Family tech updates help?

[legaleagle]

Are your kids using chrome books at school?

[basil]

Are your kids using chrome books at school?

Yes but I’ve never used one.

[DualvansMommy]

Yes but I’ve never used one.

Since we already have our iMac as the family computer. DS1 use that for his occasional reports, etc as we have Microsoft programs like word, excel, PowerPoint installed in our iMac. So he still can use it and log in google with his own username and password he got from his school. At school, he has his own chromebook.

Right now the only device that are really his is the iPad mini 4 which he uses for video gaming, playing his apps, etc.

So for you, are you tied to wanting a laptop or a desktop? I have my own iPad Pro which is why I don’t feel the need for a laptop.

I wouldn’t get DS1 his own MacBook, but if you’re getting yourself a new one then he can certainly use your old MacBook since 2014 is not that old. Use that until he’s ready for his own laptop down the road. We’re an Apple device family, but plan on getting DS1 his own chromobook probably around 5th grade.


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[basil]

I think I'm leaning towards a new iPad for me, but hanging onto the macbook for myself at least until I'm convinced I can do without.

Having an iPad for the kids is nice but admittedly not necessary. But nice for road trips, plane flights, etc, and now with both reading the e-book capabilities will get used more. (we also have a kindle but a lot of the kid books are only available for iPad from the library it seems?)

I have no real clue about what a Chromebook can do, but I like that they are cheap and they are the same things they use at school. So I think it says "tool for school stuff" rather than "play video games or watch adults play with toys on youtube", KWIM?

I think as I'm writing this I'm realizing I really don't like to share my devices with the kids for many reasons (I usually have my work email up, my texts come through on my macbook, etc).

I guess ideally we would have a kids' computer and a kids' iPad, but now that just seems like a lot of tech for such young kids! So then I wonder if the iPad can work as a school work things as well, but now I'm thinking that the keyboard attachment is essentially the same price as a whole Chromebook.

[niccig]

A family computer whether a laptop or desktop will be used by the kids for schoolwork. DS has had to use the computer every week for either homework or to turn in papers since 7th grade. Even in elementary he had online tutorials to do for homework. A chrome book would probably work for most as most things are either on google classroom or using web browser to access a website. DS takes classes using photoshop and movie editing programs. I can get educator discount, so he has access to those programs at home. He built a gaming computer from components that he uses. It’s not “his” and is in the office. He can’t use my laptop as I need it for my own work some afternoons. DS has a phone so he uses that instead of an iPad. The iPad is mine and I use it for work.


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[mom2binsd]

Your kids are 5 and 8? They don't need any type of computer for themselves. Maybe a shared iPad at the most and occasional time on a parent computer (you can create their own screen/login so they won't have access to your stuff.

Schools are almost all going to chromebooks (school issued) and use Google docs for sharing information to students and parents.

Until middle school I can't really think of a time my kid needed to type more than a short paragraph (they do most longer projects at school so the teacher can actually see that it's the kids not the parents doing the work).

By the time your kids are in middle and high school who knows what they'll need.

I'd just worry about what works for you and your DH and give the kids an iPad. If they want to learn keyboarding skills, which is very useful, let them use a your computer to learn that.

[jacksmomtobe]

I think you should start by getting a new iPad for yourself. Make your laptop the family computer and as your back up. Create user ids for each kid and have your own. That way you can use the iPad as your primary work device for checking email etc but if you feel the need to use the laptop you can log on your own user id. I really don’t think your kids at their ages need their own device. Ds got his first laptop freshman yr in high school and up until that point both kids just used my laptop. Of course our hs gave his grade(sophomore) all chrome books this year. He would prefer using his laptop but you were not allowed to refuse the chrome book so now Dd in 8th grade uses his laptop at home. I would advise against buying a chrome book we have owned a few and they have all been junk with fairly short lives (one 6mo which ended up with a common chrome book screen problem which would have been more expensive than the chrome book to fix). For ds’s School chrome book they strongly suggested insurance.

[MSWR0319]

What do they do when they need to type a report, etc.? Or if they need to do a math facts app or whatnot? I was typing reports in 2nd-3rd grade on a shared family computer, and that was many many many moons ago...we currently don't really have anything he can really use for that.

My 5th grader has only had to type a report maybe 3 or 4 times at most. I just let him use my computer, as he logs into his google account and types it in google docs. If he wants to play a game, he just uses my computer as well. They don't have homework required on app though. All of his homework is on paper for the most part, unless it's looking something up. Currently in our house we have my MacBook, DH's iPad, and DS has a phone that has all internet and most ads blocked. We've done just fine so far. We do have an older iPad but the kids don't really use it.

[dogmom]

We’ve got a several thousand dollar gaming system with VR, a not quite as nice gaming system, two iPads (one ancient and one newer), a laptop, a surface Pro, a Wacom mobile studio for my DD art, her old Macbook, iPhone 7, 8, 10 and just traded two SE in for Google Pixels. Oh, and two school chrome books! 3 adults, 2 teens. Let’s just say I’m not the one making the decisions, but my IT director husband sets the yearly budget. However, he loves to game and he lost 30 lbs doing VR games, so I keep my mouth shut. It’s still probably cheaper than golf.

We were an Apple family for phones, PCs for the desktops, mix for laptops. I got the kids their Google Pixels and they really like them and the data transfer went very smoothly. My husband and I are moving over to androids next phone. I don’t think I would need to buy an IPad or MacBook after that switch. It’s not as hard to switch back and forth now, I’ve been doing it with various computers drifting through my house over the years. Once upon a time I think Apple was worth the extra $$, it not now.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Your kids can use your old phone to do the things an iPad can do (don’t trade your old one in). Kindle Fires are great for kids. No need to go the iPad route for the needs you describe


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