Should I help my 13 year old buy his own macbook?

[Abbara]

I just sent him a text asking if he would want the 13 or 11 inch model, he seems pretty set on the 13 inch, but a 13inch 256gb MBA will cost you around $1399 without tax here (and edu discount)

Why so insistent on the MBA? I really like it, if you have the money for it, or if you need OS X for say work like I do.

But really, if you just want to play Minecraft... as I said, a $25 raspberry pi can literally run minecraft. Absolutely no need to spend over $1k to run that, that's a joke.

And for heavier games, you mentioned he has a PS4, and for casual gaming a tablet and smartphone and any new decent laptop.

So what's left? MS Office, facebook, skype, netflix, youtube... you can do all that on a device that costs a few hundred bucks. Why buy a $1000+ device for that?

I mean look at this: http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-ux305-vs-macbook

$700, as light as a MBA, thickest point is thinner than any MBP, MBA, MB, twice the ram & storage of a MBA, higher resolution than the MBA, and will save you probably a good 30-40%, with a CPU that can handle anything a typical 13 year old would want to do on a school laptop including Minecraft.

I like and use OS X for work and I do development on it, so I like the MBA's i5. But if I were 13 years old knowing what I know, no way in hell I'd buy a MBA or MB, when you can buy an ASUS UX305 or Dell XPS.

 

[motrek]

...
I like and use OS X for work and I do development on it, so I like the MBA's i5. But if I were 13 years old knowing what I know, no way in hell I'd buy a MBA or MB, when you can buy an ASUS UX305 or Dell XPS.

You should be comparing the Asus to a 13" MBA which is available from Best Buy for $900 now. Roughly similar specs and price.

Sure, for any given spec, the Asus might be somewhat better, but not in any way that would make the entire experience light-years better.

And if you get the MBA, you're almost guaranteed to be able to sell it years later and get half your money back, whereas the market for used PC laptops is basically nil. So total cost of ownership might actually tip in the MBA's favor, as long as it doesn't get stolen or damaged.

 

[Abbara]

You should be comparing the Asus to a 13" MBA which is available from Best Buy for $900 now. Roughly similar specs and price.

Sure, for any given spec, the Asus might be somewhat better, but not in any way that would make the entire experience light-years better.

And if you get the MBA, you're almost guaranteed to be able to sell it years later and get half your money back, whereas the market for used PC laptops is basically nil. So total cost of ownership might actually tip in the MBA's favor, as long as it doesn't get stolen or damaged.

Well he's in Canada, cheapest is the 2014 MBA which is $1025 at Bestbuy there, while the Asus is $900.

If you're willing to receive this $125 discount here's what you get: 2x the ram (8b), 2x the storage (256gb), a higher 1080p Full HD resolution, a thinner device, a better GPU and hey, it's fanless.

It's really not that crazy.

And if you want to match that type of storage and ram you're looking at $1300+ in the US, probably ~$1600 in Canada, while the Asus is still $900 in Canada.

I do agree, the resale value on Macs are generally better. But we know three things:

1) The BestBuy MBA you recommended is already a 1 year old, 2014 model, versus a brand new ASUS
2) OP wanted this device for at least 5 years. The resale value on a 2014 model in 2020 isn't going to be very interesting anyway. No way you get back half of $1025 by then.
3) Resale value on Windows is usually crap because the average laptop is $350. 5 years later, that's worthless. But an expensive device that outshines a $1000-1300 MB/MBA will retain some of its value.

So yes, Macs resell better generally, but in this particular case I think the difference is very small. So I still say, the Asus is a very interesting deal that I'd consider.

Unless you just really want OS X, like I do. For me a Windows laptop isn't an option right now. In that case the MBA 2014 is really great value.

But making an OS-agnostic decision like your son (coming from Windows, and not needing OS X for work or school) can make, I'd definitely recommend him to try out the ASUS in a store before jumping on the Apple bandwagon like many of us have

 

[TheEpicGlitch]

Well he's in Canada, cheapest is the 2014 MBA which is $1025 at Bestbuy there, while the Asus is $900.

