Laptop for a Teacher That Isn't Too Expensive. Advice?

Rabbitsfoot on 20/10/2021 - 14:19
Last edited 20/10/2021 - 17:06

Hi. I would love your advice.

As a teacher, i need a laptop that is:

not too heavy.

Has great battery life. (last a school day).

And is upgradable, so It can hopefully last me ages.

My current laptop is great. But its a gaming laptop. so doesn't work as good as I want it too.

Any suggestions would be great.

I am happy for it to be used/refurbished, ugly.

Let me know thoughts.

EDIT:

Budget max $1000. but I am hoping that it won't get that expensive.
Upgradable = ram and battery
Screen size= 11-15inch

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

    • kerfuffle on 20/10/2021 - 14:30
      +14

      Probably means upgrading SSD, RAM, etc.

      • CrispyChrispy on 20/10/2021 - 14:34

        Those are really the only things you can upgrade in a laptop. Swapping out the battery or a broken display doesn't really count as 'upgrading', but they can be replaced.

        • MorriJ on 21/10/2021 - 19:21
          -1

          Those are really the only things you can upgrade in a laptop

          Not true, you then go on to mention two things you can upgrade in a laptop?

          LCD upgrade examples: HP elitebooks - upgrading from 1388x768 screens to 1920x1080 screens
          Battery upgrade examples: Upgrading 4 cell to 6 cell batteries.

          • theguyrules on 22/10/2021 - 09:19
            +1

            @MorriJ: I assume they mean upgradeable later down the track, not configurable at purchase.

            • MorriJ on 22/10/2021 - 12:35

              @theguyrules: So do I. I've upgraded plenty of laptops down the track with better lcds/batteries.

    • FireRunner on 20/10/2021 - 14:38
      +13

      Upgradeable laptop? Guess that narrows it down to the framework laptop

      • Muzeeb on 20/10/2021 - 15:07
        +5

        That looks pretty sweet

        • FireRunner on 20/10/2021 - 15:11
          +5

          Yeah, hope the company does well.
          We need easily repairable and upgradeable laptops in a time where manufacturer's are making more and more difficult to do so

    • Rabbitsfoot on 20/10/2021 - 16:59
      +1

      new ram and new battery is all i mean.

      • ATangk on 21/10/2021 - 22:19
        +2

        Gone are the days of 'new battery', unless you get an old school heavy laptop where you can switch the batteries for new ones.

        • cheesecactus on 22/10/2021 - 10:44

          Or a framework (not available in Australia yet)

        • Sean8802 on 22/10/2021 - 20:22
          +1

          Batteries are no longer able to be popped out by the user on the fly. However the battery can be replaced if the base door is unscrewed. That batteries thankfully are not glued in like Apple's laptops are.

          • ATangk on 22/10/2021 - 20:55
            +1

            @Sean8802: Gee the last laptop I had that had batteries not glued down was maybe 8-10 years ago.

  • CrispyChrispy on 20/10/2021 - 14:30
    +3

    Budget? There are quite a few laptops especially from HP or Dell which can perform quite well (performance and battery wise) for under $1,000. If you can afford a bit more, you can aim for a Surface model or an ultrabook of some kind if you're not doing anything too intensive.

    • Rabbitsfoot on 20/10/2021 - 16:59
      +1

      Trying to go under $1000

      • AndyC1 on 20/10/2021 - 18:35
        +3

        Won't tick many of the boxes for $1K, unless you go second hand. Try grays online for cheap used laptops, but read the info vary vairy very carefully.

        • gdogdiggity on 21/10/2021 - 20:49
          +4

          Yes and don't get sucked in by a cheap auction then exorbitant courier and "courier only delivery, no pick up" depots. I won a $6 dollar rug then they tried to charge $320 for delivery.

          • legendary-noob on 21/10/2021 - 22:27

            @gdogdiggity: LoL
            Surprised they actually thought they can pull this off

            • gdogdiggity on 21/10/2021 - 23:09
              +2

              @legendary-noob: I wish I knew what documentation they'd require, how hard can it be faking being a courier myself? Can I just wear a high vis and carry a clipboard??

      • Musing Outloud on 22/10/2021 - 12:31

        A JB HiFi sale with up to 20% off stretches that $1,000 potentially up to $1200.

