The first key thing to consider when buying a computer is whether you will need a PC or a Laptop. As a college student, in my opinion a Laptop is preferable. There is not much variation in cost between the two however portability is a key issue. Although some people do prefer using a desktop (generally for reasons like larger screens, using a mouse instead of a touchpad, etc.) I will be recommending that anyone coming to do DL141 Applied Psychology buys a laptop.
Processor Speed
There are currently many different processors available on the market. The most popular being any of the Intel I series. The main factors to consider when looking at processors is what is the power which is measured in GHz. As one of our classes is multimedia you will need quite a fast processor usually a quad core or at least a dual core (Meaning two CPU's working in unison). Most laptops will usually come with a dual core or quad core as standard. For this course you will need a large processor as the laptop will need to run adobe applications like photoshop and illustrator which are large programs.
Memory
Throughout this course you will be using many applications and you can only imagine the amount of pictures, articles, videos ebooks etc. These will all need to be run and saved occasionally. Especially in the case of video and photoshop you will need a lot of RAM(Random Access Memory) essentially the short term memory of the computer. Anything over 2GB should be enough. The hard drive will not make as much difference as you think as we can always use External hard drives or memory sticks to save data. Not to say that it's not important but how would you even fill up a terabyte ?
Graphics
Graphics always important for the multimedia side of the course. The big thing here is to make sure you have a 64bit HD graphics card coming with the laptop. This will allow for a better output both on screen and if you need to do a presentation. With the progression of smart phones etc HD video is becoming more and more common and so as to avoid buying a new laptop or Graphics card i would suggest you get a good one straight away. AMD is usually quite a reliable company for these products, not to say they're the only option.
Size and weight
As you will need to bring your laptop into college with you from time to time because lets face it the computer labs are rarely free. Because of this weight needs to be considered. The size while not as important as weight still should play a part in your consideration. The first reason being, will it fit in your bag? Secondly when doing assignments can you see the screen. If you need to see things in detail( e.g.Photoshop or Visual illusions) a small screen is really not ideal.
Reccomendation
The Laptop I would recommend is the HP Pavilion G6 with and AMD quad core Processor. This comes with an AMD HD graphics card as standard. It has a 15.6 inch screen which fits in almost any bag and is just the right size for the applications you will need to run. View this link for specs http://shop.amd.com/uk/Home/Detail/Notebook/QJ334EA!23ABU
Usually this laptop comes with a 750 GB hard drive or a terabyte depending on where you buy it. But overall seems to meet all the requirements for the course and more and is very good value when compared with a simmilar Sony or Dell Laptop
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