Best Tech for University Students
Lucidica Team
We know that preparing for university is hard enough without the pressure of choosing new technology which has to get you through the next three years. It’s a big and normally quite expensive investment which is made even harder by the question of what is essential. So we’ve provided you with a breakdown of what we consider essential at Lucidica (well apart from a couple of “essentially” amazing gadgets). We have a list of 10 items that will not only make your time at university that bit easier but will also protect you from anything from slow computers to dead phones. So sit back, relax and decide what you need to spend your first student loan on.
- Portable Hard Drive
This will be essential from day one (backing up all those fresher pictures) to the last term in third year (backing up that lovely 10,000-word dissertation). Both being equally important, obviously. A hard drive will save your documents and pictures from any computer/natural/fresher disasters.
We recommend the…
SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable SSD
RRP from £58
It is a high-speed portable storage device and weighing in at a tiny 80g this hard disk can provide you with everything you need. The prices depend on the size starting at 120GB and at its largest at 480GB. Depending on your course and the amount of content you think you will be creating and holding on your laptop or computer the larger size might be for you. The 480GB also comes in a water resistant design which is always a good idea. A little-added feature is also the included SanDisk software that encrypts private files keeping them protected on a new level. Oh, and it has three years’ warranty which is a perfect cover for your time at university.
2. Power Bank
Your battery dying is a thing of nightmares and something we should avoid at all costs, right? Well especially when you are in a new place and there are 101 things you need to use your phone for immediately. But how do we get over this problem without committing to constantly carrying a brick in your pocket or charging a smaller power bank every day? Well, we’ve found two options that can cater to your needs.
We recommend the…
Zendure A2
RRP from £25
This power bank will charge your phone at maximum speed (21.A). It comes in five different models all with varying mAh (the battery size, to you and me) Its smallest size is 6700mAh which will provide you with a couple of recharges before the battery bank needed to be recharged. It is compact, powerful, fast and durable features are the reason many are switching to Zendure.
Or for the battery drainers of the world we have…
EC Technology 2nD Gen Deluxe
RRP £30
It is considerably larger and heavier than the Zendure but it sure makes up for it in power. This power bank is 22400mAh which will give you 15+ charges before it needs to be charged itself. It has three USB ports allowing you to charge multiple devices at the same time. It also has a LED light that has three formats giving you dual purpose as a torch. This is one of the cheapest power banks of its strength and is definitely worth the money.
3. MacBook
For us Apple lovers out there or the newbies who have always considered a Macbook as a large but potentially worthwhile investment you are not wrong. The Macbook is justifiably one of the best laptops out there but which one do you go for? And what on earth is the difference between an air and a pro?!
Well, many claim the main difference is the specification. The Macbook Air is known for its light weight portable nature, it’s all in the name. It is also seen as the best for students with its long battery life and strong processing system. Whereas the MacBook Pro is seen as a considerably better in more arduous tasks with a significantly sharper screen and performance speed.
We recommend the…
MacBook Air 11 -inch
RRP £749
After much consideration we recommend the 11- inch MacBook air. It has an 11.6-inch screen and weighs just 2.4 pounds (the same as a healthy pineapple.) This makes it perfect to slip into a bag and transport it to the library with minimal effort. If 11 inch is just a bit too small and you would prefer it to be a little bit bigger for a more visual course, the MacBook air can also be purchased in a 13-inch version. It has an incredibly battery life with many tests claiming that it can run for nearly 11 hours without charge. The icing on the cake has to be that Apple has a special discount for all university students. All you had to do is simply sign up to UniDays and receive special prices on iPads, iPhones and Macbooks. For this specific Macbook, the student price is £674. All in all, the MacBook air is a perfect laptop for lectures, university work, and the occasional Netflix activities.
4. Tablet
Previously a desktop or laptop would be the only option until the tablet came along. It offers a portable, adaptable simple device to answer to your every need. Some tablets, such as the one we have recommended below, are powerful and functional enough to be your only computer.
We recommend the…
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
RRP from £500
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a standalone tablet which can turn into a fully powered laptop while running all of your necessary software. Microsoft also supplies a pen which is new and improved since its previous model and an add-on keyboard cover, turning your tablet into a fully functioning laptop. With its incredibly high 12.3 PixelSense display, it makes it a great device for media and an impressive Intel Core processor which will allow you to run multiple programs all at the same time. This tablet has been described by those in the technology world as the “gold standard” of Windows tablets. It will provide you with a slimmer device which has all the capabilities of a chunkier laptop, perfect for trekking to the library, lectures and the train journeys home.
5. Printer
Printers are the one item everyone forgets they need until they walk into the library and realise that the free £10 printer credit doesn’t last as long as anyone expected. Instead of paying 10p every time you need to print your notes or class material why not get yourself your own printer and be able to print whatever you want, whenever you want at your convenience. By revision period, if you have a working, inked printer you will be particularly popular with the rest of your course/house mates who kept on trying to make that £10 last.