        • johnno07 on 22/10/2021 - 12:46
          +2

          $1250 actually ;)

  • TheBird on 20/10/2021 - 14:45
    +6

    Let me know thoughts.

    My thoughts? Great, a customer who does't know what they want and I don't get a commission on the sale.

  • Muzeeb on 20/10/2021 - 14:57
    -7

    Let me know thoughts.

    My thoughts? Great, a customer who doesn't nominate a budget and I don't get a commission on the sale.

    My other thoughts - I hope you aren't an English teacher.

    • onetwothreefour on 20/10/2021 - 17:58
      +9

      Nah they're the IT teacher

    • Roman Sandstorm on 22/10/2021 - 12:09

      Geez, @MS Paint, a bit rough you are negged for pointing that out.

      Also…

      doesn't work as good as I want it too.

      Er… England please. Only three grammatical errors in half a sentence.

      "… doesn't work as well as I would like it to…"

  • frondono on 20/10/2021 - 15:02
    +12

    Have you thought about a mac? something with a m1? might be some deals now the newer stuff is out.

    • frondono on 20/10/2021 - 15:07
      +3

      black friday/cyber moday is in a month.

    • samyall on 22/10/2021 - 14:57

      +1 to M1.

      Battery life is insane and the build quality of a mac is second to none. You might be able to pick up a second hand one once the new Pros are released.

      Additionally, go for a large HDD if you can. Not being upgradable means you will want more space.

    • Gr8deel on 23/10/2021 - 16:01

      100% on the m1 macbook air. Have two teachers in household who have them, love them

  • Hithere on 20/10/2021 - 15:07

    Best Laptops for Teachers 2021

    https://www.techlearning.com/buying-guides/best-laptops-for-…

  • Baysew on 20/10/2021 - 15:27
    +7

    Laptop for a teacher

    and

    Let me know thoughts.

    I'm thinking an apple for the teacher may seem appropriate.

    • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 15:44
      +1

      Agreed. My wife is a school teacher and she has a Macbook Pro, she loves it and never had a problem.

      • andresampras on 20/10/2021 - 15:57
        +2

        for mac compatibility a teacher would probably want to check with the school IT folk before diving in.

        And depending on the faculty, consider subject-specific software that may be needed. For example, if you're using a different maths graphing software from everyone else in the staffroom, getting help with issues could get tricky.

        • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 15:59
          +1

          My wife has been to 3 different schools with no compatibility issues. Windows is more liked by schools because of how easy it is to use. Macs are just a little tricky in sometimes getting set up. But as I said, my wife has had no problems with 3 different schools.

          • andresampras on 20/10/2021 - 16:01
            +2

            @geekcohen: and hopefully your wife never has issues. Just wanted to let OP know to double-check before dropping $3k on a new Mac

            • Lukas on 21/10/2021 - 18:00
              +2

              @andresampras: OP won't need anything more than an M1 air, so ~ $1250 with education discount and can claim on tax/ salary sac. The $3k Mac's have capabilities only pro editors can take full advantage of

      • Rabbitsfoot on 20/10/2021 - 17:00

        Yeah I should have mentioned. I want to go as cheap as possible whilst still hitting all the boxes. I reckon I can go less than 3k

        • Kangal on 22/10/2021 - 00:40
          +1

          If it's used for work, you could tax write-off, but would need to be a new one/ABN invoice.

          Otherwise, you're not going to get a good laptop for $1k… so go for a used one off Facebook Marketplace (or gumtree, or eBay).

          Also do you require any specific software?
          Currently the most expensive laptop, and also the best-value laptop is the new Apple MacBook Pro (M1X). Has a more optimised software, hardware, and efficiency. But it is kind of locked into it's own ecosystem. But I don't recommend it, if you can't afford it (or if you really need Linux, Android, or Windows support).

        • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 23/10/2021 - 12:38

          MacBook Air starts from $1349 on the education store.

    • sk3iron on 22/10/2021 - 08:56
      +3

      The fact nobody got that pun is hilarious

  • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 15:43

    Try https://www.metabox.com.au/ if you need Windows. Otherwise a Mac. My wife is a school teacher and has a mac with no problems.

