BYOD for High School

Lberryhouse on 03/01/2014 - 09:43

I am looking for a BYOD for my son to take to High School.

The School has advised that the Wi-Fi installed in high schools operates on the 802.11n 5Ghz standard. They have also stated that devices marketed as 802.11bgn probably do not support the required standard.
Must have Windows 7 or above.
A minimum of 6hrs battery life to last the school day.
A minimum of 4gb RAM.
10.8 inch or larger screen.

The school has recommended Lenovo X131e, Dell Latitude 3330 and Acer B115 as basic models.

I would like a touch screen if possible.

I have been Googling and have been to the Harvey Norman, JB's etc but get stuck with the Wi-Fi thing.

I would really appreciate it anyone could help me with perhaps some other brands and models which would work on the schools Wi-Fi.

Thank you

Find Me A Bargain

Comments

  • Daabido on 03/01/2014 - 09:47
    +1

    I assume you are talking about a computer but would you explain to me what BYOD means? Maybe I just haven't had my morning coffee.

    I would think that most modern computers support 5 Ghz wireless n, but they are usually market as bgn because they support wireless b, g and n standards. Wireless n can run over 2.4 or 5 GHz, so that is really the question you should be asking. Can this computer do wireless n at 5 Ghz?

    • berryhouse on 03/01/2014 - 09:51
      +1

      Sorry, BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device. The Government has stopped handing out the laptops so the schools have introduced BYOD policies. The Wi-Fi requirement seems to be the biggest problem as there are heaps of basic netbooks/laptops but they don't have the wireless compatibility.

      • BuyoTheCat on 03/01/2014 - 09:57
        +47

        If it was Bring your Own device, I would bring a PS4

        • berryhouse on 03/01/2014 - 09:58
          +4

          hahaha my son would love to take his Xbox if they'd let him.

      • Daabido on 03/01/2014 - 09:59
        +1

        Just narrow down half a dozen of your favourites and either google the model numbers or ask them in store if it does Wireless n at 5 Ghz. They probably won't know and will have to look it up on google themselves.

      • bich.light on 04/01/2014 - 21:17
        -6

        What kind of netbook doesn't have wireless compatibility? lol

        • _Bruce_ on 05/01/2014 - 07:20
          +2

          Try reading what the thread is about.

        • stumo on 05/01/2014 - 18:52
          +16

          What kind of school installs a 5Ghz only network?

        • bich.light on 05/01/2014 - 21:03

          Wow. That's pretty… sneaky?
          Thanks for the heads-up.

          I read "CONNECTION: WiFi 802.11 (b,g,n)"
          and I assume it's all good with the modem/router if it supports the modes b,g and n.

          Now there is a 5Ghz one?

          They should've just named it a new letter, I mean they have a fair few letters of the alphabet to go.

        • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2014 - 00:00
          -4

          5Ghz carries through buildings far better. Obviously they never thought they'd get stuck with the horrible idea that BYOD is.

          I'm sure parents would much rather have a person who knows what they're doing buy in bulk ~100-500 devices that cost at least 30% less and have warranty which the school takes care of. BYOD is the school thinking they are saving money but they will easily pay it back trying to support 100 different devices when they could just use the ol' reload with system image.

        • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2014 - 10:11
          +12

          Actually 5Ghz has poorer penetration.

        • dannii on 06/01/2014 - 23:39

          Well my school does.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2014 - 13:21

          @LoopyLou I had a look, you got me there

      • altomic on 16/01/2014 - 14:33

        phewww, with the downtrun in school quality, and how ACA/TT portray students, I was assuming it Bring Your Own Drugs.

    • littleDealFish on 06/01/2014 - 18:31

      You are correct in that wireless n supports both 2.4ghz and 5ghz, (with a dual band router of course) my advice would be purchase the laptop you like, and run it to see how it goes - i find it hard to believe there is only wireless 5ghz. Unless the network technician has disabled it..

      To quote a good source:

      "5GHz and 2.4GHz are simply different frequencies, each with its advantages and disadvantages. To get the best of both worlds, some recent routers have the capability for dual-band operation in both ranges simultaneously. 5GHz offers higher throughput at a shorter distance, while 2.4GHz offers increased coverage and higher solid object penetration."

