A hitchhiker's guide to laptop purchase on a budget

One of the biggest factors to consider when deciding which laptop to buy, as a student, has got to be its price.

When deciding to buy a laptop you must first decide how much you have to spend and how much you can increase this by, if you can at all, if you need to.

A good idea, if it is possible, is to appeal to parents and relatives.

Birthdays, Christmas and any other gift-giving festival can be the perfect opportunity to request a larger gift.

If you can only count on your own funding, however, you'll need to be tight.

It helps to shop around. Price checker and comparison websites can prove very useful but it is sometimes easier to do the research yourself to gain a more detailed feel for the different makes, models and specifications.

Once you have decided on a price range and an idea of the specifications you want, it's time to hit the shops.

Looking on the Internet can be a great place to gather some research before diving in.

Don't get too caught up in numbers, figures and specifications.

Know what is important and what you need.

Ask about student discounts and make sure you're not rushed or bullied into a purchase.

Benjamin Hall

The key questions to ask yourself is how much space you need to store files, whether you'll be using your laptop more for games, work or the internet.

If you are planning on, or already are, living away from home it may also help to find out how to connect to the Internet where you'll be moving.

Most places are wireless nowadays so having a built in Wi-Fi card will pay off.

A lot of universities now have wireless campuses so a Wi-Fi enabled laptop will come in useful to check your Facebook and emails on the move.

Don't just head for Currys or PC World.

Sites such as Amazon and eBay also offer superb products.

Supermarkets are another brilliant place to get some great technological bargains.

Asda, Tesco and Morrisons are just a few supermarkets that now offer extensive ranges of televisions, MP3 players and computer equipment at really low prices.

Asda sell an impressive laptop with 120GB hard-drive and superb specs for just £299.99.

Apple laptops are stylish and come with discounts for students but a lot of Windows software isn't available for Mac.

For the best deals shop around, ask about student discount sand make sure you're not rushed or bullied into a purchase by horrible, pushy salespeople.