Dell and Apple are well known for offering to let student purchase a laptop with no money down and then pay for the laptop is small payments over the next 12 months or so. The times in particular very depending on the overall cost of the laptop, but it’s a great way for companies like Dell and Apple to get students to purchase their laptops instead of the competition.

Another way to get one of the best student laptops without spending a lot of money right now is to purchase a laptop with some of your financial aid money. This lets you get almost any model you want without having to spend a lot of money right away. There are some downsides to this method of buying a laptop however which include paying interest on that money until you graduate and can pay back the financial aid.

While you don’t always have to pay back the financial aid that is given to you, you do always have to pay back the student loans. While this is a downside to using your student loan money for a laptop, for some people it is the only option they have. They can either use some of their student loans to purchase a laptop or go without. Going without a laptop in college puts you at a great disadvantage.

A lot of financial advisers will disagree about whether it’s right to spend your student loans on a laptop for college, but for some people they can go without a laptop or spend a small part of their financial aid on a notebook. Once you’ve graduated college you’ll be happy you spent the money on a laptop and after 5 years of working with your degree you’ll easily be able to pay off your student loans and then some.

Great Battery Life – Mini laptops have amazing battery life. They typically get 1-3 hours more battery life than their larger counter parts. This makes them a great option for longer classes or when you’ll be away from the outlet for the entire day.

Portable – The majority of mini notebooks are around 9-10 inches in size. This makes them perfect for throwing in your bag and carrying them around with you. You can store large amount of homework and notes on them.

Keyboard Size – The keyboard on mini laptops are very small. So small in fact that typing for long periods of time can be very hard and cause your hands to cramp and become very sore. The 10-inch models do a much better job than the 9-inch and smaller models do in this case. However even the 10-inch model could cause some frustration when taking notes for a few hours.

So are mini laptops on of the best laptops for college students? I think they are, as long as you have a second computer at your home or dorm. While they make a great laptop that goes everywhere with you, it’s not a great main computer. The slower processor, smaller screen, and smaller keyboard make them tough to recommend as an only computer. I can’t imagine typing term papers on a keyboard that’s just over 9 inches in size.