My 14 year old daughter is after a laptop for christmas. For personal stuff but for schoolwork purposes too

I’m wondering if a chromebook might be a good choice. She has wifi available at mine and her mum’s.

Anyone with any experiences to offer? She won’t be needing any specialist software, only real concern is google docs. If she creates a presentation using that, will all the formatting go haywire when the document is opened in powerpoint at school?

If she creates a presentation in Google docs, it can be opened in Google docs at school. Or, Google docs allows download as a pdf or in Office formats.

I’ve had a play with one for a while and am using more and more Chrome apps (through the browser) for work. We (large sixth form college) have a couple of trolleys of Chromebooks in now, and we’re using Google docs (through a browser) with our A level ICT students for a lot of their coursework, plus I know other subjects use it too.

Unless you need specific software, I think they’re great.

We’ve trialled a couple of chromebooks at work and I like them too. Although it’s touted as a cloud-based device, in fact for most apps, much of the time, it works OK when off-line too.

However using Google Docs at work wasn’t an option for various reasons and we found managing compatibility between Google Docs and Office a real pain. Our solution was to use Office 365 instead of Google Docs, which kind of sorted out that issue for us. .

If your daughter can use Google Docs instead of MS Office then I think it’s a good option for her. However if she’s going to have to manage the compatibility issue then I think you’re better off getting a conventional laptop with a student edition of Office.

I’d check if the school has plans for the introduction of tablets, tim.

Hove Park insist on iPads for all pupils now and I suspect Blatch will go with Windows tablets because of their relationship with Microsoft.

Deciding factor on choice for a lot of this stuff seems to be ‘what their mates have’ ‘cos they all want to run the same apps. My daughter had to have Apple because her freinds have and all do facetime.

Sounds like a great idea, cheap and easy and when they break it stuff is all backed up!

Isn’t Google Docs closing.. ?

Dropbox a good file sharing alternative..

Hove Park insist on iPads for all pupils now and I suspect Blatch will go with Windows tablets because of their relationship with Microsoft.

Blimey so you have to buy your kids iPads?

Isn’t Google Docs closing.. ?

Don’t think so. All been merged into Drive now. Google seem to have a lot of plans for it.

Google docs is just becoming Google Drive. Given how intrinsic it is to chromebooks, I can’t see that Google would be ending it…

To the OP, yes it might be a great choice but check carefully first what your daughter’s schools requirements are/will be – as above, if they spec iPads then you’ll be having to get one of those too!

IME, most google document formats work well in MS office but for anything critical it’s worth checking first. Also, if you have another computer in the house with office, you can just use powerpoint, etc using remote desktop from the chromebook. A little techy but for kids nowadays, not an issue.

thanks for the comments so far people

Luke – I would be very surprised if Longhill went with mandatory technology of any kind, the catchment area is I think a little more diverse than Hove Park or Blatchington Mill, but I’ll definitely check

Blimey so you have to buy your kids iPads?

yep, they do a monthly rental scheme and those on free lunches get loaned one but every kid in the school (1600 of them) plus all the teachers will have an iPad.

Good video explaining it all here;

http://tv.jtrs.co.uk/video/hove-park

IME, most google document formats work well in MS office but for anything critical it’s worth checking first. Also, if you have another computer in the house with office, you can just use powerpoint, etc using remote desktop from the chromebook. A little techy but for kids nowadays, not an issue.

interesting – I have a macbook with a copy of office

Would remote desktop allow her to access the macbook whilst someone else is using it? Also could she access it from her mum’s house?

Would remote desktop allow her to access the macbook whilst someone else is using it?

No or at least, the version I’ve used just provides the computer screen on whatever is running the chrome browser. That’s running it on Windows 7 though so it’s always possible that there are other options for Mac or using other apps.

Also could she access it from her mum’s house?

Yes though performance might vary depending on how good the internet connections speeds are.

You could look at LogMeIn as well Tim. Similar to rdp.

You could also try a 2nd user id to login via rdp – it may be that logging in as someone else allows multiple concurrent logins (I think you get 2 concurrent on Windows?)

IIRC chromebooks don’t do rdp yet though otherwise as you say, you would be able to have a separate session to someone else actually using the computer.

thanks people – I’ve e-mailed the school to find out if there are any plans to implement mandatroy tablets

I’ve also noticed the school website has a “remote desktop” link – wonder if there is a way for pupils to log into the school network and access things like MS Office remotely. So I’ve asked about that too

Tempted just to go for a chromebook. If it’s not right i can always get her a trad laptop at a later date, someone else in the family will be happy to make use of the chromebook I’m sure

Just in case you were about to get one right now, hold off for the new HP chromebook 11 (due this month) as that looks pretty good.

good call, thanks