Budget computer for a tween

[RobinFabulous]

My 11 year old really wants a computer for Christmas.


What is the difference between a netbook & a notebook?

I'd like for hers to be able to hold word, so that she can do her own papers, and if it could hold Itunes that would be a plus, as she likes music.


Is it better to pay the extra $$ and get the full laptop or would a netbook be suitable for her needs?

She plays online games, does email, writes stuff for school in word, prints research for her projects, etc

 

[PinkRhombus]

If I'm correct, a Netbook does not have a cd drive.

I'd buy a regular laptop.

If you go to www.dell.com/outlet , they have refurbished and scratch and dents. Good savings, and all the ones I have purchased look brand new.

 

[sherry7]

As mentioned above, netbooks do not have a CD/DVD drive. If she likes to load her own music CD's onto the computer, that presents a bit of a problem. You can buy external drives, but they aren't cheap.

The main difference is the size of the screens and the keyboards. Some of the netbooks are only 7" or 9" screens, which is truly tiny. The keyboards are similarly small, and can be a challenge to type on. The processors are different too. Most netbooks use an Atom processor, which runs slower than the typical Intel, etc processors in regular notebooks. For most applications, that isn't going to matter much, except for perhaps the gaming.

I bought my DS a netbook for high school graduation this year, thinking he would like it better than a regular notebook since it's easier to carry around. A couple of months after I gave it to him, he told me he would have rather had a regular notebook. His netbook is actually a high end one (i.e. expensive) with a 10.1" screen, and he still thinks it is too small for his needs.

If you keep your eyes open, you should be able to pick up a decent notebook for between $300 - $400 during the holiday season. If you're tempted to buy an extended warranty, buy it through SquareTrade.com, as they're much more reasonably priced.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Check woot.com every day for their deal. They often have laptops at reasonable prices (often refurb, but they usually offer the Square Trade warranties).

 

[summersalt]

We are debating the same issue for our 13 yr old daughter. She wants a computer also. The price of a netbook is about the same as a "cheap" laptop. This being the case, I'm leaning more towards the laptop. She'll probably need a new one for college in 4 years anyways. A cheap laptop will offer more than a netbook.

 

[gacompguy]

Taking into consideration that she will need to do school papers and will want iTunes, I think she'll be much happier with a regular laptop. My wife has a Dell Mini 10 that she loves, but I have a hard time using it because it is so small. I prefer to stick to my MackBook.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I'd advise against buying a netbook and just spring for a regular laptop. Tweens are most likely going to run lots of applications at the same time and a netbook just isn't as fast and the screens are smaller. Another thing to keep in mind--get the largest amount of RAM your budget allows. 2GB is fine but if you can go up to 3GB or even 4GB that's better.

 

[momof1princess]

i have to agree with the PP. i just bought a desktop a few months ago and i use it for work-my colleagues highly recommended i get 4GB of RAM if there was any way i could afford it, and i'm glad i took their advice! i would also suggest a regular laptop instead of a netbook, since your DD loves music and may want to burn CDs. just keep checking around, there should be some great deals in the next few weeks.