    • andresampras on 20/10/2021 - 15:54

      saw someone's metabox a couple of years ago. hardware quality wasn't great. They sold it not long after.

      are the newer models better?

      • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 15:56

        I've had one for over two years and have bought 2 others since for Family and a work staff member. Haven't had an issue, pretty good pricing and I haven't had an issue with quality.

        The last one I bought was in April and it was fine. It was for a family friend.

  • andresampras on 20/10/2021 - 16:00
    +6

    Title should say 'Inexpensive Laptop for a Teacher'.

    As it stands it brings into question the value of the teacher. Which is NOT OK, people.

    On a more serious note OP - I don't understand this bit: "My current laptop is great. But its a gaming laptop. so doesn't work as good as I want it to."

    What does the gaming laptop not do well? Battery life?

    • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 16:06
      +1

      But its a gaming laptop. so doesn't work as good as I want it to.

      I would say too bulky. My metabox and previous laptops have been gaming laptops and they are a bit big. I would also think that they are after something smaller to carry around.

      What does the gaming laptop not do well? Battery life?

      This too. My metabox gets about 3 to 4 hours depending on what you are doing and it is "gaming".

      • andresampras on 20/10/2021 - 16:09

        I think you've pointed out the info missing from the post - what will the laptop be used for?

        If it's just for word processing and emails/internet, there are so many options.

        What size screen? touch screen preferred?

        OP too vague

        • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 16:11
          +1

          Very true. I guess I am making assumptions based on knowing what my wife uses hers for.

          Generally it is:
          - Email
          - Web Browsing
          - Online document editing (Google Docs)
          - Conference calls with WFH and remote online learning

          That is about it. This teacher could be different. Anything else comes my way for me to do and I do that on my windows machine. Dealing with a mac can be annoying for me.

        • Rabbitsfoot on 20/10/2021 - 17:03

          As a teacher, I will web surfing, sharing my screen, using word, touch screen not essential. screen size i am cruisy. probs between 11-15inch

    • Rabbitsfoot on 20/10/2021 - 17:02

      Inexpensive yes.

      Gaming laptop is bulky and has crappy battery life.

      • andresampras on 20/10/2021 - 17:14

        YMMV but a couple of years ago I bought a used Thinkpad Yoga X1 off ebay for ~$650

        If you want cheap, this would be my choice of method. Takes time and there's luck involved with picking a decent seller of course.

        EDIT: the RAM is soldered on the yoga X1 though so take that into consideration.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/10/2021 - 16:07
    +6

    Thinkpad

  • dasher86 on 20/10/2021 - 16:27
    +3

    is this for personal use or for work?

    If it's for work shouldn't the school be providing a computer?

    • geekcohen on 20/10/2021 - 16:39

      If it's for work shouldn't the school be providing a computer?

      Not all schools do. They can, but you pay for it and pay x amount per pay cycle. Private schools I think provide laptops, public isn't like that but I guess it varies on state. This is based on a Victorian Government school.

      Personally, I would just buy my own if I was in their situation which is what my wife did.

      • dasher86 on 20/10/2021 - 16:42
        +2

        Didn't that change circa 2015 when teachers were repaid because the Vic Dept Ed were sued by the AEU?

      • ms_caz on 20/10/2021 - 18:16
        +2

        Vic govt schools provide a device for their staff. Staff no longer have to pay for their device.

        If the OP is a sessional teacher, they would be allocated a laptop from the school for the day. That laptop will be set up to access the school's network, use Compass (or the relevant program) and have any required software already loaded. However, sometime sessional teachers prefer to have their own devices so they can access files that they have already created instead of using a USB or external hard drive. Schools tend to prefer that they don't do this.

      • tap on 21/10/2021 - 18:01

        No. Teachers in public schools get free laptops and are upgraded every cycle.

        • mattkenny on 21/10/2021 - 23:19

          Not country wide. WA certainly don’t provide laptops to teachers. Some schools might, but the dept of education WA (the actual employer in the public system) definitely doesn’t provide one to all teachers. They can choose to lease a computer from the department at their own cost, or provide their own.

      • lunartemis on 22/10/2021 - 21:41

        Victorian government school teachers are provided with laptops but laptops belong to the school so they have to hand it back when they leave the school.

