Does your senior highschooler or college student have a computer?

[kroe1]

Check with college. Most have a recommendation. DD17 was told to get the Surface Pro with the pen. It is working well so far.

[catz]

My junior dual enrollment kid has a pc laptop. I would not spend the money for an apple unless she needed it for a specific reason. Like graphic design or music software or something along those lines. Some industries lean towards Macs.

[KarenNC]

My daughter has a laptop (PC, I think it's a low end HP) that she uses for schoolwork, and has for several years. I think we got it for her in middle school when she started doing more outside classes and needed it to do online classes (I wasn't willing to share mine any longer :) ). She hasn't carried with her to campus in the last year and a half in DE because it would be too heavy and bulky. She takes an actual paper notebook and pen for any notes she needs, but her professors have copies of things like their powerpoints online in Blackboard. If the class requires computer work in class it's done in the computer lab and she can upload anything she does at school to her account in Blackboard that she can then access from her laptop at home. She has taken her laptop with her for study sessions at Panera or such. She does have a smartphone that she can use to access the web if necessary at school outside of the computer lab. 

[Murphy101]

We have a laptop that my dual enrolled at CC kids share. My kids that have graduated high school and are taking college classes each have their own. They aren’t the newest and greatest, but what they could afford to buy with their own money that gets the school work done.

[DawnM]

I'm interested in knowing for your senior level high schoolers who are in cc dual enrollment or your college/university student, do they have a laptop to take to class with them?

 

Do they have a "computer/box", laptop/pc or what? 

 

My daughter's friend came over the other day and they worked on school together.  The friend had an Apple that was a tablet or something.  It's the model that came out a few years ago where it was kinda like a pc but no disc drive and you can twist the monitor around and it becomes a tablet - or something like that.

 

My daughter wants an apple laptop for classes.  I think they're expensive.

 

I'd like to know what y'all have.   Thanks. 

 

Does apple make something like that?  I didn't think they did.  

 

Yes, my cole kid has a laptop.

[wapiti]

Does apple make something like that?  I didn't think they did.

 

I don't think so either.  My guess is that it was just an iPad with keyboard case.

[Ali in OR]

A laptop was on our mental list of things dd will need before going off to college next year. We got her one for her birthday in July. Dh thought we could wait until next summer but since it's always MY computer that she uses, I lobbied hard (and won) for a computer this year. And I lobbied hard for an Apple since that's all she's ever used.

[elegantlion]

We're a tech family. Ds has had his own computer since he was a young teen, then it was a hand me down from his dad. In high school, he opted to build his own desktop. He has since built a second and has two laptops for school. One is an older Lenovo, which he runs Linux off of, the other is an off the shelf Toshiba, which he doesn't like so much. 

 

I have a small laptop for school, it's a cheaper newer Lenovo with touch screen and the screen folds back to make a tablet. I think it's 13", so more appropriate to carry around school. I also have a desktop which gets the most workout. I rarely take my computer to school as I prefer to take notes by hand, ds takes his everyday. 

 

If I were buying one computer for school, I would do something above an entry level laptop. I think the 13" inches are fine, but they need better components than the cheapest model to not be frustrating. 

I agree with checking how many computer are available on campus. We have an insane amount of computer labs on campus. Most are open until 9, the library is open to 11 and later during finals week. 

 

Office is free for students with an edu address. 

[sheryl]

OK, thanks! I'm just now following up and reading the replies from the initial post.   I'm definitely not techy/computer savvy.  I do know this -

 

We do have computers:  The desktop is mostly for dh but dd and I can use it.  I don't store anything on it.  DD inherited my Dad's desktop.  It runs VERY sloooooow.  Then we have laptops: this one that I'm typing on which is mostly mine, dd inherited one from her cousin and we have another 1-2 that are not in use.  The desktops and laptops are windows.  We have a small screen Kindle fire.  The only Apple we have is dd's smartphone. 

 

From my limited exposure to and knowledge of Apple, I understand they are good quality.  That's a given, I guess, with Apple.  They make a top product.  But, they are more expensive.  Dh and I have android phones b/c I like the interface better (so I was told that was the bottom line with me).  DD has an Apple and prefers the interface.  But, I don't know if we'll end up getting an Apple.  They have a corner market b/c they marketing their brand/products.  I heard someone say once that viruses are more a problem with windows.  Rarely is there a virus issue with Apple. 

 

So, dd does use a computer and has done so (not on a regular basis) for 4 years or so.  We just need to consider what would be next for her.

 

How heavy is too heavy for a laptop in a backpack? 

[wapiti]

My opinion:  I think anything much over roughly 3 lbs is too heavy considering today's technology, but it depends on the student size/strength/what else is in the backpack, on the tech needs, on whether there's an old, heavy laptop that could tide the student over for a little while if needed, etc.  The lighter, the better, though at the moment, too light may mean short battery life, insufficient durability, difficulty switching out broken parts (as I found with the really light Samsung notebook 9 - never again!).  I think 4 lbs is too heavy.

