nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 17, 2021 10:22:03 GMT
Hello Nerds
With the advent of a new school year, and the horrific memories of last year home schooling the boy with an old iPad, I was hoping for recommendations for what new tech would serve best for a 6 year old.
Ideally we would get an iPad pro with a keyboard and all that but I don't want to have to remortgage the house.
Pros and cons of laptops running Windows etc would be good to know as I have little experience in all that now that I sit at an iMac 27 hours a day.
Cheers
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2021 11:28:22 GMT
We got one of our two a Surface Pro and the other an Asus Zenbook. Both have been really good. However, the Surface Pro had an issue (rebooting) just after the 1 year point. Thankfully Microsoft fixed it under warranty, but I've heard of a few similar issues. The Zenbook has been rock solid and looks great. Both kids love their laptops (their school needs them to have one regardless of COVID).
I did previously have the youngest using a linux based HP Stream. That was a bit shite if I'm honest. It couldn't run Windows (or even upgrade it), so its now very much an "utter emergency" / the Lada in Top Gear.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2021 11:29:42 GMT
Oh and check with your kid's school as ours highlighted that some machines / OS's would not connect with their systems, so we had to avoid those.
I think you should be fine as long as whatever you get can run Google Docs which a lot of schools seem to be using.
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Derblington
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Did you know I have a girlfriend
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Post by Derblington on Aug 17, 2021 11:39:49 GMT
If the ideal is an iPad Pro, why not get an Air? Has compatibility with the pencil and magic keyboards, and for everything you'll need it for school-wise it should be fine. Granted, the smaller Pro is vastly different in pricing but you'll get more storage space on the Air for that bracket.
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 17, 2021 11:45:48 GMT
Thanks guys. iPad just seems pretty expensive by the time you add on a keyboard and shit, but then it would seem the Surface Pro or the Zenbook are too!
Myabe the problem is I am thinking way down the budget ladder. Do netbooks still exist? I was thinking, in my ignorance, £350 would sort something decent out.
Lets be honest it's gonna be covered in jam and bogeys within a half a day!
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Post by Dougs on Aug 17, 2021 11:48:23 GMT
Chromebooks are the new netbooks. As others have said, depends on how the school works. Ours used Google Classroom so Chromebooks slotted right in.
Seems my eldest is being given one by the school on his step up to Secondary, so that saves us a lot of hassle.
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 17, 2021 11:54:03 GMT
Just looking at Chromebooks now thanks.
The school was all over the shop with the software being used. It's like that meme where all the things are different little apps with silly names.
It was Teams based, with tons of add-ons and was a pain in the arse.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2021 11:56:53 GMT
Yeah, if you're after the cheapest possible and Chromebooks are compatible, then they seem to be the way to go. Have to consider Wi-Fi coverage at the school, but apart from that they seem to be pretty good.
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 17, 2021 11:59:59 GMT
Thanks Witchy. I don't think they will be taking them in to school right enough. I think it will be more for homework and the like.
What is the issue with Wifi?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2021 12:08:51 GMT
Just making sure that the school had wi-fi throughout (if they were taking them to school and doing lessons on them as my kids are) so that they could always log in to their online apps. If its for home use and the tools they use are Web-based (like Google Docs), then I think they're the way to go myself.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2022 10:09:45 GMT
I need a new laptop for work, got a budget of max £600. Will be used for excel spreadsheets and flitting between the browser etc. Just need something quite speedy as the one I am currently using is chugging along just opening outlook. Touch screen for signing paperwork on it would be a bonus.
Anyone have some good recommendations?
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robthehermit
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Post by robthehermit on Jun 24, 2022 11:13:28 GMT
I need a new laptop for work, got a budget of max £600. Will be used for excel spreadsheets and flitting between the browser etc. Just need something quite speedy as the one I am currently using is chugging along just opening outlook. Touch screen for signing paperwork on it would be a bonus. Anyone have some good recommendations? Ome of these perhaps? Inspiron 2 in 1
I pucked up a similar one a year ago and it's been fantastic. |
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Jun 24, 2022 11:16:57 GMT
That is a cracking price for an i7...
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Post by Dougs on Jun 24, 2022 11:19:02 GMT
Scratch and dent, depends where etc I guess.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2022 11:20:01 GMT
Hivemind delivers, looks perfect.
Cheers.
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robthehermit
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Post by robthehermit on Jun 24, 2022 11:50:03 GMT
If it's a concern, mine was advertised as scratch and dent, but despite trying my very best, I could find neither a scratch nor a dent.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2022 11:53:33 GMT
Yeah, I'm not too fussed about that for the price anyway.
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Jun 24, 2022 11:55:25 GMT
As long as the screen isn't scratched, it'll be fine.
Also, Dell's outlet warranty is pretty good anyway:
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Buu
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Post by Buu on Jun 24, 2022 13:34:16 GMT
I had a few of those laptops to sell in January which I ended up selling for £800 each in the Polar White. Decent machines and at that price, good value.
Working in IT with a few connections has been really helpful the last few years. The amount of almost brand new laptops I've been able to buy cheap and sell on has been amazing.
Though it's annoying when I've bought a few and can't sell them, stuck with expensive paperweights. All in the game!
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nexus6
Junior Member
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 15, 2022 11:05:42 GMT
Hello again.
Managed to put off buying anything until now, going in to P3.
I am looking through the refurbished Dell site someone posted - cheers.
I am also looking at the Google Pixelbook Go which seems quite expensive?
It will be for all the usual shite that needs done by a 7 year old and we can use it to store photos and all that pish too I suppose so not needing games to run at 60fps etc
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2022 6:52:13 GMT
skipping the other posts in this thread
iPad Air? It's cheap but has great processing
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 16, 2022 8:10:08 GMT
skipping the other posts in this thread iPad Air? It's cheap but has great processing Thanks Spooky. Kind of done with the iPad to be honest for now. Not having a keyboard is a pain, and with the work we struggled though doing it didn’t perform that well when we were in lockdown 1. Reckon a Dell refurb laptop will be the way to go as you can get a good spec for less than the base iPad Air |
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Post by brokenkey on Aug 16, 2022 12:21:27 GMT
If you've got an old laptop lying round, you can now install ChromeOS on it to convert it into a Chromebook. Search "ChromeOS flex"
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nexus6
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 16, 2022 12:52:47 GMT
Good tip, thanks.
I'm looking at windows 11 laptops. I am out of touch having used only a mac this past 10 years...
Windows 11 reasonable for a 7 year old?
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Post by Dougs on Aug 17, 2022 7:10:11 GMT
Can't see why not. Agree either a refurb Dell or a Chromebook will do the job.
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nexus6
Junior Member
Posts: 2,536
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Post by nexus6 on Aug 17, 2022 10:20:51 GMT
Thanks Dougs and the rest. Gonna take the plunge today I think.
Shame the Google one is too expensive it looks great
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