The X130E is a much tougher model of the ThinkPad X120E which I reviewed last year, and is well equipped to handle the hazards of the classroom. While it isn’t rated for it, I could probably drive my car over it and it would keep working.

The portable form factor, incredibly durable build and excellent keyboard pair up with an all day battery to deliver a well equipped solution for the education market.

ThinkPad X130E - Education Geared Netbook

So far, my only complaint about the system is the very touchy and small touchpad, but an external mouse or smaller fingers will help with that.

The ThinkPad X130E I have in for testing uses an AMD E 300 1.3GHz processor, 2GB RAM and has an 11.6 inch display with a 1366×768 resolution. You might think that this system is underpowered, but I didn’t find it sluggish while going about the tasks I would expect students to be doing such as web browsing, note taking, flash heavy websites and running multiple programs at once.

I’ll get into all the features in a second, but as soon as I picked up the X130E I knew it was a well built notebook. Everything about this device feels durable and well built. Even when I tried to flex the base or lid, I came up with white knuckles instead of buckling plastic.

I haven’t given the notebook a proper battery test yet, which will simulate web browsing until the battery dies, but during my daily use I found that it was easy to get 5 to 6 hours of battery life without worrying about screen brightness. I wouldn’t be surprised if this notebook can last the full schoolday with the 6 cell battery.

As I mentioned, the keyboard is rock solid and perfectly sized for students and teachers. The touchpad is a bit small, and it takes some getting used to. So far it is touchy, even though it is a newer clickpad style touchpad.

Education Ready

The ThinkPad X130E is ready for the hands of schoolkids everywhere thanks to a rugged design and the reinforcement of potential break points. Lenovo has also included security features and customization options that schools will appreciate.

After spending a week with the ThinkPad X130, I can attest to the build quality of the notebook. These design features are more than bullet points on a sales sheet.

The keyboard on this notebook is great, not the best ThinkPad keyboard I have used, but pretty close. It certainly blows away consumer notebook keyboards. This island style of keyboard means that the students won’t be able to pull keys off, at least not without a screwdriver and lots of leverage.

Hinges are tested to withstand heavy use.

Lenovo also made the entire system more rugged, starting with the cover and corners. The corners on the X130 are 33% stronger than the x120E and include rubber bumpers to cope with bumps and drops.

The display bezel is thicker, to protect the display from damage while in transport and the hings have been designed to last 30,000 cycles, or 100 times a day. The ports on the notebook include all of those education environments need including Ethernet and HDMI. The ports are recessed, and Lenovo has made the Ethernet port stronger to prevent damage if a pupil pulls the cord out without pressing down on the tab.

The ThinkPad X130E has recessed ports and a stronger Ethernet port.

Administrators will enjoy the security features including TPM, Intel Anti-Theft (only on the higher end model) and a hard drive retention program that lets the user keep drives that fail under warranty so that IT can dispose of data themselves.

The ThinkPad X130E is available today, but you can only get the Red version shown above in large orders for schools, which can choose from other customizations as well. The ThinkPad X130E starts at $429.

Stay Tuned for our full review of the ThinkPad X130E.

ThinkPad X130e Mini Review: Built Like a Tank, Ready for School is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

It’s understandable that some individuals have absolutely zero self control and will waste away class time, that they are paying for, surfing the web even though it is painfully obvious to the speaker what’s happening. Yes, there’s bound to be one senator who can’t keep his solitaire or, Ahem, other addiction in check long enough to complete a meritorious debate on state law, but there’s much more to be gained by allowing technology into our classrooms and legislative bodies.

For example, students who are able to research a topic that comes up in class are often much more willing to add to a discussion and can bring concrete examples of current events or data, something that would have been unthinkable before notebooks became standard equipment for students. Speaking of the past, remember when notebooks weren’t there to stifle discussions and distract students? They still had notes, daydreaming and games that were designed to run on the TI-83 calculators, which I might add students were required to carry with them.

In the state of Missouri, notebooks are not allowed in the senate, even thought they can be found across the capital in the House and senators can absorb themselves in their BlackBerry devices. Backing the current ban on notebooks Senator Brad Lager told StlToday.com that, “There is a compelling argument to be made that a senator sitting there listening to the debate is engaged at a different level.”

Interestingly enough it is OK, and common for senators to be seen typing away on their BlackBerry devices and the rules would potentially allow for an iPad since it is not a notebook; even though you can turn it into a notebook with some accessories and apps.

