This month
I’ll cover the question of what is on offer in computing for those off to
college. If you are a regular reader you’ll know I’ve covered this topic before
but I am revisiting it based on the devices that regularly land on my desk for
repair. In the end you will make the decision but this article will hopefully
make the rather murky area of technology a bit clearer.
Tablets & Hybrid Laptops.
I’ve looked
at the offerings in both of these areas from the major manufacturers.
My view on
them is that they are NOT suitable for a student as they are neither robust nor
designed to last. I always view these devices in terms of their reparability
and durability. For the most part the cost to repair them exceeds their value.
Thus avoid all low end tablets and hybrid laptop tablets. The hybrid laptops
are a combination unit featuring a detachable screen and keyboard. On closer
examination they are simply tablets with a keyboard. All of the components for
the unit are crammed into the screen. Thus a knock or drop to the screen can
render the device fit only for the bin.
Laptops
The term
laptop is now a muddled area as the lower priced units have now been stripped
of so much hardware and functionality. I
cannot in all honesty say they meet the criteria as a portable computer. They
are cheap but that’s not surprising seeing as how there’s not much in them
besides a cpu/screen and a few usb ports. Some don’t even have a hard disk
which is an accident waiting to happen. If a fault develops in the units
equipped with solid state drives (which is the same type of storage as is used
in smartphones/tablets) you will lose everything
stored on that device. A nightmare for a student who has failed to backup their
documents.
If you want
a decent reliable robust laptop you are going to have to buy direct from a
manufacturer on the internet. You’ll need to carefully select the model you
want as you’ll be offered from cheap to outrageously expensive models. With a
little care and attention you can get into a decent business class laptop for
between 500-700 euro.
Conclusion:
When it comes to technology the growth of phone
and tablet use has caused the computer manufacturer’s to respond with cheap
lower end laptops and hybrid tablet/laptops as their primary offerings. To
avoid the trap you need to carefully select the model you want based on your
budget and how long you want it to last.
