Laptop or Ipad?

yellowrock

Not sure which to buy for my son,any suggestions. Looking to spend about the £400 mark and we have wi-fi at home. Son surfs the net, facebook and will do homework on it, use itunes etc
Oh and the occasional game if on a laptop eg Dawn of War 2

Thanks
YR

Quenastoise

Laptop, or even notebook (I have an HP notebook that cost £ 300 and connects to the wi-fi). The Ipad, as far as I am concerned, is still looking for a market and still fits best in the workplace (for presentations for instance).

You might also like to consider tablets

Mastercrank

I am sure that he would love an ipad as many would as they are definently a great statement in design However... they are not nearly as practicle as a laptop.

As you say he would use it for homework and the like the ipad would be difficult as he would need to get an additional keyboard to type up large reports as the touch keyboard on the screen is not great for long periods of typing etc. And the other uses you describe a laptop would be much better. If you got an Ipad i think in the short/long term he would be looking to get a laptop as well to do what he wants/needs to do.

Also note the Ipad does not use Flash and so he could have difficulties accessing the websites he may want to.

Additionally the thing with apple devices is that everything is an extra and those usually cost a lot.......

cooldaz

If he likes games tehn it has to be a laptop as that will have a DVD drive but for £400 not sure if it will be upto that much for gameplaying. Medion are usually quite good at around the £500 mark

uptomyeyeballs

For the user profile you have detailed, he needs a laptop. I'm typing this on an iPad, but for 'serious' work it's not suitable.

amcluesent

Yep, laptop if you're creating/editing/writing, iPad for consuming/browsing.

*Kat*

God, laptop. the ipad is just a bigger version of the iphone, ick.

red0209

I've got the same dilemma as the original poster, although my requirements are a little different. I was wondering if any iPad users could offer me some advice.

My laptop is close to being on its last legs as it's a good few years old. I use my laptop pretty much exclusively for using the internet when I'm away from home, and perhaps opening and editing the odd document. I don't need it for games or other resource intensive software, storing large files or doing large amounts of typing. I can also live without being able to install Flash Player. I have an iPhone 4 already, but having a much bigger screen for internet browsing is quite appealing, especially as the iPad seems easier in a lot of ways than laptops.

So do I get a laptop/netbook or iPad when my laptop bites the dust? :think: I use a pay as you go mobile broadband USB dongle, but as far as I gather the iPad doesn't have a USB port? I assume my mobile broadband provider would give me an iPad microsim though as their tariffs for mobile broadband and iPad data seem pretty much the same?

Any pointers would be much appreciated. :money:

closed

If last legs means slow, read this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2436849

red0209

Thanks for that. I'm aware of pretty much all of those steps already, and carry out a good few of them occasionally. The laptop is just old and outdated and pretty much ready to be replaced.

closed

If you are saying that because it's slow, spend an hour following those all of those steps if you want it cured.

What's the spec, model, operating system, installed ram, commit charge?