Folks, I'm on the look out for a simple laptop for my kid. Nothing too fancy, just something that can handle MS Office applications, surf the web, and do other simple tasks. I also need a new iPad as my 2014 iPad is barely functioning now.
So, my thought was maybe to simply buy an iPad Pro and fix a keyboard on for it to act like a laptop. Would this be a good idea? Or will the iPad not function properly as a laptop?
You don't need to spend as much as an iPad Pro. The Air model would do everything you need just fine for a few hundred notes less. Don't spend a fortune on Apple's accessories either. You can get something like
this for £50 off Amazon. I use the same brand every day and its never done me wrong.
An iPad Air may not be the best option however. You can only have one user account which means either sharing all your data with your kid or (I assume) unlocking the parental controls whenever you want it. This could get annoying, fast.
If you're considering the iPad Pro I'll assume your budget is around £800. If you don't mind Windows you can pick up a nice Asus laptop
from John Lewis for £450 which supports multiple users, ie your entire household. The OS is identical to the one they'll be using at school, you can lock down whatever you like with the Microsoft parental controls app and crucially allow them to stay logged in to the websites they need for maths and the like. I barely use my home laptop myself but its nice to have lurking if I have a job application, WFH assigmment or tax return to fill in that my iPad won't format properly.
You could then use the money saved to
buy yourself a £310 2025 iPad so you don't have to share.
That's less than £800 all-in including delivery if you don't fancy going into the city (do you live in Liverpool?) with a longer warranty than you'll find in either Currys or the Apple Store.
If you need an Apple laptop at a lower price I always trust CEX. A 2nd hand M1 Macbook Air is about £450 (grade b) with a 5-year warranty. Don't order one online though. Its better to shop in-store so you can check the physical condition and if any of the keys stick.
