Help for technophobe buying Xmas pressie please!

[ohnoherewego]

DD asked for a tablet for Xmas. However she needs something to do her homework on so I think she needs more than that. Is a laptop the best bet and if so what should we be looking for? She's 13 and our budget is around £250. TIA

LOL....homework......right! I think she really means Facebook & Youtube! But hey I used the same logic with my parents when I was 10 to get a ZX Spectrum so you can't blame her for trying!

Anyways....for homework then a laptop would indeed be better. Reason being is that you can type into a laptop keyboard far more easily than a tablet. Just pop into PC World and try typing a couple of sentences into a tablet and then a laptop. You'll soon see what I mean.

Tablets are great for consuming information (ie. reading websites, watching videos). But they totally suck at input. I'd rather poke my eyes out with a spoon than type anything lengthy into my ipad. In fact I regularly read forums like MN in bed on my ipad but if I want to reply I usually wait until I'm near my main computer.

My advice is be clear in yourself what you are getting for DD. A tablet for Facebook/Youtube and general surfing. Or a homework aid? If you definitely want the latter then get a laptop.

Thanks niceguy. Confirmed my thinking exactly!