I got the approval through today for my Home Access Grant www.homeaccess.org.uk/ which is a government initiative to provide low-income families with children aged between 7-13 with a laptop, a mobile broadband dongle prepaid with a year's internet access. I have a slightly creaky WinXP home PC and home broadband but I've never had a laptop and have only had brief tries on other peoples'.
Looking at the list of suppliers and available models of laptop, they all seem pretty similar (15.6" screen, 1.9GHz processor, 160GB HDD, Windows 7 and Microsoft Office plus comprehensive backup / repair / replacement service). The two deals that stand out for me are:
The Samsung R519 bit.ly/cVGuxR which has 2GB of RAM as opposed to all the others' 1GB - not sure if this will affect how it works but it seems like a good idea, and
Any of the deals from XMA Home Access bit.ly/4RaUYQ as they come with a "free" Printer/Copier/Scanner. I already have one of those but at £35 for a set of four inks it's lain unused for the last 6 months.
Out of the Samsung, Toshiba and Acer models listed, which would the experts here recommend? My daughter is respectful of expensive technology so robustness of the laptop isn't necessarily an overriding factor, however reliability and ease of operation are.
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