Desk top Computer

[kalibojerry]

I would like some advise from the BM from this forum I want to buy my niece a second hand Desk top Computer for here first 1 for school once she shows me that she can take care of it and learns how to use it, and not for games and Facebook then I will get her a nice laptop, she's 16 second year in high school  and lives in a small village, her goal right now is she wants to be a teacher, as of right now a hard working girl helps her mom with the cooking, and cleaning of the house, and other chores, I have never heard her back talk her parents, up early to make coffee and fix her father something to eat before he goes to the farm,  and helps with her sisters, making them help also, so I would like to help her she has had a hard childhood growing up lived on the farm in a bamboo house no running water or lights, my sweetheart and I have moved her father and the family into a hollow block house with running water and lights, and closer to school, the family and her are so thankful for what we have done. I just want to help not take care of the family and try to give them a better life, I know if you start giving to much they will get spoiled , like the kids in America, then I will have a problem, so to me it is go slow and easy so any advise you can give I would be very great full       

[Dave Hounddriver]

8 minutes ago, kalibojerry said:

want to buy my niece a second hand Desk top Computer

I have not bought a desktop computer in 5 years.  Laptops are too cheap, convenient and powerful these days.  Why a desktop?  I suspect a used laptop would be as cheap as a used desktop and a new netbook (laptop with no DVD drive) can be had for 12K or less.

 

EDIT:  Just by way of example.  I went to Lazada and had a quick look and found this one, brand new, for only 8,000 pesos.  Good for any youngster I would think

http://www.lazada.com.ph/haier-chromebook-11-2127850.html

Edited April 20, 2016 by Dave Hounddriver

[kalibojerry]

Dave 

she has 3 little sisters i feel a desk top would have to stay in one place and could not be taken out of the house or room to room after she shows me she can take care of it then yes a laptop, yes Dave you are very right the prices now are very cheap and a new laptop may be the way I have to go , just would feel better if it was not moved around 

 

[Jollygoodfellow]

I think if she is as a nice girl as you say then it's not going to matter what you get. It might be more practicable to get a laptop where if she needs privacy to study then as long as there's wifi she can use it. That's the other thing, have you got internet sorted? 

[Dave Hounddriver]

13 minutes ago, kalibojerry said:

she has 3 little sisters

If you are suggesting that the 3 little sisters share the computer use, I have found that seldom works.  1 person can be taught about viruses and malware and will want to keep their computer safe and usable.  When others use it then no one seems to care about maintaining it.  But I see your point, if its cheap enough then let them screw with it and learn the lesson.

[robert k]

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I have not bought a desktop computer in 5 years.  Laptops are too cheap, convenient and powerful these days.  Why a desktop?  I suspect a used laptop would be as cheap as a used desktop and a new netbook (laptop with no DVD drive) can be had for 12K or less.

 

EDIT:  Just by way of example.  I went to Lazada and had a quick look and found this one, brand new, for only 8,000 pesos.  Good for any youngster I would think

http://www.lazada.com.ph/haier-chromebook-11-2127850.html

I think this would work great for some people, especially with a fistful of flash drives because that 16GB hard drive is pretty small. I'm not convinced that netbooks are the way to go in many places in the Philippines because online /cloud storage uses bandwidth of which you may not have an unlimited supply. I frequently close things out on my computer and decide less than 5 minutes later I need to look at it again and if it wasn't on hard drive or flash drive, that would mean downloading it again.

I haven't messed with Chrome operating system, it may be possible to get a low profile high capacity high speed flash drive and configure it as hard drive memory and just leave it installed.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I use a desktop PC for gaming.  My laptop just can't quite handle the graphics.  ...but I brought it with me from the US.

I have seen very little resale market here - most stuff seems to used until it is gone.  Here in Iloilo I have seen shops selling extremely cheap desktop PCs. Usually a fairly basic computer, but enough to get online.  Like the ones that the PesoNets use.

Oh, you might check for "pesonet" on olx. Not sure where you live, buying online may involve complicated shipping

[Mike S]

What ever you get get something with a windows operating system (you don't know how hard that is for me to say) as it is much more compatible with the slew of programs out there .... other OS not so much .... JMHO ...

[Jake]

14 hours ago, kalibojerry said:

Dave 

she has 3 little sisters i feel a desk top would have to stay in one place and could not be taken out of the house or room to room after she shows me she can take care of it then yes a laptop, yes Dave you are very right the prices now are very cheap and a new laptop may be the way I have to go , just would feel better if it was not moved around 

 

As JGF mentioned, I think you should ascertain if the local internet signal is OK.  Then get a cheap laptop with only her password giving her access.  That would teach her 3 other sisters to do well in school and house work and perhaps you can reward them later with their own laptop or cell phone(s).

Yeah, teach them some responsibilities and most importantly.....accountability for their actions when you take away their privileges.

[i am bob]

i too would go for the laptop over a desktop...  but i wouldn't go with a chrome machine as you really do need to have internet access to use it fully...  instead i would just go with a basic small laptop or netbook...  loaded with win7...  then she can use it for school right away...  at home of course!