If you're willing to receive this $125 discount here's what you get: 2x the ram (8b), 2x the storage (256gb), a higher 1080p Full HD resolution, a thinner device, a better GPU and hey, it's fanless.

It's really not that crazy.

And if you want to match that type of storage and ram you're looking at $1300+ in the US, probably ~$1600 in Canada, while the Asus is still $900 in Canada.

I do agree, the resale value on Macs are generally better. But we know three things:

1) The BestBuy MBA you recommended is already a 1 year old, 2014 model, versus a brand new ASUS
2) OP wanted this device for at least 5 years. The resale value on a 2014 model in 2020 isn't going to be very interesting anyway. No way you get back half of $1025 by then.
3) Resale value on Windows is usually crap because the average laptop is $350. 5 years later, that's worthless. But an expensive device that outshines a $1000-1300 MB/MBA will retain some of its value.

So yes, Macs resell better generally, but in this particular case I think the difference is very small. So I still say, the Asus is a very interesting deal that I'd consider.

Unless you just really want OS X, like I do. For me a Windows laptop isn't an option right now. In that case the MBA 2014 is really great value.

But making an OS-agnostic decision like your son (coming from Windows, and not needing OS X for work or school) can make, I'd definitely recommend him to try out the ASUS in a store before jumping on the Apple bandwagon like many of us have

Yes, I understand this, and it's my problem, something like the ASUS was what I was originally going to get him, but he approached me with the MBA idea and I was wondering if I should still help him buy it, even if I believe it is overpriced, he tells me the macs last a really long time and that it would suit his needs better.

----------

Why so insistent on the MBA? I really like it, if you have the money for it, or if you need OS X for say work like I do.

But really, if you just want to play Minecraft... as I said, a $25 raspberry pi can literally run minecraft. Absolutely no need to spend over $1k to run that, that's a joke.

And for heavier games, you mentioned he has a PS4, and for casual gaming a tablet and smartphone and any new decent laptop.

So what's left? MS Office, facebook, skype, netflix, youtube... you can do all that on a device that costs a few hundred bucks. Why buy a $1000+ device for that?

Image

I mean look at this: http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-ux305-vs-macbook

$700, as light as a MBA, thickest point is thinner than any MBP, MBA, MB, twice the ram & storage of a MBA, higher resolution than the MBA, and will save you probably a good 30-40%, with a CPU that can handle anything a typical 13 year old would want to do on a school laptop including Minecraft.

I like and use OS X for work and I do development on it, so I like the MBA's i5. But if I were 13 years old knowing what I know, no way in hell I'd buy a MBA or MB, when you can buy an ASUS UX305 or Dell XPS.

Two problems with that Asus ultrabook, I can't find anywhere to buy it in Canada, (do you have a link to a retailer?) And we also need a lot of a battery life (8hrs MINIMUM) He also wouldn't use his Macbook for gaming, he says his current laptops is FINE for gaming, it just has about 2-3hrs of battery, and weighs about 5ilbs and is over an inch thick, it also takes a while for everything else but for some reason after about 10min inside a game it runs fine. We have also done many spyware and malware checks and nothing has come up. It really is quite strange.

 

[motrek]

...
If you're willing to receive this $125 discount here's what you get: 2x the ram (8b), 2x the storage (256gb), a higher 1080p Full HD resolution, a thinner device, a better GPU and hey, it's fanless.

Well, I don't want to be in the position of arguing that the MBA is a better laptop because I don't know that it is and I don't care that much, just wanted to make a point that the difference isn't as black-and-white as you're making it out to be.

This seems to be a good review and raises some issues.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Zenbook-UX305-Subnotebook-Review.136543.0.html

One is that the Asus's processor is ~40% slower for processor-intensive stuff and the graphics are newer but not faster (presumably thanks to the smaller power budget). Another is that the battery life is only ~7 hours vs. the MBA's 12-13. And another is that the screen might be higher-resolution than the MBA's but isn't quite as good on most other metrics like contrast and color accuracy.

