Surf report: Laptop, desktop or tablet for a student?

College-bound students already have a number of decisions to make: Which courses should I take? Live on campus or nearby? Scrape up the cash or apply for a student loan?

Another choice boils down to what tech to use for note-taking, online research and writing assignments.

Do you go with a conventional laptop or opt for the newer, sexier tablets? Or what about a tried-and-true desktop for the dorm room?

If you can't afford all three solutions (or even two), be sure to consider the pros and cons for each form factor. The following are some thoughts on each choice.

HP Pavilion 13.3 Touchscreen ultrabook tablet laptop 2 in 1 Intel Core i5-4202Y 4gb ram 128 GB SSD black

• Ultrabook 2-in-1 13.3" IPS Touch-Screen Laptop
• 128 GB SSD / 4 GB DDR3L /
• Intel� 4th Generation CoreTM i5 - 1.6GHz
• (2) USB 3.0 / Bluetooth / HDMI
• Weighs only 4.4 lbs. and measures just 0.7" thin

4th Gen Intel� CoreTM i5-4202Y processor

With a 3MB L3 cache and 1.6GHz processor speed.
Intel� CoreTM i5 processor

Features smart 4-way processing performance with a speed boost.
Intel� Turbo Boost Technology

Delivers extra performance when you need it and increased energy efficiency when you don't. Intel� HD graphics provide extra graphics power for your laptop when you need it.
4GB DDR3L SDRAM

For multitasking power.
Note: Optical drive not included

Compatible with optional external

ProBook 655 G1 15.6" LED AMD Elite Quad-Core A8-5550M APU 2.1GHz 8GB RAM 500GB HDD Win7 Pro 64-bit Notebook

• 655 G1 A8 5500M 14 500 8 Win7

Laptops & Notebooks, HP, ProBook 655 G1, F2R12UT#ABA

Gigabyte P27K-CF2 17.3-Inch Laptop

• Intel Core i7 4700MQ 2.4 GHz
• 16 GB DDR3
• 1024 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive, 128 GB Solid-State Drive
• 17.3-Inch Screen
• Windows 8

Gigabyte P27K-CF2/17.3 FHD/Intel i7-4700MQ/16GB/1TB HDD+ 128G SSD/ BD combo-readable/GTX 765m

Samsung Laptop / Intel Core i5 Processor / 14" Display / 4GB M

• Ultra-thin aluminum design with black keys and LCD bezel
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed w/CoA and reinstallation partition
• 6-Cell Li-ion battery
• Intel Core i5-480M 2.66 GHz CPU
• 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM (supports up to 8 GB, actual available memory may be less)

Experience powerful mobile performance with the Samsung QX410 Core i5-480M 2.66 GHz Notebook!

Backed by an Intel Core i5-480M 2.66 GHz dual-core processor capable of Turbo Speeds up to 2.933 GHz and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, this NP-QX410-S02US notebook delivers the power you need to run your multimedia programs and everyday computing applications. Store your media library, games, documents and other files on the roomy 640 GB hard drive, which comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium!

Ex

HP Pavilion TouchSmart Sleekbook 14-f027cl 14" Laptop (1.7 GHz AMD A8-5545M Processor, 6 GB RAM, 640 GB HDD, Windows 8 64-bit) Black

• 1.7GHz up to 2.7GHz AMD Elite Quad-Core A8-5545M Accelerated Processor with 4MB L2 Cache
• 14.0-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit touchscreen display (1366 x 768)
• 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector) / 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Operating System: Windows 8 (64-bit)
• 65W AC adapter / 4-cell 41WHr 2.8Ah lithium-ion battery /

This HP Pavilion TouchSmart 14-f027cl has been Refurbished to perform as new. It is sold with a 90-Day Manufacturer Limited Warranty.

802.11b/g/n WiFi 4-cell 41WHr lithium-ion battery Windows 8 (64-bit)

Apple MacBook Air MD711LL/B 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)

• 1.4 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache
• 4 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
• 128 GB PCIe-based flash storage
• 11.6-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; Intel HD Graphics 5000
• OS X Mavericks; Up to 9 hours of battery life

The MacBook Air features fourth-generation Intel Core processors with stunning graphics, ultrafast flash storage, great built-in apps, and all-day battery life.* It's thin, light, and durable enough to take everywhere you go � and powerful enough to do everything once you get there. The MacBook Air with 11.6-inch screen gives you up to 9 hours of battery life (view larger). This 11.6-inch model of the MacBook Air (MD711LL/B) sports up to 9 hours of battery life, a 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 d