Help me pick my daughter's first laptop.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by BokCh0y

OP is your kid going to be using the laptop for school or just for games and videos?

100% games and videos. when it comes time that she needs one for homework or school work, we will buy a much better rig.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by spikerS


100% games and videos. when it comes time that she needs one for homework or school work, we will buy a much better rig.

then you'll get way better bang for your buck from a tablet.

[BokCh0y]

Agreed with Taco. Tablet is the way to go.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by BokCh0y
Agreed with Taco. Tablet is the way to go.

And its not even Tuesday

[spikerS]

I thought about the tablet, but I was also kinda thinking typing skills....

and they already have tablets i bought them a few years back, and I can't recall the last time they got used...

[Seth1968]

Check out Best Buy's refurbished laptops online. They've got a bunch from $150 - $200.

[rage2]

Originally posted by spikerS
and they already have tablets i bought them a few years back, and I can't recall the last time they got used...

Were they Android ones?

[killramos]

Get them an iPod Touch.

[01RedDX]

.

[BokCh0y]

Originally posted by Thaco


And its not even Tuesday

Taco Tuesday's lame.

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by rage2

Why don't you let her decide?

Seriously, it's pretty hilarious seeing some kids excluded because their parents are anti-apple and everyone else is chatting together using iMessage on their iPods haha. Not hilarious for the excluded kid of course.

good point but what if the kids want to be a programmer or a developer and want to learn how things work? i think tablets really limit the computing experience

[rage2]

Originally posted by thetransporter
good point but what if the kids want to be a programmer or a developer and want to learn how things work? i think tablets really limit the computing experience

There's an app for that.

Seriously, most of the beyond AWS work, scripting and MySQL work was done off my iPad mini with a BT keyboard. When it comes down to anything beyond web development, that's when you would probably want a laptop. Learning that stuff tho, all on websites through the tablet.

[ZenOps]

If you have an actual desk and use it, laptop is ok. But few people actually sit at a desk anymore. Tablet that is a thin client that simply displays the video output of a powerhouse server is probably the future.

My modern workspace is *sometimes* a 180 degree (upside down) rotated monitor with a steam controller input (thumb keyboard) sticking out from a desk. Which means I can lay down completely flat and look up to the ceiling to see the display.

Just for the idea that tablet is way too uncomfortable to hold at eye level for extended periods of time.

That said: Celeron N 3xxx is nice, in that its the first of the *cheap* silicon to have dedicated hardware acceleration for the most common tasks (JPG and movie decoding) so it behaves much more like the competitors which built their hardware acceleration first and general CPU ability last.

http://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/compare...eron_n2840-400

Learning to type could be very important based on age (and you don't want to get your kids hooked on typing with thumbs IMO, as its ridiculously slower than actual typing) but that can be done with a Bluetooth keyboard.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Would you spend $500? You can get a full blown compact PC with surprisingly decent specs:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/VyZ6Fd

Only $400 if you have an old copy of windows you could throw on there. It's vastly more powerful than that laptop.

Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor I'm sure you either have already or could get for free or almost free on Kijiji

The added bonus of not being too portable will let you keep easier tabs on it too.

You can even use it as a Plex server or download mule when she isn't on it.

[blitz]

I have a decent Dell monitor and a keyboard you can have if you want.

[Mitsu3000gt]

These are also super cheap right now, sale ends today - under $200 CAD delivered:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_...=170501_monday

[ganesh]

My vote will be for iPad.
Having said that if you don't want Apple products give MS 10S a try. It looks like it is geared more towards education and comes in at $259.
http://mobilesyrup.com/2017/05/02/mi...-windows-10-s/

[ZenOps]

New Surfaces are laptops, and only i5 and i7.

It does make sense, the Celeron N 3xxx (especially quad core) has been brought up so close to Pentium M in terms of performance that its probably better to not try and compete in that market.

[Pauly Boy]

My little guy is almost the same age as yours, so I have a little experience with this.

Tablets are great, but they suck for most interactive school websites that all are java or flash. The one they used for reading in Grade 1 (Raz-kids) needed the laptop/PC – Not sure how it is for higher grades, but something to consider.

We have a family laptop I bought for school use from Dell during one of their sales. My budget was $500, but then it allowed us to use it for other stuff. Check out their Vostro business line – It was the cheapest way to get decent specs and a back-lit keyboard (my only must-have) back in ~2015.

That being said, I just picked up an LG G-Pad 3 for our little guy on contract from Fido at Easter as his cheapo old tab was too sluggish to run Minecraft. It was “free” with the $15/m for 3GB data plan (I was looking into getting an LTE plan anyways so he could play on the road while travelling this summer). It’s not a bad little device & has some cool features like reading mode – I’ve been trying to find someone flipping one for cheap on Kijiji for myself actually.

I’d say, you have a couple years before you have to worry about the iOS vs Android debate no matter what device you choose (unless I’m really out of touch, I don’t see my guy needing any of that until jr. high/middle school). Besides, by then, whatever you buy now will probably need replacing anyways.

[spikerS]

well, we expanded the budget a bit. After checking out reviews on the laptop I originally linked, it wasn't looking too hot.

Picked up an ASUS X540LA
https://www.asus.com/Laptops/X540LA/specifications/

This thing should last her a few years at least. This version has the i5 processor, 8gb of ram, and a 1 TB HDD.