skimomma Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Dd is starting to do writing work that really requires typing. She is part way through WWS1 and the editing is very tedious when using a pencil. Dh and I have laptops but they are expensive and I don't really want a 9yo toting mine around. We have a "house" computer which is essentially a desktop. Dd currently uses this for email. But we often (usually) do schoolwork elsewhere so we have not used it for schoolwork word processing. Dh and I are both Apple junkies and I am not sure dh would even be willing to look at other options....but the Apple laptops and iPads are out of our price range right now. Is there anything out there that is inexpensive, light, stable, and durable that would be good for someone who only needs word processing, email, and simple web applications? Or maybe just word processing with no web access at all.....since I prefer any email or web work be done in a common room where we can see what is going on. Does such a thing exist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Dh recently got a Samsung Google Chromebook and uses it more than his Toshiba laptop. According to his research, the Samsung is the only one worth buying. He uses it mostly for email, FB, and writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Can you do an older iPad with a keyboard? My iPad one will run pages and then I can use a bluetooth keyboard and type away. The perk is you can use it for ebooks and such too. You could pick up an 1 or 2 and it should work fine for her. Otherwise, there are the google Chromebooks - but that requires internet without much chance of putting filters on it. but the price is right for a new machine..... There are netbooks sorta still out there - I would go poke around at your price point and see what there is. If you are willing to hack - you can apparently hack OSX onto a "cheap" HP laptop - google will be your friend there. The thought of buying a non-Apple laptop makes me cringe too!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Can you do an older iPad with a keyboard? My iPad one will run pages and then I can use a bluetooth keyboard and type away. The perk is you can use it for ebooks and such too. You could pick up an 1 or 2 and it should work fine for her. Otherwise, there are the google Chromebooks - but that requires internet without much chance of putting filters on it. but the price is right for a new machine..... There are netbooks sorta still out there - I would go poke around at your price point and see what there is. If you are willing to hack - you can apparently hack OSX onto a "cheap" HP laptop - google will be your friend there. The thought of buying a non-Apple laptop makes me cringe too!! :D We use OpenDNS, which filters right at the router, so everything through our wifi (fires, iPod touches, computers) is filtered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 iPad mini is a good size and more affordable than a iPad. However for a 5th grader, I would go for an entry level notebook/laptop which goes for around $250~$350 here. The reason being some educational websites use flash and flash does not work on iPad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 We use OpenDNS, which filters right at the router, so everything through our wifi (fires, iPod touches, computers) is filtered. I run that too - but i was thinking more along the lines of blocking certain websites at the machine level.... because, my DD would be on Animal Jam 24/7 if she had something to carry around that it worked on. But on our Mac desktop she is limited by the hours it is available in the "play" account! :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I'm thinking of passing this 7 year old MacBook to my dd and get me a new one! If new isn't in the budget, I would look into the used market for older MacBooks. I think this one would be a good computer for a kid (though shopping used I would look for one a little newer than 7 years old). I do know this one is on its second battery and I would guess that a used one would likely need a new battery. But I do like Apple computers and would value the "ease of use" factor of keeping it an Apple-only household. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 For a 5th grader, I would search among friends to find someone who has a used laptop. You might be surprised at how many folks have laptops laying around the house that just need a bit of tweaking and a new charger and battery. Sometimes you can find a laptop that just needs a keyboard replaced. That's how we got two around here.... A 5th grader probably isn't going to need something really high powered, so an older laptop might do the trick. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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