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Good laptop and netbook brands

balloonshark

balloonshark

Diamond Member
My sister is wanting to get my nieces a laptop and netbook for X-mas. The laptop is for the 13 year old and the netbook will be for the 2nd grader. She is wanting to get the cheapest ones she can find.

They will mostly be using the machines for surfing and homework so they don't have to be powerful. I would like the laptop to have two cores if possible. If you think a ipad substitute would be better than a netbook for my younger niece please include suggestions for them.

What are some of the good brands for the lowest priced models?

What brands should we avoid?

If you happen to see a good one on sale post it up and I'll let her know so she can grab it.

Thanks
 
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I assume you mean netbook when you say notebook.

Past that.... I would say go for the cheapest, potentially even used things you can get. The 13 year old might be able to take care of it, but ultimately these are for children, and spending more than the minimum is folly in my opinion.
 
Yes, I meant netbook. Thanks for the correction. I fixed my original post.

I was also thinking refurb or scratch and dent myself but my sister is hard headed. She's going to buy new rigs for them with or without my help so I'm just trying to get the girls the best machines I can.
 
balloonshark said:
Yes, I meant netbook. Thanks for the correction. I fixed my original post.

I was also thinking refurb or scratch and dent myself but my sister is hard headed. She's going to buy new rigs for them with or without my help so I'm just trying to get the girls the best machines I can.
Click to expand...

If I were to get a netbook, I would get an HP, but that is just me. Someone more tuned into PC brands would probably be a better help.
 
asus in general has rock-solid build quality, but as a result are somewhat heavier than most netbooks out there. Acer is the exact opposite and are the lightest, but are a bit more flimsy.
 
Asus. I have a Asus 1000he netbook that has seen constant use and been abused quite a bit and its still kicking after like 2 years. Also has an excellent keyboard and screen for a cheap netbook. Haven't been able to look at any modern Asus ones but I've always had good experiences with the brand in the past both for notebooks and motherboards as well as RMA service.
 
Despite what people tell you, almost all prebuilt computers including laptops come from the same company in china who makes them all, for every company. Product differentiation has really become moot.

If I were you I'd focus on 2 things besides value:

1) Best warranty and warranty ratings (consult consumer reports for this)
2) Onsite service/repair.

You know the 13 year old will drop it several times and the 7 year old probably will throw it 50 times.
 
Thanks for the input on ASUS. It was one of the brands that I had no info on. It would be nice if I could find one for the right price soon.

LxMxFxD4 said:
If I were you I'd focus on 2 things besides value:

1) Best warranty and warranty ratings (consult consumer reports for this)
2) Onsite service/repair.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. This would probably save me some headaches also since I'm the "geek" of the family.
 
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