60ish year old nun seeks first laptop

RugbyFan · 23-02-2009 11:25PM #1

Hi,

The aforementioned nun is a primary school teacher in who works with my wife.

The school have just fefitted a computer room, are about to get an mobile interactive white board and she has decided she needs to become computer literate.

Budget: She's been told she can get a laptop for €500 so there or thereabouts would seem to be the budget

Intended use: Word/Powerpoint/Internet/Interactive online education content

Mobility: Not too heavy for a 60ish year old nun to carry around - having said that she is very active.

Warranty: Not sure what is standard here - 1 yr onsite, 3 yr return to base would probably be more than sufficient.

Can you help her find her first laptop?

Overheal · 23-02-2009 11:27PM

Maybe a macbook? arent they supposed to be very noob friendly?

Ghost Train · 23-02-2009 11:32PM

15" dell inspiron. Good support and decent build quality
Or maybe a vostro... since they're black

Macbook would be a fair bit more expensive

Alanstrainor · 23-02-2009 11:34PM

Overheal wrote: »

Maybe a macbook? arent they supposed to be very noob friendly?

Not really on budget and i'm going to guess that the computer room is running windows based machines, so getting a mac wouldn't make too much sense.

Umiq88 · 24-02-2009 11:47AM

Microsoft office is expensive allow at least €100 for a educational copy unless the school already has licenses for it.

FruitLover · 24-02-2009 12:04PM

A netbook would probably do.

Is there a valid reason for an educational institution to be using expensive MS Office software when Openoffice is free?

Voodu Child · 24-02-2009 12:42PM

I wouldnt agree with the netbook suggestion, a 60 year old doesnt really want to be squinting at a 9" screen or fiddling with a tiny trackpad.

There are several models of Lenovo N500 available for €500 and less. It's a good spec 15" laptop, should be reliable and well made. Definitely one of the best value laptops at the moment spec-for-spec. It won't be 'light' but so long as she's not carrying it around all day it shouldn't be a problem.Dabs.ie have a couple, and some other Irish sellers such as elara.ie might have them too.

FruitLover · 25-02-2009 03:12AM

voodoo_child wrote: »

I wouldnt agree with the netbook suggestion, a 60 year old doesnt really want to be squinting at a 9" screen or fiddling with a tiny trackpad.

'Netbook' doesn't need to mean tiny, it's more a reflection of reduced power/functionality. Have a look at the MSI X-Slim X320.

Alanstrainor · 25-02-2009 09:22AM

FruitLover wrote: »

'Netbook' doesn't need to mean tiny, it's more a reflection of reduced power/functionality. Have a look at the MSI X-Slim X320.

In fairness, the raison d'etre of netbooks was that they were small and cheap, the above isn't a netbook, despite what MSI say, it's as large as a small laptop and just as expensive one.

luckat · 25-02-2009 09:29AM

Take it easy, lads - 60 isn't exactly decrepit!

Of course a school should be using Office - it's the suite that will be most essential to the kids in getting work when they leave. I scarcely use it myself, but if you go into any workplace, there it still is.

I'd second the Dell suggestion - or a Toshiba. Personally I'd get a MacBook (a friend recently got a nice secondhand one on adverts.ie) - but again, if she wants to use the same as the kids in the school are using, she's better with a Windows-based machine.

랴연 · 25-02-2009 09:34AM

luckat wrote: »

Of course a school should be using Office - it's the suite that will be most essential to the kids in getting work when they leave. I scarcely use it myself, but if you go into any workplace, there it still is.

Anyone who can learn office can learn OpenOffice. To 90% of users theres absolutely f-all difference.

Whats she possibly going to be doing ? writing VB macros ? :P

I'd suggest a nice cheap Dell with a large-ish screen.

60ish year old nun seeks first laptop

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