Consumer Reports: 12 best back-to-school laptops, netbooks, and tablets for college students

What are the best laptops, netbooks, and tablet computers for college students? Consumer Reports took a look and evaluated the best of them.

As the magazine notes, consider a number of factors:

• the student’s major (“Windows is the platform of choice for many business students, and engineering programs such as AutoCAD and Pro/Engineer are only available on Windows. Arts and sciences students should be safe with either Windows or Mac, a platform that tends to offer more security against viruses.”)
• whether the school suggests a particular laptop or operating system
• any discounts offered to the college

1. Apple 11-inch MacBook Air
   The ultrathin 11-inch MacBook Air (64GB, $1,000; 128GB, $1,200) serves as an entry port for Apple laptop buyers, replacing the recently discontinued white MacBook. The updated Air runs the new Mac OS 10.7 Lion, which is easy to use and features multi-touch gestures and full-screen apps. The Air is pricier than other laptops, though: You’ll pay more for less onboard memory.
2. Dell Inspiron 14R 2nd-Gen i5
   The Dell Inspiron 14R 2nd-Gen i5 ($650) is an affordable all-round machine for the mainstream user. While it doesn’t excel in a specific area, it offers flexible pricing and versatility. The battery life leaves a little to be desired, but the keyboard and touchpad are easy to use, and the graphics are solid for gaming (after studying, of course).
3. Asus U36JC
   The 13-inch Asus U36JC ($1,000) offers an attractive design and is packed with power and features. It has a quick-start feature that lets you browse the Web before you boot Windows, and it’s both thin (0.76 inches) and light (3.7 pounds). The touchpad can be frustrating to use, but overall, the U36JC offers great value.
4. Gateway NV59C70u
   The Gateway NV59C70u ($600 to $800) has an attractive design, about 5 hours of battery life, a Core i5 processor, and 640GB of hard drive space. It’s budget-friendly, probably because it doesn’t offer the extra features found on more expensive models. That said, this laptop is a solid value and has good-enough features for the average student.
5. Dell Inspiron 15R 2nd-Gen i3
   The Dell Insipron 15R 2nd-Gen i3 ($550) has many of the same features as the 14R 2nd-Gen i5 (suggested in the previous category), but it improves greatly upon battery life. This Core i3 version is fast, functional, and more than adequate for everyday use. It’s a good laptop that offers a little something for everyone.
6. Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro
   Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro ($1,700) is fast and powerful, but it’s significantly more expensive than other mid-size laptops. It features a sleek design, runs on a Core i7 processor, and like the MacBook Air, it ships with Mac OS X Lion. The MacBook Pro is pricy, but fans of Apple products won’t be disappointed by this high-performance machine.
7. Dell XPS 17
   The Dell XPS 17 ($900; $1,300 with 3D) runs on a powerful Intel Core i5-2410M processor and includes 500GB of storage. It can play Blu-ray discs, but its most notable feature is an optional upgrade that adds a stereoscopic 3D panel to the display, so students can watch 3D movies or play 3D games in their downtime.
8. HP DV7 4295-US
   The HP DV7 4295-US ($1000) has a Blu-ray disc drive and an HD display, and it delivers both power and performance with its superior audio, video, and graphics quality. The laptop runs on a powerful i7 Core and comes with a 1,000GB hard drive, and its battery lasts up to 5 hours.
9. HP DV7 6175-US
   The HP DV7 6175-US ($750) isn’t quite as powerful as the 4295: It runs on a Core i5 processor and offers a 750GB hard drive. It also does not come equipped with a Blue-ray disc drive. But it has a 10-hour battery life–and lets you save a little money, too.
10. Asus EEE PC 1015PX-MU17-WT
    A solid option is the 10-inch Asus EEE PC 1015PX-MU17-WT ($270 to $320), which weighs only 2.9 pounds. It features an Intel Atom N570 Dual Core Processor and a 250GB hard drive and includes a multi-touch touchpad, a built-in webcam, and up to 10 hours of battery life.
11. Apple iPad 2
    The Apple 10-inch iPad 2 ($500 to $700), the leading tablet on the market, is lighter, thinner, and speedier than the original iPad. It has a fine display and includes both front and rear cameras for photo and video. Consumer Reports found the battery life to be about 12 hours, about 50 percent better than its predecessor. And the Apple App Store offers over 90,000 apps, including educational ones that can help students in math, science, and other fields.
12. Samsung Galaxy Tab
    The 10-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab ($500 to $600) runs on the newest Android tablet OS, Honeycomb, and will soon be upgraded to include Samsung’s TouchWiz UX interface. That upgrade will add a tray of mini-apps, including a calendar and music player, as well as a Media Hub (for downloading movies and other content), a Reader Hub (for downloading e-books), and a Social Hub (for e-mail, instant messaging, and social networks). As for apps, the Android Market is growing swiftly and also offers a plethora of apps for students. The Galaxy Tab also comes in a 7-inch model ($350).