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<\/a><\/p>\nK-12 parents and students should check with the actual school they are attending, on what the suggested devices are. The Edmonton Public School Board for example uses the online Google Apps for Education. It has purchased more than 15,000 Google Internet based Chromebook laptops but any other laptop or tablet that goes online will have the same access to the online system.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents can bring any device they like, but that\u2019s the starting point,\u201d said EPSB\u2019s Terry Korte. \u201cWe have Chromebooks<\/a> available for anyone who cannot or chooses not to bring their own device.\u201d<\/p>\n In contrast, the Edmonton Separate Catholic School Board uses Microsoft collaboration tools and Office 365, free to students and educators.<\/p>\n \u201cWe place high importance on a device\u2019s battery life and tactile keyboard,\u201d said IT director Dan Durand.<\/p>\n As for laptops, notebooks and MacBooks versus tablets and iPads, most educators agree the latter are better consuming devices compared to the much more efficient laptop with larger screen and dedicated keyboard. Sure, tablets and iPads are cool and some 10-inch models seem OK but they simply can\u2019t cut it for creating school content.<\/p>\n Now for the real challenging part. How do you shop around for a PC or Apple laptop?<\/p>\n Apple MacBooks are a\u00a0no brainer. The choices are simple from the ultralight MacBook Air to the heavier MacBook Pro. They cost more than the average Windows laptop because they do not compromise on how they are made, using the newest Intel processor and graphics chips. The Air starts at $999 while the heavier MacBook Pro starts at $1,199.<\/p>\n Windows laptops are a labyrinth of brands, styles and prices starting at $350 going all the way up to several thousand. Some in fact are better than their closest Apple counterparts like the sharper and lighter Dell XP 15. But buying an advertised $350 laptop is not a steal. You are buying older and slower technology, shorter\u00a0Dell r795x battery life<\/a>, heavier and hot running.<\/p>\n A\u00a0word about AMD processors versus Intel processors. Intel makes faster processors with a larger marketing budget boasting impressive performance, sometimes almost twice as fast with similar AMD chips. But that speed gain is not noticed in school work running office and Internet tasks. It is if you are playing a graphics intensive game or are running an 85 MG 35,000 row Excel file, which students simply don\u2019t. AMD equipped laptops will save you $100 and come with larger hard drives or memory to make up for the mostly un-noticeable slower performance.<\/p>\n -Most sub $400 laptops run on\u00a0older Intel Pentium chips, originally ment for desktop PCs. They\u00a0are heavy to lug around, hot on your lap if you can stand the weight and the most inefficient in battery use, no more than several hours.\u00a0Don\u2019t be fooled by the 15-inch \u201cHD\u201d screen. It\u2019s the lowest of resolutions, 1366\u00d7768 pixels. and unevenly lighted when viewed from one angle. Have you noticed how you need to adjust the screen angle on these cheaper laptops\u00a0to see the edges of the screen better? Pricier laptops with the same resolution have better viewing angles. Compare them side by side in a store.<\/p>\n -$500 to $700 laptops offer more power with newer chips, longer battery life<\/a> and more portability. They don\u2019t offer better screen resolution still at 1366 x 768 pixels but better models offer IPS technology for wider viewing angles. The lower end of these laptops may not\u00a0come with a touch screen, something you will start missing when using Windows 8 even if you don\u2019t like the new OS.<\/p>\n -$900-$1,200 Windows laptops can equal or\u00a0better Apple portables. They feature Full HD 1920 x 1080\u00a0pixel screens with IPS wide viewing technology.\u00a0These laptops are lighter, faster and run longer. They use the newest Intel processors. Many are hybrid, with swing out or removable keyboards to become touch tablets in Windows Metro or enhanced mode. This is where you will find the ideal size\u00a014-inch laptops with Full HD 1920\u00d71080\u00a0resolution for clearer text and reading.<\/p>\n -$1,400 and up go overboard with cutting edge manufacturing, super thin, light and long running. They are a good investment as they are so well made, they will outlast cheaper next generation laptops. They feature QHD+ 3200 x 1800 like the Dell XPS 15 (15.6-inches) and Toshiba\u2019s Satellite new P50t 15.6-inch Ultra HD LCD touchscreen display with an eye-popping 3840 x 2160 resolution. Ultra portable 13-inch models like Acer\u2019s\u00a0S7-392-9439\u00a0and Samsung\u2019s ATIV Book 9 (2014 edition) are in this category\u00a0with brilliant 13-inch screens,\u00a0and\u00a0arge\u00a0SSD drives, but some folks prefer the larger working screen space 14-inch models have.<\/p>\n -14-inch laptops with an in-between 1600\u00d7900 resolution offer a good balanced price value. One annoying experience with higher than Full HD 1920\u00d71080\u00a0resolution screens approaching QUAD resolution is how small icons and text looks, sharp yes, but tiny, requiring you to adjust your computers display settings, which vary by each application. Windows 8.1 handles text and icons in high resolution screens much better than Windows 8.<\/p>\n -The rule of thumb on acceptably sharp screen size is: 1366\u00d7768 for under 11-inch screens, 1600\u00d7900 for under 14 inch screens and Full HD 1920\u00d71080 for\u00a015-inch screens or higher.<\/p>\nDeeper tech tips on laptops<\/h3>\n