      Even with a latest gen wireless AC router there isn't much reason to panic - While AC runs on 5ghz only, the wireless g/b/n function of the router will run on 2.4ghz - being 100% compatible. Therfore, if they have an AC router, you would need an AC compatible wireless receiver to obtain the higher speeds anyway.

      Therefore, you could look at purchasing:

      ASUS USB-AC53 Dual-band Wireless-AC1200 USB Adapter 802.11b/g/n/ac $68 at umart

      Netgear WNDA4100-100wws N900 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter $49 from umart.

      Otherwise replacing the wireless chip is a good suggestion - Intel 6235AN.HMWWB Centrino Advanced Dual Band Network Adapter $29 from umart.

      Sorry forgot to add my pick:

      From our very own ozbargain
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/127596 :)

      Surface pro runs windows 8 standard, not the tablet RT version!

  • victorwilson on 03/01/2014 - 10:40

    Surface RT would be a good option for high school students, many schools use this device as a replacement for the government netbooks program.

    • scrimshaw on 03/01/2014 - 12:02
      +7

      There are a lot of restrictions with RT, as everyone knows already.

      Prior to buying an RT tablet, its best to check with the school and see if they actually recommend a certain operating system — because they may give out software to students that will not work on Surface RT.
      I know many private schools roll out free Adobe Software and MS Office licenses to their students and you'll need Windows 8 x64 or x86 to run them.

      The 5ghz Wifi issue is a troubling one because nobody advertises if the laptop does dual band or not. You will need to rely on the Support section of the vendor's websites (e.g. Lenovo) to see what wifi chip is being used for a particular model.

      It's also pretty easy to swap out the wifi chip for something else — you will only need a screwdriver.

    • Briefcase Mong on 04/01/2014 - 20:18

      Surface RT has 2GB RAM and has a 10.6" screen

  • ProjectZero on 03/01/2014 - 12:44
    -1

    Have you thought about tablets? There's Office Mobile for Office 365 on Android. Its portable, light weight (so your son would hurt his back carrying 2kg+ everywhere he went), and the battery usually last a day for normal usage (from my own personal experience).

    I'm not really sure if it will be a good enough replacement for a laptop though…

    • Daabido on 03/01/2014 - 13:55
      +1

      Must have Windows 7 or above.

      • abc boy on 05/01/2014 - 02:20

        "A minimum of 6hrs battery life to last the school day." —- if this is true, then tablet could be the only option.
        Ps. Can anyone tell how many hours a laptop equipped with a SSD can run?

        • Milkywayss on 05/01/2014 - 10:38
          +2

          Ultra books 12+

        • RI4V4N on 07/01/2014 - 06:35

          Ultrabooks say 12+, last like 4.

        • MATTDAMON on 07/01/2014 - 06:50

          My XPS 13 lasts around 11 hours or so with normal use, web browsing etc.

  • _Bruce_ on 03/01/2014 - 13:47

    I would like a touch screen if possible.

    Not that for a laptop touch screens are very awkward and painful to use. If it converts into a tablet then it makes sense.

    As scrimshaw mentioned almost all laptops have replaceable wifi cards (half sized mini pci express). If you find a laptop that is otherwise fine you can just budget for something like this:

    http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&c…

    • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2014 - 00:01
      -1

      I betcha didn't know the antennas in the laptop around the screen need to support the frequency as well though, did ya?

  • shannonn54 on 03/01/2014 - 14:29
    -1

    Tell the school to get off their butts and canvas suitable suppliers of what WILL suit the schools current and future systems. Then the school can order in bulk at edu pricing, you then buy off school?

    OOPs that would be to easy now wouldn't it,LOL; Can't believe they are "ordering" students to must have computers, what ever happened to real live teachers?

    • scrimshaw on 03/01/2014 - 15:53

      Can't believe they are "ordering" students to must have computers, what ever happened to real live teachers?

      ou should know that it was the government's plan to have every child in school to have a laptop — hence the Digital. Edu. Revolution.
      However the funds have dried up and schools no longer receive the funding required to provide subsidised laptops for schoolkids. BYOD is the remaining solution.

      • ProjectZero on 06/01/2014 - 09:12

        AHAHAHAHA not jabbing at your comment.

