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What Dell and HP are Doing for Back to School

Our awesome intern Casey has done it again. She dug up all the dirt on this year’s back-to-school discounts on PC’s from two of the biggest computer retailers- Dell and HP. Enjoy her analysis of each company’s deals and marketing for college students, and good luck finding the best discount possible this year!


office dog compares dealsAs a college student at the University of Oregon, buying a MacBook Pro was essential to ensure my success. This is because I’m a public relations major and everything is within the journalism school is set up to be compatible with a MacBook. The LaCie hard drive we are strongly encouraged to buy works best with a Mac, as well as Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and InDesign.

However, when I briefly flirted with the idea of becoming a business major and attended my first accounting class, my professor frowned upon my MacBook. He strongly encouraged anyone who was truly serious about business to buy a “sensible PC with Windows.”

So for students who aren’t graphic design or journalism majors, and are looking to buy a new PC for back to school, Dell and HP have some excellent back to school offers that have you covered. Or if you’re simply in the market for a new laptop and a Mac isn’t your style, now is the time to buy.

Dell has created a Dell University exclusive student offer through its website where students can enter the name of the university they are attending, and receive a $200 gift card to put towards other devices if the laptop they are purchasing is over $699. This is great because often students need more than a laptop. Maybe they need specific software, a new printer, or a tablet.

Interestingly enough, students don’t need to really verify much beyond the university they are attending, maybe Dell should think of employing some of SheerID’s services to ensure that everyone looking for a discount is truly enrolled at a university.

While Dell is offering a select group of laptops for sale with a gift card included, HP is simply offering discounted prices and revamped technology. HP unveiled their classic lineup of Envy, Pavilion, and Spectre laptops with higher quality displays, more speakers for better audio, and a mix of processors to choose from. The prices aren’t bad either with the pavilion starting as low as $429. Discounts of $100 or more are offered on select laptops as well.

So if you’re a student, the parent of a student, or simply looking to upgrade, now through September is the time to shop. Most of the Dell or HP laptops are more affordable than a MacBook Pro and will continue to be on sale or come with a $200 gift card as parents and students continue to scramble for back to school.

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