Laptop for kids ? Help

Myfamily4ever wrote: ↑ Please I’m looking to buy 2 laptops for kids for Distance learning !!
I want a 15 for screen less than 350$ If possible
Please if you have any advice that will be appreciated.
Thank you

I would recommend an inexpensive Chromebook. The kids can't really cause any issues like they can with Windows, Mac, or Linux. The only thing that you would need to "worry" about is if scholastically the school/institution requires specialized software to be installed on the computer or if your kids need to take an exam on the laptop via the Lockdown Browser which Chromebooks currently still don't support.

It is a lot easier to fix a Chromebook issue than it is to fix an issue with Windows, a Mac, or Linux where depending on what your kids do, they might delete/move critical files which can cause all sorts of problems and unusual behavior.

Thank you for you answer !
A good Chromebook what i should be looking on ?
My kids use Google classroom so I’m looking for the cheapest as you mentioned they can easily messed up with files ! (6 and 7 years !)
So forget MacBook or anything expensive !!
If someone can help please with experiences

how about older Thinkpad T series? they are indestructible physically

I bought an asus chromebook last x-mas for under $400- love it...super fast & no more long windows updates.

Myfamily4ever wrote: ↑ Please I’m looking to buy 2 laptops for kids for Distance learning !!
I want a 15 for screen less than 350$ If possible
Please if you have any advice that will be appreciated.
Thank you

$229.99 shipped ( open box - 1 year warranty )

Sold and shipped by Best Buy
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... x/14321027 [soldout]

ASUS C523 15.6" Chromebook (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Chrome OS) - Open Box

15.6-inch HD display with a ultra-narrow NanoEdge bezel has a native resolution of 1366 x 768 and an anti-glare coating for crisp and clear viewing

Another option is to get a laptop + monitor combo ( easier on the eyes ). Maybe get the laptop above and this combo ( < $615 + tax total)

$259.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [soldout]
Lenovo IdeaPad 14" Laptop - Platinum Grey (AMD Athlon Silver 3050e/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Windows 10 S)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/le ... s/14934418 ( this laptop has HDMI output)


$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [sold out]
ASUS VivoBook L203NA 11.6" Laptop (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Win 10 S) [w/ HDMI port]- Open Box
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... x/15003159

$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [ no HDMI port just USB-C for display output] - SALE ends: Jan 7, 2021
ASUS C204EE 11.6" Chromebook - Dark Grey (Intel Celeron N4020/32GB eMMC4GB RAM/Chrome OS)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... s/15045647

$9.00 shipped (Item location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)
INSIGNIA 6ft USB-C to 4K HDMI Cable + Official VELCRO® Tie Wrap
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/INSIGNIA-6ft-US ... Sw2mhfuYBT


$119.99 shipped [sold out / not available]
Lenovo L23i-18 23 inch WLED backlight + In-Plane Switching Monitor (HDMI)
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessorie ... 65D1KCC1US


$115.20 shipped -Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
ViewSonic VA2246MH-LED 22 Inch Full HD 1080p LED Monitor with HDMI and VGA
https://www.amazon.ca/ViewSonic-VA2246M ... =677246011


$8.24 shipped if purchase w/ monitor above (Amazon.ca) - Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
C&E High Speed HDMI Cable Supports Ethernet, 3D and Audio Return [Newest Standard], 1.5 Feet, 2-Pack, CNE70378 (male to male)
https://www.amazon.ca/Supports-Ethernet ... =1-22&th=1

Myfamily4ever wrote: ↑ Thank you for you answer !
A good Chromebook what i should be looking on ?
My kids use Google classroom so I’m looking for the cheapest as you mentioned they can easily messed up with files ! (6 and 7 years !)
So forget MacBook or anything expensive !!
If someone can help please with experiences

It depends what you want in your Chromebook in terms of what you should look for and how much you should pay.

I'm on my second Chromebook (first Chromebook didn't die and still works albeit very sluggish but no longer receives updates). My current Chromebook is an ASUS Chromebook with touchscreen. I find it to be as fast as my desktop computer when doing things on the web/browser and it boots up WAY faster than my Windows computer.

The only thing with Chromebooks is that they have a "limited life" for updates. Their update life is dependent on the date the manufacturer released that particular model of Chromebook and is not based on the time you purchased your Chromebook. This is normally ~6 years from when the manufacturer released that particular model of Chromebook. Once the "life" is over, you can continue to use your Chromebook but won't get any additional security updates nor will the Chrome browser be updated on your Chromebook. What this means is that certain websites will not work as the version of Chrome on the Chromebook gets older. For example, my old Chromebook can still play YouTube videos but can't play videos from CTV website anymore. On CTV's website, it will indicate that the browser is too old and it requires Chrome to be a minimum of a certain version. A Windows computer will have a longer "life" than a Chromebook since once the OS can no longer be updated, generally the browser will/can still be updated for a few years after that.