1) The BestBuy MBA you recommended is already a 1 year old, 2014 model, versus a brand new ASUS
2) OP wanted this device for at least 5 years. The resale value on a 2014 model in 2020 isn't going to be very interesting anyway. No way you get back half of $1025 by then.
3) Resale value on Windows is usually crap because the average laptop is $350. 5 years later, that's worthless. But an expensive device that outshines a $1000-1300 MB/MBA will retain some of its value.

Well, the Best Buy MBA might be last year's design but it might have been manufactured a month ago, so it's almost certainly not a year old. And there's not that much difference between the 2014 model and the 2015 model. So I would expect it to hold its value pretty well.

You might be right about resale value for nice PC laptops. I have only resold nice PC desktops and I know that you're lucky to get $100 for a really nice desktop PC, where just the power supply or graphics card might cost twice that if you were to buy it new. I would be surprised if you could sell any PC laptop for any significant amount of money but I might be wrong. If you have personal experience then I'd be interested to hear it. I have bought and sold some used, ~5 year old MacBooks for significant amounts of money.

 

[Abbara]

Well, I don't want to be in the position of arguing that the MBA is a better laptop because I don't know that it is and I don't care that much, just wanted to make a point that the difference isn't as black-and-white as you're making it out to be.

This seems to be a good review and raises some issues.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Zenbook-UX305-Subnotebook-Review.136543.0.html

That's a really poor review because it tests a completely difference device with a 3k resolution, a pretty insane 3200x1800 resolution, that has a touch panel, more than any Mac except the new retina iMac and that device is non-touch and twice the size. It has a higher PPI than any Mac device and it's a touch panel. Of course its battery at that resolution isn't going to be the same as the non-touch FHD, one which is noted around ~10h. Not quite the MBA's 12h, but 10h is more than sufficient for a 13 year old who doesn't need insane battery for travel or work, better than the 11" or 12" Macbooks, and better than the 8h minimum OP asked for.

It's also a poor review because this model (which again, is not the model I referred to) is $270 CAD more expensive and more than retina, and is thus compared to the Dell XPS 2015, or the rMBP, whose contrast and color accuracy are all far better than the MBA we're comparing it to.

Same with performance, any comparison to a mac in that review is one compared to a rMBP, not a MBA. But in terms of performance, all reviews I'm reading say that it has runs perfectly fine. Remember, OP already says his kid isn't gaming on it and uses it for school, the chip in the Asus is a bit like the MB, fine for regular use but not for heavy gaming or e.g. editing large videos. And remember, it has double the RAM (and storage, but that doesn't affect performance) as the MBA, while still being cheaper, cheaper even than previous years' models that is.

Well, the Best Buy MBA might be last year's design but it might have been manufactured a month ago, so it's almost certainly not a year old. And there's not that much difference between the 2014 model and the 2015 model. So I would expect it to hold its value pretty well.

It doesn't matter. Would you pay $1800 for a new Macbook Air 2008 manufactured yesterday? That was the price they launched with. Of course not. That's an extreme example but it makes my point: value & especially resale value doesn't consider manufacture date first, it considers the models' date first. You're simply not going to get the same resale value in say 2016 on a 2014 MBA as a 2015 MBA, despite having been used just as long, that was my only point. Beyond that I agree a MBA 2014 will hold value pretty well.

Anyway it's besides the point, OP aims for a 5y+ usage, resale value difference on a 4gb/128gb 2014 MBA without even a Full HD resolution in 2020 just isn't going to sell very well, and certainly not much better versus an 8gb/256gb 2015 model with double the resolution.

You might be right about resale value for nice PC laptops. I have only resold nice PC desktops and I know that you're lucky to get $100 for a really nice desktop PC, where just the power supply or graphics card might cost twice that if you were to buy it new. I would be surprised if you could sell any PC laptop for any significant amount of money but I might be wrong. If you have personal experience then I'd be interested to hear it. I have bought and sold some used, ~5 year old MacBooks for significant amounts of money.

Yup, exact same experience for desktops. I usually get about 15% or so on my desktops back. Laptops, they do quite well. A $1200 laptop usually still sells for $300-400 years later. It might be less resale than a MBA, but not so much less that I'd throw a discount, double ram, double storage, thinner, higher resolution etc out the window for it. In terms of value you just can't beat the ASUS unless you value OS X a lot, and it seems OP's kid never used OS X much if at all which is why I'm mentioning the ASUS.

