Chromebook for intermediate

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Loismustdye

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#310605 5-Nov-2023 09:42

Our kids are due to start intermediate next year and need either a Chromebook or a MacBook - being the stinge that I for these two years they will get Chromebooks.

Any recommendations on one brand over another etc?

most chrome books sit around the 4gb ram and 32gb hdd unless I start looking at the $700+ models so I’m guessing this is the sweet spot for CBS.

thanks

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#3156090 5-Nov-2023 09:52

Huge difference between a Chromebook and a MacBook! Weird if that is what the school is specifying. I got both my kids a basic 14" ssd laptop for around $800. Far more usable that a Chromebook, depending what they get into can install software etc, and without the cost of a mac. Both took theirs well into high school.

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lxsw20

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#3156094 5-Nov-2023 10:01

A MacBook will likely last them all through High School too. I've not seen too many High Schools recommend Chromebook. So it may be a false economy to go Chromebook, worth checking with potential future High Schools.

Dynamic

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#3156115 5-Nov-2023 11:59

I suggest checking what the high school they will move onto would recommend.

Personally I love Chromebooks for kids as they have almost a zero ongoing cost of ownership due to their simplicity. Windows/Apple devices have greater complexity.

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Chills

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#3156118 5-Nov-2023 12:14

My intermediate and High School recommended Chromebooks, but usability in the long run.. Macbook would be the way to go. Chromebooks wouldn't get used after school, where a Macbook can be used for far longer.

Goosey

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#3156133 5-Nov-2023 13:19

Check out cyclone computers. Seems to have a similar offer to PB

im going thru the same RFP so to speak for my 9 year old about to hit year 5 next year and the primary school recommends it for year 5 and above..

that said, I think I, gonna hang around the $500-$600 range ish ….

And hope it lasts until said kid hits high school and by that time……it’s time for an upgrade.

(by last, I’m talking about damage or loss). Said kid thinks they want a Chromebook that converts to a tablet….but that action of folding the screen around creates the keyboard as the new underside ! That ain’t gonna last…

Loismustdye

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#3156137 5-Nov-2023 13:32

Very reluctant to get a MacBook primarily because my kids loose things at school at an astonishing rate and the boy is very rough on things - a Chromebook is easier on the wallet this way.

can’t really make a decision based on high school unfortunately at this point because depending on where they go a MacBook may not be used by the school :-(

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Lias

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#3156257 5-Nov-2023 15:11

Both my kids have sub $500 HP Chromebooks which are now respectively 3 and 4 years old and still going fine.

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Qazzy03

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#3156259 5-Nov-2023 15:17

Have you thought about 2nd hand?

There is a variety of 2nd hand chromebooks that are in good condition on TM that could fit the bill imo.

Plus not so hard on the pocket if broken/theft.

CokemonZ

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#3156416 5-Nov-2023 21:42

My experience is that a chromebook will last a suprisingly long time. My now 14 year old got his at 9 and it's still running and he's happy with it. Still has 2 years on the expiry date too.

That is the only major thing to be aware of especially if buying second hand. Check here https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366
For whatever your looking to buy and make sure it has a decent lifespan left.

Edit: 4gb ram and 32fb storage is fine, though 64gb is useful now that you can store stuff on them.

josephhinvest

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#3156461 6-Nov-2023 06:04

My three kids all had HP Chromebooks from intermediate thru around year 12, when they chose to pay the difference to upgrade themselves to a MacBook Air.
The Chromebooks without exception were reliable and robust.l, and lasted up several years minimum. One had a whole bottle of water through it, I opened it up and dried and cleaned with IPA and it ran another couple of years.

Cheers,
Joseph

Edit: I always bought the slightly better than the cheapest HP one. If their schoolwork is like my kids, it really doesn’t matter much. It’s all just google docs. Local storage not used at all.

