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Original poster

Laptops for yr 7 kids

26 replies

RoyKentsHairyBack · 21/09/2021 22:51

Could anyone help as dh and I are in dispute.

My dd has asked for a laptop for Christmas. We are lucky enough to be able to find funds for this if we include grandparents/using a bit of her saved up money (which she is fine with).

My view is that we need to get something functional and practical without spending too much because let's face it, tech moved on so fast that any laptop will be out of date in a few years. I was hoping for a budget Chromebook around 250/300 but tbh I know nothing really.

DH is a techie and he's done a bit of research. He reckons she will need a windows laptop which can run all these various programmes and apps 'just in case'. He is looking at double the price. We can in theory stretch to this but I am struggling to see that this is necessary.

We both have form for this kind of thing - I can fall into the buy cheap buy twice trap whereas he can be a bit all the gear and no idea.

What do others have? Is it worth spending more at this age when it's principally going to be used for homework/streaming and chatting to mates.

MNHQ Update
This is an old thread, but if you’ve come across it while searching for advice or information on which laptop is best for your child, our guide to the best laptops for kids has been recently updated to reflect current availability and new releases. It includes a wide range of options, from laptops suitable for schoolwork to those best for gamers, and has been compiled based on tech expert advice and Mumsnet user recommendations. We hope it’s helpful! Flowers

OP posts:
Newchallenge · 21/09/2021 22:53

We have a Chromebook and really like it. Home schooling etc done on it. All our kids have google profiles, we can keep an eye / set limits via Family Link.

PileOfBooks · 21/09/2021 22:53

Im following. I am not techie but about to be i a similar position.

Do the chromebooks run all the office apps like word/powerpoint etc. U thought they were just for going online ? (As I say not techie and completely overwhelmed also!)

Hellocatshome · 21/09/2021 22:56

We had a chromebook type laptop and I couldn't cope with it. I much prefer a 'proper' laptop I dont even know why it justbseemed unnecessarily limited but that might be because I'm used to an all singing all dancing Windows PC at work

Bobbleka · 21/09/2021 22:59

What does she want it for? If she’s a gamer or would like to be, or edit videos or photography, or use music production programs I’d spend more. £600-650 will get a decent gaming laptop for kids with a good graphics card. But if it’s just social media, school work and internet browsing and chrome book would be fine

Bobsyer · 21/09/2021 23:03

Hmmm. What is his ulterior motive?

You can get a Windows laptop for £199! In John Lewis! There is no point in spending £££ on a laptop to use purely for internet and school work.

She will likely need Microsoft Office which is not cheap and you have to pay for as a subscription now. It's a rip off. However, my kids school do everything through Teams which means they get the usage of the school's subscription.

Genuinely, go to JL and ask one of their people there. They can help you decide what is appropriate for her and which is in your price range.

Bobsyer · 21/09/2021 23:05

Sorry I misread and didn't realise your daughter wants one.

What does she want to do with it? Because yes a cheap one won't do for gaming, but it will do for general online surfing and school work.

JellyBellies · 21/09/2021 23:19

I would go for the higher spec one so that if she is interested in other things like gaming, coding, editing, she will actually be able to do it instead of being stuck on a chromebook

PileOfBooks · 22/09/2021 02:55

My daughter wants to play things like sims 4 - but isn't into "gaming" on a big scale. What turns it into a gaming computer? Could she play that on a "normal" one?

Thanks :)

Original poster
RoyKentsHairyBack · 22/09/2021 06:24

Thanks everyone.

@JellyBellies, that is dhs approach whereas I think she's quite unlikely to want to do more than schoolwork/streaming.

This is also horrifically naive but she's not into any kind of gaming other than Candy crush type stuff or a bit of a go in the Switch she shares with her sibling. I'd like it to stay that way so would quite like to get her something which isn't good enough for gaming iyswim.

I will talk to her to find out exactly what she is planning to do but I suspect it's gonna be 'stuff'.

OP posts:
GnarlyOldGoatDude · 22/09/2021 06:29

Watching with interest as similar position here!

@Bobbleka could you suggest a reasonable gaming one please? DS has seen one particular zoo game that I know he’ll be desperate to be able to play.