I'm not saying the ASUS is perfect by the way, or better than a MBA in every respect (performance for example, is a bit worse). Again I prefer my MBA. But for this particular person, with his needs (non-gaming, non-development, non-professional work, school stuff, internet, youtube, facebook etc), with budget constraints, without an express need for OS X... it looks like the ASUS is great value.

I mean just read a quick review like this: http://techspective.net/2015/03/02/review-asus-zenbook-ux305-ultrabook/

It's a nice little device.

he tells me the macs last a really long time and that it would suit his needs better.

Compared to what? Those are relative statements. Compared to a $250 Windows laptop, sure. But if you put a $1k Mac against a $1k desktop PC, the PC wins by far in terms of value. The past decade or so, the opposite was true for laptops, in my opinion, Macbooks were better devices generally. But quite recently we've seen windows laptops deliver better value, too. And you can see that in models like the new 2015 models from ASUS and Dell. They'll last a long time, too, have better specs for a better price, and come with strong, thin and slick aluminium builds.

As for "suiting his needs better", it's fine to make a blanket statement like that but he needs to back it up. I just don't see how a 13" MBA is more suitable than a laptop that's thinner, with a 10h battery, with double the ram, double the storage, higher resolution, completely silent, that saves you or him over $100. It's up to him to convince you, I'm just putting out some alternatives to look at.

Anyway I mentioned the battery before. As for where to buy it, Microsoft Store Canada.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.313368800

I'd recommend checking with a few big stores in Canada to see if they have one. It's always recommended to give it a try before you order.

 

[motrek]

That's a really poor review because it tests a completely difference device with a 3k resolution, a pretty insane 3200x1800 resolution ...

My bad, I misread one of the sentences at the beginning and thought they were testing the base model.

----------

...
It doesn't matter. Would you pay $1800 for a new Macbook Air 2008 manufactured yesterday? That was the price they launched with. Of course not. That's an extreme example but it makes my point: value & especially resale value doesn't consider manufacture date first, it considers the models' date first. You're simply not going to get the same resale value in say 2016 on a 2014 MBA as a 2015 MBA, despite having been used just as long, that was my only point. Beyond that I agree a MBA 2014 will hold value pretty well. ...

Whoops, was going to say something to this too.

My experience has been that a model's technical features are considered first and foremost re: resale value for Apple products.

Apple releases a lot of products that are minor refreshes and 4-5 years down the line they all seem to cost more or less the same as each other. At least that has been my experience when buying a couple used MacBooks, a used iMac, and a used Mac Mini.

It wouldn't surprise me if, 5 years down the line, a used 2013 MacBook costs about the same as a used 2015 MacBook and any price difference comes down to cosmetic condition, number of cycles on the battery, etc.

If you can get good money for the Asus after 5 years of use then it might be the smart buy. I wouldn't buy it myself because I'm sick of Windows but I still understand that you can do all the same stuff with Windows that you can do with a Mac.

 

[TheEpicGlitch]

Hey, I have another question, sorry about all of this, but would a rMBP be a better buy than a MBA?

 

[Meister]

Hey, I have another question, sorry about all of this, but would a rMBP be a better buy than a MBA?

For what your kid will be doing the only relevant difference will be the screen.

 

[TheEpicGlitch]

For what your kid will be doing the only relevant difference will be the screen.

Good too know. I will. It's likely be helping him buy the MBA when as a family we decide the time is right.

 

[three]

What are your thoughts about saving yourself and him some money and helping him find and buy a (lightly) used MacBook Pro?

 

[TheEpicGlitch]

Should I help my 13 year old buy his own macbook?

What are your thoughts about saving yourself and him some money and helping him find and buy a (lightly) used MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?

If I cannot find any good deals on 2014 MacBooks I will probably buy used, my main issue is the fact that 8gb of RAM is hard to find in used MacBooks.

Also, how long does the battery on the June 2014 rMBP?

 

[Meister]

If I cannot find any good deals on 2014 MacBooks I will probably buy used, my main issue is the fact that 8gb of RAM is hard to find in used MacBooks.

