Laptop - 14"-15" Touchscreen for high school <$750

Lbrad1-8tsi on 05/09/2018 - 08:25

Greetings
My daughter is in Year 11 and suddenly, desperately (inability to think ahead) needs a laptop before the end of the month.

14"-15" screen
For some reason she wants a touchscreen like her sisters.
Some decent battery life so that it lasts at school would be nice.
8Gb Ram
Processor - not overly worried
Graphics - not overly worried

Price - under $800 but the cheaper the better.

Reliability - I want to buy it and never hear about it again

Brands - Dell, Acer, Lenovo??? I'm not overly worried but preferably somebody who has easy tech support and easy warranty dealings.

Sorry for the lack of info but I'm a bit over it and have just dropped a shed-load of divorce money on her mother (my ex) and am expected to pay for this - hence the low budget.

Let me know what you've got and if I'm being unrealistic. Thanks

Find Me A Bargain Computer Laptop

Comments

  • brad1-8tsi on 05/09/2018 - 08:39

    Additional Info:
    Processor - i5 (or better) or AMD equivalent
    Storage - an SSD would be nice

  • uzz30 on 05/09/2018 - 09:28
    +2

    Is used an option?

    You can eBay a good condition ex-corporate Microsoft Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover (i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 128 SSD) for around $500.

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-3-Core-i5-…

    Add a protector like the $60 Brenthaven BX2 Edge and a $10 tempered glass screen protector and you have a quality, lightweight, stylish touch screen laptop for less than $600 that is capable of withstanding the rigors of school life.

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brenthaven-BX2-Edge-for-Surface-…

    • brad1-8tsi on 05/09/2018 - 10:04
      +3

      Hi
      I think new / refurb would be better.

      I need to be able to walk away from this and not hear the sound of bitching in the distance. ;-)

      Thx for taking the time to reply though.

      • uzz30 on 05/09/2018 - 10:30

        Cheers. I hear you there. I've been through the process of getting a computer for a high schooler on a budget. :)

        The refurb process is usually cleaning with an alcohol wipe and resetting the operating system. Nothing fancy that you can't DIY. If a warranty is offered that's worth looking for.

        You could buy a good condition Surface without Type Cover then buy a brand new Type Cover for around $130 and effectively have a computer that looks and feels new plus looks and functions almost exactly the same as a brand new Surface 4 worth well over $1100.

        It's a cool computer to have among your peers as a high schooler and may even earn you a 'thanks Dad'.

  • Roger Ramjet 99 on 05/09/2018 - 09:46
    +3

    Or a manufacturer refurbished Lenovo? Currently there is 20% off on eBay, so

    Lenovo Yoga 520 - Silver - 14" FHD Touch/i5-8250U/8GB/256GB NVMe SSD fro around $720
    Current model, slightly higher spec than the Surface Pro 3, but a bit heavier.
    But some people have had poor experience with Greys Online (search post for details).
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/401593110761

    • brad1-8tsi on 05/09/2018 - 10:05

      I can live with refurb

    • brad1-8tsi on 05/09/2018 - 14:05
      +2

      Have decided this is a good option.
      Thx

  • seraphim2017 on 05/09/2018 - 10:48
    +2

    http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/product…

    Bought my uni laptop from here and it looked new, had on site warranty, touchscreen, ssd, decent battery life. same size as MacBook but without the long battery life, still got me through a day and 2 in one meant a giant tablet for Netflix in the evening as well. I think I got an inspiron 5000 13 inch model, did the job fine, better build are the latitude but not often touchscreens.

  • Presence on 05/09/2018 - 18:04

    15" is too big for a student. It will be a pain on PT and take up a lot of desk space IMO.

    • brad1-8tsi on 07/09/2018 - 09:07
      +2

      I agree. I told her 15" would be too big. You can only help them so much… It's not like she does any work anyway.

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