Angel2702 · 22/09/2021 06:32

We got my daughter a chrome book for Christmas. Ended up having to buy a proper laptop for her birthday as it didn’t run everything. Also most nee laptops are windows 10s which also doesn’t work with everything so we had to find one that had the option to use normal windows 10.

liveforsummer · 22/09/2021 06:33

I'm very unknowledgeable about such things but my dad knows a lot and did the researchony behalf. Apparently the chrome books aren't best for teen/school use. I got dd a decent spec Asus laptop that didn't break the bank and should last the duration of school life (according to those that know more than I)

HasaDigaEebowai · 22/09/2021 06:34

Cheap and functional. They’re not going to be doing much at that age and when they e dropped it a few times you won’t cry as much.

Ds had to have one for school which lasted 6 months before it “fell out of his locker” and was damaged beyond repair. He now has a basic chrome book which is perfectly fine and was about £140

SushiGo · 22/09/2021 06:38

We got small screen but proper windows laptops (more like £300 each) and they're brilliant - perfectly able to cope with homework streaming basic gaming etc.

balloonsintrees · 22/09/2021 06:41

@Bobsyer

Hmmm. What is his ulterior motive?

You can get a Windows laptop for £199! In John Lewis! There is no point in spending £££ on a laptop to use purely for internet and school work.

She will likely need Microsoft Office which is not cheap and you have to pay for as a subscription now. It's a rip off. However, my kids school do everything through Teams which means they get the usage of the school's subscription.

Genuinely, go to JL and ask one of their people there. They can help you decide what is appropriate for her and which is in your price range.

You don't need to pay for Microsoft if your child uses their school log on as the school licence covers home use. The subscription for a student is about £30 if you also need a separate home account. Microsoft massively subsidise educational accounts and are able to do this because about 95% of businesses globally pay to use their products.
Original poster
RoyKentsHairyBack · 22/09/2021 06:44

@SushiGo that sounds ideal to me! Would you mind sharing which one you have.

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 22/09/2021 06:59

@JellyBellies

I would go for the higher spec one so that if she is interested in other things like gaming, coding, editing, she will actually be able to do it instead of being stuck on a chromebook
I agree with this. DS is in Y8. His IT need has got more significant since he started secondary school, with coding and music production. With a secondary age child, I would go for the higher spec.
JellyBellies · 22/09/2021 07:04

@RoyKentsHairyBack that's fair. My approach is biased by the fact that I work in the software industry and my sons are very interested in coding, website development, etc.

To me, a good laptop or PC on which they can explore these things is essential but I know that isn't how most people see it.

GnomeyGnome · 22/09/2021 07:11

A Chromebook is basically an internet browser. The Google suite of programmes is vast and great for school work. But it is quite limited to what else it can do. Both DC have Chromebooks supplied through school but year 9 DS never uses it for anything else as the functionality just isn't there for gaming. You can however stream YouTube, Netflix etc so it really does depend on what your DD would mainly use it for.

Talipesmum · 22/09/2021 07:42

I wouldn’t be so sure that a good windows laptop would become obsolete. We have one from 8-10 years ago that we revived last year for y8 child to use during lockdown, and it’s absolutely fine. Wiped everything off it and reinstalled windows, and it’s like new.
Whereas I think chrome books do become obsolete after a certain amount of time as the software stops being supported. (Read the headline in Which magazine recently but didn’t read the article, so may be incorrectly informed).

SirSamuelVimes · 22/09/2021 07:47

What does her school use? Our local high school uses Chromebooks and Google classroom for everything so it would make sense to get a Chromebook in that situation. If her school use ms office and teams then get a proper laptop.

Agree with pps who have said go for a cheaper laptop though, it'll get knocked about and as you've said, will probably be out of date in three years.

Gubanc · 22/09/2021 08:15

I'm with your husband on this one. Tech 'ages' ridiculously quickly, many schools are moving with the times and may require laptops/ipads for school work and speed, storage, graphics will become an issue. I've always gone for the highest spec I can afford to avoid wasting money/resources twice.

WaterBottle123 · 22/09/2021 08:17

My year 7 finds a chrome book works well for her need. They don't need MS office

PileOfBooks · 22/09/2021 09:42

Ah that helps. Its teams in our school and they use word and powerpoint for homework (that's office right? But comes free with the 365 account )

So we can't use chromebook?

HasaDigaEebowai · 22/09/2021 15:37

You can use chrome book if you’re accessing through 365 online.