Can anyone recommend a laptop for dd?

[Dancergirl]

Dd is 13, Year 9. She's got quite a lot of money saved from over the years, birthdays, from grandparents etc and would like to buy a laptop.

I am clueless with things like this, can anyone tell me what to look for or if there are any particular makes/models which are good?

John Lewis were useless with advice - they said they were 'all' good so not much help!

She'll be using it for schoolwork so will need word etc and also internet use.

I think her budget is around £400, we may put some money towards it too.

Could she ask the ICT department at her school, or get a consensus of what other children she knows, have?

Apple invariably come out more expensive I think, so it will need to be Windows, or at least Windows-compatible. We have Linux, but then our DS works in computers.

Make sure you know EXACTLY what programs are included; often what seems like good value ends up being only the machine but no software! Also, I think some Windows programs have on-going charges. We have Firefox web browser.

Try and get more expert or professional advice, read the 'small print' and don't sign anything till you're sure of all the details.

This might help:

www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/laptop/3214583/25-best-budget-laptops-of-2014/

Ferguson - my DM is using Linux. She is 75, has no technical background, and finds it (Ubuntu) knocks Windoze into a cocked hat. I'm a techie and I actually can't use Windows 8. This evening DS1 wanted to use YouTube on a Windoze 8 PC and we waited 12 minutes for it to finish booting and let us start a browser, then every three minutes it brought up that horrible screen with the square blocks that do fuck all useful and you have to remember which way you have to move the mouse over the edge of the screen (!) to get it to go away. I take a Linux PC to work with me as well as my official Windoze one just so that I can get something done. I alsonhave a few examples of software, such as Sparx Enterprise Architect and things that are ostensibly designed for Windoze but work better on Linux using wine than in native Windoze 8.

Oh and DW had a Windoze phone that was so impossible to get one's head round that she sent it back and asked for an Android one instead.

In 20 years around software development I have never seen such shite. An object lesson in how to fuck up a user interface. Garbage.

Boris, you realise people are going to google Windoze to work out what you are talking about?! This isn't a geek forum, it's normal people wanting consumer-level advice.

You clearly know your stuff - what computer should the OP's DD buy? What PC has your DM got? (and did she buy it from a shop or did you build it?!)

borisgudanov - Yes, I often think it is a good job Microsoft didn't build cars, or worse still, planes!