  • raptormesh on 20/10/2021 - 17:10
    +16

    Okay this may be out of the left field but a Macbook Air M1.

    • Retains value well
    • Can be used for at least 5 years+
    • Light
    • Powerful
    • Fantastic battery life

    I was teaching for 8 years and my MBP served me immensely well and it's never switched off, just sleep. No crashes. Before that I went through 2 Dell XPS in two years.

    Ignore if you're not keen on MacOS.

    • CrispyChrispy on 20/10/2021 - 17:31
      +1

      Before that I went through 2 Dell XPS in two years.

      Really? What was wrong with them? Did you get them brand new? My dad's XPS has never had a problem after nearly a decade of heavy usage.

      • lunchbox99 on 20/10/2021 - 17:52

        New XPS had issues with trackpad, coil whine, loud fans/thermal throttling and battery failure. Obviously not everyone had the problems.

      • raptormesh on 20/10/2021 - 18:51

        Yes was brand new, both times motherboard failures. This was back in 2013.

    • Brumby92 on 22/10/2021 - 00:13
      +3

      Yeah I'm with you on that one. I reckon the M1 will last for 5 - 7 years comfortably.

      It's a pretty good time to buy a mac.

    • Needausername on 22/10/2021 - 11:10

      I had a Dell XPS13 for 5 years, still running strong; apart from the battery life and a few stuck keys. I now used it for video streaming. Love the light weight and the size of the XPS.

    • juzza87 on 23/10/2021 - 11:26

      I'd take a good look at the schools existing equipment and recommended/required software before going all-in on a Mac, for most things they'll get the job done but drivers (for example certain copiers, interactive whiteboards/displays, robotics equipment may not be compatible). Also out of the box they can't stream to Miracast devices so make sure you've got a dongle or adapter to cover most situations.

      Regardless of which device you go for please remember to maintain regular backups that aren't stored with the computer.

  • brendanm on 20/10/2021 - 18:05
    +1

    Dell outlet.

    • pharkurnell on 20/10/2021 - 18:29

      if they can supply at moment.. last 4 i ordered in June only just arrived.

  • Drakesy on 20/10/2021 - 18:45
    +2

    Refurbished lenovo Carbon X1 off ebay/marketplace/gumtree

    Can easily change out the battery
    Ram is unfortunately soldered
    Harddrive can be upgraded

    • jjacob on 21/10/2021 - 17:59

      I second this. I bought a couple of used/refurbished X1's for ebay, amazing machines and usually under $900.

  • ECE on 20/10/2021 - 18:57

    Good evening, teacher 😷

  • packeteer on 21/10/2021 - 08:24
    +3

    Macbook Air on education discount. they're a great machine!

  • wongcr on 21/10/2021 - 08:52
    +1

    Use jbeducation.com.au/jbeducation and search for your school.
    If not, use the generic BYOD2022 code. You need to enter your school manually. The prices are only slightly discounted compared to retail but come with manufacturer extended warranties and other add ons. Be aware that on-site support applies to the school not your home!

    I used a thinkpad e15 Gen 2 ryzen, works well at my institution especially since it has a now rare Ethernet port (wifi craps with so many students in the class). I also recommend a USBC VGA adapter because school projectors are often ancient. It’s also light and yet has a big screen for my old eyes.

    • Rabbitsfoot on 21/10/2021 - 15:07
      +1

      All students have different laptops.

    • goraygo on 22/10/2021 - 23:12

      What a not so smart comments full of assumptions.

      By reading your comments, I can tell you don’t know, some schools are fully BYOD iPads and teachers need a laptop to support the students but iPad won’t do.

      A lot of schools are BYOD laptops, they DoE supports both PC, Macs and even chrome books. But for teachers, their best bet is always a laptop (Mac or windows).

      When students BYOD, most schools don’t give you a model to buy, because not every parents are on the same salary. Some might go cheaper chrome books and some go all the way up to top of the range MacBooks or Alienware laptops.

      Therefore, saying use the same as student is a smart thing actually the not possible and it’s a dump comment.