Wouldn’t we, as a nation, be better served by representatives who can use 21st century tools to take notes and research matters of great importance while the debate is taking place instead of after a bill has been passed? The absurdity of denying access to technology due to the possibility of adults being unable to control their urge to check a website is astonishing.

If we are that worried about the actions of a few bad apples, let performance sort them out. Students who don’t pay attention will learn sooner or later that there are consequences to ignoring the professor. Senators who surf the day away will either be called out by a rival on the floor or caught on CSPAN looking at something they shouldn’t there’s no reason to handicap the whole for the actions of a few.

It’s about time that we accept technology’s role in our success as a nation. After students graduate they will be expected to carry a notebook or tablet to work and into meetings for the rest of their live’s, well unless they join the senate, so why do we feel they can’t handle the responsibility of paying attention until they earn a degree?

Isn’t it about time we stop blaming technology and strive to provide our students and our leaders with the best tools to accomplish their work and goals?

Image via Thunderchild7

Stop Banning Notebooks in Senates & Classrooms Because of Bad Apples is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The HP Mini 5103 comes with a 10.1″ screen that is available in a touch configuration that closes on a 95% full size, edge to edge, keyboard. The screen can be configured in a standard 1024 x 768 resolution or in 1366×768 and paired with a Broadcom HD Accelerator card for an HD display capable of handling 720P and 1080P video; locally and online.

One of the biggest selling points of this business class series is the built-in durability that doesn’t add bulk or a huge price increase. In addition to the anodized-aluminum case, the keyboard is spill resistant with an HP duracoat finish that helps the lettering last 50% longer than standard keys.

The durability, touch and handle options as well as the relatively low price tag have made the earlier versions of the HP Mini 5103 popular in educational settings where students are using them in the classroom and even taking them home. Some school shave even opted to include integrated Wireless for a high speed connection anywhere.

The  HP Min 5103 offers an optional Mobile broadband solution powered by GOBI and an optional GPS.

For users who need to get a quick look at the day ahead or look up an item online but don’t want to wait for the netbook to boot into Windows the HP Mini 5103 is equipped with HP DayStarter and HP Quickweb which give you access to your email/calendar and the Internet respectively.

The HP Mini 5103 comes standard with a 6 cell battery rated for 4.5 hours and an optional 6 cell battery which can deliver over 10 hours of battery life.

The HP Mini 5103 with dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor will be available from HP on September 17th starting at $399.99.

HP Mini 5103 Detailed Specs:

HP Mini 5103 Business Class Netbook Gains Dual Core Atom N550 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Laptop-itis isn’t limited to college students but the popularity of laptops combined with busy on the move students and dorm room regulations that prevent many ergonomic accessories accentuate the problem.

Given the nature of a dorm room, we set out to figure out the best way to create an ergonomic workspace working within the limits of a typical dorm room. That means no drilling into walls and limited space as well as a limited budget. You can pick and choose from the following items to achieve an ergonomic workspace for as little as $50 for a stand and a keyboard or invest $300 in your health and have the most ergonomic dorm room out there.

The first rule we want to get around is the inability to drill into a sturdy structure. We will do this by adding a loft to our dorm room. The easiest, and cheapest, way to get a loft is to purchase one used at your university since you’ll know that it fits the beds, but making one isn’t that difficult and you can customize the setup to accommodate your ergonomic setup. For more details on building a loft find the measurements of your dorm from the student life office on campus and then visit Instructables for a plethora of loft plans.

Next up is finding a cheap monitor. You can look locally but it is hard to beat the prices of monitors from Geeks.com. If you want an excellent monitor at a great price, check out the Samsung SyncMaster P2350 which we recently reviewed. When looking for a monitor you don’t need to pay too much attention to the base, just make sure it has standard VESA mounts, which most monitors do. You should be able to find a 21″ to 24″ monitor for around $150-$225. If you want to double your value you can pickup a small HDTV to mount under your loft in case you want to watch TV while your roommate is using the big screen.

Next up we’ll need a mount that supports the weight of your monitor. There are several mounts that will fit your needs but if you are able to afford one that is adjustable in numerous ways you’ll be thankful later. One of the top brands is Ergotron which offers a wide array of mounts that could be bolted to your loft. If you are looking for a cheaper mount you may have to sacrifice a few articulation points but you can find a wide selection at ProVantage or CyberGuys.

