Recently updated for the 2026 back-to-school shopping season!
What follows is advice for shopping for your family’s next computer, from our IT SysAdmin, Levi.
Before we talk about dollar amounts
You get what you pay for
The number-one thing to remember when buying technology is that you generally get what you pay for. That doesn’t necessarily mean a cheap computer is worse—one of my favourite and most-used computers was US$5 brand new—but different brands and product lines prioritise different things.
Sales and promotions
The industry changes quickly. If a product is on sale, there is a good chance the retailer is clearing inventory because newer products are replacing it. Because of that, and because computers are often designed to last only two to four years, it is unwise to purchase something on sale without remembering the strong caveat that there is usually a reason the store is trying to clear it from its shelves.
In my experience, money saved at purchase often ends up being spent later when the computer must be replaced sooner. In many cases it makes more sense, both financially and logistically, to buy the model that is not on sale. This principle also applies to refurbished products.
It's not to say that you shouldn't buy something that's sold for less than MSRP, but that you should inspect the potential reasoning for the discount and take that into account when making the final decision.
Education discounts and back-to-school sales
Apple considers home-schooling parents to be teachers for the purpose of education discounts that apply to primary and secondary education staff. They place limits on purchases, but many products are discounted by roughly 10%. Apple’s education store is here, and other manufacturers run similar promotions, so if you have a specific product in mind it is worth checking whether the manufacturer offers an education discount.
In the months leading up to the school year, these discounts often become stronger and may include promotions such as “buy a laptop, get free headphones”. Although these promotions are aimed at students heading to post-secondary education, they often include school “staff”, just like the year-round education discounts.
A keen observer might point out that the earlier warning about sale prices applies here as well, and that is not entirely wrong. The difference is intent. A sale on an older product may exist simply to clear shelf space, whereas education discounts exist because manufacturers know that if they get a student using their brand early, that student may become a repeat customer later.
Laptop versus desktop
Beyond practical considerations, such as whether the computer needs to be portable or remain in one place for supervised use, remember that $1,000 worth of laptop buys something with different priorities than $1,000 worth of desktop. Comparing the specs between the two categories is somewhat like comparing two different fruits.
What about a tablet?
Tablets are excellent devices. They handle certain tasks in ways that make more sense than a traditional computer. Like the comparison between laptops and desktops, however, a tablet is a fundamentally different device with different priorities, primarily a large touchscreen and battery inside a slim case.
We should also remember that using tablets and laptops teach different skills. Children develop different kinds of hand–eye coordination and different expectations about computer interfaces depending on which device they use.
Now, what’s your budget?
Less than $500
At this price point, the best value is usually a Chromebook. Because ChromeOS is a lightweight operating system that requires fewer resources, it can deliver good performance for the kinds of tasks students typically perform without requiring expensive hardware.
Acer, Dell, and Samsung all make solid Chromebooks, though there are a myriad of brands. If possible, it is useful to see the computer in a brick-and-mortar store to evaluate build quality and durability. If you are looking for the cheapest possible computer, Costco’s lowest-priced model is often surprisingly good value.
Windows computers do exist at this price, but part of the cost is the Windows licence and the hardware capable of running Windows. Unless you specifically need Windows to run certain software, a Chromebook will often provide better value.
$500+
At this level, many more options become available, including traditional Windows computers. HP, Acer, Dell, and MSI are brands that frequently offer solid models.
Apple’s two cheapest computers, the Mac mini (yes, the lowercase is correct) and the recently-released MacBook Neo, both start at under $700 with education pricing.
Chromebooks also exist in this price range, often with more storage. Many are hybrid devices with touchscreens that fold around to function as tablets. I'm not personally a fan of these designs, but they can be useful for users who would benefit from the dual use.
$1,000+
At this point, more powerful Apple computers become affordable, along with higher-end Windows devices from companies such as Dell and Microsoft (particularly the Surface line), which are often positioned as Apple-like alternatives. There is generally little downside to a computer at this price, or even several hundred dollars more, so long as the buyer understands they are paying a premium price for a premium product.