  • Scot on 21/10/2021 - 10:16

    Have a look at this article-https://laptopstudy.com/best-laptop-for-teachers/

  • Scot on 21/10/2021 - 10:32
    +1

    As per techradar
    Acer Swift 3
    The best budget laptop in the world
    SPECIFICATIONS
    CPU: up to Intel Core i7-8565UGraphics: Nvidia GeForce MX150, Intel HD Graphics 620 or AMD Radeon Vega 8RAM: 4GB – 8GBScreen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) ComfyView IPS – 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080)Storage: 128GB – 1 TB HDD, 16 GB Intel Optane Memory
    TODAY'S BEST DEALS

    AU$974.99

  • lookingforTV on 21/10/2021 - 15:50
    +1

    Does your school not provide a laptop? Seems bit odd. I personally find 2-in-1 tablet laptop super great. Easy to take a roll for someone else's class via tablet/touch mode - connect to projector/smart screen via wifi and use your laptop+stylus to draw/annotate PPT etc.

  • mutanti on 21/10/2021 - 17:51

    Spend a Bit More and get this one..
    Inspiron 15 Laptop
    Online Price
    $2,148.99
    Total Savings
    $860.00
    Discounted Price
    $1,288.99

    https://deals.dell.com/en-au/productdetail/axxw
    Tech Specs
    Processor
    11th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-11390H Processor (12MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz with ITBM3.0)
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home, English
    Video Card
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics with shared graphics memory
    Display
    15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED Backlight Non-Touch Narrow Border WVA Display
    Hard Drive
    512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
    Memoryi
    16GB, 8GBx2, DDR4, 3200MHz
    Primary Battery
    4-Cell Battery, 54WHr (Integrated)
    Wireless
    Intel® Wi-Fi 6 2x2 (Gig+) and Bluetooth 5.1

    • titewod on 21/10/2021 - 19:33
      +2

      There's no chance this thing would last all day on battery. You'd be very lucky to get 5 hours out of it.

      OP, can you plugin the Laptop in?

  • tap on 21/10/2021 - 18:05
    +1

    You've provided the wrong information.

    What learning area and subjects do you teach?
    Are you full time?
    Is your school Mac friendly?

    • askbargain on 21/10/2021 - 21:07

      For a teacher, OP isn't very good at explaining their needs.

  • spammingb on 21/10/2021 - 18:10
    +5

    M1 MacBook with education discount. Unbeatable for the price. M1 is leaps ahead in performance compared to PC, you'll never need to upgrade. Battery life will be unparalleled too. Windows doesn't stand a chance anymore

    • mdavant on 21/10/2021 - 21:21

      Long battery life but dud programs.

      We all know I am right.

      • askbargain on 21/10/2021 - 21:37

        Like what programs?

        • mdavant on 21/10/2021 - 21:52

          Oh I dunno, only a useless program like office running natively.

          Add to that being a slave to the apple ecosystem

          The op did mention inexpensive

          • Brumby92 on 22/10/2021 - 00:17
            +3

            @mdavant: Office runs natively on Mac OS. Also, Pages is the best word processor you'll ever use.

            • PiratePete1911 on 22/10/2021 - 03:23
              +1

              @Brumby92: @Brumby92 The big issue with pages is that all the files you send to everyone else are worthless unless you export them to PDF first. Even if you send it to someone running an older version of Mac OS they have to update to at least the same version of pages it was created in which sometimes means they need to upgrade their entire OS to install that latest pages version.

              Office does run fine natively on M1 though which is great.

            • mdavant on 22/10/2021 - 05:57

              @Brumby92: The actual programs aren't as polished

  • OzzyOzbourne on 21/10/2021 - 18:46

    For a low cost teacher? 🤣

  • StalkingIbis on 21/10/2021 - 18:58

    Are you a pre-service teacher?

  • drprox on 21/10/2021 - 20:01
    +1

    Lenovo

  • stealthpaw on 21/10/2021 - 20:22
    +1

    Are you a teacher in Victoria? If so and you work in a public school, you qualify for a free department provided laptop while in service.
    If not, I would still give you IT Dept. a visit and ask what they recommend as some schools can get education pricing for good laptops.

    • juzza87 on 23/10/2021 - 11:29

      Depends on time fraction, they'd need to be 0.6+ (3 days) to be eligible for a TPN program notebook from the department.

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