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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Sept 23 2008 at 7:33pm | IP Logged
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We/I need a new computer. Since married/children, I've always had a desktop. Do I now want/need a laptop?
I know this is a very individual decision, much depends on our family, our house, our needs, etc.....but I still want more input from like-minded people.
What do you have and why?
How do you use your computer/desktop?
Benefits/disadvantages of what you have?
What questions should I be asking myself?
Anything else? 
My children are: 7.5, 6, 5, 2.5, and baby
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Mary G
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| Posted: Sept 23 2008 at 7:41pm | IP Logged
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When our desktop blew up in moving to Denver (a sign?  ), we got a laptop with the idea that oldest son would take it to LSU the next year ... he got a better one and we're still using the laptop.
I like it much better than a desktop ... we took it with us easily on our move this summer and it was easy to take to Panera or Starbucks to check emails over WiFi. I liked too that I could take it to my in-laws and work without having to worry about losing things.
But I'm a bit odd as we do seem to move alot. I just like the sleekness of the laptop ... I can keep it on the desk in the living room or put it away when compnay is coming.
Laptops now have such amazing capabilites (especially if you have a USB flash drive around) so the upside to desktops seem to dissolve....
Now, whether you get a Mac or PC ... that would be my quandary!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Mary Chris
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I agree with everything that Mary posted.
And I love my Mac 
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: Sept 23 2008 at 9:22pm | IP Logged
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I often think of getting a new computer--a desktop. Cost is the major issue. We have kind of lucked out with our "old" laptops that have been adopted from family who had to upgrade to the newest and greatest.
Anyhow, the cool thing about my laptop, and wireless, is that I can work anywhere in the house. The computer lives on the kitchen counter where I can keep at good eye on ds as he looks things up and works on books he is writing. I can also come and check here and e-mails pretty effortlessly. The kids can take the computer to the living room and watch EWTN. We are not a big TV family so the little screen doesn't bother them.
So, I think I will always have a laptop--and wireless.
Anne
I have a Dell Latitude D 610. It has been good to me. And I cannot think of any disadvantages.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Sept 23 2008 at 11:29pm | IP Logged
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I have a laptop, Suzanne. I couldn't be happier! No tangled web of cables attaching a million and one peripherals to the desktop - it's completely wireless!! It goes anywhere - schoolroom, living room, kitchen, back deck! I love the portability of a laptop, and like Mary, I sometimes bring my laptop up to my Moms - it spends 10 seconds looking for the internet, finds it, and I'm back online. Not that I do that a lot...but when I was pregnant and sick I did and it was nice to be able to email Rob at home and let the kids talk to their dad through the little cam on the laptop.
My little laptop is a workhorse! I have a mac and I'm an unabashed fan of them. My lesson plans are in iCal, all our pics are in iPhoto. I surf with Firefox. All my applications work all the time. I'm a tad visual (ok, I'm almost obsessively visual  ) and the mac is just pretty, and I can organize absolutely everything intuitively. Also, though quite expensive, macs do offer a nice discount to homeschoolers!
Hmmmm...what questions to ask yourself...Well, do you have a place, a location for the desktop? That was our original motivator for the switch to a laptop a few years ago - we were just lacking in a spot to put another big honkin' desktop with the monitor and keyboard and mouse and big clunky box and the miles of cables. Also, and this would probably be the first question I'd ask...what is the budget? That could be the deciding factor right there. Your oldest might enjoy using the computer for some supervised internet research soon if you're not doing it already. Have you considered the convenience that a laptop offers there. We use the laptop to identify leaves, spiders, clouds, and we google just about everything.
