Millions of high school seniors are graduating. That also means parents will be buying new laptops for their college-bound kids.

Colleges and academic departments usually offer basic HP Pavilion dm4-1160us NoteBook Intel Core i5 450M(2.40GHz) 14" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi Intel HD Graphics  specifications. Start there. Then, follow my recommendations.

Macs

The entry-level MacBook ($1,000) features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor . It has a 250-gigabyte hard drive and 2GB of RAM. Rounding out the specs are a 13-inch LED-backlit screen, DVD burner and built- in webcam.

The MacBook Pro gives you more power and a nice aluminum body. The base model ($1,200) has an HP ENVY 14-1260SE Beats Edition Notebook Intel Core i5 480M(2.66GHz) 14.5" 6GB Memory 750GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 + Intel HD. Graphics are stronger, and the hard drive is 320GB.

The MacBook Air (from $1,000) is less than ideal for a student, with limited storage and no internal disk drive.

Windows

Go with Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate. Select an Intel Core i5 or AMD Phenom processor, if possible. A dual-core model is fine for most students.

Go with 4GB of RAM. Don't settle for a hard drive smaller than 250GB.

Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections should come standard. You also want plenty of USB ports and a DVD burner. A large keyboard and screen will make the laptop more comfortable to use. A machine meeting these specifications starts at about $500.