Best Laptops for College Students...iPad?

Recently we posted blogs dealing with Studying Tips and Time Management in College. While a majority of students lean heavily on their laptops to get the job done, we wanted to know if the iPad is a good fit for college life, can it help with your time management and studying habits? Is it a possible computer replacer or is it a higher end gadget for those looking to show off their money and technological habits? Well, we’re about to find out.

With the emergence of the iPad several months back and the new fall school year just underway, the idea of the device’s practicality has risen on college campuses. As you can see from the Google Trends graph below, the popularity of the iPad is on the rise and is primed to pass laptops by the end of the year.

The iPad’s usability in class for note taking may not take the advantage over the laptop, except in the area of size and portability, but it does hold its own. You can use a Bluetooth keyboard for faster, more conventional typing or simply use the on screen keyboard as your makeshift notebook. Was there mention that you can open up an application and draw diagrams and other figures with the touch of your finger? Well, you can!

In addition, to its user-friendly typing and doodling functions, the iPad also offers the perks of whipping out Wikipedia or a dictionary app quickly in case you’re looking for clarification during a lecture or just want to be the star student with the answer to the question.

Whether you’re in the classroom, at the library, in your dorms, on the bus or on the go, the iPad doesn’t seem to fail in delivering. You can draft essays, articles, blog posts, important emails to teachers, and spreadsheets all from the comfort of your little bundle of technological joy.

Beyond the classroom, you get access all your social media sites like facebook, Twitter, You Tube and the like. Listen to your itunes, watch DVDs, surf the web, chat online and find any other method of procrastination that you can fathom with the versatility of the iPad.

Starting at $499 and peaking at $829 the iPad is a revolutionary device that could be seen as the catalyst for the future. Does that mean that you should ditch your desktop or laptop for the iPad? No.

During college you’re going to value having your desktop or laptop in the long run because for just a smidge more than the iPad you can have the assurance that a decent computer will have more storage, act as a more sophisticated gaming device and possess quicker and more powerful capabilities all around. However, if you’ve got the extra $500 to spare – if you’re a college kid that answer is probably a resounding no – you could benefit from an iPad. It’s portability, applications and convenient features do allow the user to stay in touch in just about every way imaginable – minus a desired camera feature.

Overall, the iPad is a great device. Is it suitable for a college student? Absolutely. Is it better than your trusty computer? Probably not, at least not yet. Who knows what the future will hold…feel free to share your opinion at AnyCollege.com.