Selecting a Computer for Homeschool Use

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

I plan to teach DS8 to type beginning in the fall. He is getting into longer writing assignments, enjoys coding, & by middle school will likely be ready for some online coursework.

I want something with a true keyboard that can support his learning programming languages, is compatible with LaTex, & provides MS Office Suite or similar. It doesn’t need to be portable; we have space in our dedicated classroom for a desktop if that’s the best option & I’d like to keep an eye on him as he works anyhow. 

What would you recommend? 

[Jackie]

When we were shopping for DD, we went with finding a PC with at least 8GB RAM. We did prefer a laptop, so I was particularly looking for a solid state drive. From there, we simply went with the least expensive option that fit.

Despite being a laptop, we treat it like a desktop most the time. It used to be hooked up to a separate monitor and keyboard, though at some point we stopped that and only have a separate mouse for it now. However, I’ve been surprised how often it was useful to have portability. She’s taken it with her on road trips when she would have online classes. She took it to the enrichment center a couple weeks ago because one of her classes was cancelled and she wanted to use the time to work on a project. It gets taken to the dining room table on occasion because it’s an easier space for people to gather around to work on collaborative projects. Basically, not all of schooling looks the same as it did when we first made the purchase, and I’m glad we have the flexibility of a laptop.

[ieta_cassiopeia]

Pretty much any PC or Mac from the last four years should be capable of this, provided you add a quality keyboard to it. (Desktops generally come with the keyboard; you will need to purchase this for a laptop). If buying the laptop, I'd recommend a cheap switched keyboard, as this is likely to last a long time even if it turns out that the computer is used to type on a lot. A cheap separate mouse is optional, but recommended from the outset. For a desktop, try whatever keyboard comes with it and purchase a better one if necessary.

 

I would recommend installing Libre Office or MS Office, depending on your budget and what (if anything) you already have. Either will work well for what you want. You don't need an expensive computer for these uses.

[2_girls_mommy]

We all have a different laptop, whatever was a Black Friday sale the year we needed them.  All do the jobs they need to do.  We aren't picky, and we have had no troubles with any of them.  

[4atHome]

I use a laptop.  I shopped around for one with a DVD drive

[kristin0713]

We got our kids Lenovo hybrid tablet/laptops a few years ago.  They have held up strong for 3 years.  DD is still using hers, but DS needed to upgrade this year because he does a lot of 3D modeling and printing and video editing which requires a faster processor, etc.  For a basic computer for school, internet research, email, online classes and videos, these have been perfect.