Light laptops
Tablets are great, but what if you need something with a larger screen and a keyboard for typing?
For that, you need to turn to a laptop, and these are much smaller, lighter, and less expensive than they ever have been.
HP Stream 11
Price: $299
One of the more unique looking computers this year, the HP Stream 11 offers a matte screen, a decent build managing 1.28 kilograms, and a style that makes the computer look less like another beige or black box and more like something your kids will want to hold. An excellent keyboard helps this computer, making it one of those machines the kids will find comfortable to type on.
Asus X205TA
Price: $329
The Asus equivalent to the Stream 11 offers similar technology and a glossy screen, but manages to cut the weight down in ways few laptops can. Yes, this is one laptop that actually hits under one kilogram, fetching 980 grams and making it an easy option for the little ones who need a keyboard and don’t care that they won’t be touching the screen.
Acer C720 Chromebook
Price: $399
We’re not sure how many schools won’t have any required software for the kids to install, but if the kids don’t need much to work with — much more than a web browser, anyway — Acer’s Chromebook will offer a stable web browser that can’t really get viruses and includes a free office application that is always backing itself up.
Dell Inspiron 11 3000
Price: $599
Take the specs from most of the machines here and add a touchscreen, because that’s pretty much what Dell is offering in the Inspiron 11 3000, an 11 inch computer that packs in a 500GB hard drive and Windows 8, with a hinge that can turn the Dell into a tablet, albeit one that weights 1.39 kilograms.
A little more oomph
Kids aren’t the only ones that’ll need a computer this year, and if it’s time to get an upgrade for the high school intending to tackle the world’s problems in computing, game development, graphic arts, fashion, or anything else that requires more than just a word processor, this computers will help.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
Price: from $979
Microsoft’s take on the tablet has always grabbed attention, and with the Surface 3, we think Microsoft has practically nailed the way things should be when it comes to a full blown content creation and content consumption computer. Paired with the keyboard cover, the Surface 3 is a solid option for students who need to get school work done with a Windows computer, and yet don’t want a massive machine to take with them.
Apple MacBook Pro 13 with Retina
Price: from $1599
Thin and light, Apple’s 13 inch MacBook Pro is due for an upgrade this year, but it’s still powering on with 128GB solid-state storage, up to nine hours of battery life, and enough grunt to let you run not just Mac, but also Windows too if you need to.
Read our review (based on the 15 inch model)…
HP Omen 15
Price: from $2199
Made for gaming and applications that need a massive amount of grunt, HP’s 15 inch Omen packs in the specs to a 15 inch computer that won’t push the backs of people, coming in at just 2.28 kilograms, which is light when you’re talking about 15 inch gaming computers.
Once you’ve picked your computer, you’ll need some software. Some schools might cater for that, but not all, so what do you do? Read on to find out.
