Computer for my grandson

[Paul McGaha]

My grandson Michael is turning 11 years old tomorrow. My daughter tells me he could use a computer for his schoolwork.

She found this at Best Buy, seems like a pretty good deal to me:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP---Des...&skuId=6835558

Isn't is something that kids that age are using computers at school?

I'm pretty sure we have a spare monitor we could use with it.

PHM

[Grant Wilkinson]

If he might be doing his homework in a library, you may want to consider a laptop instead. More pricey, generally, but more versatile.

[Dan Hintz]

The price is nothing special, if that's what you're asking. A capable machine, but I purchased something similar in spec a year and a half ago for roughly the same price.

[Matt Meiser]

I wouldn't even consider anything but a laptop and I wouldn't buy it at Best Buy. A Dell Inspiron 15 starts at $350 and a Core i3 with 4GB of RAM is $400. A little more RAM would be nice but can be added at any time inexpensively. You might be able to find a better deal in the Dell Outlet. We've bought 2 and my dad bought one this year and we've been happy with them (2 i3's, 1 i5.) Plus Dell offers extended warranties with reasonably fast onsite service--none of this ship it off and hope you get it back some day stuff.

My 11YO daughter's laptop is a $400 Acer from Walmart about 2 years ago (never tell a kid if they save $300 they can get a laptop...). Its been decent, not perfect, but I'd get a Dell if I had to do it again.

[Jerome Stanek]

I would look at Microcenter and see what they have I buy they clearance and open box items all the time and have had really good luck with them.

[Brian Elfert]

Eleven years old is not early at all to be using a computer. Plenty of kids use computers and tablets at home by 1st or 2nd grade these days. I'm not sure which grade the kids start using computers in school, but an 11 year old is probably in 5th grade and almost certainly using a computer at school already.

You can get a pretty decent laptop for $400 these days. One consideration for a laptop is how well would it be taken care of? One drop and it could become a $400 brick. The parents may not want a laptop as it could possibly be used in locations where a parent can't easily monitor online activities. A desktop can be located in a central location where the parents can monitor usage easily.

I live in a middle to upper middle class area. Just about every high school kid I deal with has a laptop these days. Tablets are really in vogue these days, but I don't think they can do everything most high school students need to do yet. You can't really write a class paper on a tablet without physical keyboard.

[Chris Padilla]

Our daughter wanted an Apple iPad. I made her a deal: if she qualified for State (gymnastics final), she could have one for Christmas. Well, she got one. Now the iPad is about as compact it gets but they are spendy but she has had it since Christmas 2011 and it has done fine in her care. She is 11 and in fifth grade right now. It was used mostly for games and online stuff but now she has papers to write in school. For that, we had to purchase a real keyboard (bluetooth wireless) and some word processing software and a typing program. It isn't the best for such things but it works fine right now for what she needs. I suspect for 6th grade and on up, she is going to need more of a "real" and "working" kind of computer like perhaps a MAC but I think we'll likely get her a PC laptop since I'm more comfortable with non-fruit computers and Dell is the place I would do it. I've helped my folks buy computers from Dell and they've always been happy plus I get a discount through work.

[Matt Meiser]

I'm not sure which grade the kids start using computers in school, but an 11 year old is probably in 5th grade and almost certainly using a computer at school already.

Preschool or earlier.

[Jim Rimmer]

I bought a bargain Best Buy Toshiba for my wife a couple of years ago and she has been frustrated with it. I talked to our company IT guy and he said that those bargain units are usually pretty crappy. I ran this one by him today and he seems to think it would be all right for her. She only does email and a few Word documents - no power computing or on-line gaming. He also recommends staying with Windows 7; corporate guide right now is not to use Windows 8 or whatever the next release is called because of numerous issues with it. With Dell you can specify Windows 7.
Laptop.jpg

[Myk Rian]

Get a laptop. Make sure it has WiFi.
With Windows 8, 4 gig RAM isn't much. 8 gig minimum.

[Charlie Velasquez]

Apple iPad mini 16GB WiFi Tablet for $299 at Walmart




Apple iPad with Retina Display: $40 off, from $460 + pickup at Micro Center




Refurbished Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi in White for $259.96 at All4Cellular

I only use my laptop a couple of times a week. I only use my desktop a couple of times a month

I use my iPad almost constantly.

[Matt Meiser]

I have an iPad 2 and love it, but I wouldn't get one for a kid as their only computer. iPads are great but there's a lot you can't do with them. The Apple apps for office functions aren't bad, but not as full featured as what a teacher is going to expect. Printing requires an AirPrint capable printer. There's no way to transfer files to a flash drive (my daughter has needed to take stuff on a flash drive a few times this year.) And not everything on the web works, or is supported for the iPad. A BT keyboard adds a lot of nice functionality but not everything. And they may find it is less than fully compatible with what they have at school.

Jim, that Inspiron 17 is just a bigger version of the Inspiron 15. Might want to have her check them out in person somewhere. A 17" screen laptop can be big if you lug it around a lot. I have a 17 for work (with a 24" external display on my desk,) but for home I chose a 15.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Paul,

There is always a better deal to be found (pricing, software, hardware, etc) when you surf around, but that takes doing some homework and knowing what to look for. While all of us can give you an opinion on what we think is best based on our personal purchase or technical background, the best suggestion I have for you is to find out what the kids are using in your grandson's school district. It's possible some items are not allowed at his school or there has been a heavy theft problem for desirable items such as ipads. The school may even recommend a range of laptops or computers because they have worked out a student discount with a vendor.

[Roy Harding]

Don't overlook reconditioned or "off lease" computers, such as those available at tiger direct, and other such retailers. I have three computers I purchased as reconditioned units and I couldn't be happier with them. (Two run specific machines in the shop, and the third is a small laptop I use when away from the shop/office). Although they are usually a generation or two behind the current NEW offerings, they are, in my opinion, more than sufficient for a first timer such as an 11 year old.

As far as computers for kids goes - I raised my three in the '80s and '90s, and by the mid-90's they all had their own computer, and our house was networked (this was even BEFORE the Internet). Our three boys all did well in school, and I credit at least part of that to their exposure to useful tools such as personal computers. In my opinion, it's NEVER "too early" to expose kids to all available tools - whether those tools are found in the shop, like planes, saws, and chisels - or in the office, like computers.

Edited to add: I think Mike Chance has made an excellent suggestion - check with your Grandson's school for their recommendation.

[Paul McGaha]

Thank you all for your comments. I emailed this thread to my daughter to help her decide what might be the best course of action.

The last (3) computers our family have bought have been Dell's from Costco. They've done well, but they have very light use at home. Emails and surfing mostly. A little excel and word use. I don't know that Costco had just what she was looking for this time.

I think we'll try to avoid Windows 8 if we can.

There may be a woodworking project in this for me. A small desk for Michael's room.

PHM