If you are a Hybridge client, you know that we update our laptop recommendations on a quarterly basis and make the guide available to our clients. The qualities that make a top, reliable business laptop are the same we look for in a student laptop: performance, battery life, and durability. We may also consider additional ruggedness and niche requirements such as if your kid is going to college for scientific research or needs to do 3D rendering, fields where MacBooks have become the standard for creative sectors.
Regardless of make/model, our minimum recommended specs are 8 GB RAM, 240GB SSD, TPM security chip, dual-band Wi-Fi, and M1 Pro or i5 10th generation processor. 16 GB of RAM will speed up applications, especially if you typically have lots of tabs/windows/desktops open.
If you choose Apple, then any Mac you buy will come with the latest Ventura Mac OS operating system and will use an M1 or M2 version of the ARM-based Apple Silicon. For most students, the MacBook choice should be either:
- M2 MacBook Air 13”, which is very light with a long battery life, good screen, and low price of $1199, but also only has 8 GB RAM, 1 MagSafe and 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, and only supports one external monitor
- MacBook Pro M2 Pro 14”, which has a great screen, HDMI, MagSafe, and 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 16 GB RAM, and supports 2 external monitors, but is $1999 and almost 1lb heavier than the Air.
These are pricey options, but they will last your kids several years, require limited to zero IT support from you, and if you further invest in Apple Care Plus for Mac, you will get unlimited incidents of accidental damage coverage (after a service fee) – refer to the Apple website for further details.
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