If you need to buy a computer before heading off to college, you may have a hard time deciding amongst the many offerings available. When looking at all laptop computers, there are so many that the choices can be overwhelming. You may even have trouble deciding whether a laptop or a desktop would be the best choice. Here are a few guidelines for selecting the computer that's right for you.

Laptop computers come in all different sizes. While the mini keyboards may look clever, they are not very practical when it comes to keying in class lecture notes. Checking out the keyboard on an actual model of the laptop is the best way to determine if your fingers will fit on the keys. If you use a lot of numbers during data entry, you will want a number keypad. Not all laptops come with a separate keypad.

Test the weight of the computer. It should have a solid feel, but not too heavy. Keep in mind that a laptop carried to class may not weigh much, but you may also be carrying half a dozen heavy textbooks in your book bag.

Check to see the expected battery life listed for the laptop and then try to determine whether half as much battery life will get you through a college class period. Recharging the battery should be relatively quick and easy so that you don't miss important information for your class lecture notes. If the battery is short-lived, ask if there is a larger battery available, or if the battery can easily be swapped out with a second one.

Laptop screen sizes vary a great deal. When you spend a lot of time looking at the screen, you should look for the physical screen size and the number of pixels. Always look for the larger number of pixels if you need crisp images. Getting data into a computer is useless if you can't see what is on the screen once it's in the computer.

A DVD drive on your laptop will be invaluable for managing the amount of data that can be accumulated. Although hard drives today hold a lot more information in a small space, you may see a slowdown in operation times if you try to put all your notes from classes, games, and music videos on one computer. Make sure the laptop has the capability of writing to a disc.

Anti-theft devices should be a part of your new laptop. Laptop computers are stolen by the thousands each year. Unless you have a cable for securing the laptop to a desk or table it can be lost in a moment's time. Consider adding software to the laptop so that you can disable it in the event it is stolen. Some software tracks and reports the location of the laptop.

All laptop computers are not created the same. Define your computer needs precisely and then only look at those that fill those criteria; you will cut down your search time immensely. With access to a large in store inventory of models to try before you buy, you can get a better idea of whether a specific model is going to work for you. Then you can compare prices on one model rather than just looking for the lowest price and buying a computer that turns out to be unusable in real life