My current Chromebook was in the neighbourhood of $500 when I purchased it and I'm very happy with my purchase. You can get a Chromebook for under what I paid depending on what you're looking for. What will increase the price of the Chromebook will primarily be screen size, whether the screen is touchscreen, the CPU speed, and the amount of memory along with the features of the Chromebook (for example, my Chromebook has the 360 degree hinges on the screen which allows me to turn the lid completely around so it behaves like a tablet).

I also let friends use my Chromebook without "standing over their shoulder" and worrying if they might delete/move files accidentally or download "junk" or install "junk" on my computer. To fix a Chromebook issue (outside of a hardware issue) will take under 10 minutes so it is excellent computer if giving it to someone who isn't technical and mainly uses it to browse the internet. The same can't be said about a Windows or Mac problem where a person can accidentally delete/move files or get malware or a virus all of which causing problems on their computer which can be very time consuming to fix. Depending on the issue, reinstalling a Chromebook takes under 10 minutes while reinstalling Windows will take a few hours to a few days.

If you're being relied upon to support the computer (I had to support my sister's computer and she wasn't technical but knew where the address bar of a browser was and how to browse the internet), when she had a Windows computer, it was aggravating trying to support it whereas now that she has a Chromebook, support is a lot easier since if I couldn't figure out how to fix it (like remove a browser homepage hijack, or malware pop-ups on the browser, etc.), I simply instruct her on how to "reformat & reinstall" ChromeOS so it is back to factory defaults and this takes under 10 minutes. On a Windows computer, a "reformat & reinstall" will take hours/days and I wouldn't recommend anyone who isn't technical to do this.

the2ndme wrote: ↑ Another option is to get a laptop + monitor combo ( easier on the eyes ). Maybe get the laptop above and this combo ( < $615 + tax total)

$259.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [soldout]
Lenovo IdeaPad 14" Laptop - Platinum Grey (AMD Athlon Silver 3050e/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Windows 10 S)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/le ... s/14934418 ( this laptop has HDMI output)


$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy
ASUS VivoBook L203NA 11.6" Laptop (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Win 10 S) [w/ HDMI port]- Open Box
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... x/15003159


$119.99 shipped
Lenovo L23i-18 23 inch WLED backlight + In-Plane Switching Monitor (HDMI)
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessorie ... 65D1KCC1US


$115.20 shipped -Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
ViewSonic VA2246MH-LED 22 Inch Full HD 1080p LED Monitor with HDMI and VGA
https://www.amazon.ca/ViewSonic-VA2246M ... =677246011


$8.24 shipped if purchase w/ monitor above (Amazon.ca) - Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
C&E High Speed HDMI Cable Supports Ethernet, 3D and Audio Return [Newest Standard], 1.5 Feet, 2-Pack, CNE70378 (male to male)
https://www.amazon.ca/Supports-Ethernet ... =1-22&th=1

boxing day special

$99.99shipped
Dell 22 Monitor: SE2219H [w/HDMI port]
https://deals.dell.com/en-ca/productdetail/6yfl

the2ndme wrote: ↑ Another option is to get a laptop + monitor combo ( easier on the eyes ). Maybe get the laptop above and this combo ( < $615 + tax total)

$259.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [soldout]
Lenovo IdeaPad 14" Laptop - Platinum Grey (AMD Athlon Silver 3050e/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Windows 10 S)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/le ... s/14934418 ( this laptop has HDMI output)


$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy
ASUS VivoBook L203NA 11.6" Laptop (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Win 10 S) [w/ HDMI port]- Open Box
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... x/15003159


$119.99 shipped [sold out / not available]
Lenovo L23i-18 23 inch WLED backlight + In-Plane Switching Monitor (HDMI)
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessorie ... 65D1KCC1US


$115.20 shipped -Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
ViewSonic VA2246MH-LED 22 Inch Full HD 1080p LED Monitor with HDMI and VGA
https://www.amazon.ca/ViewSonic-VA2246M ... =677246011


$8.24 shipped if purchase w/ monitor above (Amazon.ca) - Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
C&E High Speed HDMI Cable Supports Ethernet, 3D and Audio Return [Newest Standard], 1.5 Feet, 2-Pack, CNE70378 (male to male)
https://www.amazon.ca/Supports-Ethernet ... =1-22&th=1