        I love how the government plans on a DIGITAL EDUCATION REVOLUTION so everyone has a far go but cuts NBN down to a low grade imitation so that only selected few has cheap high speed internet… even though to truly have a good digital education setup, high speed internet is kinda a must… you know, one that DOESN'T lag when you try to stream something from a fair distance away…

        Oh, also, whos said education was our future again… I'm looking at you government…

        Ok… now i'm done government bashing… carry on…

        P.S. Way off topic… my bad…

    • Brick50 on 04/01/2014 - 17:56

      My school charged me $1300 for a basic macbook with a dual core processor….

      • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2014 - 00:02

        They probably paid the same, Mac don't do deals.

        • SupeNintendoChalmers on 06/01/2014 - 09:54

          lies. Schools get at least 10-15% off.

          I work at a school

        • MATTDAMON on 06/01/2014 - 15:13

          You get that discount just for having a .edu account (student discounting)

        • RI4V4N on 07/01/2014 - 06:36

          Yeah its normally 10%, not to be combined with other sales.

      • Astro551 on 09/01/2014 - 12:25

        Did you get software bundled with it, that usually increases the price

  • Dennis3003 on 03/01/2014 - 16:29
    +3

    I would suggest getting the Lenovo E431 it's the perfect match. The wireless matches the requirements as it's the Thinkpad a/b/g/n. 802.11a also works on the 5ghz range. The Lenovo X131e has the same Wireless card that the E431 has. I'm in highschool and I asked the teacher if he could let me see what wireless card his laptop uses and they use the Thinkpad a/b/g/n. By the way the school has currently (2013) given out X131e! Go onto the Lenovo website (i will provide links) and match both of the models.

    Here is the e431: http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/edge-series/…

    Here is X131e: http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x13…

    • berryhouse on 03/01/2014 - 21:41

      I have looked at the E431 but I think it is too big for my son to carry around all day.

      • Dennis3003 on 03/01/2014 - 21:47

        true, what about e330? I know it says Thinkpad B/G/N but once you select the model you want, you scroll down to wireless options and select the other adapter. By the way, you can get a on-the-run adapter. You can get one that's like a usb but it's a wireless adapter. That way you can get what every you want and still get the wireless!

        It's a shame that you can't purchase through a special purchasing portal (our school is planning on doing it) were you can definatley can the correct device, and at a cheaper price most likely!

  • berryhouse on 03/01/2014 - 21:56

    Thank you everyone for your help with this. I went to a local computer shop today who said they had nothing suitable. The man referred me to a particular person at the Good Guys. I went and saw this person at the Good Guys who also did not have anything suitable.

    I don't have any issue with the purchase of the laptop for school, what I have an issue with is that it seems that I only have one laptop to choose from that is under $1,000. That laptop would be the Lenovo X131e at $612 base price.

    There are plenty of the smaller laptops/netbooks that would be just fine and less than $500 except for the wireless requirement.

    I agree with one of the posters that the school should organise a bulk buy at a reasonable price. Surely they would have to be cheaper if a large amount were purchased.

    I am thinking of waiting until school goes back to see what the other kids have bought.

    • _Bruce_ on 04/01/2014 - 15:11

      So get anything you like with a pcie wifi device (almost everything) and spend $27 on replacing the wifi.

      • [Deactivated] on 05/01/2014 - 11:46

        spend $27 on replacing the wifi.

        A good idea.

        However OP would need a tech savvy friend to install it, or another additional cost would be involved.

        • scrimshaw on 05/01/2014 - 16:31
          +1

          Not really, the wifi chip is easy to install and watching a Youtube video is sufficient enough to provide instruction for anyone.

        • _Bruce_ on 05/01/2014 - 16:52
          +2

          All you need is a screw driver.

        • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2014 - 00:04
          +2

          not always, 90% of the time it should be as easy as taking off that bottom panel held in place with 1-3 screws but sometimes it's between the motherboard and keyboard which makes things interesting.

          I'd say just youtube the model you're thinking of, it will either be a piece of cake or not.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2014 - 23:10

          how about using an usb wifi?

    • NancyCat on 04/01/2014 - 19:37
      +2

      What about organise bulk buy with other parents (not all parents… just 2 or 3)and negotiate the price with the computer store.

    • SupeNintendoChalmers on 06/01/2014 - 09:55

      I don't understand why the school is not buying in bulk?

