Help my son wants a laptop for christmas, but which is best budget wise?

[tikilyn]

So my tween son came to me with his list of big christmas items he wanted and really the only thing on there was a laptop. He's 10 and half uses my old laptop thats about to fall apart.

I have to stick to a tight budget this year and NOT go over like years past. So I went looking at laptops and there are two I'm trying to decide on. One is a chromebook for 199.00 and the other is a laptop for 329.99. I don't know which one to get.

I know nothing about chromebooks, only that they are like a tablet and need internet to work. My son really doesn't do much on the laptop he using now except facebook, youtube and watch movies. But next year he will be in Jr. High and the school district went to BYOD this year. My daughter uses her old netbook at school for powerpoint and also does research during class. Will a chromeboopk be enough?

Oh and that price 199.00 is awesome and thats what makes it so temping. LOL

 

[Robinrs]

PCMag ranks this one with some of the big name high priced laptops: http://www.costcentral.com/proddeta...ferralID=bcd562e1-3105-11e3-bae4-001b2166c2c0

It's ranked with the top ten, and for $277 not a bad deal: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369981,00.asp

 

[IUTBAM]

I bought this one for my college aged DD last year...it's had no problems whatsoever, and she loves it. It's fast, and has a TON of storage.

http://www.target.com/p/gateway-15-...50gb-hard-drive-4gb-memory-black/-/A-14614999

It's $20 over your set budget, but that's not a sale price. Keep your eye on the Target sale flyer, and Black Friday sales. It's a great computer, especially for the price.

 

[pryncess527]

I think the chrome book will be enough, and I think it is a wonderful laptop for most people. He can use Google Docs and Google spreadsheet for things that others would use Microsoft Word for, and the vast majority of computer uses are Internet-based. I suppose you could ask him if there are any specific programs he is hoping to install or use and that might let you know if the chrome book is too limiting for his needs but I find it's great for many people

 

[Joyful3Heart]

Hi, there,
I would go with the windows laptop for sure. My dd13 is constantly on my laptop because at school they use Microsoft office and often start projects on the school computers. She then brings it home on a flash drive and completes it here.
While the chromebook will serve his needs (and wants) for now, I would spend a little more and go with what he may need for middle school. Check out tiger direct, they often have good deals running on laptops.
Good Luck

 

[twinnersmama]

I got my DDs (10 y/o) an HP laptop with Widows 8 last year at Walmart BF sale for $179. It's been great for them.

 

[alyssa810]

We've had good luck with Asus - we usually pay about $300- we have one in our living room that we use all the time, and one that we use for vacation, that we keep in our downstairs "office" area. We've also bought them at Walmart or best buy.

 

[ArielRae]

Warning about the google chrome books. DH bought one and got it 3 days ago and the screen has cracked on it within these days. Did some research and apparently it is a problem they are having. Since we bought it thru amazon we are contacting the seller thru amazon incase we need to dispute it.

 

[huckleberrykate]

Another vote for Asus here. My daughters go to a virtual home school (online school) and use their laptops for many hours daily for school and play and they have been wonderful. I have a 10 yr old and 13 yr old, so they can be pretty rough on them. We had netbooks for them last year also by Asus and they worked fine but would get bogged down easily and slow down. We bought them at Best Buy for right at $300

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

When I needed an inexpensive laptop to use I was directed to tiger direct. You may want to check it out.

 

[wiigirl]

We've had good luck with Asus - we usually pay about $300- we have one in our living room that we use all the time, and one that we use for vacation, that we keep in our downstairs "office" area. We've also bought them at Walmart or best buy.

 

[Agent7]

I would be careful it it can't support Microsoft Office, if he ever needs to email work to a teacher they will probably want it in word or a compatibility form.

 

[tikilyn]

Thanks everyone for the input! Hopefully there will be some great deals on BF.

 

[pryncess527]

Using Google Docs, you can save a document into a format that is compatible with all Microsoft office products.

