Cheap laptops

[Missy D]

Gone are the days when the latest Fisher Price toy was a great birthday gift for your child. My daughter is 14 next wed and wants a laptop. Being single mum my budget is somewhat restricted (unless anyone wants to contribute) Or maybe I could sell the cat!! I need a laptop with Wifi, dvd player writer and either XP or Vista. Where shall I start looking?

[Lee Bartholomew]

Gone are the days when the latest Fisher Price toy was a great birthday gift for your child. My daughter is 14 next wed and wants a laptop. Being single mum my budget is somewhat restricted (unless anyone wants to contribute) Or maybe I could sell the cat!! I need a laptop with Wifi, dvd player writer and either XP or Vista. Where shall I start looking?

Ebuyer - Cheap Computers, Laptops, Digital Cameras, TVs & more! is a fairly good bet. Lenovo make good fairly cheap laptops (used to be IBM)

Laptops norm start around the £300 mark. Toshiba Satellite L30-11D Celeron M 440 1.86GHz 512MB 60GB 15.4" Widescreen XGA DVD-SM 11BG Vista Home Basic might be of interest.

I wouldn't touch Dell or PC world unless they have a really good deal on, and would get some advise from the forum before buying.

[Dreadful Scathe]

a laptop at 14 ? she's having a laugh - thats a 21st birthday present that. Give her 14 quid and a slap round the head....in my day I wouldnt have been so cheeky

[Wes]

a laptop at 14 ? she's having a laugh - thats a 21st birthday present that. Give her 14 quid and a slap round the head....in my day I wouldnt have been so cheeky

Excellent response.

[Andy McGregor]

As the owner/operator of my own 15 year old I think a laptop is a bit much for them. The problem is that they can use it anywhere and that means their room until silly o'clock. This means that their studies are affected because they spend too much time on youtube and myspace - whatever they are

My advise is to get a desktop computer and put is somewhere you can control her time on it. And they are much cheaper too.

[Missy D]

As the owner/operator of my own 15 year old I think a laptop is a bit much for them. The problem is that they can use it anywhere and that means their room until silly o'clock. This means that their studies are affected because they spend too much time on youtube and myspace - whatever they are

My advise is to get a desktop computer and put is somewhere you can control her time on it. And they are much cheaper too.

Ah but the router is in my room!! I am incontrol!

She is the only one in her class that has not got her own laptop! seems like hand written projects are no longer accepted in the modern world. the school had a good deal on last year where all laptops could be purchased without vat. Unfortunately, I didnt have the funds at the time.

I do wish I could put MSN and My Space on timer

Thank you for all your reponses.

[Lee Bartholomew]

Ah but the router is in my room!! I am incontrol!

She is the only one in her class that has not got her own laptop! seems like hand written projects are no longer accepted in the modern world. the school had a good deal on last year where all laptops could be purchased without vat. Unfortunately, I didnt have the funds at the time.

I do wish I could put MSN and My Space on timer

Thank you for all your reponses.

Im sure there are programs out there that can do it. Do you have a firewall installed on the router? If so just disable them on there.

There are normally setting for it to be allowed during certain hours of the day.

[Dreadful Scathe]

Ah but the router is in my room!! I am incontrol!

She is the only one in her class that has not got her own laptop! seems like hand written projects are no longer accepted in the modern world. the school had a good deal on last year where all laptops could be purchased without vat. Unfortunately, I didnt have the funds at the time.

I do wish I could put MSN and My Space on timer

Thank you for all your reponses.

lock down the computer and dont let her use msn - she can use meebo.com instead as you have more control over the web browser.

they don't accept hand written homework ? how on earth are kids meant to learn to write well then ?

[StokeBloke]

Morgan Computers - Brilliant place to get kit from. Been using them for years with no problems.

[Lee Bartholomew]

lock down the computer and dont let her use msn - she can use meebo.com instead as you have more control over the web browser.

they don't accept hand written homework ? how on earth are kids meant to learn to write well then ?

My handwriting is awful, but then again I have always done homeworks and a majority of school work in my High school years on pc. Nowdays norm have an ipaq in my pocket for writing notes on. !!

[Magic Hans]

And steer clear of vista for at least 12 months or better 2 years.

