Buying a Computer
Less expensive options for laptops and computer equipment.
Here's a list of on-campus resources that can help you save money on your decisions about electronic devices:
- BYU Open Access Computer Labs- The Harold B. Lee Library is home to hundreds of computers available for free student use. Follow the link to find out which computers are available to you right now. Many other campus buildings (including the Wilkinson Student Center) also have open-access computer labs.
- Software Training Lab- Need access to more advanced software/other tech? Check out the library's Software Training Lab for help on your next video project or other multimedia needs.
- BYU Computer Store- The BYU Store often offers great discounts on quality computers/laptops for students, especially at the beginning of each school year. They also offer affordable computer repair services.
Why would you want/need your own laptop?
Owning a laptop for personal use can be convenient and beneficial. Most professors and classes require online reading, frequent email communications, online homework, quizzes, and finals, web research, and/or other online updates via LearningSuite. Taking lecture notes and/or using ebooks on a laptop or other electronic device can be faster and lower the weight you must carry to class daily.
Things to Consider
Every student's situation is different. Start with these points when considering how you want to approach your purchase and use of electronics as a university student:
- How much can you afford to pay for electronic devices for school? Often, when purchasing electronic devices, the quality improves with the price. An expensive laptop could do more for you than a cheap tablet. If you'd rather have the benefits of a laptop without the price, laptop rentals and some higher-end tablets could do the trick.
- How much memory do you need? If you're willing to store many things on the cloud (places like your email, Google Drive, etc.), you can get away with having less memory storage. If you'd rather have the files stored directly on your computer, or if you need to download lots of software for your classes, you might want to seriously consider purchasing your own laptop with more memory storage.
- How fast do you need the device to be? If you won't be using the device 24/7, then you likely won't need it to be the fastest in the world. Faster devices are generally more expensive. If you need your electronic device to be faster, you might want to consider setting aside room in your budget to purchase a laptop with a dual-core processor and more RAM.
- How often will you use your device? The more often you use it, the more important the memory and speed will be. The less you use it, the less you might have to spend on it.
- How long do you want the device to last? Laptops and higher-end tablets can last longer than their less expensive alternatives, so unless you back up your personal files to portable storage devices (like a flash drive or external hard drive) or the cloud, you'll probably want to budget a little extra for a better device. However, if you back up your files elsewhere, this might not be an important deciding factor.
- Have you done your research? BEFORE you make a purchase, make sure to read the device's reviews. Check out the prices and quality of all of its alternatives. Make sure you're familiar with basic technical terms and key measurements (such as RAM, storage capacity, battery life, etc.) so you know exactly what you're getting.