      • scrimshaw on 06/01/2014 - 12:47

        If the school buys on behalf of the students then technically these laptops are school property (but at the end of the 3 year period the laptop is then given to the student — ownership transfer)

        We have to hire ICT staff to service and repair these laptops when they drop them, get viruses, lose their data etc. We also have to service the internal staff members ranging from teaching staff to the admin staff, maintain the equipment they use, as well creating documentation and manuals.

        You won't believe how busy it gets having to look after a school with 700 laptops. But if the laptops belong to the student, then it is not our responsibility — its up to the student to take care of their laptops.

        You can see why some schools prefer BYOD because they can shift some of the responsibility away and not having to hire as many ICT staff.

        • SupeNintendoChalmers on 06/01/2014 - 15:25
          +1

          One of the primary +s though is the ease of charging and imaging. Where I'm at we are only allowing brand X, and within brand X a certain amount of models that share the same power packs. Each class has a lockable cabinet that students each day can choose to store their laptops in to recharge (you'd be amazed how poor battery life is around sem 3\4) or take them home where they can use a 2nd power pack to charge.

          In all fairness the school won't exactly say to a student who can't afford or has a broken laptop 'tough luck son'. Every school would have a solid supply of laptops to hand out. In a school of say 2000 kids, you'd almost certainly have at least 100 laptops as spares, especially for the senior students.

        • scrimshaw on 06/01/2014 - 17:59

          Well it depends on how deep the school's pockets are and whether they are investing $$ into ICT. More money spent means they can implement these fancy storage lockers, and laptop charging docks, and the better equipped the school will be in general for laptop use in-class.

          We don't have powered lockers (some classrooms have powerboards embedded in desk) but we do give the kids Haswell-based ultrabooks which last quite a while. Each laptop is also covered under ADP which means that even if they drop it, it can be fixed free of charge. This is of course not possible if there is BYOD in plce.

          The school I work at pours tonnes of money into ICT, but then again the tuition fees cost 20k per year. Hence the laptops are already part of that payment.

  • BiotBargin on 03/01/2014 - 22:02

    school are reluctant to recommend a device or bulk purchase due to legal repercussions. BYOD is a nightmare and all these schools and education departments think there saving $ but schools are better off supplying and standardized device. what makes it worse there is always the school x story where they had no problems blah blah blah and the other schools buy it hook line and sinker. no school will admit to it being a loss or a mistake - there all sucess stories :)

  • ozAzn on 04/01/2014 - 18:05

    Imo, check with your son and find out what he's going to use the laptop for. Unless he's doing design/art/graphics-related subjects such as VA, engineering, etc. Then there's not much point of having full win 7/8 and all that power. Take a look at how he is going to use the device. If it's going to be onenote and Microsoft office, the surface range would suit well. The school might get miffed at not following the guidelines, but really what's the point if your year 9 kid chose commerce and French as electives. They're not going to photoshop a legal system diagram nor will they use Adobe premiere to create a French noir masterpiece.
    But if the kid wants say engineering, you're gonna need mac/win for the google sketch up.
    You don't want him to lug anything heavy either. Or anything flimsy unless you know that your son would treat it like a baby.

    • ozAzn on 04/01/2014 - 18:08
      +4

      Just thought of an option, Asus tablet (I think t100?) with full win 8, microsoft office and a keyboard dock?

  • laurence on 04/01/2014 - 18:31
    -3

    i would recommend a desktop pc, so much more powerful

    • _Bruce_ on 04/01/2014 - 18:34
      +8

      Not so great to take to school every day.

      • laurence on 04/01/2014 - 18:36

        yeah, i suppose it is a bit problematic

        • scrimshaw on 04/01/2014 - 19:45

          Besides, students are required to have a laptop in class. Without one, they can't access online resources like online textbooks and teacher made sites. They would have to get a loaned laptop or share a laptop with another student.

    • No ONE on 07/01/2014 - 19:00

      Yeah, each day tell your kid to take desktop, monitor, keyboard, mouse and cables to his school and bring it back home. Lol

      • ProjectZero on 08/01/2014 - 11:11

        Hahah i can imagine a kid taking a desktop to school and having to set it up and unplug it every lesson

  • mousie on 04/01/2014 - 19:20
    -1

    Macbook air 11 - and then bootcamp it

    Yes, probably the more expensive option.