[mom@shiloh]

My dh is a college professor, and, according to him, there are many students who don't own their own computer.  Of course, they do need access to computers, but they can use the computers at school.  It seems the pendulum is also swinging a bit toward professors NOT allowing students to have computers in class.

 

That being said, our kids usually buy themselves a laptop by their senior year of high school.  Our tech savvy kid probably owned 4 or 5 by that time.  

[skimomma]

Someone mentioned it above, but do check with the school and even the department of a student's major if you can.  I prefer Macs myself BUT my university engineering students really are better served by Windows machines.  One of the classes I teach involve several software packages and some solid modeling programs do not run as well on Macs.  Or may not run on Macs at all.  About half of my freshman last year had Macs and they were forced to use the computer labs for the solid modeling components of class.  Some didn't even know where their labs were!  They looked at me like I had two heads when I suggested they use the lab.  

 

I know the inverse can be true (where Macs are better) for software used in other majors like music or graphic design.

Edited October 13, 2017 by skimomma

[skimomma]

My dh is a college professor, and, according to him, there are many students who don't own their own computer.  

 

This has not been my experience.  I had 125 students between three classes last semester and I always have my students take a survey at the beginning of the semester.  The survey covers many subjects but one is computing.  I typically have to have every student on a machine during my classes and my classroom only has enough machines for half of the students, so I need to know if I have a shortfall.  Only 11 did not have a computer.  And of those, 6 had an iPad or tablet of some sort.  

 

That said, I do think it is very possible to get by without one as there are almost always open computers in the labs at my school.    I think in many cases, using the labs is easier than maintaining a computer when dealing with complicated software. 

[Bambam]

Two dds - College girl has a Chromebook (laptop)- got it in high school 4 years ago. Screen just went out last week, so she had to buy a new laptop. She was interested in another Chromebook but decided to purchase the same refurbished laptop model that her sister got about a month ago. $150.  It took her about a week to decide what to purchase - but she finally just made the decision because it was a hassle to keep walking from her dorm apartment to the library or somewhere else where there was a computer. It is so much nicer to sit in your room and do your work. A lot of their assigned work is online - online quizzes, syllabus and assignments are online through Canvas,  etc. 

 

Junior in high school - just got a laptop for dual credit classes - refurb laptop from NewEgg. CD drive didn't work at first, NewEgg immediately sent a replacement drive, and we installed it. 

 

Neither girl is a gamer, but if they were, they probably wouldn't be happy with either laptop.

 

We've never went with Apple products. They are very expensive, and I've never liked Apple since the beginning. 

[Lizzie in Ma]

We're a computer house. Everyone has their own (except the toddler). My husband is a programmer. Everyone likes to game. My kids have hand me downs. We buy a new computer for the adults, and hand the old one down to the teenager. This way the upgrades benefit more than one person. My husband is next for the upgrades which will also benefit Oldest. I just recently got a computer and handed mine down to Middle (who had been dealing with the worst computer in the house for a couple years). Middle also has a chromebook from school.

 

We are too.  Both girls have laptops and have since about 6th grade.  Before that we shared a desktop.  Youngest has an Ipad through her high school as well.  I am a desktop gal and have a kick*ss gaming PC my youngest helped me build. ;)

 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Lizzie in Ma

[Lanny]

re: the bolded, yes. Apparently, according to my dh who looked into it, where the charger plugs into the laptop, it's actually part of the motherboard and so to replace/repair it = replace the whole motherboard. 

 

The computer is able to run while plugged in, but the battery cannot/will not charge as it doesn't recognize the plug/charger. I don't entirely understand how that is possible, for it to read it enough to power the computer, but not enough to charge the battery, but that's what's going on. 

 

As DH wants to upgrade the laptop for that son anyway (to better be able to handle games as well as school stuff) and as the cost of the motherboard is not that far off from the cost of the computer....he's just replacing the computer. 

 

But thank you, the advice may help someone else. 

 

OK that's a PITA. The battery is good or dead?  Depending on the model, you might be able to find a Used Motherboard that works perfectly for approximately 20 dollars, but replacing it would be a PITA, especially if it is a Consumer grade machine and not an Enterprise grade machine.  If it was an external component, that would be a lot easier to replace than the System Board.

 

We bought 3 Refurbished Dell Latitude E6400 laptops from Blair Technology Group in KY. They are a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher and come with a new, fresh, legal copy of Microsoft Windows.  We also have 3 newer Dell Enterprise grade machines that I won in eBay auctions from a Seller in PA (used/incomplete). I'm using one of those (a Dell Latitude E6410 and my Backup Laptop is one of the Dell Latitude E6400 machines.

