Laptop for 11 year old - Advice on spec please

grumpycrab

An i3 with an SSD for £260. Should be nice and fast if not particularly nice looking...
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/80JA0158UK-Lenovo-E50-70_1768889.html

grumbler

Am I the first one to ask whether a laptop is really needed for a 11 y.o. schoolgirl to carry to school?
All schools have computers. At home a PC can do the job, is cheaper, and easier to upgrade if needed.
I can be wrong, but what she really needs for school is a USB memory stick.

agrinnall

grumbler wrote: »

Am I the first one to ask whether a laptop is really needed for a 11 y.o. schoolgirl to carry to school?
All schools have computers. At home a PC can do the job, is cheaper, and to upgrade.
I can be wrong, but what she really needs for school is a USB memory stick.

Indeed you are.

The OP has already advised that the laptop will sit on a desk in the daughter's room and won't be take into school every day, so you're right that a portable computer may not be needed at all.

Fightsback

grumbler wrote: »

Am I the first one to ask whether a laptop is really needed for a 11 y.o. schoolgirl to carry to school?
All schools have computers. At home a PC can do the job, is cheaper, and easier to upgrade if needed.
I can be wrong, but what she really needs for school is a USB memory stick.

Grumbler,

It's carry through school, not to school.

lisa76 wrote: »

So I'm looking for a laptop for my daughter (11) to carry her through school.

http://www.specsavers.co.uk/

NiftyDigits

If it wasn't for a Christmas present, I may have suggested this Toshiba Satellite L50-C-14X for £284.99.
Of course only because of the colour.

lisa76

NiftyDigits wrote: »

If it wasn't for a Christmas present, I may have suggested this Toshiba Satellite L50-C-14X for £284.99.
Of course only because of the colour.

The L50 is what we've just been looking at in Curry's actually - I do like the design and I think it's the sort of thing she'd like. I know it's really 'girly' but this choice is really about the 'look' as opposed to the spec I guess.

Can I ask why you wouldn't choose this as a Christmas present though???

cs1986_2

lisa76 wrote: »

The L50 is what we've just been looking at in Curry's actually - I do like the design and I think it's the sort of thing she'd like. I know it's really 'girly' but this choice is really about the 'look' as opposed to the spec I guess.

Can I ask why you wouldn't choose this as a Christmas present though???

I guess because it is manufacturer refurbished rather than new. So it may not come in the proper packaging etc. It is probably an item that was returned by a customer and has been cleaned up and tested to be re-sold. It is a good price though for its spec.

Anyway, your original request...

A lot of people would try and sell you something she just doesnt need. It is an 11 year old girl looking to do school work and maybe some internet browsing, music streaming etc as she gets older and more laptop addicted.

I would look at the below two laptops both on sale:

Currys acer-aspire-f5-571-15-6-laptop-red £299

i3 processor with a 2.0ghz clock speed which is more than enough. A processor like that would even be good enough to run some games etc, should be no issues for what she will use it for.
1TB storage, more than enough unless she will be downloading films.
Windows 10 (no need to upgrade yourself)
4GB Ram - Not the best but again, unless she is running lots of different programmes at once, 4GB is fine.

Currys - lenovo-g50-15-6-laptop-silver £299

Basically the same as above but half the storage.

Both of these laptops should easily last her at least 3 years before she will want/need to upgrade. I have had my current laptop for 5 years now and it still runs games, streams films etc with no issues. Technology has moved on now and unless you are obsessed with tech a decent laptop can last you a while if treated well.

Anything with an i3 processor for less than £300 is a bargain in this country in my opinion. Stay away from AMD, stay away from Intel Celeron. Intel Pentium should be the minimum you will go for but a few extra pounds is worth the i3.

WONT LET ME POST LINKS DUE TO BEING A NEW USER! ANNOYING! BOTH ARE ON CURRYS WEBSITE THOUGH

AndyPix

If it absolutely has to look like a mac then this is the closest you will get .
Its basically a pc in mac clothes

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-zenbook-ux305-13-3-laptop-white-10137394-pdt.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA1dWyBRDqiJye6LjkhfIBEiQAw06ITrwqbcuuKl2GeTGWnJojdZ6F-thePmvxMNi81u2uvI8aAp4e8P8HAQ&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~1011+%28LTC%29+WINDOWS+LAPTOPS+%26+CONVERTIBLES+-+SAVING~10137394+-+Asus+UX305~Exact&mc!!!!!gg_goog_7904&s_kwcid=AL!3391!3!85407039020!p!!g!!ux305&ef_id=VgUSFAAABIVzuaAB:20151125141611:s

Fightsback

AndyPix wrote: »

If it absolutely has to look like a mac then this is the closest you will get .
Its basically a pc in mac clothes

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/asus-zenbook-ux305-13-3-laptop-white-10137394-pdt.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA1dWyBRDqiJye6LjkhfIBEiQAw06ITrwqbcuuKl2GeTGWnJojdZ6F-thePmvxMNi81u2uvI8aAp4e8P8HAQ&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~1011+%28LTC%29+WINDOWS+LAPTOPS+%26+CONVERTIBLES+-+SAVING~10137394+-+Asus+UX305~Exact&mc!!!!!gg_goog_7904&s_kwcid=AL!3391!3!85407039020!p!!g!!ux305&ef_id=VgUSFAAABIVzuaAB:20151125141611:s

Andy, £150 over budget.

lisa76 wrote: »

I'm thinking around £350 ish

AndyPix

Fightsback wrote: »

Andy, £150 over budget.

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