Off To College – A Guide to Student Tech

By Gary Kaye and the staff of Digital Family Advisor

We like Lenovo’s IdeaPad S210 Touch Notebook. It has an 11.6” diagonal screen and 10-point multi-touch. It packs a lot of features into what Lenovo describes as an entry level machine, including a comfortable keyboard, and a 500GB hard drive. And it’s all in a very reasonably priced package at $419.

Printer – They say it’s a paperless world, but it’s not. While many instructors do accept digital versions of term papers, others still want to see the ink on paper. We’ve all heard of all-in-one printers, but Epson has the Small-In One XP-410. It’s a Wi-Fi enabled printer, scanner, and copier with a very small footprint. It will also allow you to print photos directly from an SD card without a computer. It delivers good quality photo prints. Best of all this was a breeze to set up with our wireless network, no pain at all. And the price is hard to beat, only $100.

Camera – We admit that there’s a lot you can do with the camera that’s in smartphones these days. But they still don’t have the functionality of a dedicated camera. We like the new Sony CyberShot DSC WX300 in large part for its high powered 20X zoom. It also has the features you’ve come to expect in a good point and shoot camera including fast autofocus and image stabilization. Price $300.

Wireless Speaker – The trade off with speakers is whether to get something that will fill the room or something that can sit on a desktop and be portable. The Logitech Ultimate Ears Boom has the best of both worlds. Small enough to fit on the desk, but Bluetooth, portable, rechargeable, and with the ability to charge other USB devices. It comes in a variety of color combinations as well. Price $200

Tablet Computer –There’s a very good chance that your student will also want a tablet computer for those mobile moments just to keep up with emails, notes, e-books, and perhaps a movie or video or two. The Lenovo IdeaTab A1000 with a 7” HD screen and good speakers is a real value proposition. The list price is $189, but Lenovo has been discounting the A1000 on its own website for $151. The device comes with Android version 4.2 and claims eight hours of battery life using Wi-Fi browsing.

External Hard Drive – “My term paper was here, and then it just disappeared”. This is one phrase you never want to hear. Regular backup will make sure your college student can protect not only his important documents but those irreplaceable pictures and videos as well. The My Passport Ultra from Western Digital comes with automatic cloud backup so your student is doubly protected. It’s available in a variety of colors and in capacities of 500GB ($90 ), 1 TB ($100), and 2 TB ($160), though you can probably find them online for less.

Laptop Security Lock – The good news about a laptop computer is that it’s very portable. But that also makes it very attractive for thieves. And just because your youngster is on a college campus, he or she is not immune from someone with sticky fingers. If a laptop is stolen, it’s not just the price of the laptop that’s lost, it’s the much more expensive loss of all that data that really matters. Many of today’s laptops come with a security slot that will fit a Kensington lock. The company makes a range of models. We’re partial to combination locks, since keys are just another thing to lose. Kensington makes a portable laptop lock that uses letters instead of numbers, and since there are 26 letters and only 10 digits, that means better security. The Kensington WordLock retails for $28.

Smartphone – Your student’s choice of a smartphone is a matter of personal taste. It’s the device he or she will spend more time close to than any other. Size, features, screen, speakers, battery life and storage will all enter the decision making process. We like two. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has all the amazing features of the original S4, plus it’s life proof; waterproof and dust proof. You know the kid is going to be rough on the phone, so this one offers some added protection. It’s available from AT&T for $200 with a two year contract. We also like the Apple iPhone 5, and will probably like its successor. After all, it’sstill the one to beat and offers an incomparable number of apps as well as the ability to hold most of his or her music collection. It’s available on just about all major carriers, with prices starting at $199 and going up to $399 depending on the amount of memory.

Bluetooth Automotive Tuner – If your student is lucky enough to have a car on campus, but not one that has the capability of syncing to a smartphone, there’s a solution for that. Belkin’s TuneBase FM with Hands-Free is designed for the iPhone or iPod. One end plugs into what we used to call a cigarette lighter outlet. On it there’s a display showing an FM frequency. When the same frequency is on the radio, the iPhone or iPad can now play through the car’s stereo system without wires. It can also work as a hands free phone device. The arm coming from the lighter outlet extends to a cradle so the device can be easily used as a GPS display and won’t bounce around. Belkin’s price is $100, but we’ve seen it online for about $91.

Software Suite – Microsoft Office is still the suite of programs that’s the global standard. Now Microsoft has taken it to the cloud, so when you create a document you can send it in SkyDrive storage. The Microsoft Office 365 University version is only for eligible college students. And it comes with a 4-year subscription to every new Office app, plus SkyDrive storage and Skype calling on 2 PCs or Macs plus mobile devices. All for only $80. Ain’t being a student grand?

Wireless Headphones – It’s late at night, and your son or daughter is working on a paper. But it takes a good dose of music to keep the juices flowing. The problem is that there’s a roommate who’s trying to sleep. The solution – a great set of headphones. Harman Kardon, of the world’s premium audio system makers has a set of Bluetooth over-the-ear headphones with a 100 foot reach and great sound. The Harman Kardon BT’s are priced at $250.

Automotive GPS – They say that getting there is half the fun, but not if you get lost. Remember those road trips when you found yourself in some strange college town in the middle of the night? Well, that’s never going to happen to your kid with a Garmin Nuvi. The nüvi 2557LMT has the features of higher end models including lifetime maps and traffic, but at an affordable $200.

Computer Backpack – We’ve been looking for the perfect or at least near-perfect computer backpack for a long time. With the Ogio Renegade RSS-17 we think we’ve finally found it. The Renegade has 11 different zipper compartments, and lots more internal dividers so there’s a place for everything. One of the pockets is a hard sided “tech vault” container for your sunglasses so they can’t get squished. Several of the compartments have what Ogio calls “Red Protection”, a red lining with extra padding for things like a computer, tablet, or camera. Price $150. You want something on wheels, the sturdiest “Wheelie” we’ve used is the Lug’s Porter Rollie Bag and it smaller but also cool looking Lug’s Puddle Jumper.

This hot Canadian luggage designer and creator also has a weekend ender bag that does come in guy colors too.

Skype – If you’ve had a child living away from home before you know how tough it is for the two of you to connect with each other in real time. Now Skype has come up with video messaging service so you can see junior’s message with pleading eyes asking you to send money any time that’s convenient to you. Best of all, it’s free.