Also, how long does the battery on the June 2014 rMBP?

Most pros come with 8gb of ram.
It depends on the screen brightness and the usage.
There is no telling about the battery life without knowing how your son will use it.

 

[RUGGLES99]

This guy's the father of a 13-year-old, presumably middle class and articulate and he's coming here essentially for parenting advice? Social services needs to be called.

 

[gregvet]

4gb of ram should be able to handle that, right?

Individually yes absolutely. All at the same time, might struggle ;-)

 

[rei101]

I am really stuck because I am worried he won't take care of it, or it will be stolen at school, but it is his own money and I did agree to buy a laptop for him in the coming months.

Yes, but he is a minor and you are his parent.

I am 40 and I never needed a laptop to go to school.

Then, you mentioned the actual laptop is heavy... come on! is not heavier than a book!

Give him what he needs, not what he want and he is not adult enough to handle as he wants his money. Get him the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and read it your self please!

Thank you for posting.

 

[Fuith]

But really, if you just want to play Minecraft... as I said, a $25 raspberry pi can literally run minecraft. Absolutely no need to spend over $1k to run that, that's a joke.

The $25 pi will run a version of Minecraft, but not the full game. It' a stripped down version for the ARM processor. When you start running modpacks on top on that, it definitely won't handle it.

$700, as light as a MBA, thickest point is thinner than any MBP, MBA, MB, twice the ram & storage of a MBA, higher resolution than the MBA, and will save you probably a good 30-40%, with a CPU that can handle anything a typical 13 year old would want to do on a school laptop including Minecraft.

It's always been my experience that it doesn't matter what specs a computer has (within reason), once you combine Windows with them, all bets are off. Especially a year, two years down the line. Every Windows computer I've owned was the same. Switch to my iMac and three years later, it's still perfect.

 

[David58117]

Since he needs it for slides, and "research," - have you thought about getting him an iPad mini for his day to day commute to school?

The iPad mini is so much cheaper than a macbook, and is perfect for taking notes on slides. Get him a good stylus, and he can take handwritten notes on it, even over the slides. He could organize them by class and by year, and have virtual notebooks that he can email to others, print, etc.

I would not feel comfortable with a macbook being taken to school, and around other 13 year olds daily. It will get stolen or broken. So may the iPad, but a few hundred dollars lost is easier to swallow than a thousand. Also, the iPad has so much better options for protective cases. You can get him something water-proof, drop proof and feel comfortable that atleast that aspect is covered.

I think I would be more comfortable with my kids having access to a "family" computer, rather than their own laptops. Kids (even some adults) can get into so much trouble online, and there are some pretty bad things out there. I think internet use really should be monitored for kids...

Anyway, since you've already taken the step and got them their own laptop years ago (I'm hoping you monitor it..), then I would look at the base model of the air he wants (the new 2015 model just came out, so prior year is discounted). He doesn't need retina or 8gb ram (unless he wants to save up more for them himself). The cheaper, base model would be perfect.

Tell him that that stays home.

Then you better have something awesome planned for your younger kid.

Maybe he gets the old computer and you get an iPad mini for him too? They could play games together that way, and he wouldn't feel cut off.

 

[motrek]

Since he needs it for slides, and "research," - have you thought about getting him an iPad mini for his day to day commute to school?

The iPad mini is so much cheaper than a macbook, and is perfect for taking notes on slides. Get him a good stylus, and he can take handwritten notes on it, even over the slides. He could organize them by class and by year, and have virtual notebooks that he can email to others, print, etc.
...

iPads might be good for taking notes but seem horrible for anything even slightly more complicated. Juggling several web sites that you might have open for researching something, copying and pasting, IMing while working. And if you want to learn about "computers" (e.g., how to type correctly, how to use office software, or do any programming) then they are worthless.

 

[richwoodrocket]

The $25 pi will run a version of Minecraft, but not the full game. It' a stripped down version for the ARM processor. When you start running modpacks on top on that, it definitely won't handle it.