Unless you really have a compelling specific purpose!!

[Dreadful Scathe]

And steer clear of vista for at least 12 months or better 2 years.

Unless you really have a compelling specific purpose!!

there isnt one

[Beowulf]

Nowdays norm have an ipaq in my pocket for writing notes on. !!

Me too.. My "Pocket Brain" as I call it. Lose it.. and I can't think for myself. it's a symbiotic relationship.. although some may say parasitic

If it's not written in my IPAQ or on one of it's databases/calendars etc I can't remember it.

My bio-brain has atrophied

[Gadget]

Me too.. My "Pocket Brain" as I call it. Lose it.. and I can't think for myself. it's a symbiotic relationship.. although some may say parasitic

Hmm... which is the parasite/simbiont?

[Beowulf]

Hmm... which is the parasite/symbiont?

Let me see... I feed it electricity.. and data.. and give it means to get around.

but then,

it gives me data, and memory and schedules to follow. Reminds me when to send birthday cards..

Without me it can happily live (for a while)... without it I'm lost and can't do anything.

Yup. I'm the parasite

(it's even got a bigger memory of dance moves than I do..)

[TheTramp]

She is the only one in her class that has not got her own laptop! seems like hand written projects are no longer accepted in the modern world.

Ummm. And what's wrong with writing projects on a PC? In fact, unless you've moved it, isn't that even in her room anyhow?

And who told you that she is the only one in her class without her own laptop?? Was it her by any chance? I just asked a couple of friends - one with a 16 and a 14 year old, and one who teaches that age range, and they both said that everyone in her class having a laptop seems pretty unlikely! Well, actually, the parent just laughed!

[Beowulf]

Hmmm
"Aww but Daaaad. EVERYONE in my class gets to school with a Harrier Jump jet"

I have to say getting a laptop for a school kid? it is a little off.. especially for a birthday. An 18th or a 21st perhaps... ... but even then it's pushing things.

You'll get more bang for your buck with a Desktop, it's more upgradale (therefore will last her longer) and it's more "controlable" too.

I mean I know.. I often go to bed early.. then surf the net until the wee small hours with the laptop!

Handy if you're travelling.. but not a school kid going back and forth to school.

[Twirly]

Let me see... I feed it electricity.. and data.. and give it means to get around.

but then,

it gives me data, and memory and schedules to follow. Reminds me when to send birthday cards..

Without me it can happily live (for a while)... without it I'm lost and can't do anything.

Yes - it eats electricity, but then complains of starvation when you actually need it (she says, remembering Beo in Brussels, insisting that "if only" his IPAQ was working, he'd be able to find out where we were... meanwhile I'd walked up to the nearest bus stop and worked out how to get back to the hotel )

Anyway, you've got me now. I seem to be organising your life fairly efficiently

[frodo]

Ummm. And what's wrong with writing projects on a PC? In fact, unless you've moved it, isn't that even in her room anyhow?

Well someone responsible could go somewhere quiet to work / work in different locations etc.


A laptop used only for word processing so work can be handed in typed, doesn't need to be powerful at all.

Something 6-8 years old with Windows 2000 might be a about right.

So it wouldn't need Wifi / a DVD writer / XP or Vista etc. Just needs to support USB memory sticks for transferring work.


I suspect many of the laptops children do have are the parents hand me downs in any case, rather than brand new.

[Missy D]

Ummm. And what's wrong with writing projects on a PC? In fact, unless you've moved it, isn't that even in her room anyhow?

And who told you that she is the only one in her class without her own laptop?? Was it her by any chance? I just asked a couple of friends - one with a 16 and a 14 year old, and one who teaches that age range, and they both said that everyone in her class having a laptop seems pretty unlikely! Well, actually, the parent just laughed!

My pc is riddled with trojans etc. We have swapped bedrooms! I now have the big one as I like to entertain

The teacher asked us to get laptops and even offered us them last year Vat free too! Apart from the none english speaking kids Amy is one of 5 who hasnt got one. They even take them into school!

I want her to have a laptop that way she can take it to show her dad project who is still in hospital 3 years on. Also I can clean up my pc and spend more time on the forum, Myspace etc.