Along with your mounted monitor you’ll want to find a good mouse and keyboard to provide a better workstation while you’re in your room. You can find many models, but the Microsoft keyboard models offer a comfortable typing surface at a reasonable value. You can pick up the Microsoft 6000 Wireless Mouse and Keyboard for just $26.99 right now.

If you plan to hook all of these things to your notebook, but don’t want to be tethered to your desk be 15 cords than you should check out a notebook dock that will allow you to connect USB peripherals and a monitor to your laptop with one cord. One of these universal notebook docks we showcased earlier this month would be a great choice.

If all of this is too expensive or too much work then you should at least check out the HP USB Media Dock or a similar laptop stand an external keyboard which will bring your screen to the correct height and  provide a better typing experience.

While you’re at it stick that wooden dorm room chair in a corner and pick up an ergonomic office chair that allows you to sit with 90 degree angles at your elbow, waist and knees. Prices will vary, from next to nothing to more than you spend on books but if you look around you can find a good deal on an office chair that will last you though your college career.

However you go about preparing your dorm computer setup for the coming year you’ll appreciate the effort when you don’t have back pain and tingly fingers at midterm time. While it may look like a large cost up front, keep in mind all of these items should last you at least 4 years and at the end of college you can always sell your loft to the next incoming class.

How to Make your Dorm Room More Ergonomic is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

When looking at the picks keep in mind that while price will often be a deciding factor in which notebook you purchase that when you move past budget notebooks into Mid-Range notebooks you not only gain access to newer processors but also to more durable notebooks that are designed to last longer under constant use. For notebooks that are designed to withstand use for 3-5 years be sure to check out the  durable business class notebooks.

Back to School Netbooks:

Netbooks offers students an incredible value for in terms of portability and price. While they can’t handle every task the small size allows students to always have a computer with them for access to word and email. For extended typing sessions be prepared to invest in a monitor and a keyboard or head to the computer lab.

HP Mini 5103 – $399 – HP Mini  5102 review

This 10.1” netbook is actually a business class netbook with durability options that should allow it to see you from freshmen year to graduation without showing the same wear as consumer notebooks. This netbook offers an incredibly good keyboard for such a small device.

Specs – Intel Atom N455 1.83GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, Bluetooth 2.1, 6-cell battery rated for 10 hours.

HP Mini 210HD – starting at $329 – HP Mini 210 review

The HP Mini 210 HD is a capable netbook in the 10.1″ range that offers a small package, easy access to the inside for upgrading the RAM or hard drive and comes in a variety of colors. Add a Broadcom HD accelerator to your Mini 210HD configuration for HD video playback.

Specs – Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, 6-cell battery rated for 6.5 hours.

Samsung NB30 – starting at $329 – Samsung NB30 Review

The Samsung NB30 offers many options not found on consumer notebooks in this price range including a spill resistant keyboard and a hard drive sensor. The outside fo the NB30 is coated in a textured rubber that adds a bit of grip and gives it a cool look even when you spill something on it.

Specs – Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, 3- cell battery rated for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Acer Aspire One 532h - starting at $279 – Acer Aspire One 532h Review

There are many Acer Aspire One netbooks, but the 10.1″ Acer Aspire One 532h offers a good mix of price and power. While you won’t be watching HD content on this notebook you can watch standard def streaming video and type up notes in class, though you’ll want to invest in a keyboard if this is your only computer on campus.

Specs: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive and a 6-cell battery rated for 6.5 hours of battery life.

Budget Back to School Notebooks:

These notebooks are more affordable computers that offer users looking for a larger screen and more power than a netbook a good option that won’t break the bank. While they may not all have the newest technology these picks offer enough power to tackle the tasks of your average student.

Lenovo Edge 13 or Edge 14 – starting at $549 – Edge 13 review, Edge 14 Review

The Lenovo Edge notebooks with either a 13.3″ or 14.1″ screen are aimed at small business, but they pack enough power and battery life into a portable package to appeal to college students. The business focus also means that the notebooks come with more durability than most consumer notebooks. When you consider the low starting price the Edge represents an amazing value.

Specs: AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive and 4-cell battery – Other configurations include Intel processors and more options.

HP Pavilion dv5 – starting at $599 – HP dv5 Review

The 15.5″ HP dv5 may come with a higher price in the budget range, but its AMD processor and metal body that adds durability combine to offer features typically found at a higher price.