The new raspberry pi 2 is 6 times faster than the outgoing one. Check it out...
iPad mini (as above poster suggested) + raspberry pi

 

[sracer]

iPads might be good for taking notes but seem horrible for anything even slightly more complicated. Juggling several web sites that you might have open for researching something, copying and pasting, IMing while working. And if you want to learn about "computers" (e.g., how to type correctly, how to use office software, or do any programming) then they are worthless.

Excellent points. There's also the issue that the institution's website may require browser plug-ins or Java for accessing online content within the site. That was a challenge for my kids who did online high school. That was with a Macbook... it was possible, but it required some work. It would've been impossible on any tablet running a mobile OS.

I would say that iPads are not that good for taking notes (particularly of the handwritten variety). It's technically possible, and spending some money for a powered stylus and special note-taking app will help improve things a bit, but not nearly as useful and pleasant as an active stylus.

One thing that I've found extremely helpful in using my 11" MBA for research/study, is making use of fullscreen mode and multi-touch gestures. I can easily and quickly swap between apps in conjunction with cutting and pasting...something that can be a bit hit-n-miss on an iPad if responsiveness is not stellar.

 

[David58117]

iPads might be good for taking notes but seem horrible for anything even slightly more complicated. Juggling several web sites that you might have open for researching something, copying and pasting, IMing while working. And if you want to learn about "computers" (e.g., how to type correctly, how to use office software, or do any programming) then they are worthless.

You realize the user is 13, and wants to take it to school for notes, right? Also, that they have a laptop already, and the macbook would simply replace it..?

Anyway, I used my iPad in university and had a much more productive work flow in lectures than people who brought their laptops. I had all the slides on it, would take pics of all the hand outs, and could write on any of them with a stylus. I would also use a recorder app in the background and record the lectures..I could save them and re-listen before tests, or email them to other students who requested them. For notes, I could actually draw diagrams and equations.

Your concern about "juggling" several websites is unncessary as there are hand writing/typing apps that have a built in side by side web browsers. Copying and pasting - I have no idea what your concern is, as it works fine. IM'ing/facebook messaging also works fine.

----------

Excellent points. There's also the issue that the institution's website may require browser plug-ins or Java for accessing online content within the site. That was a challenge for my kids who did online high school. That was with a Macbook... it was possible, but it required some work. It would've been impossible on any tablet running a mobile OS.

I would say that iPads are not that good for taking notes (particularly of the handwritten variety). It's technically possible, and spending some money for a powered stylus and special note-taking app will help improve things a bit, but not nearly as useful and pleasant as an active stylus.

I was able to access the universities website through the iPad and could download slides directly from it. iPads are very popular, I really don't think it's as difficult nowadays as it once was.

But if they do run into an issue - they already have a computer at home, so I don't see an issue. It's not like the kid is being sent away for college with only an iPad...he's an 8th grader wanting to take an expensive macbook to class.

The whole point of the iPad is that it's cheaper and allows him to get his uses out of it.

For notes -

Having used it to take notes on for years, - it was great! Here's an example of one of the apps:

The guys handwriting is kind of sloppy, but you get the point. It actually works very well, and you can even imbed audio/pics if needed.

 

[TheEpicGlitch]

Most pros come with 8gb of ram.
It depends on the screen brightness and the usage.
There is no telling about the battery life without knowing how your son will use it.

I will bring this up more with him tomorrow, however he does seen pretty set on the air for being cheaper and easier to haul around classes

This guy's the father of a 13-year-old, presumably middle class and articulate and he's coming here essentially for parenting advice? Social services needs to be called.

I did come here for advice, not really parenting advice though, I was more or less asking if a MacBook Air is worth it and ok for young (albeit a mature one) teen. Now this thread for me has turned into what laptop would best suit HIM, who knows, maybe In a month or two he will find a laptop he prefers, and then I will see if the laptop is a decent price, if it is, I will buy it, if it's not, he will have to chip in (same as in the macbook,)

Individually yes absolutely. All at the same time, might struggle ;-)

Good too know, that could allow us to get a refurb.

Yes, but he is a minor and you are his parent.



I am 40 and I never needed a laptop to go to school.



Then, you mentioned the actual laptop is heavy... come on! is not heavier than a book!