When Gayle and I began the journey of home educating our children, I applied my efforts to seeking out useful science resources. Since science was my interest and strong point, Gayle welcomed my initiatives. We were encouraged by a friend to add a lot of science to the children’s learning – especially in the primary grades. So, we set off to find books that could help us bring science to life in the minds of our young children.
Ken Noster Classical Education (click here to download - 53mb)
Ken Noster High School - A Basis for Advanced Education (click here to download - 65mb)
Ken Noster High School and Beyond - Chart your Course (click here to download - 37mb)
Most forms of celebration consist of giving thanks and giving credit. When people celebrate, they don't usually apply the celebration to something outside their experience. Rather, they take a realistic look at what is normal in their life and recognize in it the great gifts.
The world of education (at least the professional world, where people make money at it) is continually looking toward more and more avant garde and sophisticated ways of delivering education. If a masters or doctoral student of education wishes to amount to anything, he had better come up with at least one new idea. The result is a constantly shifting plethora of pedagogical ideas loaded with eloquent terminology and backed by volumes of research.
Sometimes this question comes hard because we lack a context.
Are we talking about our student compared to other students his age? Are we addressing his particular talents and questioning whether he has buried them or multiplied them? Are we asking the question relative to some other standard - if so, what?
Let’s consider measuring success by comparison with other students his age. Before I go any further, please let me assert that in a tutorial context (home schooling) this is the least valuable approach to student evaluation. However, this is the type of evaluation we grew up with, it is the criterion our child (even if he didn’t ever attend school) is very familiar with, and it is possible that it is the primary means by which he views his progress. Realistically, for much of our population, this is the only means by which success, personal value, even life choices are measured, valid or not. A form of relativism, the flaw is evident.
When I completed high school I received an armful of awards that meant nothing. I’m not being humble here; it’s a fact. I received the award for the highest overall average in my graduating class. I also received the Science award and the Math award. This all sounds impressive until you compare my marks with the graduating class three years prior. That particular class was loaded with high academic achievers, many of whom rightfully scored very well in their final grades. Had I been among that class, I would have received not a single award. What’s more, I wouldn’t have seemed very good at the non-academic activities either, for the class three years ahead of me also shone in sports, debate, and public speaking.
Scripture tells us it is unwise to compare ourselves with each other (2Cor 10:12), and wisdom of the ages agrees (the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence); yet we persist. The same circumstances that saw me win all kinds of honour in grade 12 also define achievement - and its lack - in the lives of many people. Students who compare themselves to others will be discontented and frustrated or they will become puffed up, possibly complacent. In any event, their self-concept will be flawed.... (continued by clicking on the link)
Building a science display takes time. The process of building the display also takes up a lot of room and can disrupt the pattern of daily schedules for a number of weeks. What is the value of a science display, considering that you might only display it once? I suppose that if you view a science display as an ‘extra’ – a thing that you have to go out of your way to do – then its value may equal that of an increased burden. Alternately, if you view a science display as an assembly of summarized learning, together with supporting devices, then its value becomes… invaluable!
Find out more about how WISDOM can be part of your home school journey.
Looking back with a bit of perspective and clarity, I thank the Lord for His grace and mercy. My home schooling journey began as something we needed to do, something I didn’t feel qualified to do and something I didn’t really want to do. (Ken was the impetus behind it - so I could say he made me do it.)
As we began in the middle of the academic year, we literally ‘brought school home’ including the texts that TobyLauren had been using. (I believe bringing the texts home was a comfort to the superintendent, principal, and teachers who thought we were rather extreme people.) I ‘taught’ Miss TobyLauren in a rather barren manner and her only consolation was that she could teach her 4-year-old brother in a much more noble fashion.......
There exists constant pressure in our society to adapt to a way of thinking. Webster’s dictionary defines ‘adapt’ as “to modify (oneself) to conform to a circumstance or environment” or alternatively “to become adjusted to a circumstance or environment.” When studying and researching in the sciences, the student will eventually (if not immediately) encounter the evolution perspective. Whether it is biology, geology or astronomy, the processes of evolution will be applied to living and non-living objects. When something evolves, it is believed to have changed from a less complex form to a higher order of complexity. Ignoring this perspective will not make it disappear. But remember… it is only a perspective.Webster’s dictionary describes evolution as a doctrine. Yes, a doctrine!