With the increasing requirement for online classes, most teachers in our days are purchasing laptops for proper communication with the students. It’s not just for online courses, but most teachers in schools have also started using laptops to provide an accurate digital experience for their students. As a teacher, you will be forced to have a laptop that will be used for conducting online classes through video chat, creating projects, and storing the data related to the subject. When you are purchasing a laptop, certain features need to be considered to suit your requirements. For example, as a teacher, you will require a proper web camera to conduct online classes and record the lessons to upload them online. You should also have the other basic MS Office applications like PowerPoint and Excel to create projects displayed to the students. The laptops will also be used for personal uses like watching movies and surfing through the internet. So if you are interested in purchasing a laptop, you should buy one with a good web camera, a proper audio system, and should have a good quality screen.
We have understood your requirements and researched to understand what type of features will be best suited for a teacher to conduct online and other classes. Certain features like a good quality processor and audio system need to be taken into account. Let us now see these details.
Products Buying Guide:
Screen size
When it comes to online teaching, specific requirements need to be taken into account. The size of the screenplays an essential role while purchasing a laptop. If you are looking for a laptop that can be carried everywhere, then choosing a small screen size will allow you to have a thinner and lighter design. But if you are looking for a design that you can keep at home and use them comfortably, then having a large screen size will be suitable for your requirement. You can either buy a 13 inch or 15 inches or 17-inch screen for your needs.
The 13-inches screen is smaller in size and allows you to carry the laptop everywhere without worrying about the weight. This particular size can be purchased if you are buying the laptop only for online teaching. The laptops can be carried around in a simple backpack, and the weight will also be considered small. They are suitable for traveling and also for office-related purposes.
The 15-inches size screen is a common ground between the 13 and 17 inches screen. They are larger, but still, they can be carried around in your backpack. They also allow you to conduct meetings with your students and perform video editing with comfort. This particular size is suitable for all kinds of usage and is mostly preferred by people from all professions. If you choose the 17 inches screen size, the laptop will be a bit heavier and difficult to carry around. This screen size will not be suitable for you because they are most commonly used by performing animations and other design-related work. So as a teacher having a 13 or 15 inches screen will be suitable for your requirements.
Touch Screen Technology
When you are conducting online classes having a touch screen Technology-based laptop will be useful. When you are in a classroom with multiple students, using the mouse will not be suitable, and having a touch screen laptop will allow you to easily navigate the computer. Also, carrying a mouse will be extra work, which can be avoided in a touchscreen Technology laptop. The only disadvantage with this technology is that the laptop’s price will be a bit higher compared to the other models available in the market. So if you want to invest in a laptop-based upon comfort, then using a touch screen technology-based laptop will be suitable for your requirements. But if you want your laptop to have useful features than comfort, then look for a standard laptop with a good processor and RAM speed.
Budget
Budget is an essential feature while purchasing a laptop. As a teacher, you will be restricted from having a limited budget for buying a laptop. Most of your requirements can be fitted within a decent budget that will allow you to enjoy a good quality laptop. Purchasing a laptop between the price of rupees 40000 (545$) – 50000 ( 680$) will be for buying a touchscreen laptop with all the facilities required. If you are willing to spend more on your laptop, then you can go for a model that has features with more advantages.
Processor
The process is responsible for converting and processing the input data to produce the perfect output data. While purchasing a laptop for online education and other purposes having a processor with a decent feature is essential. Using a core i3 processor or Intel Core i5 processor will be suitable to meet your requirements. If you are going for other processors, then purchase the AMD Ryzen 5 model with good speed and allow you to move between the software at a considerable pace and receive the outputs immediately. This particular software will allow you to work on multiple video editing software without having a hitch in the middle. You can also go for the i7 processor model, but the animators and games widely use them for developing new designs. Using it will be a waste of money as your profession has no requirement for such a high-tech processor. Even the video editing tool you will be using for recording online classes will go better along with the i5 processor. So for the budget you have chosen and have an i5 processor will be more comfortable and suitable. The processes are directly responsible for the computing speed of the software installed on the computer. When you are operating on multiple software simultaneously, then having a dual or quad-core technology will allow you to provide a different code for every software. This condition creates an independent virtual environment for every software, and hence the computing speed will be much faster, and you can move from one file to another quickly.