    Excellent after sales support if purchased with applecare, good resale value and arguably better build quality then most. Possible educational discount or frequent 10% off deals at DSE / JB

    • oringal on 04/01/2014 - 23:04
      +2

      or surface pro 2 or Dell Venue 8 Pro or Dell Venue 11 Pro or Asus Transformer Book T100 ? They all have dual band wifi

      • nimnomnimy on 04/01/2014 - 23:28

        I wouldn't use any of those for 6 hours a day, small screens especially aweful.

      • oringal on 05/01/2014 - 12:07

        actually alot of the new atom convertibles will have dual band wifi.

    • nimnomnimy on 04/01/2014 - 23:27

      I am the worlds biggest fan boy but I wouldn't recommend a mac for school kid- it hit adds a level of complexity (boot camp that's just not necessary)

      Although the build quality and rest is fantastic, a school kid will probably want to upgrade in a few years so your better off going budget (core i3, 4gb ram, 500gb hdd as they will probably be a pirate)

      • Supe on 08/01/2014 - 17:45

        I've used a 13" Macbook Air successfully at Uni - but instead of bootcamp, I run Windows 7 Pro in VM Fusion. I bought an academic license for Win7 Pro. Works just fine. IF there were specialist type Windows applications reliant on licensing dongles or legacy application using serial ports, then a Wintel laptop/tablet would be the way to go.

  • 1q2w3e on 04/01/2014 - 22:30

    What is your budget? The best low priced computer would be the X131e (500-700), Middle priced (1000-1300) would be the Mac Air 11 (or 13 if you can push it a bit higher) and high end would be Acer aspire S7 or XPS 13 (1500 and above).

  • Tnetennba on 04/01/2014 - 22:45

    Get anything you want and spend like $30 to either change the PCIe Wifi card or add a 5ghz usb Wifi card. Not hard and opens up your options significantly.

  • nimnomnimy on 04/01/2014 - 23:24
    +10

    The school has no idea what it's talking about, any new laptop will work fine on their wifi. Anything states as 802.11abgn will support all standards (except ac which is the newest standard).

    Don't worry about the wifi, if it does by some miracle cause a problem, you can easily get a USB dongle for about $20 from MSY that will do the job or email me and I'll post you one for free

    Regarding the Microsoft surface, stay away from the RT model as your child may need to install school specific software at some stage and the RT model only supports apps from the windows marketplace.

    I have the surface pro and I love it but I would advise against it for school due to the small screen and keyboard. I would recommend a 13.3"-14" as ideal laptop size for a school student but if you are on a budget, you will probably find a 15.6" model to be the cheapest option .

    I would recommend at least an intel core i3 processor, 4gb of ram and if you want longevity, get one with a touch screen. Windows 8 is horrible without one

    Feel free to message me if you want any more advise.

    • _Bruce_ on 05/01/2014 - 07:22
      -3

      The school has no idea what it's talking about, any new laptop will work fine on their wifi. Anything states as 802.11abgn will support all standards (except ac which is the newest standard).

      The school does know what it is talking about and you clearly don't, sorry.

      • nimnomnimy on 05/01/2014 - 12:10
        +6

        I have a CCNP. And your qualifications are?

      • outlander on 05/01/2014 - 15:46

        He does have a point though. You can pick up a dual band wireless usb for $30, and even if the place all sorts of funky authentication settings it should work. It may be hard, especially when the school won't support it, but possible.

      • _Bruce_ on 05/01/2014 - 16:54
        -2

        Degrees in cs and engineering. Any other irrelevant questions?

        • nimnomnimy on 06/01/2014 - 10:59

          Then you should know that 802.11n runs on 2.4 and 5ghz and almost every computer with a wifi n band adapter would support both bands

          If the school is running on 5ghz only (which would be unlikely) and the off chance that the notebook only supports 2.4ghz then a cheap USB dongle would be supported out the box with windows 7/8 without much fiddling around

          Point is, you don't need to choose a laptop based on the wifi chipset

        • _Bruce_ on 06/01/2014 - 11:25

          almost every computer with a wifi n band adapter would support both bands

          I know that this is wrong.

          If the school is running on 5ghz only (which would be unlikely)

          They do.

