A computer for your child

Having a computer or laptop these days is a necessity. Having one for school use is important and finding the right device for your child is equally important.

Nat Angeles, who heads the Information & Technology department of TanHoldings, said the determining factors when choosing laptops for students is limited to three things—cost, performance, and portability. “Students do not need a high-end computing device since it is more for internet browsing when doing research and for creating paperwork.”

“Considering the budget without suffering on the performance, mid-range specs are what I would recommend. On top of this, I think it is also important to consider the durability of the unit to make sure that the investment is worth it, thus the brand and model should be also put into consideration,” he added.

Angeles believes that Amazon.com is on top of the list when it comes to purchasing laptops as they always have a better deals compared to any other online retailers. His recommendations include:

• Surface Laptop 2 by Microsoft OS Windows, CPU 8th-gen Intel Core i5-i7, Screen 13.5-inch, memory 8GB-16GB, storage 128 GB up to 1 TB SSD, weight 2.76 lbs, size 12.13 x 8.79 x 0.96 inches, battery life 14.5 hours, and price range $650 to $700
• Microsoft Surface Go OS Windows, CPU Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y, Screen 10-inch. Storage 64GB eMMC-128GB SSD, weight 1.15 lbs, size 12.12x 8.79 x 0.96 inches, battery life 9 hours and price range $399-450.
• Dell i3567-5185BLK-PUS Inspiron Laptop, OS Windows, CPU 7th Gen Core i5, Screen 15.6”, storage 1TB, weight 4.85 lbs, size 0.93 x 10.2 x 14.9 in, battery life 5 hours and price range $498 to $550.
• HP Flagshi, OS Windows, CPU 7th Gen Intel Core i3-7100U, Screen 15.6”, Storage 1TB, weight 4.85 lbs, size 17.42 x 14.4 x 1.73 in, battery life 6.25 hours and price range $420 to $450

If buyers can find laptops under different brands but with same specs locally, those are still good choices, Angeles said. Angeles believes that Amazon.com is on top of the list when it comes to purchasing laptops as they always have a better deals compared to any other online retailers. His recommendations include:

• Surface Laptop 2 by Microsoft OS Windows, CPU 8th-gen Intel Core i5-i7, Screen 13.5-inch, memory 8GB-16GB, storage 128 GB up to 1 TB SSD, weight 2.76 lbs, size 12.13 x 8.79 x 0.96 inches, battery life 14.5 hours, and price range $650 to $700
• Microsoft Surface Go OS Windows, CPU Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y, Screen 10-inch. Storage 64GB eMMC-128GB SSD, weight 1.15 lbs, size 12.12x 8.79 x 0.96 inches, battery life 9 hours and price range $399-450.
• Dell i3567-5185BLK-PUS Inspiron Laptop, OS Windows, CPU 7th Gen Core i5, Screen 15.6”, storage 1TB, weight 4.85 lbs, size 0.93 x 10.2 x 14.9 in, battery life 5 hours and price range $498 to $550.
• HP Flagshi, OS Windows, CPU 7th Gen Intel Core i3-7100U, Screen 15.6”, Storage 1TB, weight 4.85 lbs, size 17.42 x 14.4 x 1.73 in, battery life 6.25 hours and price range $420 to $450

If buyers can find laptops under different brands but with same specs locally, those are still good choices, Angeles said.

Aida Sakurai of Digitech Computer Services in Garapan said that they have had parents come to the store with their children to buy laptops just in time before school opens. “Laptops are in demand before the opening of classes,” she said.

Popular laptop among students are:

• 2017 HP 14” HD SVA WLED with BrightView Backlit Screen Premium High Performance Chromebook, Intel Celeron Processor, 12GB eMMC, GB RAM, 4GB SSD, WIFI, Bluetooth, HDMI, Webcam, USB 3.0, Chrome OS, comes with free Microsoft Office and for only $379.
• ASUS 16.6” Full HD with Touchscreen LED, Intel Integrated Graphics, Intel Penthium Quadcore, 4GB memory hard drive 64 GB eMMC, Wifi/Bluetooth and Chrome OS for only $469.
• ASUS 14” HD LED with AMD Radeon R4 Graphics, processor AMD A6-9225, 4GB memory, 500GB Hard drive, Wifi/Blutooth, Windows 10, free Microsoft Office for only $409.
• HP 15.6 HD SVA BrightView WLED-backlit with Intel Core 13 8th generation, 4 GB + 16 GB (Optane memory = 20GB) 1TB Hard drive, Wifi/bluetooth, windows 10, free Microsoft Office for only $529.
• HP HD SVA WLED Touchscreen, Intel Pentium processor N5000 Quad core, 4 GB memory. 1TB Hard Drive, Wifi/Bluetooth, Windows 10, free Microsoft for only $489.