good general laptop for 13 year old - ASUS X54H?

[overthemill]

can someone please advise me? Need a laptop for dd13 ostensibly because she now needs one for start of GCSE studies (and we only have one in house between 5) but she wil use it for WP, watching rubbish USA TV online, storing music & photos and facebook type stuff.

Have found asus X54H which looks extremely good value. Is it? Anyone now this seller? Any more reliable seller you can recommend?
Thanks

just got my son whos doin his gcse's an acer aspire, its fantastic, full laptop not slow, an in sale at moment

where from?

bump

What is your price bracket?

well as low as possible really because this will be on my overdraft (I am off work sick with major illness sadly) but i don't want crap.

Tesco
currys
If I was buying a laptop for a teenager I would consider both of these.

Bigger a laptop it will only get chucked about and placed on bed etc, better off buying something like the asus transformer tablet, less likely to get murdered.

Have a look in your local CeX branch, they will have some models there which aren't current so will be much cheaper. A 13 year old doesn't need a laptop to the latest spec, something a year or two (or three!) old will be more than enough for homework and web surfing :) You might need to buy an external hard drive if she wants to store a lot of TV shows on there but if she's streaming then that shouldn't be a problem, music, photos and school work don't take up nearly as much space.

All their stuff is tested and you get a 12 month warranty (excluding physical damage) so it's a pretty good deal. I got a laptop from there last year.

A tablet is okay, but they're harder to type on for school work etc. I like tablets but they're more for fun I think.

We've just bought an Acer aspire 5733z from Comet for £299, unfortunately it has gone back up to £349.99 but is on Tesco for £319.

We went for this model over other similar priced ones because it has a faster processing speed and a larger memory. We, also, have had Acer laptops in the past and they have all lasted well and have had no problems with them.

If you can stretch to it, I can recommend it.

These are good suggestions, thanks. Not a tablet as I want her to learn to type. Is the Asus rubbish then?

The transformer comes with a keyboard that plugs into the bottom making it a note book.

Asus are more reliable than Acer,there was a survey done and Asus came top.

Ok not a techy but here goes!

I am on my second Asus. Bought the first generation when it first came out on the market. It lastest many moons til my daughter spilt a cup of coffee over it. Actually, it DID still work, after it dried out, but just gave me a reason to update really!

New generation Asus, I am such a fan. Just a great little machine. Does everything you need, plus its compact, and a great price.

Now, when I bought it, I read all the reviews, and the one thing that came up was that it was abit slow? Took the reviewers advice and purchased extra memory (cost about 12 quid). When I got my Asus, tried it out and thought and still think its fantastic. TBH the extra memory hasn't really made a huge difference, but if your DD complains suppose you could get some. Its pretty easy to put in, followed a youtube video!

I have had this one now, about 12 months, and it really does get used ALOT. If something happened to it - I would without doubt get another.

so asus are ok then, generally? and has anyone any opinion on the one i linked to, ie spec and seller? haven't heard of them before and mildly wary therefore

I had an Asus nearly ten years ago when they first brought out laptops, it was a hardy machine the only thing is it ran very very hot

My asus is 4 years old, it doesn't get as hot as a Samsung or a Sony. But it's not a standard model exactly.

It's an F5sl,cost 500 quid, they made a load of lambo branded ones for over a grand that
Didn't sell, so they ripped them apart and put the motherboards in lower models, mines one of them.

ok finaly boght this one:Asus K53U-SX107V Black Dual Core AMD E350 3GB 500GB 15.6" HD LED Laptop upgraded with 8GB RAM for £26.99. came to £301 in total

link

Good choice,I always have AMD processors,seem to suit our needs.

Which did you choose? The link doesn't take me to what you described in the post above the one with the link (it goes to one with an inferior processor and 2GB RAM.)

If you did get the one with the AMD E-350 (which is better than the one you go to via the link) you'll find that it'll run Minecraft, which is what is most important to my son of a similar age. His laptop has the same processor and is more than adequate for schoolwork.

You guys really do pay over the odds though, don't you? The E-450 with 4GB would be standard in an Asus laptop of that price over here (Canada) and yet we all moan that we pay so much more than those in the USA...

I totally agree with LeonieDelt - Asus is also our mobo manufacturer of choice when we're building custom machines (desktops) as they have very good reliability.

I have to say that 8GB RAM is total overkill with such a budget processor, but it's not as though it broke the bank to get the extra. :)

I think I bought the last one so the link doesn't work!

found this but not from this seller...but I upgraded to 8MB (was going to go for just 4 but it seemed silly just to add 1). btw it is a SHE not he, and she online games with really weird girly things but mainly obsesses with Glee and Revenge and 90210 and similar US tosh. I'm hoping this will last her through school.

Re USA pricing: have dsister in USA and next time my nephew comes through he will bring us a MacBook. He can get one for around £600 educational pricing (and i am a teacher when I am fit for work so reckon i am not cheating) for the family to have.