          Here is wikipedia for you, maybe you can learn something:

          To achieve maximum output, a pure 802.11n 5 GHz network is recommended. The 5 GHz band has substantial capacity due to many non-overlapping radio channels and less radio interference as compared to the 2.4 GHz band.[7] An 802.11n-only network may be impractical for many users because they need to support legacy equipment that still is 802.11b/g only. Consequently, it may be more practical in the short term to operate a mixed 802.11b/g/n network until 802.11n hardware becomes more prevalent. In a mixed-mode system, an optimal solution would be to use a dual-radio access point and place the 802.11b/g traffic on the 2.4 GHz radio and the 802.11n traffic on the 5 GHz radio.[8] This setup assumes that all the 802.11n clients are 5 GHz capable, which isn't a requirement of the standard.

        • nimnomnimy on 06/01/2014 - 11:58

          Let's settle this because I can argue all day:

          I said almost every computer talking about new computers available now because dual band wifi n is standard in most new machines

          Your wiki article is recommending turning off 2.4ghz band to increase throughput on the 5ghz banding

          This isn't common networking practise at an institution because it reduces device compatibility. It's more of a recommendation for enterprise and enthusiasts

          To simplify, buy any laptop you want, the dwa160 dual band USB dongle is $29 at MSY. It's n600 and supports 2.4 and 5ghz

          Try to price match if office works have it.

        • ProjectZero on 06/01/2014 - 12:00
          +1

          I know that this is wrong.

          Seeing as 802.11n has been around for awhile now, this could very well be true actually… but the point he/she is trying to make is don't base the decision of which laptop on the wifi chipset because you can purchase an adapter that is round $20-30…

        • masadav on 06/01/2014 - 20:12
          +1

          School DER network most definitely only runs at 5GHz (unless they changed it since I worked under that program 3 years ago). I used to get non-DER devices on that network for teachers, it was difficult back then to explain the difference between wireless N at 2.4GHz and 5GHz (as most devices at that time did not support 5GHz).

      • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2014 - 00:10
        +1

        They might just be telling everyone it needs to support 5Ghz so that people with only 2.4Ghz don't end up with no signal.

    • ozAzn on 05/01/2014 - 07:40

      10" tablets and the like in screen size are suitable for students doing the simple stuff. Once they start hitting graphical programs, you need a bigger screen. But 10" should be ok for the average student because they shouldn't be spending all their class time in the machine. It should be working in tandem with the teacher as a digital textbook display, online resource or as a digital notebook. All of these things are fine for a 10" that you aren't spending 6/6 school hours using.

    • bich.light on 05/01/2014 - 21:06

      Now I'm confused…
      So you're saying that any laptop with 802.11n connectivity should be able to connect to the schools network?

      And just being a lil OCD, but it's "advice".

      • _Bruce_ on 06/01/2014 - 07:05
        -1

        That is the claim, but it isn't correct.

        • jeanene on 06/01/2014 - 18:40

          Modern laptops with "n" should support dual frequency of 2.5 and 5ghz. 5ghz is optional in the standard however I have yet to see any "n" device that only supports 2.5. You should be able to check the specs online for an individual laptop to double check the frequencies.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11#802.11n

          So unless your getting an old cheap laptop it should be fine and if its not as suggested by everyone else just get a USB wifi dongle.

      • nimnomnimy on 06/01/2014 - 11:02
        +1

        Yes but on the unlikely chance that the school is running something special, a cheap USB dongle will sort you out

        I would still go with a larger screen ultra book for a student because although they might not use it for 6 hours straight, having a larger screen will still reduce strain on the eyes and be easier to use overall

        • bich.light on 06/01/2014 - 21:25

          I personally think something like Thinkpad Yoga would be a great option… if it were only cheaper.

          The ability to 'transform' would be pretty cool to have as I used to be a student and struggled to find, at the time, a middle between a laptop and tablet. I used e-textbooks at school and I loved the iPad's size at the time, yet I loathed it when it came to note-taking or having to type a lot as it's not as easy, fast or natural to type on the iPad than a normal computer/laptop.

          The issue with Surface PRO is the keyboard. Even the physical keyboard feels a bit… awkward for my liking. The keys are too compressed and I find it quite irritable. Mind you, I might've developed a liking and adapted as time goes on.