Specs: 2.3GHz AMD Turion II processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, ATI Mobility Radeon 4250 Graphics and a 6-cell battery with a 5 hour life.

HP G62 – Starting at $499 – HP G62 Review

The HP G62 notebook comes in at a budget price but includes a new Intel Core i3 processor and a generous 15.6″ display offering students a large canvas for working and enough power to handle some photo and video editing. Check out the HP G62-234DX at Best Buy for an excellent value.

Specs: 2.26GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, Dual Layer DVD burner,  6 cell battery rated at 5 hours.

Mid- Range Back To School Notebooks:

Offering the latest processors and plenty of memory and hard drive space these notebooks offer students a powerful package as well as extras in the form of Wireless Display, portability, extended battery life, longer warranties and more.

Toshiba Portege R705 – starting at $799 – Portege R705 Review

The 13.3″Toshiba Portege is a top pick in the Mid-Range notebook because ti offers significant value for its $800 price tag. Not only does it come in at 3.2 pounds and offer a new Intel Core i3 processor with Wireless Display, it also comes with a spill resistant keyboard and a hard drive sensor.

Specs: 2.26GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, Intel Wireless Display, up to 8 hours battery life

Dell Studio 15 Best Buy Next Class Model – $799, other models from $599 – Dell Studio 15 Review

The 15.6″ Dell Studio 15 Next Class model sold at Best Buy comes with a specs that meet the needs of most students including a new Intel Core i3 processor but because it is part of the Next  Class line of notebooks it also includes a full version of Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Student, 12 months of antivirus a backlit keyboard and more. More Dell Studio 15 models are available.

Specs: 2.26GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, 4.5 hours of battery life.

MacBook – $949 – MacBook Review

The MacBook is Apple’s most affordable notebook and it is well suited for most college students needs with enough horsepower and storage. The MacBook also comes with a free iPod Touch offer until September 15th which is a welcome companion, or can be sold on eBay to reduce the purchase price by around $150.

Specs:  2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 230M graphics, 10 hour battery life.

HP TouchSmart Tm2t – starts at  $771 with education discount – HP tm2t review

The HP TouchSmart tm2t is a convertible tablet that offers all the use of a normal laptop but can convert to a touch enabled not taking machine by swiveling the screen down to form a slate-like surface. Heavy note takers may appreciate the ability to keep their notes digitally in Evernote or OneNote using the included stylus.

Specs:  1.2GHZ Intel Core i3 CULV processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, up to 6 hours battery life.

Durable Back To School Notebooks:

If you are looking for a notebook that will last, and we mean really last, your entire college career then you should consider a durable business class notebook. While these options won’t always satisfy your entertainment needs they will survive the bumps and drops that are bound to happen in a 4-5 year college career.

ThinkPad T410 – starts at $849 – ThinkPad T410 Review

The 14″ ThinkPad T410 brings with it the traditional ThinkPad reliability and durability but offers an attractive price for the Intel Core i3 processor or for $100 grab an Intel Core i5 powered model. The T410 comes with the renowned Lenovo keyboard that students will appreciate during crunch time and pairs nicely with a generously sized multi touch mousepad.

Specs: 2.40GHz Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive and a 4 cell battery.

HP EliteBook 8440p – starts at $1,199 – HP EliteBook 8440p Review

The 14″ HP EliteBook 8440p is a great choice for the student who needs a powerful business rugged notebook that comes with a decent graphics solution. Pick up the WH256UT model and you’ll find an NVIDIA GPU with 512MB RAM that is wrapped in a durable magnesium alloy case that protects your notebook and is designed to last.

Specs: 2.40GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, NVIDIA NVS 3100 graphics with 512 MB dedicated gDDR3 video memory and a 6-cell battery rated at up to 6.5 hours.

High End Back To School Notebooks:

If money isn’t an object or you have a very specific need like creative design or premium audio then you should look into the following notebooks, but be warned — even with student discounts the price tags reflect the category.

MacBook Pro 15 – starts at $1,529 (refurb) – MacBook Pro Review

If price isn’t an option and you’re looking for a Mac to handle creative design take a look at the MacBook Pro 15 which comes with a long battery life and a thin and durable aluminum unibody case. This notebook comes with the latest Intel Core i5 processor and can be purchased with a matte screen for a more usable display in bright settings. This notebook also qualifies for the free iPod Touch offer.