$99.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy ( SALE ends: December 31, 2020)
LG 21.5" FHD 75Hz 5ms GTG IPS LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (22MN430H-B) - Black [ HDMI Cable included ]
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/lg ... lsrc=aw.ds

the2ndme wrote: ↑ Another option is to get a laptop + monitor combo ( easier on the eyes ). Maybe get the laptop above and this combo ( < $615 + tax total)

$259.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [soldout]
Lenovo IdeaPad 14" Laptop - Platinum Grey (AMD Athlon Silver 3050e/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Windows 10 S)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/le ... s/14934418 ( this laptop has HDMI output)


$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [sold out]
ASUS VivoBook L203NA 11.6" Laptop (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350/64GB eMMC/4GB RAM/Win 10 S) [w/ HDMI port]- Open Box
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... x/15003159

$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [ no HDMI port just USB-C for display output] - SALE ends: December 31, 2020
ASUS C204EE 11.6" Chromebook - Dark Grey (Intel Celeron N4020/32GB eMMC4GB RAM/Chrome OS)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... s/15045647

$12.50 shipped (Item location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)
INSIGNIA 6ft USB-C to 4K HDMI Cable + Official VELCRO® Tie Wrap
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/INSIGNIA-6ft-US ... Sw2mhfuYBT


$119.99 shipped [sold out / not available]
Lenovo L23i-18 23 inch WLED backlight + In-Plane Switching Monitor (HDMI)
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessorie ... 65D1KCC1US


$115.20 shipped -Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
ViewSonic VA2246MH-LED 22 Inch Full HD 1080p LED Monitor with HDMI and VGA
https://www.amazon.ca/ViewSonic-VA2246M ... =677246011


$8.24 shipped if purchase w/ monitor above (Amazon.ca) - Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
C&E High Speed HDMI Cable Supports Ethernet, 3D and Audio Return [Newest Standard], 1.5 Feet, 2-Pack, CNE70378 (male to male)
https://www.amazon.ca/Supports-Ethernet ... =1-22&th=1

Currently the best combo I can find ...

$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [ no HDMI port just USB-C for display output] - SALE ends: Jan 7, 2021
ASUS C204EE 11.6" Chromebook - Dark Grey (Intel Celeron N4020/32GB eMMC4GB RAM/Chrome OS)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... s/15045647

$9.00 shipped (Item location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)
INSIGNIA 6ft USB-C to 4K HDMI Cable + Official VELCRO® Tie Wrap
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/INSIGNIA-6ft-US ... Sw2mhfuYBT

$99.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy ( SALE ends: December 31, 2020)
LG 21.5" FHD 75Hz 5ms GTG IPS LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (22MN430H-B) - Black [ HDMI to HDMI Cable included ]
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/lg ... lsrc=aw.ds

I just ordered the ASUS C204EE for my 11 year old son. Looks perfect for Google Classroom. Also can pick-up at store...with everything going on it isn't too viable to order something that has to be shipped and hope it arrives in time for when classes start up online in mid-January.

The around $200 - $250 chromebooks are good for school.

Another option is to install Neverware Cloud Ready on older windows laptop if have. It'll make old laptop into a close approximation of a chromebook but no access to google play store. They are now a Google owned company. Just need to make USB installer from website below and then install. All instructions on their website.

https://www.neverware.com/

There is option to install chromeos on windows laptop that gives access to play store but more complicated then above.

the2ndme wrote: ↑ Currently the best combo I can find ...

$229.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy [ no HDMI port just USB-C for display output] - SALE ends: Jan 7, 2021
ASUS C204EE 11.6" Chromebook - Dark Grey (Intel Celeron N4020/32GB eMMC4GB RAM/Chrome OS)
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/as ... s/15045647

$9.00 shipped (Item location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)
INSIGNIA 6ft USB-C to 4K HDMI Cable + Official VELCRO® Tie Wrap
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/INSIGNIA-6ft-US ... Sw2mhfuYBT

$99.99 shipped - Sold and shipped by Best Buy ( SALE ends: December 31, 2020)
LG 21.5" FHD 75Hz 5ms GTG IPS LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (22MN430H-B) - Black [ HDMI to HDMI Cable included ]
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/lg ... lsrc=aw.ds

$ 89.99 shipped - Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca
ViewSonic VX2252MH 22 Inch 2ms 60Hz 1080p Gaming Monitor with HDMI DVI and VGA Inputs, Black, 22-Inch [ dual built-in 2W stereo speakers ]
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00EZSUWFG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_