We recommend the…
HP Officejet 3830
RRP £50
This handy all in one printer can answer to almost all of your every need. It has a paperwhite touchscreen control, wireless connection and can print from mobile devices. Do not be deceived by its remarkably lower cost compared to other printers of its calibre and listen to the rumours that the lower you pay for the printer the higher the ink is, because in this case, it is simply untrue. HP offer an instant ink service which offers low-cost ink on subscription meaning you’ll pay less for the ink and will never be out of ink (which is incredibly crucial for those 9am physical hand in deadlines.)
6. Speaker
A speaker is one of those things you never really needed until you went to university and no one was in the kitchen when you were cooking or your university accommodation just seemed that little bit too quiet while everyone went home for the weekend. Speakers don’t have to be ridiculous expensive designer brands which are meant to revolutionise sound nor do they need to be cheap handheld things that sound a bit like they could explode at any minute. To this polarisation, in speakers, we think we have found the answer.
We recommend the…
Divoom Aurabox
RRP £37
This speaker will add a fun addition making every predrinks seem unsatisfactory without this gadget. This 150g speaker provides you with a portable and exciting audio experience. Due to its size, it is obviously not the loudest speaker on the market but its 5w will be loud enough in most situations. However, strangely the sound isn’t its only selling point. Its LED display can be controlled by an app showing personalised patterns, social media notifications and the time. You can also make wireless calls through it and utilise the alarm and sleep time features to ensure you make it to your lecture in time.
7. Desktop
For those of us who want a more fixed computer that can sit on the desk and provide a functioning workstation at home, the desktop is for you. The laptop has overshadowed the desktop in recent years with the increase of quality in the mobile processor and the portable element becoming a necessity in most people’s lives. However, especially on a student budget, the desktop still provides you with much more for your money. A desktop allows you to personalise your computer a lot more as you can change the screen size, processor and data display.
We recommend the…
Dell OptiPlex 3040
RRP £349 + VAT
The Dell OptiPlex 3040 is the perfect desktop for those of us who want a reliable and easy to use device. It has a compact chassis, a selection of ports and it is very easy to service. It will fit perfectly underneath desks in student rooms, providing you with a seamless stay at home study. It has 4GB of Memory and a 540GB SATA HDD. It runs on the 6th gen Intel Core i3 processor making it a quick and nifty operating system. It also comes with a Windows 10 license.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
- Smartpen
Next on the list is something that was not around a few years but definitely helps with the whole university experience. Smartpens allow you to write, record and listen all at once. For the 9am or the 6pm lectures where you are watching the clocks instead of listening to your lecturers these pens will record everything so you can listen back when you are more focused. Or if you worry that writing everything will mean that you can’t have an active input into the seminar or listen to what is occurring you can listen now and write it up later.
We recommend the…
Livescribe 3 Smartpen
RRP £130
The Livescribe 3 Smartpen does everything above and more. It allows you to write notes, statistics or drawings that will help you remember facts while your pen records all the ins and outs of the lecture. You can then upload your notes to the free Livescribe+ app which will sync your writings with the recordings making it easier to revise from. On the app you can organise, play back and send or share notes to other devices, instantly backing up your notes and meaning that forgetting your notebook on the bus will no longer be that much of a problem. The memory on the pen stores your notes and also allows you to connect to up to 4 IOS and Android devices. This pen is the perfect addition to your university bag and will make studying just that little bit easier.
- Laptop
So we’ve been through Macbooks, Tablets and Desktops but what if you just want a bit of everything? You want the fast processing and the weight of the Macbook Air but the portability of the tablet yet the specification and variety of the desktop. The laptop is the only answer. It has everything in one and there are so many different types and makes of laptops depending on your course and budget that there will be the right one for you.
We recommend the…
Dell Latitude E5470 laptop
RRP £819 + VAT
This laptop comes with a 14” screen which is perfect for working, dual screen and watching movies and TV programmes on whilst still being able to fit in most bags. It has a fast performance with a 6th gen Intel Core i5 processor allowing you to work with speed. It also has powerful audio and a bright and detailed HD display. It comes with 500GB of hard drive capacity which is more than sufficient for most students depending on what you require.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
10. Media
This device really comes into its own category. It has changed the way we watch programmes and has made items such as remote controls seem almost dispensable. Some students, especially ones living in halls, may only have access to one communal TV in the kitchen or lounge. However, this device is incredibly easy to set up and portable meaning you can plug it in when and where you need it. There are other devices in the same category but…
We recommend the…
Chromecast
RRP £30
The Chromecast allows you to basically use your phone, tablet or laptop as your controller. You can stream basically anything from your computer onto the TV using Google chrome. Or if you are using your mobile phone you can use apps such as Netflix, YouTube or BBC iPlayer and stream your programmes onto the TV with just a click of a button. This is great for group TV watching at university as it means no specific TV box or sky box is needed to watch your favourite programmes. Also when streaming from your computer you can continue to use your computer without any interruption to your programme. The Google Chromecast simply connects to the HDMI port of your TV and allows wireless streaming in a simplified way.
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