 

[Theaberdeenkid]

I have extensive experience with this as an engineer with 16 years in corporate IT.
Firstly asked him what he intends to do with it.
Chrome books are great, especially for the price but it leverages the cloud and if he is going to use it in school it won't be a good choice. If he is going to use it for school (outside of the classroom) it will be fine. He won't be able to load any software on to it, not in the traditional sense.
I'll give two thumbs up to Asus and their systems. But....
If you are on a budget and want a "traditional" laptop then usually Dell will be your best bet. They have a "dent and scratch" site called Dell Outlet, I have gotten quit a few systems through there. All are fully warrantied.
Also look at the Dell small business section, the laptops there are a few bucks cheaper than those in the for the home section. You can wait till it gets closer to Christmas as you can usually find a deal or so. Last year I was able to get my mom a new Dell notebook for $249 plus tax from best buy of all places.
Check out sites like bensbargains.net and techbargains.com daily, they post deals on laptops among other things.
I would stay away from used or refurbished from places like tiger direct and such.
Feel free to PM me.

 

[timmac]

I think Chromebooks are a great option, but in full disclosue, I have a bias because of my employer. I will say, however, that using Google drive/docs, one can still send a Word/Excel/PP version of something via e-mail right from drive. For basic report writing and the like, it's excellent, and the same for any online activities. Now, with that said... I might tend to lean towards getting a Windows laptop, particularly if he will need/want to install software at all. As for where to acquire it, that's largely personal preference, but I will offer some unsolicited advice.

First, avoid Walmart for electronics. Often times, the products they sell are a different SKU from the mainstream version, even with a very similar model#. This is done as a cost-cutting measure to get the price points where they want. Now, it's not cost cutting in the sense that it will break a month after you buy it, but more in features that won't be available. I am remembering back to one Walmart laptop only having a single speaker in it rather than two, as an example. Black Friday models are the same way. Particularly if you're going to have to be fighting stupidly large crowds at ridiculous hours of the morning, there is NO deal that is worth it... often times you are getting a pricepoint that is only marginally better than what you can find (with a little research) anyway, or possibly you're getting a special product that was available only for BF that looks deceptively cheap, but it's due to a lack of features.

Best buy is a reasonable place to buy stuff, though their prices aren't always
the best, and if you go to a store in-person, some locations can be like a pack of wolves trying to upsell you on virus protection, warranties, and the like. If you have a MicroCenter near you, that would absolutely be my choice of where to shop, but I'm not sure that's an option for you. For any brick and mortar, you might consider grabbing a floor model or open box item. Typically they carry the same warranty as a new item, but you may save 10-20% off.

For online, I usually buy stuff from NewEgg, and I avoid TigerDirect like the plague. I realize that most people love it, but after a really bad experience a few years back with them, I opted to take my business elsewhere; I've found their customer service to leave a lot to be desired. I second the poster who suggested Dell Outlet as a good option... I've gotten a ton of stuff from them and been very pleased every time.

In general, nowadays I would expect that even the most basic system will probably meet or exceed the requirements of what he's likely to want to do. The tasks that really beat on a system and demand super high performance include things like gaming, video editing, modelling/rendering, and dealing with huge datasets. None of those are likely to be requirements for the time being.

Good luck, feel free to PM me if you want more specific advice.

 

[tikilyn]

I think Chromebooks are a great option, but in full disclosue, I have a bias because of my employer. I will say, however, that using Google drive/docs, one can still send a Word/Excel/PP version of something via e-mail right from drive. For basic report writing and the like, it's excellent, and the same for any online activities. Now, with that said... I might tend to lean towards getting a Windows laptop, particularly if he will need/want to install software at all. As for where to acquire it, that's largely personal preference, but I will offer some unsolicited advice.

First, avoid Walmart for electronics. Often times, the products they sell are a different SKU from the mainstream version, even with a very similar model#. This is done as a cost-cutting measure to get the price points where they want. Now, it's not cost cutting in the sense that it will break a month after you buy it, but more in features that won't be available. I am remembering back to one Walmart laptop only having a single speaker in it rather than two, as an example. Black Friday models are the same way. Particularly if you're going to have to be fighting stupidly large crowds at ridiculous hours of the morning, there is NO deal that is worth it... often times you are getting a pricepoint that is only marginally better than what you can find (with a little research) anyway, or possibly you're getting a special product that was available only for BF that looks deceptively cheap, but it's due to a lack of features.

Best buy is a reasonable place to buy stuff, though their prices aren't always
the best, and if you go to a store in-person, some locations can be like a pack of wolves trying to upsell you on virus protection, warranties, and the like. If you have a MicroCenter near you, that would absolutely be my choice of where to shop, but I'm not sure that's an option for you. For any brick and mortar, you might consider grabbing a floor model or open box item. Typically they carry the same warranty as a new item, but you may save 10-20% off.

