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Engadget's 2013 back to school sweepstakes: only 24 hours left!
It's getting down to the wire now, guys, so if you haven't entered our back to school sweepstakes yet, now's the time. We'll stop accepting entries in 24 hours, so if you want to be in the running for one of 15 tech-filled Timbuk2 bags, you better hustle. Make sure you've left a comment on our sweepstakes post and each of the 14 guides. Because we're just that nice, the relevant links are below. Good luck, and have a great semester! Engadget's back to school 2013 sweepstakes: Win one of 15 gadget-filled bags! Engadget's back to school guide 2013: smartphones Engadget's back to school guide 2013: ultraportables Engadget's back to school guide 2013: tablets Engadget's back to school guide 2013: e-readers Engadget's back to school guide 2013: laptops Engadget's back to school guide 2013: HDTV Engadget's back to school guide 2013: gaming Engadget's back to school guide 2013: cameras Engadget's back to school guide 2013: accessories Engadget's back to school guide 2013: portable audio Engadget's back to school guide 2013: docks Engadget's back to school guide 2013: bags and cases Engadget's back to school guide 2013: printers Engadget's back to school guide 2013: fun stuff
There are just 6 days left to enter our back to school sweepstakes!
All throughout August, we brought you our top picks for smartphones, tablets, ultraportables and more. We end on a sweet note with our final back to school guide today, but our giveaway is still running strong. If you haven't done so already, now's the time to leave a comment on each of our 14 gadget guides -- as well as our sweepstakes homepage -- for a chance to win one of of 15 tech-filled goodie bags. The contest runs through noon (ET) on Thursday, September 12th, so get your name in before the new semester gets too crazy. Good luck! Engadget's back to school 2013 sweepstakes Engadget's back to school guide 2013: smartphones Engadget's back to school guide 2013: ultraportables Engadget's back to school guide 2013: tablets Engadget's back to school guide 2013: e-readers Engadget's back to school guide 2013: laptops Engadget's back to school guide 2013: HDTV Engadget's back to school guide 2013: gaming Engadget's back to school guide 2013: cameras Engadget's back to school guide 2013: accessories Engadget's back to school guide 2013: portable audio Engadget's back to school guide 2013: docks Engadget's back to school guide 2013: bags and cases Engadget's back to school guide 2013: printers Engadget's back to school guide 2013: fun stuff
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: fun stuff!
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we're talking fun stuff. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. If we may paraphrase a tried-and-true saying, all work and no play makes one a very dull boy or girl. While laptops, tablets and smartphones are all essential pieces of study-time equipment, it's important to remember to cut loose and have a little fun every once in a while. To beat the midterm blues, check out top gadget picks below the break.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: printers
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we're taking a look at printers. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. While you'll spend most of your time staring at a screen as you hastily pull together assignments at the last minute, you'll still need something to put your work to paper when the time comes to turn it in. Luckily, we're on hand to show there's much more to the wonderful world of inkjet printers than just pumping out projects, whether that be producing high-quality photos straight from your camera's SD card, or making memories tangible by printing straight from Facebook -- no computer required. There are scores of printers available at virtually every price point, so if you'd rather spend your last days of freedom not researching printers, then head past the break for our back to school suggestions.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: docks
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today we're talking docks. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. Plug and play... and then party in your dorm. That's how the kids do it nowadays, with their iPods, iPhones and Android devices connected to virtual libraries of stored and streaming music. But unless you're rocking an HTC One with BoomSound, the dinky speakers on your daily driver just aren't going to adequately pump out the late-summer jams. For those at-home boogie breakdowns, you're going to need some serious hardware. And lucky you, we're here to sort through the clutter and highlight the best back to school picks for any budget.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: accessories
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we're serving up a selection of accessories -- head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. While you've been fretting over the more essential items for your return to school, we've been out on a bit of a field trip of our own. The mission? To dig out the most essential (and, we'll admit it, fun) accessories to see you through your next academic year. Of course, we've got all the big hitters covered in other sections of our annual back to school guide, so we've hit the books -- er, websites -- to find those items that could help tip your work into the next grade. So, whether you're a biologist, a computer scientist, a music major or just love gadgets, dive past the break for our accessory essentials.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: digital cameras
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! We predict plenty of campus parties in your near future, which is why we're tackling digital cameras today. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear. You don't need to pick up a dedicated shooter before you head off to college -- your smartphone can likely fill in until you're able to drop some serious cash on a model that'll last all four years. Still, you'd certainly be better off with a device that can capture memories at concerts, football games, in the dorm and at parties without hesitation. For that, you're going to want a camera with serious capabilities, and many don't come cheap. We've sorted our favorites based on model type -- there's something for everyone, and in every price range, too. A point-and-shoot will suit most students just fine, but photography and journalism majors will definitely want to step up to an interchangeable-lens camera, such as a compact mirrorless ILC or a full-size DSLR. Click through for our picks.