 

You don't need to spend a lot of money. One advantage of these Dell Enterprise grade machines is that they have Non Glare Screens.  Check out the Glare on a Consumer Grade machine, if you walk into a brick and mortar store and then look at a Screen that has no glare. Much easier on the eyes.  Enterprise grade machines are designed and built to be easier to service, if replacing a component is necessary. At least 4 of our machines have an nVidia card, which improves the Graphics. These machines are designed for Enterprise customers (government and corporate) so are optimized for them, but you can do quite  a bit of gaming on them, although they are not optimized for gaming.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Both of my college kids have computers.  DD has a brand new mac (supplied by her scholarship), DS has a cheaper windows laptop.  

 

 

[Sandwalker]

DS18 has a MacBook Pro and DS21 has a Lenova laptop.

Ypu can get a refurb older Lenova for a few hundred dollars. They are fabulous machines, and can be upgraded and repaired easily because the components can be removed and replaced easily. They are thicker and not as fancy looking as the Macs that are 10x the price, but they last forever and run fast. And many have solid state components, so you can drop, smash, etc without damage.

 

Oh, forgot to mention that ds wipes the computers and installs linux (depending on the person which distro). It is easier to use than either mac or windows, and without the bloatware, runs so fast on any computer. My son is a coder, uses a linux machine, down to my 87 year old aunt that ds got online by giving her an old XP laptop after wiping it and installing an easy linux distro. She loves it and is on facebook now :D

Edited October 14, 2017 by Sandwalker

[Sandwalker]

OK, thanks! I'm just now following up and reading the replies from the initial post. I'm definitely not techy/computer savvy. I do know this -

 

We do have computers: The desktop is mostly for dh but dd and I can use it. I don't store anything on it. DD inherited my Dad's desktop. It runs VERY sloooooow. Then we have laptops: this one that I'm typing on which is mostly mine, dd inherited one from her cousin and we have another 1-2 that are not in use. The desktops and laptops are windows. We have a small screen Kindle fire. The only Apple we have is dd's smartphone.

 

From my limited exposure to and knowledge of Apple, I understand they are good quality. That's a given, I guess, with Apple. They make a top product. But, they are more expensive. Dh and I have android phones b/c I like the interface better (so I was told that was the bottom line with me). DD has an Apple and prefers the interface. But, I don't know if we'll end up getting an Apple. They have a corner market b/c they marketing their brand/products. I heard someone say once that viruses are more a problem with windows. Rarely is there a virus issue with Apple.

 

So, dd does use a computer and has done so (not on a regular basis) for 4 years or so. We just need to consider what would be next for her.

 

How heavy is too heavy for a laptop in a backpack?

Depends how big dd is and what else is in the backpack.

[amy g.]

Both of my kids in college have MacBook pros.

[hornblower]

 

 

How heavy is too heavy for a laptop in a backpack? 

 

I think it depends partly on the commute, and the school layout and how far the person has to actually carry the backpack. 

 

I know my dd's old laptop is 2150 g and that one she only took to class if she absolutely had to. I'm using that machine now & I actually did occasionally take it to class but only when I was driving. I wouldn't take it on the days that I'm using transit/walking. 

 

Dd's Microsoft Surface (that's the one I posted the review video for) is 1150 g. She takes that pretty much all the time. 

 

I suspect 1500 g might be a good limit. Btw, one of the best uses for a portable computer is if you buy the digital texts (either standalone or in addition to the paper text) then you don't have to lug around the big textbook. Dds nursing texts are insanely heavy. 

[Lanny]

I think it depends partly on the commute, and the school layout and how far the person has to actually carry the backpack. 

 

I know my dd's old laptop is 2150 g and that one she only took to class if she absolutely had to. I'm using that machine now & I actually did occasionally take it to class but only when I was driving. I wouldn't take it on the days that I'm using transit/walking. 

 

Dd's Microsoft Surface (that's the one I posted the review video for) is 1150 g. She takes that pretty much all the time. 

 

I suspect 1500 g might be a good limit. Btw, one of the best uses for a portable computer is if you buy the digital texts (either standalone or in addition to the paper text) then you don't have to lug around the big textbook. Dds nursing texts are insanely heavy. 

 

DD has been using her first etextbook for 2 or 3 months now.. It is for her Algebra 2 course. We paid USD$16 to rent it for one year?  There's a lot to be said to holding a traditional book in your hands when you read it, and being able to refer back to it, but the English textbook DD received a few weeks ago weighs about 7 pounds...  I would not want to be hauling a few of those around in a backpack, for more than a very few minutes.  

[sheryl]

Thanks for all of your input!   There really are so many factors.  I'm just now back on reading these new replies.  And, even though my dh is tech/computer savvy, I'm going to have him read this thread.  There's just so much good information from many that it would be easy to learn new info.  

I think we need to eyeball black Friday or cyber Monday.   Does anyone know which one is the better option?