I much prefer the convenience and portability of a laptop vs a desktop.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 23 2008 at 11:39pm | IP Logged
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how accessable is the computer to small children? do they get to use it at all? How well do said children follow directions/rules? I really appreciate being able to replace a keyboard for $15 as soon as I can run to the store a mile down the road vs who knows how long and how much for a laptop keyboard with who knows what spilled in it. or if you hold baby or small child on lap at the computer.. what about a sick little one that all of a sudden vomits.. or a baby that spits up and nails the keyboard (happened to a friend of mine)
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G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Mary G
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| Posted: Sept 24 2008 at 4:33am | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
| how accessable is the computer to small children? do they get to use it at all? How well do said children follow directions/rules? I really appreciate being able to replace a keyboard for $15 as soon as I can run to the store a mile down the road vs who knows how long and how much for a laptop keyboard with who knows what spilled in it. or if you hold baby or small child on lap at the computer.. what about a sick little one that all of a sudden vomits.. or a baby that spits up and nails the keyboard (happened to a friend of mine) |
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Jodie, we don't let ours use the laptop a whole lot (they have an old desktop they use and my dh's old laptop ... to do computer games etc).
One thing you could do to avoid kidie issues is get an extended warranty -- I know when I bought this one from Best Buy I added a 3 year warranty that would replace it "no matter what" ... since ds was going to take it to college I thought this was worth it. We haven't had any problems and the 3 years is almost up ... but so's the technology, so we might just push this one down to the younger kids and get a new one next year (IF our house in Denver ever sells  )
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 24 2008 at 12:26pm | IP Logged
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Oh an extended warrenty is a good idea.. and you can plug an external keyboard into a laptop can't you? so there are ways around the problems.
My dh is thinking a laptop that he can take with him to work or travel.. so we'd have both
Though when that could happen... it's rather far down the wish list at the moment
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Sept 24 2008 at 12:41pm | IP Logged
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Sometimes I wish we had a laptop, but we had one and rarely used it as such (we had a docking station for it).
Now, I think cost is a factor-not that we *couldn't* afford the laptop and wireless internet, etc..., but it just isn't a priority. We also don't have television, and our computer monitor is also where we watch movies and such. We have it mounted on the wall in the dining room, and all the internals are on a shelf in the stairwell to the basement. We have a wireless mouse and keyboard that can be tucked away--so, even with our little house, we've made a regular CPU work and look clean in spite of space restraints.
Also, I'm afraid I would spend even MORE time online if it were any more convenient!
Also, it has never been an issue for us, but we've always felt pretty strongly about having the computer in a public place. We've just had too many friends where we have been shocked by their revealed computer addiction issues (iykwim )--it seems anyone is susceptible, yk?
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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AnaB
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| Posted: Sept 24 2008 at 1:04pm | IP Logged
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We have a desktop and we do use it for videos sometimes, BUT I think a laptop stored in the keyboard drawer and out of sight would be helpful. We do have a laptop for the kids' math (Teaching Textbooks), but I sometimes wish our only computer were a laptop.
Out of sight, out of mind is what I'm thinking. But we also feel very strongly about keeping it in a public place. I would keep it parked but out of sight until in use. Does that make sense?
I love our Mac too.
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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LisaD
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| Posted: Sept 25 2008 at 8:03pm | IP Logged
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Well, we have both a laptop and a desktop. The kids mostly use the desktop, and we have been through a couple of keyboards. The laptop is "mine," but I do let the kids use it occasionally (they like to play WebKinz together).
I LOVE my laptop. We take it on trips with us, I can take it up to the bedroom when I have insomnia, and it is much more energy-efficient than the desktop. However, it is the least expensive laptop that Costco carried 3 years ago, so it isn't good for many games (Lego Star Wars comes to mind). The PC is tricked out for games, because DH loves games. So, when the kids play games, or dd uses Teaching Textbooks, or they are using the keyboarding cd-rom, it's on the desktop.
If we start all over, I would go with as nice a laptop as I could afford, probably a Mac.
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~Lisa
Mama to dd(99), ds(01), ds(03) and ds(06)
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Oct 01 2008 at 6:38pm | IP Logged
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Thanks everyone for your feedback. It very muched helped to get opinions from people who use the computer in a similar way that I do. We've decided to get a laptop!!!!!
Thank you!
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Laptop vs. Desktop
