laptop for a kid

[slightlyhuman]

My boss is looking for a laptop for xmas for a 12YO.

He had one for $225 with a celeron processor in it. I read a thread here with reports of freezing on youtube videos etc. Is there a laptop under $300 that could be a bit better? Normal use FB/youtube/music but the stuttering on HD playback has me trying to find something better for him while trying to not spend too much.

i3 laptops jump up to $500 pretty quick, was hoping was cheaper:|

 

[sm625]

doh

 

[ultimatebob]

First off, don't offer computer advice to your boss. If the system ever breaks, you're on the hook for tech support. It doesn't matter that you didn't buy it for him... you were the one dumb enough to recommend it

That said, you can get a Core i3 laptop for a lot less than $500 on Black Friday. Here is a whole list of deals to look at:

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridaySales/Category/Laptops

 

[frozentundra123456]

I got an i3 laptop for my wife for 360.00 on sale at best buy. It is kind of cheaply made, but is plenty fast and runs really cool, in contrast to other laptops my family has had. I think even an ivy/haswell pentium should handle those uses quite well. Actually, I think even an atom or kabini should handle those uses, but I would avoid them simply because the big core laptops are not that much more expensive.

 

[slightlyhuman]

I hear you on the boss comment! However, fortunately he's a pretty rad dude. I figured a celeron would be ok with just regular web use and everything else but the video stuttering is something that would ruin the purchase knowing kids these days.

I've had a few intel atom processors, pretty bad stuff. Always wanted to throw an SSD on it with windows XP but never got around to it.

I told him if he wasn't worried about the presenting it to her in a box to order a refurb for $300 and he would get plenty of computer. Perhaps add a warranty from the egg for $50. I think he's wanting it NIB so he might have to spend more than 3 bills to get better hardware.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I hear you on the boss comment! However, fortunately he's a pretty rad dude. I figured a celeron would be ok with just regular web use and everything else but the video stuttering is something that would ruin the purchase knowing kids these days.

I've had a few intel atom processors, pretty bad stuff. Always wanted to throw an SSD on it with windows XP but never got around to it.

I told him if he wasn't worried about the presenting it to her in a box to order a refurb for $300 and he would get plenty of computer. Perhaps add a warranty from the egg for $50. I think he's wanting it NIB so he might have to spend more than 3 bills to get better hardware.

There are real celerons(big core haswell) and "fake" celerons(atom). I think a big core celeron should handle video playback with no problem. An atom celeron could be more problematic. But you still should be able to get a pentium for around 300 dollars on sale.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Try to find a Lenovo x131e - the cheap ones are AMD chips to avoid, but there was a Celeron 1007U model and a more expensive variant with a full blown i3 CPU. Either of those would be pretty kick-butt, as long as the kid isn't too into gaming.

The machine itself is a ruggedized education-market laptop. I use one to run my CNC machine and it's pretty decent.

 

[Blue_Max]

I'd just offer the advice of avoiding those cheap-o chips for very low end machine... Intel Atom and J####, or the AMD E1 or E2, etc.

If it's not an Intel i3/i5 or AMD A6/A8/A10, you don't want it.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'd just offer the advice of avoiding those cheap-o chips for very low end machine... Intel Atom and J####, or the AMD E1 or E2, etc.

If it's not an Intel i3/i5 or AMD A6/A8/A10, you don't want it.

Seconded. When you only have 2 cores, single-threaded performance actually matters more.

 

[sm625]

Careful with the AMD A8, that too can be a cat core (ie like atom).

 

[Blue_Max]

Careful with the AMD A8, that too can be a cat core (ie like atom).

I knew the A4's were anemic... I didn't know there were A8's to avoid as well!

The worst A8 can't possibly be as weak (per core) as the E-series chips.... can they?

 

[John Connor]

Seconded. When you only have 2 cores, single-threaded performance actually matters more.

I have a dual core laptop and it plays video fine. Watching YouTube, playing Netflix, etc.

 

[Blue_Max]

How many bets says the boss' "videos" really meant GAMES.

 

[alkemyst]

I'd just offer the advice of avoiding those cheap-o chips for very low end machine... Intel Atom and J####, or the AMD E1 or E2, etc.

If it's not an Intel i3/i5 or AMD A6/A8/A10, you don't want it.

Core2Duo's still make for a great video, web, email laptop for kids.

My 12 year old loves his IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad T60. The only thing it hasn't played that he wanted is Goat Simulator...which should work based on specs but doesn't.

 

[xgsound]

My local Sam's Club has a Dell 15 with 4 GB, I3u, DVD, 2 USB2, 1 USB3, and HDMI for $399. It is substantial, well under $500, and no lines yet. Even though it's not a great deal it will do if you can not find better.

Jim

 

[Sohaltang]

Sounds like you need a tablet. Will likely end up with a better abeit smaller screen. The activities you listed would be smooth as butter. Is the laptop actually used for anything that requires the extra weight , heat, and power consumption?

 

[alkemyst]

Sounds like you need a tablet. Will likely end up with a better abeit smaller screen. The activities you listed would be smooth as butter. Is the laptop actually used for anything that requires the extra weight , heat, and power consumption?

My 11 year old (now he is 12) has a tablet, but it doesn't work so well for his online homework/games for school.

 

[Sohaltang]

My 11 year old (now he is 12) has a tablet, but it doesn't work so well for his online homework/games for school.

Some are better than others. I see crappy Win RT tablets with a keyboard at high level business meetings. They do have office so I guess they are functional in that respect.

 

[fire400]

fvck.. just now i picked up on ebay, t410s i5 nVidia for $130 shipped, no hdd, no ram

ultra-bay caddy: free
w/ssd: $37 (ebay)

ram: 4gbx1 ($25 on FS/TR forum)

OS: free (win7-COA)

power adapter: ($10)

max price: $202

m0therVken_aw3some..

p.s. I've set up a lot of A6-4GB-ram laptops with SSD's on w7 and w8.1, and I'm going to be very frank, the A6 is "trash" in the OS environments.

if you're thinking XPmini OS, it's fast, but the software engine is not built for native hardware superiority.
XP on a newer system, will suffer, even with an SSD, even if you manage to find drivers for it, because of the lack of software engineering support for native conditioning.

sub $300: the "Lenovo ideapad i3" (search ebay) with an i3 will be able to handle XP, but an SSD w/manual trim may not promise anything fascinating.

 

[alkemyst]

fvck.. just now i picked up on ebay, t410s i5 nVidia for $130 shipped, no hdd, no ram

ultra-bay caddy: free
w/ssd: $37 (ebay)

ram: 4gbx1 ($25 on FS/TR forum)

OS: free (win7-COA)

power adapter: ($10)

max price: $202

m0therVken_aw3some..

p.s. I've set up a lot of A6-4GB-ram laptops with SSD's on w7 and w8.1, and I'm going to be very frank, the A6 is "trash" in the OS environments.

if you're thinking XPmini OS, it's fast, but the software engine is not built for native hardware superiority.
XP on a newer system, will suffer, even with an SSD, even if you manage to find drivers for it, because of the lack of software engineering support for native conditioning.

sub $300: the "Lenovo ideapad i3" (search ebay) with an i3 will be able to handle XP, but an SSD w/manual trim may not promise anything fascinating.

That's a good deal if it's not beat to death.