15- ... 2421890011

ltsocal · Answer

I wouldn't buy either of those much less from amazon. As it is they are too big, 13 inches or bust. Plus that MacBook has a Core 2 duo in it, a processor that hasn't been put into anything new in 6 years. No no, keep an eye on ebay and best buy for prices. I would say $150-$200 off the normal price is a good way to go. 8GB of RAM and an SSD. Don't worry about it being more than 128GB as you should be using cloud storage anyway to make it easier to access your files anywhere you are. I like both OneDrive and Dropbox. Also, you can get an extra $50 to $100 off some laptops at best buy through the college discount. Just need an .edu email which many of us have through our Alumni emails from school. The go to as of today would be either the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Pro with Retina display. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/global/coll ... 6200050000 I would also keep an eye on ebay as they sell lots of laptops cheap. Most of the time without sales tax. Maybe I will come back here and post cheap options when they come up. For example if you want to be chic, that super thin MacBook 12inch is on sale for $1000 at Best buy ($300 off). $950 if you use that extra coupon. Another site that does daily deal look ups is deals.kinja.com. Its also a good place to shop around for deals for everyday living.

ltsocal · Answer

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-LaVie-Z- ... 4d4128c1ba

This is on sale right now. The specs are right and so is the price. For $800 you would be hard pressed to find a faster laptop with such a high res screen and an SSD that is pretty ok at 256 gb.

Budget Laptop suggestions for B-School

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