Stuff.tv's best back to school and college gadgets

The best way to see yourself (or the kids) through another term of tiresome tests and lengthy parents' evenings is with a stack of new gadgets. Here's our pick of the best back to education tech...

Acer Aspire One
www.acer.com
Cheap, small and hardy thanks to its solid state drive, the Acer Aspire One might not be everyone's netbook of choice, but you won't beat it for price (it starts at £199). And when you're using it for storing essays on oxbow lakes and a bit of subtle web browsing when you should be jemming up on quadratic equations, you don't need anything more powerful. Plus you can sling it in your backpack without being weighed down.
From £199

Dane-Elec Zpen
www.danedigital.com
Forget your 50p Biro - scribble out notes with this pen and via the magic of a receiver and USB, it'll download the lot so you can view them on screen. You can then convert the lot to digital text or use the search tool to find keywords. Makes our days of chalk and blackboard seem like an even more distant memory.
From £74

Nokia 6300
www.nokia.co.uk
Back in our day, phones at school were a distant dream. Alas, every kid has one these days. This Nokia now has Wi-Fi built in, as well as support for 2Gb for storing a few tunes and a lengthy battery life so you can call home even if you've been kept back for double detention. Happy days, eh?
From £72

Kodak Easyshare 5300
www.kodak.com
It might not be the newest gadget on the block, but then this is one for under your desk at home, not bragging about at lunchtime. It's an all-in-one printer and scanner that can handle your photos as well. That means you'll be able to pepper work about boring Geography field trips with snaps taken on your trusty digicam, while printing off your handiwork in bizarre fonts that are bound to wind up teachers and uni tutors alike.
From £140

Creative Zen X–Fi 16GB
www.creative.com
Ok, this isn't strictly a gadget for school or uni, but it will come in handy when you're in the library and can't concentrate. The Zen X-Fi is one of the best MP3 players we've laid hands on this year. It's small, has ample storage, great file support and will set you apart from the Apple toting masses. And if you're feeling extra swotty, you can always use it as a voice recorder in lectures. That or listen to the new Mogwai album.
From £150