Distro Issue 104: Prep for class with Engadget's back to school guide
Unfortunately, it's time to hit the books once more. Don't get completely bummed out by the start of classes because this special issue of our weekly e-magazine has all of the top picks for back to school gear. That's right, from laptops to portable audio, we've narrowed down the best tech selections in over a dozen categories to ease the transition back to academia. Of course, they'll also make stellar pickups for those who have already joined the work force too. We sprinkled in a few Distro regulars as well: Eyes-On, Visualized and Time Machines are all here. There's plenty to consider this time around, so grab a copy for your e-reading gadget of choice via any of the app stores that follow. Distro Issue 104 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro in the Windows Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: gaming
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today we're talking gaming gear. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. You probably shouldn't be playing video games in school, y'all. A certain back to school guide writer had his Game Boy and copy of Pokémon confiscated by a certain English professor in high school and, needless to say, it was a rough year. Thankfully, today your tablets and smartphones are often part of the educational experience -- all we had was Oregon Trail and Karateka. Oh man, Karateka! But back to the goods: head below for our back to school gaming suggestions -- if you convince your parents to pick this stuff up ahead of the first bell, perhaps seek out a career in law?
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: HDTV
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today we're talking HDTV. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. This year's incoming class of freshmen is facing more than just lecture halls and 8 AM classes -- there's a brand-new generation of consoles to deal with, not to mention the question of going 4K. Luckily we're here to help, with suggestions for set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, remotes and more to make the dorm feel just like home, no matter what your budget is.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: laptops
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we've got a wide array of laptop recommendations. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear. If you were expecting us to recommend a MacBook Air or a Samsung ATIV Book 9, we'll kindly refer you to our back to school Ultrabook buying guide. But while an ultraportable will suffice for web surfing, Netflixing and the occasional all-nighter, some students will still crave a little more. A little extra storage space, perhaps, or a discrete GPU to pull off smoother gaming. Or maybe y'all just want something cheaper than your standard Ultrabook. No shame in that either. Whatever it is, we've got a handful of choices for each budget.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: e-readers
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we're taking a look at your best e-reader options. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. Schoolbooks? What is this, the late 20th century? Granted, we still have a ways to go before all the world's textbooks go digital, but e-readers should be able to stand in for most of those paperbacks, at least. So lose a little backpack weight, save a couple of trees and take notes without ruining your copy. We have got your e-reader needs covered, no matter what your back to school budget.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: tablets
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we're talking tablets. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear. Like reality show contestants who reinvent themselves as America's next top chef / model / crab fisher, tablets are entering a renaissance. In fact, while you probably couldn't complete your high-school essays on an iPad or Nexus 7, a slew of optional keyboards are turning slates into capable productivity devices. And as they increase in processing power, tablets are ever thinner and lighter, making it a breeze to schlep 'em around campus in your book bag. So, where to start? How about below, where we've selected nine devices that'll keep you busy before, during and after class.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: ultraportables
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today we're talking ultraportables. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. Ultrabooks hit the mainstream in 2012; in 2013, they're claiming the high end. Intel's Haswell-based processors are giving thin laptops the extreme resolutions, all-day battery life and touchscreens we wish we'd had in full-size portables a year ago. They might just be the perfect fit for students who want high-end features without the typical high-end bulk. Accordingly, our 2013 back to school guide rounds up the more advanced Ultrabooks alongside more affordable, extra-thin PCs. No matter your budget, these ultraportables are bound to lighten your backpack.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013
Welcome to Engadget's back to school hub for 2013! Whether you're a middle schooler, a college senior or just a tech-head looking for an excuse to refresh your gadget lineup, we're here to help. Throughout the month of August, we'll be posting in-depth guides to accommodate every budget, from cheap picks to high-end options. These guides will help you do your research, but 15 lucky readers will have the shopping done for them; our giveaway includes a flagship smartphone, an Ultrabook, an e-reader and many other toys to see you through work and play. We'll be drawing the names of winners in early September, but in the meantime our guides should keep you plenty busy. Click on the available category pages to start your comparison-shopping, and stay tuned for upcoming guides. Smartphones Ultraportables Tablets E-readers Laptops HDTV Gaming Cameras Accessories Portable audio Docks Bags and cases Printers Fun stuff Note: You can enter our back to school contest by leaving a comment on the giveaway page, or at any of the category pages listed above. Comments left on this page will not be considered.
Engadget's back to school guide 2013: smartphones
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we've got a killer selection of smartphone recommendations. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including one of the picks in this very guide. Apart from the laptop that churns out your term papers, there's no more essential device than your smartphone. From keeping track of your class schedule on the go to helping you make after-hours plans, a handset is your go-to mobile gadget, so you'll definitely want a good one. Luckily, you have plenty of great options across budget categories, operating systems and screen sizes. We can't promise that your next smartphone will help you make the dean's list, but it might make you the envy of everyone on it.