HP Envy 14 or 17 – starts at $1,099 – HP Envy 14 Review

The 14″ and 17″ HP Envy Notebooks are a Windows powered alternative to the MacBook Pro that comes with metal etched case, new and faster USB 3.0 as well as a backlit keyboard and HP Beats audio. HP Beats is a premium audio experience from HP that makes use of special hardware to deliver music that compares to what you would hear in a music studio.

Specs: 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics and a battery rated for up to 6 hours.

Sony VAIO F series – starts at $999 – Sony VAIO F Review

The 16.4″ Sony VAIO F series offers a large screen and a powerful Intel Core i7 processors as well as Blu-Ray and NVIDIA graphics giving you an entertainment notebook that can also handle video and photo editing. For $1,259, bump your VAIO F up to a larger hard drive, better graphics and a backlit keyboard.

Specs: (Base Model) 1.73GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and a NVIDIA GeForce 310M GPU (512MB VRAM).

Have a favorite back to school netbook, notebook or laptop we missed? Let us know in the comments. For the best deals check out our guide to getting student discounts.

Back To School Notebook and Netbook Picks from Notebooks.com is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

There has been changes and updates to class schedules in nearly every class that I’ve had this semester, and keeping track of it all is quite complicated. Most instructors aren’t about to hand out revised syllabi to a myriad of students — so at best the student gets a shout-out in class that something has been changed, and perhaps the schedule uploaded as a word file somewhere on the web. But regardless of how they try to notify students, schedules get confusing when there are multiple iterations, and if a student is absent that day how are they to know that they schedule has been modified? What’s more, the schedule can only be viewed by downloading a word file and searching through it to find the change.

So here’s a suggestion for instructors. Use a shared Google Calendar to keep your class schedule. What is a shared Google Calendar? In simple terms, it is a free, online calendar that can be viewed by multiple people (ie: all of your students). This has many benefits over the traditional way of doing things (explained above). What are they?

• Push schedule changes to students instantly: The real beauty of a shared Google Calendar is that you can update it whenever you need to, and the change will be seen instantly as students access the calendar. No more arduous altering and uploading of word documents. The calendar, of course, would be set to read-only so that only the instructor can make changes.
• Multi-platform: A word document is… a word document, and can only be read on a device that supports whatever format you choose. A Google calendar can be access in a vast number of ways. Students could access the calendar from a simple website URL. They could subscribe to the calendar with their own favorite calendar application. Students can even see changes to the calendar through RSS. If your students are really savvy, they’ll easily be able to get the calendar onto their phone or a device like the iPod Touch, and it will function as a handy pocket schedule for their class. The great thing about this is that if done properly, they’ll get instant schedule updates directly to their device if the professor makes a change to the master calendar (ah… the beauty of technology).
• Save the environment: Instead of printing hundreds of papers at the beginning of a semester (and maybe even again in order to update the schedule) just write the URL of the calendar on the board at the beginning of the semester. From this one URL, students can view the calendar, and advanced students can access the calendar from wherever they want (RSS, through a mobile device, etc.) A tip about the URL: Writing a long shared calendar URL can be annoying for you and for your students who need to copy it down. Try using a service like www.tinyurl.com which will shorten the URL to just a few characters and make it easier for everyone to copy down the address.

So consider using a more efficient, practical, and environmentally friendly approach to class schedules next semester. Not only will this make things easier on the instructor’s end, but students stand to benefit as well. Have a quick look at how easy it is to work with a Google calendar, and how students see the updates immediately:

Students: feel free to point your instructors in the direction of this article if you think that it’d be useful to you or them, maybe they’ll be willing to give it a try for their next semester of classes!

Professors and Teachers — Use Free Tools to Help the Environment and Keep Your Class on Schedule with Ease is a post by Ben from Notebooks.com.

But anyway… you are probably here because you already have a Gmail address and you’d like to rip your mail out of your university’s horrible mail manager and get it into your oh-so-awesome Gmail inbox. As long as your university’s email system supports the proper protocols, it will be possible to make this happen. You can even send mail from your school’s email address through Gmail! Ok enough telling you what it can do, and more showing you how to do it.

There are two steps to get everything working.

The first thing we want to do is to set up something called POP3 which will pull messages from your school inbox into your Gmail inbox. Note: This is not a fool proof process, these steps may not work for you depending on the configuration of your school’s email system. If you run into a problem, check the Troubleshooting section toward the bottom of this post.