For online, I usually buy stuff from NewEgg, and I avoid TigerDirect like the plague. I realize that most people love it, but after a really bad experience a few years back with them, I opted to take my business elsewhere; I've found their customer service to leave a lot to be desired. I second the poster who suggested Dell Outlet as a good option... I've gotten a ton of stuff from them and been very pleased every time.

In general, nowadays I would expect that even the most basic system will probably meet or exceed the requirements of what he's likely to want to do. The tasks that really beat on a system and demand super high performance include things like gaming, video editing, modelling/rendering, and dealing with huge datasets. None of those are likely to be requirements for the time being.

Good luck, feel free to PM me if you want more specific advice.

Timmac, I found this laptop at bestbuy. The price is good. It has no optical drive but we already own an external one he could use if he needed it. Is it more laptop like than chromebook? I would like to know what you think.

Thanks
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+...ategoryId=pcmcat247400050000&id=1219016114601

 

[johde]

One thing to consider with a new laptop is touch screen or not. Windows 8 is really designed around using a touch screen. I just recently purchased a touch screen laptop from Staples. If you have a rewards card they often offer AN EXTRA $100 off. I ended up paying $300 for mine. I also got a free copy of Microsoft Office University.

 

[LilyWDW]

First, avoid Walmart for electronics. Often times, the products they sell are a different SKU from the mainstream version, even with a very similar model#. This is done as a cost-cutting measure to get the price points where they want. Now, it's not cost cutting in the sense that it will break a month after you buy it, but more in features that won't be available. I am remembering back to one Walmart laptop only having a single speaker in it rather than two, as an example. Black Friday models are the same way. Particularly if you're going to have to be fighting stupidly large crowds at ridiculous hours of the morning, there is NO deal that is worth it... often times you are getting a pricepoint that is only marginally better than what you can find (with a little research) anyway, or possibly you're getting a special product that was available only for BF that looks deceptively cheap, but it's due to a lack of features.

Best buy is a reasonable place to buy stuff, though their prices aren't always
the best, and if you go to a store in-person, some locations can be like a pack of wolves trying to upsell you on virus protection, warranties, and the like. If you have a MicroCenter near you, that would absolutely be my choice of where to shop, but I'm not sure that's an option for you. For any brick and mortar, you might consider grabbing a floor model or open box item. Typically they carry the same warranty as a new item, but you may save 10-20% off.

For online, I usually buy stuff from NewEgg, and I avoid TigerDirect like the plague. I realize that most people love it, but after a really bad experience a few years back with them, I opted to take my business elsewhere; I've found their customer service to leave a lot to be desired. I second the poster who suggested Dell Outlet as a good option... I've gotten a ton of stuff from them and been very pleased every time.

I also will not buy from TigerDirect due to multiple friends having issues with them. Their customer service is horrible. No reason to use them when you have many other options.

I am also a fan of Newegg. All the parts for my last 2 desktops have come from them (I self built). I have had to return things to them and it has been simple and smooth. No problems at all. I would recommend them to anyone I know.

The only way I would buy from Best Buy is if I knew 100% what I was getting. I would also stay FAR away from any optional addons and far away from anything that Geek Squad would be doing. Go in, get what I want, and leave. I just don't trust the employees working there to know what they are doing. I have heard them, multiple times, give bad and flat out incorrect information (hey, sounds like Disney's phone reps). So, do your homework first and then go buy.

Also, I will never buy an HP after dealing with them trying to build a custom system. They wanted to give me a power source that wasn't recommended for the video card I was upgrading to. The power source in the system was too weak for what I was building, but they refused to upgrade it as well. I won't take that chance again. Horrible service for how much I was willing to spend.

As for what laptop to get... the biggest determining factor would be what the laptop will be used for. I am a Windows user because it works well and has a huge market share so you rarely have issues with compatibility. Most people use it. Unless you get into specific job markets or college level degree courses, there is no reason to spend the money on anything Apple. You don't get a better product, but you pay for the "name" of Apple.

 

[Theaberdeenkid]

hey I came across an asus laptop with windows 8at best buy's website for $229

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/14"+Lap...NbM&siteID=isIkAyUyNbM-iSLdmtgRySyrRPmNRJy0Ww