Cheapest Laptop Possible for teaching

pedatron

Lads I'm looking at buying a laptop for school out of my own pocket as the one supplied by the school is absolutely melting my head. It's well over 10 years old, is incapable of playing any video and any programme on it barely chugs open and sounds like an old jet engine.

I use it for the interactive whiteboard which is VGA but can get a HDMI to VGA for a few euro. Other than that I'd use it for Video, word processing, interactive games and the interactive whiteboard software with maybe a few other bits.

Absolute top money I would spend is €200 incl delivery and accessories needed. With a bit of googling I came up with the HP Stream 11 @ £149 online. Good or bad idea?

Would buying a second hand laptop be a bad idea at this price level? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. P.

Digital Solitude

Has to be Windows does it?

Second hand from a private seller is likely to get you the best price

pedatron

For it to run software I need it has to be windows yeah.

Is Adverts the best for second hand? Is that HP Stream even worth considering do you think?

Solitaire

At this price range you're either looking at something old and second-hand or a Win8.1 faketop. And faketops are terrible - after all, take a low-end smartphone, hide it in a heavy laptop chassis and remove all the phone bits - the good bits - and you're left with something that can barely run even the most basic Windows applications.

The Stream isn't even that bad (relatively speaking), and as a netbook-sized faketop its also very portable. But like all faketops it can't really run "ordinary" applications, as it only has enough CPU power to run tablet-oriented software and special cut-down "portable" versions of regular Microsoft apps. So its unlikely that any faketop in your price range will be able to run your intended software without issues.

pedatron

Solitaire wrote:

The Stream isn't even that bad (relatively speaking), and as a netbook-sized faketop its also very portable. But like all faketops it can't really run "ordinary" applications, as it only has enough CPU power to run tablet-oriented software and special cut-down "portable" versions of regular Microsoft apps. So its unlikely that any faketop in your price range will be able to run your intended software without issues.

Solitaire wrote:

At this price range you're either looking at something old and second-hand or a Win8.1 faketop. And faketops are terrible - after all, take a low-end smartphone, hide it in a heavy laptop chassis and remove all the phone bits - the good bits - and you're left with something that can barely run even the most basic Windows applications.

Solitaire wrote:

At this price range you're either looking at something old and second-hand or a Win8.1 faketop. And faketops are terrible - after all, take a low-end smartphone, hide it in a heavy laptop chassis and remove all the phone bits - the good bits - and you're left with something that can barely run even the most basic Windows applications.

Solitaire wrote:

The Stream isn't even that bad (relatively speaking), and as a netbook-sized faketop its also very portable. But like all faketops it can't really run "ordinary" applications, as it only has enough CPU power to run tablet-oriented software and special cut-down "portable" versions of regular Microsoft apps. So its unlikely that any faketop in your price range will be able to run your intended software without issues.

Thanks for the reply. I absolutely understand what you mean about it being underpowered alright but atm I'm working with a laptop that struggles to open a bloody word document by itself.


The school is broke and won't be refreshing the laptops for a few more years so I'm thinking something like that could tide me over til then? All I'll need is a browser, fairly simple whiteboard software and word running all at once maybe.

RossieMan

If its fr a school, why not try and very some fundraising going? You might only get 100 more but would significantly increase your options. 200 won't buy you anything decent.

Serephucus

€200 will get you a HP Stream. Having used one, they're actually not that bad, and would certainly be better than the thing you're currently using by the sounds of it, but you would get more bang for your buck (most-likely) with a second-hand machine.

pedatron

http://www.adverts.ie/laptops/dell-laptop-latitude-e6320-windows-10-pro/8952316?notification=f02c2a128b48bac4b87d905063478d89-1443378356#comment_56691547

Maybe something like this if the price is right? It's close to where I live also.

Seriously still considering a HP Stream 11 as well. Thanks for all the help!

Digital Solitude

That one you've linked is a very sound machine tbh

pedatron

Digital Solitude wrote: »

That one you've linked is a very sound machine tbh

Looks grand doesn't it? Making sure I wasn't missing anything. Might make an offer. Turned down €200 already on it.

Xenoronin

I got a similar machine for my brother for 200. It had the B950 pentium processor though. It is working grand for him. That would be a good laptop for around 240 offered. I researched upgrading the processor on the one I got and it comes in around 50 quid.

pedatron

Offered €230 and it was accepted. Collected this evening and looking good so far! Only one usb port though? Funny! will keep ye posted on how it goes. Thanks for all the help anyway!

battlestar

AtlanticIT on adverts does reconditioned ex-corporation fleet machines

Skerries

pedatron wrote: »

Offered €230 and it was accepted. Collected this evening and looking good so far! Only one usb port though? Funny! will keep ye posted on how it goes. Thanks for all the help anyway!

you can use the e-sata as a usb connection

pedatron

Skerries wrote: »

you can use the e-sata as a usb connection

Brilliant! Totally did not know you could do that! Thank you! I've gone very bold and ordered RAM and a small SSD for this now too. Turning into a right little project/machine!

Xenoronin

4 GB was grand tbh, but no harm in bumping it up to 8. SSD will make the world of difference If you get an enclosure you can use that HDD as a backup hard drive

pedatron

Crucial SSD and RAM arrived this morning. Having trouble getting the SATA to USB cable to recognise the new SSD so I can clone over the HHD in the computer. Any ideas? Feel like I'm missing something super obvious.