Help in choosing laptop for 11year old.

NiftyDigits

Cisco001 wrote: »

As I said, it is a 'PERSONAL' thing!
I just can't stand for slow PC, and That is.

A laptop should last for at least 4+ years. In best case scenario, I would just hope the laptop last for another 6 - 7 years, such that change it when her son go to university/ college. I just not sure if celeron run smoothly after 5 years.

On the other hand, although her son not playing game right now. You would never know if he want to play game when he meet new friends. You don't want your child keep complaining the machine not able to play game 2 year down the line, then you need though about spending another £400 at that time.

And you know what teenage boy like, if they come to a stage they got so frustrate with the slow machine, they will find ways to 'kill' it!

There is a lot of conjecture in your post.

How long a laptop should last. Dreams about it lasting until he begins university. I just told you that my dual core Celeron is running smoothly. Window 7 on 2GB RAM. It's already more than four years old and cost me £240....from Argos Outlet.

Nonsense about spending another £400 when she is not spending £400 in the first place.
Should she spend double just in case he wants to play games in the future?

Nothing wrong with spending more if the cap fits, but there is no guarantee that it will last and he may already have a games machine.

No problem with you making an argument. It all helps when needing to make a decision.

closed

processors/ram/machines don't slow with age.

If you take high end gaming out of the equation (a function also covered by numerous gaming machines that a teenager may want or have in the next 10 years), modern processors have been easily able to do most things that an average home user throws at it for at least a decade.

onzey

SAVVYMUMMY wrote: »

I will be purchasing a new laptop in the next couple of months for my 11 year old son, who will be starting secondary school in september

Does he really need a laptop? Is it going to be used in various locations?
Laptops are more prone to damage so if portability isn't a must, start with a desktop perhaps.

Cisco001

NiftyDigits wrote: »

There is a lot of conjecture in your post.

How long a laptop should last. Dreams about it lasting until he begins university. I just told you that my dual core Celeron is running smoothly. Window 7 on 2GB RAM. It's already more than four years old and cost me £240....from Argos Outlet.

Nonsense about spending another £400 when she is not spending £400 in the first place.
Should she spend double just in case he wants to play games in the future?

Nothing wrong with spending more if the cap fits, but there is no guarantee that it will last and he may already have a games machine.

No problem with you making an argument. It all helps when needing to make a decision.

It is down to what the OP think. She asked for machine between £380 - 400. And thus, I give her some options for what machine in that price range should included. It is her decision whether she what to follow or opt to cheaper £250-300 refurb machine

It is you asked me about my 'personally think' initially.
Opinion is always subjective.

You can stand with dual core celeron with 2GB RAM. Sometime, I can't even stand my work laptop with i5 and 4GB RAM!

Why you think it is nonsense of spending another £400 to get a new machine if the £250 machine not good enough to run game? Laptop graphic card is not upgradeable. And thus, if her son need laptop to run certain game, she basically need new one.
This is a 'what if' question, if she 100% certain her son won't need that in future, then that's fine, just go for £250 machine.

BTW, I don't think if I dreaming too much for laptops run for 6-7 years. My family members has 4 laptops/ netbook within last 10 years, only one of them actually broke within 3 years. The other 3 still in working condition when I buying new one, which were all over 6 years after we own it.

Cisco001

closed wrote: »

processors/ram/machines don't slow with age.

That is true.
However, you can't decline that when hardware become more advanced and faster, software developer develop programs which use more resource, although it is in much slower rate.

NiftyDigits

Cisco001 wrote: »

It is down to what the OP think. She asked for machine between £380 - 400. And thus, I give her some options for what machine in that price range should included. It is her decision whether she what to follow or opt to cheaper £250-300 refurb machine

It is you asked me about my 'personally think' initially.
Opinion is always subjective.

You can stand with dual core celeron with 2GB RAM. Sometime, I can't even stand my work laptop with i5 and 4GB RAM!

Why you think it is nonsense of spending another £400 to get a new machine if the £250 machine not good enough to run game? Laptop graphic card is not upgradeable. And thus, if her son need laptop to run certain game, she basically need new one.
This is a 'what if' question, if she 100% certain her son won't need that in future, then that's fine, just go for £250 machine.

BTW, I don't think if I dreaming too much for laptops run for 6-7 years. My family members has 4 laptops/ netbook within last 10 years, only one of them actually broke within 3 years. The other 3 still in working condition when I buying new one, which were all over 6 years after we own it.

No, I didn't ask "what you personally think". You gave your personal opinion beforehand and I asked you to qualify it.
If you are impatient with a i5 with 4GB RAM that is your problem and you should make that clear before coercing someone to spend more than is necessary.
So I asked to to explain your comment...and we have discovered it is because you are perhaps unusually impatient.

Moving on...

The OP wrote that he will not be gaming, so......forget about your fantasy and conjecture on this matter.

As to the longevity of laptops...we have already ascertained that inexpensive laptops can also live long and prosper.

As to your rather ridiculous assumption of spending £400 to get a new laptop in two years because he can't play games... have you considered how much more powerful a £250 laptop will be in two years time?

So, stop with the hyperbole and keep to a sensible argument.

Let her spend what she wants to spend. If a £200 laptop will do it for now and even the next three or four years. The next £200 laptop will be new, with a full warranty and more powerful....unlike your old £400 laptop.

NiftyDigits

Cisco001 wrote: »

That is true.
However, you can't decline that when hardware become more advanced and faster, software developer develop programs which use more resource, although it is in much slower rate.

So you've just nixed your own argument. Better to buy two cheaper machines over seven years, than to have one machine over seven years(even if it did last)...as the second new machine will be 'more advanced and faster'.

NiftyDigits

This may excite Cisco001(don't worry, I'm only teasing you).

This ACER E1-571 with it's 3rd Generation i5 processor and HD4000 Graphics has me drooling @ £263.94

Would I buy it? Probably not. Even though the spec looks great, the design is somewhat reminiscent of the eMachines brand. So I would be concerned as to it longevity. Just my opinion.

SAVVYMUMMY_2

Hi NiftyDigits, your views on this one would be very much appriciated
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DELL-INSPIRON-N5040-4GB-1TB-15-6-INCH-LAPTOP-/330953119237?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item4d0e57d605#ht_1855wt_1170

NiftyDigits

SAVVYMUMMY wrote: »

Hi NiftyDigits, your views on this one would be very much appriciated
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DELL-INSPIRON-N5040-4GB-1TB-15-6-INCH-LAPTOP-/330953119237?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item4d0e57d605#ht_1855wt_1170

Huh? What? That is very much worse than any of the options that you have been shown thus far.

In short: From £180 to £250(Celeron/Pentium) From £250 to £300(2nd/3rd Gen i3/i5).

So your pick does not qualify in any way. The one's from DELL Outlet are waaaay better.

No more than £230 for a good all round Pentium. £250 or so can get you i3. £300 get you the DELL i3 with a 17.3" screen. Above that and you should be looking at separate graphics cards for graphic intensive applications.