RAM
The next important feature by purchasing a laptop is the Random Access Memory that is responsible for storing the brief details of the software and operating systems in the background while they are running. The RAM is suitable for storing many details in the environment that functions until the file is closed or until the entire laptop is shut down. When the program is running, all the program details will be stored in the form of caches in RAM. When required, these details will be retrieved, and they will be sent to the program. So the program’s speed while running and the time taken by the computer for starting and shutting down all depends on the RAM. Having a RAM with 2 GB will be sufficient for running one or two files simultaneously. But when you go for files more than that, having a 2 GB RAM will result in blockage. So go for a system with a minimum of 4 GB RAM or higher than them. This will confirm the software’s proper speed, and the technology will be improved in the future.
Disk Drive
The disk drive is responsible for storing a lot of data permanently. A disk drive is responsible for storing many images, video files, and some personal files. If you’re into storing the personal data, you can keep it in the computer’s drive. You can also store the lesson and subject-related materials in your disk drives. But one disadvantage that most people face with the disk drives is that they tend to get damaged easily, and the data will be lost. Backing up all your data will be a difficult task. So the best option is to buy the SSD based disk drive, also known as the solid-state drive. The solid-state drive can withstand external damages and pressure, but they are a bit costlier than the normal disk drives used in the laptops. The response time is much quicker, and hence they are preferred by people all over the world. Most of the latest model laptops available in the market come along with the SSD disk drive. The price of these laptops is much higher, and the storage space is also much less for this hard disk drive. So if you choose the SSD to describe, then remember that it can store up to 500 GB only and not more than that. The next important disk drive available in the market is the hard disk drive, otherwise called the HDD. This particular disk drive is available in all old models, and nearly 50 percent of the new models are made up of this drive. The only disadvantage of the hard disk drive is that they are susceptible to damage, and the data stored within can be easily lost after a single fall. So whichever type of model you choose, make sure that you maintain the data according to that. You can go for the HDD drive if you need more storage space and SSD drive if you need more safety of the data within the computer.
Web Camera
When looking for a suitable laptop for conducting online teaching classes, the most important thing is the Web camera. The Web camera is entirely responsible for projecting your image clearly on the other side to the client. When you purchase a laptop with a web camera, make sure that it is at least 6MP resolution to clear the image on the other side. A good resolution camera combined with high-quality internet service will allow you to take online classes conveniently without any interruption in the middle. The picture quality should be perfect, and the colors should be adequately captured by the Web camera without any changes.
Audio speakers and microphone
Along with the Web camera, the next important thing that needs to be taken care of while purchasing a laptop for online classes is the integrated audio speakers and microphone. Some people prefer using extra microphones available individually to conduct online classes since they are more audible. But purchasing a laptop with a high-quality integrated audio system like a Beats speaker will allow you to conduct emergency online classes without having any other equipment. Try to purchase a good quality microphone that absorbs the voice with maximum effect. All the web camera audio speakers and microphones are available separately in the market connected to the laptop and used. The laptop speakers and cameras’ quality is much lower than that of Private individual objects, but you can still use them for emergency meetings and other requirements.
Battery life
As a teacher, you might be forced to have continuous classes all over the day, and charging the laptop every time will be impossible. Also, if you are carrying the laptop to the school, carrying the charger along with it will not be comfortable. So the best option available in the market is to buy a laptop with a massive battery that allows you to work on them for at least 10 hours. Using an ultra-portable laptop will allow you to work on them for at least 14 hours. So depending upon your requirement, purchase a laptop with good battery life, and it should also have the ability to charge the laptop quickly within an hour or so.
Along with the battery life, other features need to be noted while purchasing a laptop, including the keyboard model. All the essential controls within the keyboard should be easily accessible and placed nearby for easy typing. Having a backlit keyboard will allow you to type at night. Along with these features, there are also other features like Bluetooth technology and WiFi technology. The laptop should also have extra ports for connecting them to the external storage devices and an audio jack for connecting headsets. Try to purchase a laptop that has a special fingerprint scanner so that you can lock and unlock them easily without using the password, especially if you forget things frequently. The keyboard and Touchpad should have Feather Touch Technology allowing you to access them through them easily. Understanding the teachers’ requirements, we have given a set of models that we believe will be suitable for your needs. You can purchase these models from most of the online websites, including Amazon. If you are not interested in the designs given below, you can choose a design you like personally by taking the features into account.