Budget computer for 10 year old niece

[shellylh]

I am thinking of possibly getting my niece a budget laptop (that depends on whether I can find something cheap and decent enough to justify it). She basically goes to sites like barbie.com (flash based), plays the Sims, and types some homework for her classes. She is 10 years old but fairly mature for her age.

My budget is optimally around $300. Is there any decent around that price? With Windows 8? I know there are a bunch of Android tablets and portable laptops and maybe this would be ok but she wouldn't be able to do barbie.com. Since I am basically an Apple person, I don't know where to begin.

Also, I know there some differences between different Windows 8 (like there is some version, RT I think, that only allows one to use an app store). Any versions to avoid?

[Dusty Chalk]

I would just go Windows 7 until they iron it out, Windows 8 is still too new. Either get one of the Windows 8 computers with the option to backgrade, or get a Windows 7 computer with the upgrade-to-Windows-8 option that you can install later when you feel better about it.

And by all means, there are plenty under $300. Pretty much any new computer for sale at NewEgg or MicroCenter should be sufficient. Open Box is probably fine, too.

[grawk]

There's a refurb macbook for $400 listed on dealmac.com right now

[shellylh]

I'll keep a watch on the refurbs at the apple store. I may want to go with a windows machine because that is what her mom knows.

I'll stick with Windows 7. Any brands that are better than others? Should I try to stick with Intel processors or is any processor nowadays going to be fast enough (except an Atom processor)?

[Dusty Chalk]

Intel or AMD are both fine.

Try to get something at least a little modern -- i3, i5, i7, AMD A-series -- not a Pentium anything. Although looking at newegg right now, that may not be possible -- I only see one in-stock choice, and it's an open box. You can always up the performance a little bit by adding memory, to make up for the CPU. My next laptop is going to have mSATA.

You might consider a Chromebook.

Don't know about brands -- I prefer Dell, Toshiba, HP, MSI, and Sony, myself, but most of them are decent.

[blessingx]

I was just going to suggest the $249 Samsung Chromebook too. Don't know the Sims options there though.

http://m.tuaw.com/2012/11/23/tuaw-smackdown-google-chromebook-vs-apple-ipad-macbook-air/

Edited November 24, 2012 by blessingx

[shellylh]

I have 5 concerns with the chromebooks:

1) How long the OS is going to be around since they don't seem so popular. Will android tablets take over the market?

2) How easy is is going to be for non computer savy people to do things like print, etc. her mom and grandmother don't know much about computers.

3) How useful is the computer when not in range of wifi. I guess it is just a browser so you can't install programs to be run offline, right? I guess you can use google docs.

4). She has an old camera of mine. I assume she would want to use the computer to view the pictures. The small harddrive worries me (yes, I know about cloud storage...)

5). Netflix doesn't seem to be supported!

I think I can install Chrome OS via Parallels. I will try that out.

Edited November 24, 2012 by shellylh

[blessingx]

I can't answer most of your questions as I have no real experience, but I suspect Google has some long-term goals where the OS will be around (only official comment is that it may merge with Android at some point in the future). Apps can be written to usable offline, but some are not. Click below for a little info on Cloud Printing.

http://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/howitworks.html

[Dusty Chalk]

Also, why laptop? It might be better to get her a desktop, that way her parent or guardian will always know where she is and would be able to monitor. If you have an old monitor lying around (most of us do, I think), you could just get a headless one.

[shellylh]

I wanted to just give her my Mac mini from a few years ago. It is still plenty fast. The problem is that she spends M-F at her grandmother's house (her mom moved and wanted her to attend the same school she went to when they lived with the grandmother) and the weekend at her mom's house. So she needs/wants something that she can take back and forth.

[Dusty Chalk]

This goes on sale in 1 hour and 9 minutes, probably for less than $300, but it'll probably be sold out in 1 hour and 10 minutes.

[shellylh]

Ugh, hubby wants me to go to sleep now... seems like a good deal (even though it does have Windows .. I don't have the ok from the niece's mother yet so I should probably wait anyway.

[Wmcmanus]

I just wanted to say what a great aunt you are, not just for getting her such a nice gift but also for going the extra mile to make sure that what you get for her will be just right.

[grawk]

Today's woot is a $299 asus laptop

[Mister X]

This:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834230600

and a stick of ram:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231265

Would be cheaper then the WOOT deal and have a slightly better CPU but comes with Windows 8.

I dunno if either one of them would survive being dropped though....

[Dusty Chalk]

The laptop I pointed at last night only went down to US$330, so just as well that you went to bed.

[shellylh]

I am going to wait until her mom says that it is ok before buying unless I see a really good deal from some place like amazon with a good/easy return policy.

My budget can be stretched to over $300 too.

Thanks Santa.

[cobra_kai]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+Inspiron+15.6%22+Laptop+-+2GB+Memory+-+320GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/6933738.p?id=1218814979676&skuId=6933738&st=6933738&cp=1&lp=1

[jwzhan]

https://clearance.bestbuy.com/detail/2547?utm_source=CJNewsletter&utm_medium=textlink&utm_content=save50dollars&utm_campaign=V4_111112

this one is a little bit more expensive than that dell, but with much better spec. It's only for a limited time though.

[Absorbine_Sr]

I just wanted to say what a great aunt you are, not just for getting her such a nice gift but also for going the extra mile to make sure that what you get for her will be just right.

^^^ This

[raffy]

^^^ This

x2. You rock Aunt Shelly!

[mikeymad]

I want shelly to be my aunt...

[HeadphoneAddict]

Just waiting for someone to post, "I'll be your sugar daddy"...

[shellylh]

I have permission to get my niece a laptop so if you guys see any good deals, let me know.  I think I am going to focus on 11" ish laptops.  The cheapest Intel i3 or AMD A-series I am seeing see to be around $500 whereas I saw some before for around $400 (maybe all the good deals are gone?).  

 

There is still a chance that my brother will get her a tablet (in which case I am not so sure that I will get her a laptop) but I am not sure that is happening (and probably don't know til last minute) so they place has to have a good return policy. 

[Dusty Chalk]

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have indeed passed, but there will still be some good deals.