Which Netbook/Laptop for 12 year old?

aaroncaz

I am considering one of these two for Xmas, have been told Asus is a good buy?


There's this Acer from Argos:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5086380/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/2|14418968|Laptops+and+netbooks|14419039.htm


Then this Asus from Currys:


http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/asus-1011px-netbook-black-10587605-pdt.html

Hopefully just needed for homework, Fb! but not gaming as he has Xbox.....................I really don't want to spend more than £250. Any advice please.

pogofish

Netbooks tend to be much of a muchness TBH - Many common components between the manufacturers etc.

Of the two, the Acer comes with 2Gb memory, vs the Asus's 1Gb - and this IME is the main thing that affects netbook performance. 1gb will work ok but 2 will be so much better.

aaroncaz

Thanks. Another question, instead of buying office, if I download Openoffice wil that be ok for him to use, save homework to a memory stick and print it out on my laptop? Printer is not wireless, I have Office.

gonzo127

personally i am not much of a fan of a netbook as a primary device (which this will be for the 12yo) even more so whent he primary uses are likely to be typing, due to it being smaller so a long typing session can be more of a strain.

if i was you i might consider something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MSI-CR630-LAPTOP-250GB-15-6-INCH-AMD-TRIPLE-CORE-P820-2GB-RAM-BLACK-REFURB-/330641876187?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item4cfbcaa4db ok so its a refurb but it has a full size screen and keyboard, it also has quite a bit more power than the netbooks, incase he does want to do more than just homework and facebook in future - it would even be able to play some older or less demanding games

EDIT of course the trade of between the netbook and a laptop is battery life and portability, however having 2 teenagers with laptops, they dont tend to make use of either of those abilities beyond sitting on their beds/the sofa with it depending on how sociable they are trying to be

aaroncaz

Thanks for your advice! I think I'm going with the Acer, as it's a laptop but smaller, space in my sons room is limited with all his gadgets! This will do for him sitting on the end of the bed!:rotfl: not planing on taking it out, he won't be anyway:eek:may take it abroad, though the worry of losing it will probally make me leave it at home!

pogofish

aaroncaz wrote: »

Thanks. Another question, instead of buying office, if I download Openoffice wil that be ok for him to use, save homework to a memory stick and print it out on my laptop? Printer is not wireless, I have Office.

Yes, this should be fine - Although Open Office is still a bit resource heavy on a netbook.

This site is IME excellent for free and less demanding applications for netbooks, plus driver/system/utillity software for just about any make/model:

http://www.netbookfiles.com/

I regard it as almost a point of honour that the OS is the only paid for software on my netbook, the rest is entirely free, legit and very substantially compatible with the major-name paid packages I use on my main PCs!


Also, if your laptop is wireless, it is easy to set-up printing from the netbook, via your laptop's wireless connection.

agrinnall

MS Office is currently available for £38 from http://www.software4students.co.uk/, I got mine there by download and it's been fine.

aaroncaz

Thank you all for your advice.

discount_findr

Ive always had acer laptops, and theyve been great value for money, so i'd personally go with an acer, but then again i'm biased.

I probably woouldnt buy from the likes of argos or curry's though, id check out places like Ebuyer as you'll probably get a much better price.