Loismustdye

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#3156683 6-Nov-2023 14:04

Good to know that the lifespan of a Chromebook (whether it gets used later on) is pretty long.
not really keen on second hand as I’m just wary of second hand tech, although a new CB for what the twins need is only around $300-$500 depending on brand/spec.
thanks all for the replies, gives me a direction to head in. Cheers

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Dynamic

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#3156695 6-Nov-2023 14:26

Retailers like Noel Leeming have in the past sent a flyer to schools for a bundle deal of a Chromebook + a hard shell case + a kidproof warranty upgrade for a relatively reasonable price. My sister asked me for pricing on a Chromebook vs what she had on the flyer and I recommended she take advantage of the flyer price largely for the kidproof waranty.

I was *about* to add a comment The only reason that I'd suggest any caution around secondhand Chromebooks is that they seem to have a supported life of around 5 years, so it would be dissappointing to buy one that looks pristine but only has a year's worth of official updates remaining.

Then I remembered @CokemonZ comment and checked the link he supplied above. Wow. 10 years of OS support for most devices released since 2021 is very impressive. Kudos to Google.

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jonathan18

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#3156706 6-Nov-2023 15:02

My son managed to break his ‘military grade’ Chromebook (a Lenovo 500e) in a case with a substantial rubber bumper, so I’d note nothing is impossible for the clumsiest/slackest of kids! (And, since then, he’s managed to crack the screen of my once-was-quality Asus C302 Chromebook)

@Loismustdye: one thing to be mindful of is it’s not necessarily the case the school insists on Chromebooks or Apple laptops; if this intermediate is the same as my kids went to/are still at (initials being RI) I know for sure there are many kids there who have Windows laptops and don’t have any issues. I recall reading/hearing the same thing from this school when my eldest was enrolling a few years back - ie, it must be CB or Apple - (you’ll find a thread somewhere on GZ from me seeking the same advice as you are!), but it’s clear it’s not a hard and fast requirement.

That said, it’s not that I’m trying to put you off Chromebooks - just that you may well have more choice than they’re leading you to believe, if it is that same school.

Personally, I’m looking to get the little sh!t a second-hand Windows laptop for next year, in the hope he’ll not have destroyed it before he starts high school the following year.

wellygary

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#3156715 6-Nov-2023 15:26

Loismustdye:

Our kids are due to start intermediate next year and need either a Chromebook or a MacBook - being the stinge that I for these two years they will get Chromebooks.

Any recommendations on one brand over another etc?

most chrome books sit around the 4gb ram and 32gb hdd unless I start looking at the $700+ models so I’m guessing this is the sweet spot for CBS.

thanks

Find out what your likely High school uses...

Unless you are worried about the machine suffering too much damage, it should last more than 2 years...

Going down the Chromebook route might be a two year dead end, if the High school runs a different IT set up...(MS cloud etc)

But then again the HS might also be Chomebook based, or you may be happy to get them new Hardware when they move up

Dynamic

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#3156728 6-Nov-2023 16:38

jonathan18: My son managed to break his ‘military grade’ Chromebook (a Lenovo 500e) in a case with a substantial rubber bumper, so I’d note nothing is impossible for the clumsiest/slackest of kids! (And, since then, he’s managed to crack the screen of my once-was-quality Asus C302 Chromebook)

My boy has been quite a bit more careful with his devices after being told that he has his one free** screen replacement and the next one is 100% at his own expense.

** Dad pays

jonathan18:@Loismustdye: one thing to be mindful of is it’s not necessarily the case the school insists on Chromebooks or Apple laptops; if this intermediate is the same as my kids went to/are still at (initials being RI) I know for sure there are many kids there who have Windows laptops and don’t have any issues. I recall reading/hearing the same thing from this school when my eldest was enrolling a few years back - ie, it must be CB or Apple - (you’ll find a thread somewhere on GZ from me seeking the same advice as you are!), but it’s clear it’s not a hard and fast requirement.

I've got access to new and used laptops of all brands, but my little lot used Chromebooks for weight and battery life reasons. They are very hard to beat for education, in my opinion. I didn;t give a hoot that they couldn't use it for many games after school.

My nephew went to an upmarket primary and intermediate school, and after the third software issue in six months on a Windows-based device I told them that I didn't want to see it again. (That side of the family could afford to pay someone to fix it.)

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