Advice Laptop for kids

[Edmond]

I need to get a laptop for 2 13yr olds to do their homework on as a joint birthday/christmas pressie

I've seen this and need to know if any of you think it will do the job?

Like i say its just for homework and it has a year sub to office, or have any of you got anything for your kids that you think is good for around the same price bracket?

Ta

 

[Embattle]

Depends largely on whether their homework will ever be more than just basic applications such as office, email, etc. In essence it is a Chromebook with windows.

 

[Ctuchik]

Just get a second hand laptop and install openoffice on it. I mean it's for homework, not like they will use it to play games on..

 

[Hawkwind]

Why openoffice, when education license for MS Office is so cheap anyway. All schools use MS office formats and why put yourself at a disadvantage. I've used it myself in the past and had major issues, especially with PPT files and format being screwed up. Have they fixed all that?

 

[Scouse]

education license for MS Office is so cheap anyway. All schools use MS office formats and why put yourself at a disadvantage

This.

If they end up working with computers in the near term it looks like they'll be using MS Office and windows in most corporate environments. May as well get 'em used to that ecosystem.

 

[Edmond]

So back to the original question, does this look any good, or does anyone have any other recommendations

I don't want a 2nd hand one, it needs to have some kind of warranty, as I said its just for them to do their homework on, it wont be full of music or photos, they have tablets and ipod touch's for all that. And as it comes with the 1yr office sub too, I thought it was ok. Not sure of the spec, but its not like their gaming on it

 

[ECA]

Yeah it's fine.

Perhaps look at something like this?


View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072R58YFV/


Basically the same spec as you linked but the extra few quids gets you a DVD RW, an actual ethernet port, a VGA out ( lots of projectors still only take VGA ), and a USB-C port for a bit more future proofing/convenience.

 

[Raven]

2 kids, 1 laptop.

The source of a shit ton of squabbling

 

[Scouse]

Yeah it's fine.

I'd go with the one running off the memory card rather than the one running off an actual hard drive.

You can get cheap laptops with SSDs. I won't buy anything that's primary storage is something that spins ever again.

 

[Edmond]

Yeah it's fine.

Perhaps look at something like this?


View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072R58YFV/


Basically the same spec as you linked but the extra few quids gets you a DVD RW, an actual ethernet port, a VGA out ( lots of projectors still only take VGA ), and a USB-C port for a bit more future proofing/convenience.

I did look at this one too, as I thought it was probably better than the HP, but the HP has the 1yr sub to office, is there a way round that, how much is the sub for a year?

 

[ECA]

Scouse makes a good point, ssd in your original laptop.

Well, probably not an ssd but still better.

 

[Scouse]

the HP has the 1yr sub to office, is there a way round that, how much is the sub for a year?

Uni subscriptions are this for four years - I daresay school has the same deal - would need to talk to them...

 

[Gwadien]

Uni subscriptions are this for four years - I daresay school has the same deal - would need to talk to them...

Schools don't do shit like this..

Unless the kids have a disability.

 

[Moriath]

Schools don't do shit like this..

Unless the kids have a disability.

But there used to be an education version of office. Dont they still have that?

 

[Scouse]

Schools don't do shit like this..

Unless the kids have a disability.

Yes they do - @Edmond - have a look here.

If the school participates they get the full 365 with loads of offline storage for 5 pc's too.

 

[Gwadien]

Yes they do - @Edmond - have a look here.

If the school participates they get the full 365 with loads of offline storage for 5 pc's too.

I'd be surprised, I've never seen it.

Then again, it's in London, and their schools are better than the rest of the UK anyway.

 

[Edmond]

Yes they do - @Edmond - have a look here.

If the school participates they get the full 365 with loads of offline storage for 5 pc's too.

Thanks, @russell is a teacher, i'll ask her about it too

 

[Ctuchik]

I've used it myself in the past and had major issues, especially with PPT files and format being screwed up. Have they fixed all that?

Not a clue, don't use office myself. Just know that mom can't rave enough about it so figured it had to have some benefits other then being free. And if ppt files are the only issue then what of it? Are powerpoint presentation homework actually a thing at their school?

 

[Raven]

Schools can get office for free in the UK

Students - Microsoft Education

FIN

Edit, someone at the school needs to stop staring out the window or whatever and get it sorted out by the looks of it. I would imagine most schools will have signed up to it already.

 

[Gwadien]

Schools can get office for free in the UK

Students - Microsoft Education

FIN

Edit, someone at the school needs to stop staring out the window or whatever and get it sorted out by the looks of it. I would imagine most schools will have signed up to it already.

Yeah, I'm not surprised to be honest, lots of schools are years behind latest releases etc - they probably wouldn't sign up to this because it's too expensive.

However, they do spend tens of thousands for shitty 'data' software which are essentially in most cases over-hyped excel spreadsheets.

 

[Scouse]

Not a clue, don't use office myself. Just know that mom can't rave enough about it so figured it had to have some benefits other then being free. And if ppt files are the only issue then what of it? Are powerpoint presentation homework actually a thing at their school?

Why wouldn't you get your kids used to the worlds most widely used productivity software?

they probably wouldn't sign up to this because it's too expensive.

It's free...

 

[Raven]

It's free, well free as in it gets kids using the software from an early age.

MS is pretty much the only software that every company or organisation uses, MS want to keep it that way, what better method than making every kid use it throughout their education.

 

[Gwadien]

Why wouldn't you get your kids used to the worlds most widely used productivity software?


It's free...

That's the online stuff, that's free to everyone.

Google Microsoft Word or something there's a free version.

 

[Scouse]

That's the online stuff, that's free to everyone.

Google Microsoft Word or something there's a free version.

It's more than just that... Either way - £20 year? Lulz...

 

[Gwadien]

It's more than just that... Either way - £20 year? Lulz...

No.

Read what you posted - all the free stuff is free online stuff, probably using a school cloud server too which the students clog up and then Microsoft ask for more money.

That's weird though, students have to pay to get the actual applications though. I had it free at University.

 

[dysfunction]

Not a clue, don't use office myself. Just know that mom can't rave enough about it so figured it had to have some benefits other then being free. And if ppt files are the only issue then what of it? Are powerpoint presentation homework actually a thing at their school?

As a matter of fact yes. At my sons (7yrs old) school the project work he gets given says draw or create object or use a powerpoint presentation to demonstrate subject matter. So it is an option but not required. Perhaps it will be later on in his school career.

I would rather he drew or built his project while he's young. Later he can do the pc stuff.

 

[Moriath]

No.

Read what you posted - all the free stuff is free online stuff, probably using a school cloud server too which the students clog up and then Microsoft ask for more money.

That's weird though, students have to pay to get the actual applications though. I had it free at University.

I had it free at uni in 1994 or so. It was called sharing floppy disks. Hehe

 

[Ctuchik]

As a matter of fact yes.

Are the school actively trying to make the kids stop showing? Tell that school to give the kids REAL homework instead.. You know, things they have an actual use for in real life.

Like scottish poetry....