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Cheap 2-in-1 Laptop recommendation


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So, my daughter apparently needs a laptop for school. For year 6… primary school… ridiculous but anyway.

 

So I'm looking for some recommendations along the following guidelines

1) Must be reasonably sturdy as its likely to be mistreated (I think that rules out Microsoft Surfaces ?)

2) Ideally be one of those 2-in-1 fold out tablet things with a touch screen (she'll actually get more out of being able to sketch on it than any school use!)

3) pretty cheap (less than $1k absolutely tops)

4) Run windows (no chrome books need apply)

 

Am I dreaming?

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9 minutes ago, Marc said:

I'm a fan of HP's offerings and have transitioned through 6 of the last yearly offerings myself (albeit, much higher spec).
I punched your criteria in and came up with this:

 

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/AustraliaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=4CC02PA&opt=&sel=NTB

Thanks Marc

Been a long time since I had anything non-mac… is the Pentium processor a massive step below an i3 ?

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26 minutes ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

So, my daughter apparently needs a laptop for school. For year 6… primary school… ridiculous but anyway.

 

Am I dreaming?

No its not ridiculous and you shouldn't dream.  My daughter was on the PC at the age of 4.  By the time she arrived in prep and grade 1 she was way ahead in class using any program in writing and drawing.  She was issues a MacBook in 2ns year high school.  Part of the initiative of the computer program where there is a annual fee.  The MacBook was loaded and reimaged to what the Victorian Education Curriculum required at the time and I was surprised that it had full MS office with all the full Adobe Package.  You can't load anything on it apart from a printer driver or accessing the internet such s wifi.

Most of the primary schools on this side of town have students issued some type of tablet device, mainly iPads.  its part of there initiative and usually its incorporated in the annual fee.

 

 

Edited by Addicted to music
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5 minutes ago, Addicted to music said:

Stick to @Marc suggestion, the HP are way ahead.

Ok so JB has this which has i3 and 128GB SSD for $799

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-pavillion-x360-14-cd0008tu-14-laptop-blue/336797/

 

or this which has Pentium Gold and 128GB SSD for $699

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-pavilion-x360-14-cd0107tu-14-2-in-1-laptop/646778/

 

Is the i3 worth the extra $100?

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Guest Muon N'
8 hours ago, Marc said:

I'm a fan of HP's offerings and have transitioned through 6 of the last yearly offerings myself (albeit, much higher spec).
I punched your criteria in and came up with this:

 

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/AustraliaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=4CC02PA&opt=&sel=NTB

 

8 hours ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

As far as those two processors performance is concerned...

https://technical.city/en/cpu/Pentium-Silver-N5000-vs-Core-i3-8130U

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-Silver-N5000-vs-Intel-Core-i3-8130U/m499477vsm468020

 

Both can handle 4 threads, the i3 is comfortably ahead of the Pentium Silver. Total cache puts the i3 ahead also, (the i3 uses 15w the Silver 6w). That only the CPU usage, but could translate into slightly more power usage over all and slightly lower battery life, all other things being equal.

Edited by Muon N'
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Guest Muon N'
8 hours ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

Ok so JB has this which has i3 and 128GB SSD for $799

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-pavillion-x360-14-cd0008tu-14-laptop-blue/336797/

 

or this which has Pentium Gold and 128GB SSD for $699

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-pavilion-x360-14-cd0107tu-14-2-in-1-laptop/646778/

 

Is the i3 worth the extra $100?

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-4415U-vs-Intel-Core-i3-8130U/m267685vsm468020

 

The i3 is a better performer again, just need to look at what connectivity she will need. The one with the Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor 4415U has

Webcam + SD Card Reader

802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth v4.2

1 x HDMI Port

1 x USB C Port

2 x USB 2.0 Ports

 

 

The Intel® Core™ i3 Processor 8130U one has

Webcam + Multi format digital media SD card reader

802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth v4.2

1 x HDMI Port

3 x USB 3.1 Port

 

 

The Pentium Gold uses 15w like the i3.

