Suggest Notebook For Daughter
 

A few years ago, I bought my then 8th grade daughter a HP mini netbook, beefed it up with a SSD and extra DRAM, and she used it happily through half of high school. But mini has sustained some damage and much wear and tear, so it is time to buy a replacement.

The parameters are: PC or Mac, an actual computer able to run Windows or MacOS applications, not a "tablet", very small and light (netbook or thin&light size), suitable for a high school kid to carry around in a backpack with heavy books, and $500 or thereabouts. I'll put another SSD in it. Needs to last two years at least. Doesn't need much horsepower.

What's interesting out there? Ultrabook? Netbook? I haven't kept up with PCs. I doubt a MacAir will be cheap enough and a standard MacBook is too big/heavy.

Refurb'd Mac Air. 11" (2011) $749 and you don't have to do the SSD.

I'd go with the macbook air. More $$, but you get what you pay for.

Mac Air
 

Love my Mac Air 13". I will never need another PC.

Don't get me wrong, I like macs, but for my HS kids I bought rather inexpensive laptops $300-350, with the best deal I could find at slickdeals.net

In a HS backpack they are going to get banged around, possibly stolen, etc.... and it only has to last two years. Max out the ram, memory is so cheap these days. You will probably need to get a new one for college, with my kids the schools had specific requirements for the computers.

Even the cheap laptops are powerful enough to run most software..... my two year old $300 Toshiba runs Solidworks fine.

Or check the Dell outlet, and sometimes you can find a 20 or 25% off coupon on Slickdeals. That's how I bought my last laptop: http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/InventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh&brandid =2201&fid=914

The cheaper refurb'd MacAir only has 2GB RAM. Anyone running the latest MacOS on 2GB RAM? How is it?

John, read thru this first...

FixYa outs top user gripes about Ultrabooks and the MacBook Air | PCWorld

I've been getting refurb HP Folio 13s for around $650-700 as they come available.

They have an i5, 4GB, Win7 Pro, 128GB SSD, and run 5 hours + on battery.

The only real downsides for me are the typical 1366x768 screen that 13" ultrabooks typically have, and lack of a touchpoint. I'll just end up getting a Lenovo to solve those problems, though they are over double the price.

If you buy a Dell as a "small business" you get a slightly better grade hardware and an awesome next day on site parts replacement warranty. Does not cover accidental damage, but we've had a screen and a mobo replaced on the daughters laptop.

For "thin and light" but still usable w/ decent performance, I'd look at the 13" & 14" ultrabook segment. For under $600, Vizio's new 14" offering looks like a pretty good bang/buck ratio. The new Dell XPS 13 is a bit more $$, but was a contender when I was looking. I settled on a Samsung Series 9 13". It's pretty sweet, but you definitely pay a premium for "bleeding edge" tech.

Also, keep in mind that you sacrifice other things if you want thin/light (no internal optical drive, etc.).

Staples has decent new laptops for $350 when they change over their stock. HPs with 15 in screens. That's what I get.

another consideration: she will likely stay with whatever general system (mac vs. Windows) she starts out with

I doubt that the ultrabook makers can ever catch Apple - Apple has leveraged the supply chain and can also cut prices at will

Apple makes the very best laptops without a doubt - does she want or need that is the real question...

fwiw, I bought my 18y/o niece a lightly used Dell XT2. (ebay) She loves it.

I liked it so much I found one for myself. 128Gb SSD, 5Gb ram, 64bit, outdoor display with multi-touch and pen input. (it's a convertible tablet.) Both had the additional 'slice battery' which snaps to the base for all day use. The Power supply is tiny. It's a great little travel computer. ~$550 used (add $1k for new)

A convertible - interesting idea. I'm looking at some different models on eBay now. Thinkpad X220?

Nice; an i7 processor! Does she need that?

I went with the Dell because the super bright display. (hard to find on the Thinkpads) Also, the Dell is not that typical high gloss screen, which also helps readability outside in the sun. --not all XT's have the daylight display.

i will also suggest that you get her going on OneNote. --it's great for classes. She can take notes while recording lecture. Then later, just point to a note/graph/diagram and it will recall the audio of when the note/graph/diagram was created. (among other productive tools for class)

There are some convertibles w/o the pen. I really like the pen based versions. (palm-hits go away) And I use Evernote's RitePen, which allows text input anywhere one the screen. (fast)

Need? Nope, her nearly late and soon-to-be lamented Atom netbook was good enough. But I loved my old Thinkpad X41 Tablet so am considering introducing daughter into the awesomeness that is a Thinkpad tablet.

The MacBook Air is the other option, it is a LOT thinner and lighter, her backpack weighs 30 lb already.

heavy packpack on growing child = probems

i agree, its like child soldiers.

Definitely go with the MacBook Air. That will save over a pound in travel weight.

of course if you are considering that price range, I would look at some of the Sony's with CF body.

...or just get the Mac.

Wouldn't that bust your stated budget (I'm not up to speed on current MBA prices)?

FWIW, my Samsung Series 9 13" (np900x3c) is thinner and lighter (by nearly .5lbs) than a MBA. 1600x900 res. matte screen is awesome as well.