Configure Gmail to receive mail from your university email address:

1. Go to www.gmail.com and login
2. Click on the Settings button at the top right of the screen
3. Click on the Accounts and Import tab
4. Look down the page and find the Check mail using POP3 section and click Add a POP3 email account
5. Enter your school email address and click Next Step
6. Enter the password that you use to login to your school email, make sure that Label incoming messages: is checked, this will visually identify which emails are from your school address and which are from your regular Gmail account. Leave all other settings as they are, click Add Account
7. If everything has gone smoothly up to this point, you should be all done for the first half of the process. Close any windows remaining from the Gmail setup, and check your inbox which should start to be populated with emails from your school inbox. If you aren’t seeing any mail come into your Gmail inbox, make sure that you actually have emails in your school’s inbox, or try refreshing and waiting a few minutes

What you just did was configure Gmail to download emails from your school email inbox and put them into your Gmail inbox. Gmail will automatically check your school email inbox every 15 minutes or so for new emails, and download them into your Gmail inbox without you needing to do anything. If you urgently need something from your school’s email inbox to get into Gmail, you can always click Check mail now by going to Settings > Accounts and Import > Check mail using POP3 > then click Check mail now next to your school email address.

Note: Depending upon how you configure it, Gmail deletes emails in your college’s email inbox after downloading it into your Gmail inbox. So just in case you don’t like how this whole Gmail and college email thing works and want to get everything back to the way it was, don’t permanently delete your school emails out of Gmail expecting them to still reside in your school inbox. (tip: remember to archive with Gmail! Archiving moves the message out of your inbox so that you can stay organized, but stores it so that you can find it later.)

Ok you are half way done. The next step won’t hurt a bit, I promise.

Configure Gmail to be able to send emails from your university email address:

1. You should still be logged into Gmail, click on Settings at the top right of the page
2. Click on the Accounts and Import tab
3. Find the Send Mail As: section and click the Send mail from another address button
4. A new window will pop-up. In the Name: field, specify the name that you would like to associate with the email address (ie: when you send an email, it will display your email address in addition to this name). In the Email address: field enter your school email address. Then click the Next Step button
5. Leave the Send through Gmail radio button marked and click the Next Step button
6. Click the Send Verification button. Gmail will send an email to your school email address to verify that you own the account. Log in to your school email inbox, open the verification email and click the verification link. If you can’t see the verification email in your school’s inbox after a few minutes, check your spam folder or try refreshing the page

What you just did was configure your email account to work with Gmail so that you can compose a message inside Gmail and send it ‘from’ your university email address. When you compose a new message, there will be a drop down list in the From: field; you can choose if your email is send from your regular Gmail account, or the newly configured school email address. You can also reply to emails that have been sent to your university address (that we’ve now configured to come into the Gmail inbox) from your university address.

And that’s about it, congratulations! The best part about this whole thing? You’ll probably never need to use your crappy school email inbox ever again!

Troubleshooting

So it is possible that the steps above didn’t work out for you. This is usually caused because some schools don’t like to support great standards like POP and IMAP, while others simply don’t have these features enabled by default, or use different configuration settings. If you had any issues with the above steps, you’ll want to verify some things. Try the following:

• Ensure that POP and IMAP are supported by your school: The easiest way to do this is often to log in to your school email and find a Help link. Browse around looking for keywords such as POP and IMAP. Hitting ctrl+f will bring up a search box in your browser so that you can search the current page. If you can’t find anything, contact the department that manages email and computer systems for your university (often ‘IT’ something or other), and email someone asking if POP and IMAP are supported.
• If your school does support POP/IMAP, it may be disabled by default: Some email clients require that you manually enable POP/IMAP. See if there is a settings page on your school email inbox. Search around for POP/IMAP or words like forwarding. Try to enable POP/IMAP.
• Some schools use different settings than Gmail sets up by default: Remember step 7 in the first section of this guide? We left all of the settings as they were. Sometimes, school’s need Gmail to connect in a different way than Gmail expects to. You may need to adjust the POP Server: and Port: fields in step 7 to values defined by your school. Again, the best way to find these would be searching through Help documentation, or emailing the people that manage your email and asking (first if POP and IMAP are support) what POP server and port email clients should connect to.

How to Use Gmail to Manage Your School Email is a post by Ben from Notebooks.com.