          Also as everyone has said, get Windows 8 PRO or whatever, not the surface RT version as there is a likely chance that the school may offer software or recommend software for your child to use in specific classes. It is very likely that the special software is going to require windows or macs, not Android or iOS or RT.

          Anyways, I hope what clickship is right and that most laptops which support the 802.11n band will be able to connect to the school's network.

    • twocsies on 08/01/2014 - 00:32
      +1

      @clickship: The school has no idea what it's talking about, any new laptop will work fine on their wifi.

      Downvoting you because you are wrong that the school does not know what they are talking about, and because you didn't clarify the standards to make clear which wireless adapters would actually suit the OP. 802.11abgn is not the same as 802.11bgn. The OP stated that the school said a laptop with 802.11bgn will not work. That is correct. You are correct to say that 802.11abgn will work, but you misread the OP. Many modern laptops are still saving costs on extra antennas.

      If a laptop or dongle states 802.11abgn it would support 5GHz per the standard.

      However a laptop or dongle that states 802.11bgn will likely not support it, because the standard does not state the bands that n must operate.

      Even Cisco follows this practice. For example, the Linksys AE1200 wireless dongle is Wireless-N and operates on the 2.4 GHz band.
      http://www.linksys.com/en-apac/products/adapters/AE1200
      It does not support 5 GHz.

      On the other hand, the Linksys AE2500 wireless dongle meets a, b, g and n standards, and operates on 2.4 or 5GHz.
      http://www.linksys.com/en-apac/products/adapters/AE2500

  • nimnomnimy on 04/01/2014 - 23:42
    -1

    If I was going to make a recommendation,
    I would say this samsung from Harvey norman

    http://m.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/lap…

    Ultra book means it's light
    It had a solid state and hard drive so it will be fast and have plenty storage
    It has an i5 processor which is more than enough
    And windows 8 so won't need to upgrade for a while

    Not sure if it's touch but that shouldn't be a deal breaker
    And all under $900

    • MATTDAMON on 05/01/2014 - 13:09

      Another great choice is http://www.logicalblueone.com.au/store/523-horize-w110er-not…

      Also being an actual laptop and not a hybrid similar to what you linked means you can easily upgrade the hdd to a ssd if needed, add more ram, change out the wifi card (infact LBO can change it out to a 5ghz intel wifi card before delivery) and you can get it with a matte display (so much better then gloss)

      • nimnomnimy on 06/01/2014 - 11:05

        I actually own the w110er, it's a great machine but the small screen size is annoying at times, I prefer my surface pro to it

        That said , meta box machines are great if you want customization. Affordable laptops.com.au is a good site to check out

    • dannii on 06/01/2014 - 23:58

      I got the exact same laptop from bing lee for around $699 a while back and its great. Unlucky for me as the hard drive failed me in 2 weeks but i got a ssd as i was planning to get installed anyway. I also upgraded to 8gb ram.

    • twocsies on 08/01/2014 - 00:35

      The specs of that Samsung are clearly not suitable, due to Wireless Networking: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n

  • horsome on 05/01/2014 - 00:15
    -1

    The schools are doing this wrong, a cheap tablet should be all thats needed and they should fork out for this at $200-$500 a pop. Expecting students of public schools to byod of $1k or more is fantasy. I would push back on the school (although prob a bit late to do so) as to why they require the specifications announced and why they arent investing in the backend and adapting to cloud based technologies that doesnt require the heavy and expensive machinery for the students to buy themselves.

    • colbus123 on 05/01/2014 - 12:31

      Tablets are crap. Need i say more?

      • horsome on 05/01/2014 - 23:57

        For normal knockabout high school student use, yep I reckon you do. Im happy to buy my child a state of the art laptop for school work, but not for taking to high school everyday, let alone public high school, unless schools are happy to insure the devices.

    • johnno07 on 07/01/2014 - 14:41

      …cheap tablet should be all thats needed and they should fork out for this at $200-$500

      Expecting students of public schools to byod of $1k or more is fantasy

      And the former isn't?

  • ethereal88 on 05/01/2014 - 06:40
    +1

    E330. I picked one up for less than $600 total and that includes the Plextor mSATA 128GB SSD I put in to seriously speed up day to day usage. Only downside is the rather cheap plastic build quality, its rather creaky. Still I'd skip the laptop and give him pen and paper. Its ridiculous that kids need tech now to replace learning.

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