Hi there,
Looking for some help and advice please.

Can anyone recommend one for around the £150 mark?
Can they be linked up to a printer?
As it’s for my daughter do they have word processing capability?

Basically what I am looking for is a machine that she can use on the web and do her homework on! Is this do-able?

Thanks in advance

This looks pretty good not had a play with one but might buy one!
http://www.andypad.co.uk/default.aspx

Im sure you could link it to a wireless printer, not good as a word processor as you wont have a keyboard but loads available.

What you need there is a netbook or a cheap (used?) laptop. I’ve yet to see a ‘budget’ tablet that isn’t trousers.

The ‘Andypad’ back there looks promising, but I’ve not seen one first hand yet.

Netbooks look quite good are they more powerful?

I was interested in the tablet because of the portability of them and she could put her sim card in and use her mobile internet when we go on holiday.
I think you can also get keyboards for the tablets now too . . .

she could put her sim card in and use her mobile internet when we go on holiday.

I dont think most tablets would let you do that. Plus internet roaming fees outside the UK will be massive.

Does sound like you need a netbook, probably more powerful than your average tablet plus you get a proper keyboard.

A decent modern phone will give you tethering ability (so you can use the phone as a modem), no SIM swapping needed.

As Rich says though, data roaming is usually massively expensive.

I think if I were you, I’d be taking myself off to Cash Converters or similar, and looking for a second hand laptop.

We holiday a fair bit but in the uk so roaming charges shouldn’t be an issue. She has a htc wildfire I would imagine that would do the job of a modem?
I will have a look in pc world and the like at both options.

I went to one of those cash converter type shops the other day, I couldn’t beleive how much they were asking for some of the ‘bikes’ in there! I don’t think those type of shops are cheap it’s for people who want to pay weekly then when they have covered the asking price they pick it up.

I bought a couple of laptops from these guys val-u-computers with no problems and they have a few options within your price range.

Kogan well received by some gadget magazine I read recently, 7″, capacitive screen, £130.

Netbooks are way better for doing proper productivity stuff on, it’s the keyboard and mouse although I’m quite aware you can get them for tablets.

Try one of the ACER refurbs. I’ve just sold our two as they’ve been replaced by more modern devices. They were great.

http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/box_opened_laptops/prod.asp

A 2nd hand Dell D430 is nearly as small as a netbook and will have a lot more power. If you get one get 2Gb memory and a 5400 rpm if possible, they are normally 4300 rpm.

The thing is a tablet is a great idea for kids as they can navigate around easily. Seeing as they are the future you might as well get kids into them now? *cue billions of “luddites” saying you’ll never get rid of the keyboard, why cant they just leave stuff alone..

How old’s the daughter?