Please help me find and save $ on a laptop!

[TinkOhio]

I just found out that I have a pleasant problem to solve. After 4 crazy years of studying, I finally graduate with honors with a degree as an intervention specialist. It's been a really rough road. Besides being a full-time mother, (and wife,) I have helped take care of my elderly neighbor. I also helped hospice and bury her wonderful husband last year. After helping her out today, she told me that she insists on buying me a laptop as a graduation gift. I was stunned! I told her that it was too much, and she absolutely refused to give up and said that it was the least that she could do. She insists that I go laptop shopping with her and let pay for whatever I choose.

Here is my dilemma. My neighbor has PLENTY of money. A laptop wasn't a priority for me as we have one other in college and another fast approaching that stage. I could use one. Three of us share our old desktop, and often times, one of us winds up staying up late for their turn to finish up work on it. DH says that I should take her up on the offer. I think that I will, but I have no idea what to buy or how much to spend. Naturally, whatever I choose must be obtained at a discount. (Let's keep things budget-oriented on this board, right?)

Please help me decide what a "special needs" teacher needs in a laptop and find a good deal. I'll be spending LOTS of time drawing up documents, and I would love the ease and portability of a laptop. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[tinkabella627]

I just found out that I have a pleasant problem to solve. After 4 crazy years of studying, I finally graduate with honors with a degree as an intervention specialist. It's been a really rough road. Besides being a full-time mother, (and wife,) I have helped take care of my elderly neighbor. I also helped hospice and bury her wonderful husband last year. After helping her out today, she told me that she insists on buying me a laptop as a graduation gift. I was stunned! I told her that it was too much, and she absolutely refused to give up and said that it was the least that she could do. She insists that I go laptop shopping with her and let pay for whatever I choose.

Here is my dilemma. My neighbor has PLENTY of money. A laptop wasn't a priority for me as we have one other in college and another fast approaching that stage. I could use one. Three of us share our old desktop, and often times, one of us winds up staying up late for their turn to finish up work on it. DH says that I should take her up on the offer. I think that I will, but I have no idea what to buy or how much to spend. Naturally, whatever I choose must be obtained at a discount. (Let's keep things budget-oriented on this board, right?)

Please help me decide what a "special needs" teacher needs in a laptop and find a good deal. I'll be spending LOTS of time drawing up documets, and would love the ease and portability of a laptop. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

1st congrats on graduating with honors and 2nd I commend you on being a special needs teacher. I teach gen ed 3rd grade and that alone is tough lol. I give special needs teachers a lot of credit.

For a laptop, I would just go in and look around and what you enjoy working on. Any standard laptop will help you draw up your documents (I imagine you are meaning IEPs etc?) but it is what you feel comfortable using. I have a macbook because it is what our school has in the classrooms and I felt it was better for me to have the same system at home as at work. But that is not necessary. Last year I did not have the macbook and did just fine. Look for one that will have a decent amount of space on it.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Please help me decide what a "special needs" teacher needs in a laptop and find a good deal. I'll be spending LOTS of time drawing up documets, and would love the ease and portability of a laptop. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Congrats on the graduation!

My DD's teachers, including her special ed teacher, all use MacBooks. You could get a regular PC laptop and that would be fine. Great deals on MacBooks you can find refurbished at Apple's website, and Amazon.com has great prices on PC laptops. Regardless of whatever you choose, just make sure you get the most amount of RAM possible.

 

[TinkOhio]

Thanks for the suggestions. By documents, I do mean IEP's, lots of different types of assessment forms, etc. Some of the districts that I have studied in assign laptops to teachers. All have had subscriptions to IEP writing software services. I don't have my job yet, but having my own personal laptop would really help with the crowded home computer situation.

Please keep the suggestions coming. I would love any input!

 

[phred52]

Just bought DD one as a graduation gift. She discovered dell had good discounts for college students. try googling 'dell student discount'
She compared purchasing identical laptops through the student discount page and using any other discounts she found on the internet, still saved $250 going through the student site.