Give him what he needs, not what he want and he is not adult enough to handle as he wants his money. Get him the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and read it your self please!



Thank you for posting.

1. He doesn't need a laptop, but it is STRONGLY recommended.
2. The thickness and weight may not seem to be a big problem, but makes it quite difficult to carry when you are taking it in a bag already full of textbooks.
3. I was already gonna spend $500-600 on a new laptop for him, I am not fully buying him a MacBook. If we do go through with this, he will be paying the rest with his own money.

Since he needs it for slides, and "research," - have you thought about getting him an iPad mini for his day to day commute to school?



The iPad mini is so much cheaper than a macbook, and is perfect for taking notes on slides. Get him a good stylus, and he can take handwritten notes on it, even over the slides. He could organize them by class and by year, and have virtual notebooks that he can email to others, print, etc.



I would not feel comfortable with a macbook being taken to school, and around other 13 year olds daily. It will get stolen or broken. So may the iPad, but a few hundred dollars lost is easier to swallow than a thousand. Also, the iPad has so much better options for protective cases. You can get him something water-proof, drop proof and feel comfortable that atleast that aspect is covered.



I think I would be more comfortable with my kids having access to a "family" computer, rather than their own laptops. Kids (even some adults) can get into so much trouble online, and there are some pretty bad things out there. I think internet use really should be monitored for kids...



Anyway, since you've already taken the step and got them their own laptop years ago (I'm hoping you monitor it..), then I would look at the base model of the air he wants (the new 2015 model just came out, so prior year is discounted). He doesn't need retina or 8gb ram (unless he wants to save up more for them himself). The cheaper, base model would be perfect.



Tell him that that stays home.



Then you better have something awesome planned for your younger kid.



Maybe he gets the old computer and you get an iPad mini for him too? They could play games together that way, and he wouldn't feel cut off.

First of all, just to clarify, he is currently using his iPad 3 for school (which he bought in grade 4 after about 6+ months of saving,) unfortunately the iPad doesn't preform to well for doing school work, when typing fast it lags and you need to wait 5secs for it to catch up, the multitasking is horrible and it can't access the schools online system without lagging so hard it takes 10secs for a tap to register.

My kid walking around a school full of other 13 year olds with a $1000+ device does scare me, but his school only has about 300 kids in it and is pretty crime free.

About monitoring their devices, that's not really my cup of tea, my wife does it on occasion and we are pretty strict about how our kids act online, but our kids are very open with me and generally will step forward if they did something wrong. We haven't had a family computer for a while, everyone owns their own devices.

Second of all, he is paying for around half or more of the laptop depending on the specs we agree on.

The my other son will most likely have the same thing, if he wants to save his own money and pitch in to get a different device he can. If not, I will buy him a $500-600 ultrabook/laptop.

Side note: both kids currently have the same laptop, which they bought on Boxing Day of 2012 because it was $200 off.

 

[David58117]

First of all, just to clarify, he is currently using his iPad 3 for school (which he bought in grade 4 after about 6+ months of saving,) unfortunately the iPad doesn't preform to well for doing school work, when typing fast it lags and you need to wait 5secs for it to catch up, the multitasking is horrible and it can't access the schools online system without lagging so hard it takes 10secs for a tap to register.

iPad 3's were notorious for lag. It was the first retina release of the iPad, and the screen was too overpowered for the internals. Mine lagged liked crazy too.

Apple quickly released the next version which fixed most of the issues.

Now the iPad Air's + mini 2 are much better.

I think you just picked a bad generation to jump in to.

 

[gnasher729]

I am really stuck because I am worried he won't take care of it, or it will be stolen at school, but it is his own money and I did agree to buy a laptop for him in the coming months.

It's really not a question about Macs but more about parenting...

If your child manages to save a significant amount of money at the age of 13, I'd be all for helping them if you can afford it. You have to judge whether he is careful with expensive items or not. MacBook Air is likely a good choice - at 13 years a light laptop seems a good choice. Have a look at refurbished computers as well (I recommend going for for a 2014 model).

I'd also check what your home insurance would do if your son's property is stolen or damanged at school.