Buy a basic laptop for sixth form or invest now?

[IrishPetal]

Wondering if anyone could advise - DS will need a laptop for 6th form, and is then going to go to uni to do engineering. Not sure whether to buy a cheap one now (but none are that cheap!) and then get a better one for uni. Or just her the better one, but that might not meet requirements for engineering (assuming he sticks with that!). Thank you

What subjects is he doing for sixth form? Dd had a goodish laptop but was doing technical drawings for her DT a level so bought a gaming computer that had a better graphics card. She’s hoping to studying history at university so her normal laptop will hopefully be adequate.

I'd go cheap. Laptops go out of date so quickly and he might need something a lot better at Uni.
I'd get a cheap refurbished laptop for now, different unis might have different advice on what to get then.

Thanks - he’s doing maths, physics and music

Get a cheap one now - they do good refurbished ones on back market! We got one for DS a couple of years ago and it’s still going strong now, probably only paid about £150

Please may I jump on this thread? DD is doing physics, maths and further maths. @blankcanvas3 where did you buy your DC’s laptop? Thanks.

go with one that can be upgraded
& enough storage (external drives that can be added)
physics and engineering means complex math calculations and graphics

We've just got our DS a refurb one. Fully expect to have to replace it before Uni. Things move on so quickly.

https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb from here, the delivery was quick and we got a chromebook in the end. We got it two years ago and it’s still going strong, would highly recommend

I would say don’t buy anything too expensive now. I bought myself a mid-range HP laptop three years ago for my degree and it’s definitely showing its age now even though I mostly use a work device day to day and SPSS is the most challenging software I have on it.

They go out of date so quickly and your DS will have a much better idea of the spec he needs for uni after his A levels.

I know people round here lease them and then they can update them and if they need repairs etc they’re covered - is this an option?

He may need something half decent for music. Composition software might need a lot of storage.

Mine is doing Physics, Maths and Computer Science and we bought him a cheapo basic laptop and it’s absolutely fine for what he needs….also going on to engineering but will see what he needs then!

DD is using a cheap one. We got it for our older teen who complained a lot and hardly used it so when they finished A levels it was passed on. DD uses it daily and it is absolutely fine for school work. We have full Microsoft office on it (can get it on Groupon type things very cheaply). She is doing maths, biology and chemistry.

Once she knows which uni she will go to then we can look more at course requirements and makes sure we get something with the right specs for anything technical requirements and the cheapy laptop can be handed down to the next sibling.

I think in many ways it is best not to hand them something that can handle gaming etc so that it is very much established that it is for study which helps psychologically with that temptation to click away from the school work and on to something more entertaining.

I would be tempted to ask someone already doing the subject he wants to how much they use it .

my daughter ‘needed’ one to go to college, but after two years she has rarely used it- they have adequate laptops in classes , so she doesn’t often bother taking hers in , and she tends to have enough workshop time to do a lot of her college work, granted sometimes around deadlines she will get it out and if she’s had the day off college for whatever reason she can access work that has been set - but it does seem like it was a bit of an expensive ornament!

im hopeful it will last her through uni .