She is starting an online school program next semester and we will have to buy her a notebook. She has a Chromebook from the local public school system which she will have to return at the end of the year.
The new online school mandates that the notebook must run either Mac OS or at least Windows 7. That means no Chromebook and no Linux. They give absolutely no specs on what is needed in terms of hardware, but I'm guessing it's not much more than web browsing, zoom and some sort of proprietary software Pearson, who is behind the school (I know they suck, but the program she's in now is so much worse), probably makes them run.
I really doubt she needs anything powerful. We'd like to spend less than $300. Even $200 if we could because we are down to a single income. Obviously, that means no Macbook, and I don't think it's worth getting one even if we can afford it.
So here's my question. There are a bunch of sub-$200 name brand notebooks on Amazon- no way am I buying some weird Chinese brand and I'm wary of buying used because I don't want to chance something going bad in the middle of the semester. The notebooks on Amazon have really poor specs, like 4 GB of RAM, but maybe they will work?
Here's an example - https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Vivobook-Processor-Microsoft-L510MA-AS02/dp/B09SVR5VD4?ref_=Oct_DLandingS_D_dd93bda7_2&th=1
Intel Celeron N4020 processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Windows 11 Home S Mode, but claims you can switch out of S mode, which I'll probably have to do to install whatever software they want me to install.
Since they will accept a Win 7 notebook, I imagine that whatever they want us to run does not need a powerful machine, but will 4GB RAM be so little for Win 11 that the machine will be ridiculously slow even just running things like a web browser and Zoom? Would it be worth getting it and then installing an older version of Windows? Is that even possible these days?
I haven't bought a computer since 2015 and, because of the industry I worked in, it was an iMac. I also have a Macbook for the same reason. I'm not particularly interested in remaining in the Apple sphere when the ones I have need to be replaced, but I basically know nothing about Windows at this point.
TL;DR - Online school mandates a Win machine, there are really cheap ones, but I don't know if I should buy one.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
The best advice here is to just not buy new. You can get a refurbished laptop from trusted sellers that will definitely exceed the requirements for under $200. If you are willing to spend up to $300 then there is literally no concerns.
For example here is a DELL Latitude 7490 Laptop Intel Core i5 8th Gen 8250U (1.60GHz) 16GB Memory 256 GB SSD Intel UHD Graphics 620 14.0" Windows 10 Pro for $192 on Newegg.
https://www.newegg.com/dell-latitude-7490-work-business/p/N82E16834833592?item=N82E16834833592
If you don't like Newegg there are tons of other stores that offer refurbished laptops. I assume you are in the USA and stores you can consider are Target, Walmart, Best buy.
There is very little risk with refurbished laptops. They are usually tested before being shipped out and if you buy from a legit company they usually offer some kind of store warranty. Walmart for example offers a 90 day return policy for any reason.
It's hard to make suggestions on which laptop to get since availability plays a bigger role here. So just look around at your desired budget and pick what you think your kid needs.
If you think your kid won't accept a laptop that has a scratch, simply look for "As New". Then there usually aren't any visible damages. But if you are fine with some cosmetic damage you can get real bargains.
Will the battery be okay? That's my biggest concern with something like that.
Generally yes. Some refurbished laptops are literally brand new and have never been used before. And if there is an issue, you just return it and try out a different one.
Depending on the model, you can also just buy a replacement battery and it can still be cheaper than anything comparable new.
Great! That's the sort of advice I was hoping to hear, so thank you. She won't care about a scratch or a scuff or whatever. Even if she does, she's not the one paying for it and she's 13, so she'll have to take what she can get. Again, I really appreciate it!