Edited by Muon N'
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Guest Muon N'

Battery life is always a consideration, so have a google and see if you can find that aspect to compare, between the respective 2 in 1 models.

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Very important consideration is to ensure that the device is well protected in a case or a dedicated laptop case.  One where if dropped onto hard surfaces that nothing will effect the device.  Get them in a habit to close the 2 in 1 device so the screen is always protected from damage.

 

Not sure what your school program has or required but if you get on the MS site students who have a school email address can load education MS offices packages for free.  Adobe had a program where the total commercial package was over $3800 but discounted to $500 if you had a student email address and produced receipts of enrolment fees paid form that year.  Adobe has since changed there pricing somcheck there website.

Edited by Addicted to music
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On 04/12/2018 at 10:33 PM, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

any thoughts on this?

There is a substantial difference in size and weight between that one and the one Marc linked.

 

Make sure the machine has 8GB RAM and a SSD of 120GB+... is between 10 and 12 inches screen size, and as light weight as possible.   You'll find these requirements pretty taxing under $1000, but the one Marc linked is a good example.

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On 04/12/2018 at 10:52 PM, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

Ok so JB has this which has i3 and 128GB SSD for $799

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-pavillion-x360-14-cd0008tu-14-laptop-blue/336797/

 

or this which has Pentium Gold and 128GB SSD for $699

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-pavilion-x360-14-cd0107tu-14-2-in-1-laptop/646778/

 

Is the i3 worth the extra $100?

These laptops would be too big and heavy for me to use even at home.... I wouldn't think a little girl will lug these around school very well.

Edited by davewantsmoore
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21 hours ago, davewantsmoore said:

These laptops would be too big and heavy for me to use even at home.... I wouldn't think a little girl will lug these around school very well.

HP Pavilion X360 14-CD0008TU  starts at 1.6kg.

 

My daughter’s school in bag full of books for year 10

-12 weighs in at around the 15kg.  But these days when you buy the books you get the book in soft copy and a license to run it.  So I’m betting that that’s now lessen.   She also carried a MacBook that’s 4x as thick as it has a full size HDD with built in CDs.....remember them?

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12 hours ago, Addicted to music said:

starts at 1.6kg

Hmmm.... Well if you can get one closer to 1.6, that is not too bad.     Even so, size is a big factor for this computer use case....  I'd juts make sure I go to the store, and juggle that actual machine for real to make sure it will not be a big burden.   :) 

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I ended up getting one of those Lenovo Yoga things that were on special at JBHifi. 

If it ends up being too big then I’ll keep it and she can use my MacBook Air. 

 

As it’s my first time in ages owning a non-Mac machine, can anyone recommend some anti virus software?

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36 minutes ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

I ended up getting one of those Lenovo Yoga things that were on special at JBHifi. 

If it ends up being too big then I’ll keep it and she can use my MacBook Air. 

 

As it’s my first time in ages owning a non-Mac machine, can anyone recommend some anti virus software?

Hopefully someone will chime in,  all my stuff is via work and they load the antivirus on it but more importantly the work emails are constantly scanned.

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1 hour ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

I ended up getting one of those Lenovo Yoga things that were on special at JBHifi. 

If it ends up being too big then I’ll keep it and she can use my MacBook Air. 

 

As it’s my first time in ages owning a non-Mac machine, can anyone recommend some anti virus software?

ESET. 

 

In a previous life I owned a computer store, and unfortunately (for the business) when the bulk of computers came in needing a refresh, we'd put ESET on after cleaning them up and they'd never come back (it's that good). I have been using it on all our own computers and all those within the family (I'm the resident go-to computer guy apparently) and never had trouble since.

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Guest Muon N'

I like to run a combo' of Malwarebytes (paid version) and Avast Free. Forms of maleware is the more prominent and used malicious code these days.

 

Oi! the Yoga's have a bit more grunt these days :thumb:

Edited by Muon N'
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  • 2 weeks later...

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