Why students should get a 2-in-1 laptop for back to school season

Date:
Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:51:42 +0000

Description:
Budget-conscious students will reap all the benefits 2-in-1 laptops bring for less this back to school season.

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This back to school season, were making a compelling case for the convertibles. Its not because clamshell laptops are no longer good enough. On the contrary, traditional laptops will never go out of style. However, matriculating minds might just benefit more from the versatility, portability and money-saving advantages that 2-in-1 laptops bring to the table,
especially those who will gain more from having both a tablet and a laptop.

So, why should students buy a 2-in-1 laptop for back to school season? In short, this relatively new form factor thats changing the way we use our portables is not just one or two, but several devices in one. As a laptop
that can transform into a tablet and offer other viewing modes, a hybrid notebook can save you time, space, effort and possibly even money, as well as also potentially reduce your carbon footprint. Thats while still giving you that level of performance you need for school.

Not quite convinced yet? Read on to find out exactly why students should absolutely get a 2-in-1 laptop for back to school season. Tablet vs 2-in-1 laptop: Which is better? Chromebooks vs laptops: which is the best for students? These are the best laptops for teachers 2021 Versatility is the
name of the game (Image credit: Dell)

Although a case can still be made for the clamshell laptop form factor,
2-in-1 laptops typically offer several viewing or use modes in one device. A handful of hybrid notebooks have a detachable keyboard that lets you enjoy both the traditional laptop experience and the convenience of a thin and
light tablet .

Need to work on your paper or essay at your dorm room desk? Use it in laptop mode. Need to jot down notes digitally? Simply pop that keyboard off and bust out that nifty stylus.

Most 2-in-1s, however, come with a flexible pair of hinges that offer even more modes. These hinges are often designed with a 360-degree rotation that lets you pitch your laptop in tent mode, lay it flat on a surface, or prop it up in stand mode, giving you many options for optimal viewing and use.

That stand mode is useful for presentations, sharing your screen with a project partner, or taking advantage of that touchscreen for specific workloads. Meanwhile, the tent mode is best for enjoying an episode or two of your new favorite show with your college best friend. 2-in-1 laptops are more portable (Image credit: Lenovo)

2-in-1 laptops tend to be thinner and more portable than many traditional laptops. Thats because they need to give their users as close of a true
tablet experience as possible without compromising on performance.

A MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 , for example, is already incredibly thin and light at 0.61 inches and 3.0 pounds. However, a 13-inch Dell XPS 2-in-1 is even thinner at 0.56 inches and tops out at 2.9 pounds, and the Acer Spin 5 is
only 0.59 inches and even lighter at 2.65 pounds.

This isnt a hard and fast rule. The HP Spectre x360 (2021) is slightly
thicker than those three laptops. However, its also just as light as the
Dell. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Yoga 9i may be slightly heavier, but its also almost as thin as the Dell at 0.57 inches.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet , in its 10-inches of goodness, is only 2.03 pounds and can fit in a utility jacket pocket.

Of course, theres also the fact that 2-in-1 laptops let you carry just a single device. Instead of lugging around a laptop and a tablet, you just have the one lightweight portable in your probably already overloaded and heavy backpack . Theyre great space savers too

Having only one device doesnt just save you from a lot of back and shoulder pain. It also helps you save space. After all, dorm rooms are already cramped enough, and they dont leave you much space for a lot of things.

A compact 2-in-1 is the perfect solution for minimizing and can help you
prune the number of things cluttering your room. Were not only talking about having an extra portable here. With a device that already lets you conveniently stream and enjoy your favorite shows and movies, you also wont even need a TV , which takes up considerable space, in your room.

Less devices and electronics to worry about also means less things to pack
and secure when you need to move out after each academic year. Think of how many more things you can pack in your car when you dont have a TV taking up all that space. 2-in-1s can be just as powerful as traditional laptops

Thanks to the advances manufacturers have made in mobile components, 2-in-1 laptops can now be as powerful as clamshell laptops without giving up on
their thin and light promise.

The best hybrid laptops today boast the same CPUs , integrated graphics and speedy RAM as the best laptops today, many of them fitted with the same Tiger Lake chips and Intel Iris Xe graphics as their non-hybrid counterparts. Case in point, both the Dell XPS 13-inch and the Dell XPS 2-in-1 13-inch offer mostly the same CPU, graphics, memory and storage options.

Of course, that also means that traditional laptops can now be as thin as convertible notebooks. However, they still cannot offer the same versatility, so thats still a point for 2-in-1s. Less devices, less expenses (Image
credit: Acer)

Before you get on the hybrid bandwagon, you should know that 2-in-1 laptops are generally more expensive than clamshell laptops. That makes sense. After all, you simply cannot get that kind of versatility and functionality for the same price as those without them.

At the same time, youre also not paying a massive surcharge here. Theres generally only going to be a less than $500/500 difference between convertibles and traditional laptops. And, while that may feel like a massive uptick in price if you dont need a 2-in-1, its miniscule compared to how much you might have to pay if you get a notebook and a tablet separately.

Bear in mind that the cheapest iPad Air and Galaxy Tab S7 will cost you more than $500/500. Even the regular iPad already starts at $329/329 without the tax.

By getting a 2-in-1, youre offsetting some of that cost while also taking
with you all the other benefits that these laptops offer. In the long run, youre actually saving a bit of money. Verdict

There are many reasons why students should get a 2-in-1 laptop for back to school season. Especially when youre in college, its all about minimizing
your spending and the amount of stuff you own while maximizing the use of those things you do own.

In college, instant ramen isnt just instant ramen. Add in vegetables and some protein, and its a cheap meal with most of the necessary food groups. Its the same with a 2-in-1 laptop. It can be a students tool for school as well as
the main source of entertainment and a way to stay in touch with friends and family.

Moreover, its also versatile, portable, lightweight, and space-saving. And,
by being an effective replacement for other electronics, it can save you a whole lot of money as well.

Its one thing if you dont really need a tablet, watch very little TV and take notes the old-fashioned way a regular clamshell laptop should do. However,
if a 2-in-1 laptop is something that will make your college life a whole lot easier, its something to seriously consider. And, here are the best laptops for students



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/why-students-should-get-a-2-in-1-laptop-for-bac k-to-school-season/


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