Regardless of whether you attend a secondary school, CEGEP, a university or even a parliament (return to parliament is required), it is very difficult, even unthinkable, to function without computer equipment.
Let’s start with inkjet printers, which used to be cheap, but were very expensive to use because of the cartridges.
This time, manufacturers have turned the tide in recent years and offered better-designed models equipped with solid and generous large-capacity ink tanks that are easy to refill. Two-year ink supply is calculated based on an average monthly print volume of approximately 150 pages. I’ve had this ET-2850 EcoTank printer model at home for over a year and with light use, all four ink tanks are still three-quarters full.
As a result, inkjet printers have once again developed into good devices compared to laser competitors. And since this device is a multifunction printer, it has a scanner, a copier, automatic two-sided printing, and wireless or USB cable connectivity. (All prices are rounded.)
Epson
Model C11CJ63202. Epson lists online prices at Amazon.ca, BestBuy and Staples on its website; between $250 and $330. Also in the shop.
Multiple kids, multiple Chromebooks
If you have more than one child and the family computer is used frequently, you should consider purchasing a Chromebook. They are very affordable and ideal for simple computer applications. Just make sure you set it up as a “child” device from the start so you can control settings and access.
It’s also a good idea to set time limits so that the device turns off automatically when the time expires. Also consider banning access to YouTube, video games, all social media, and anything that involves violence, especially without adult supervision.
Main disadvantage: lack of memory, especially if the device is very cheap. So don’t hesitate to pay a little more for RAM and storage. Even though almost everything is stored in the Google cloud, students will one day need memory and on-device storage.
Apple
For the oldest: MacBook Air
Yes, Apple products are often more expensive than the competition, but if your child isn’t too clumsy, a MacBook Air can easily provide four, five, or even six years of good, faithful service without any battery life issues. Memory, storage, etc. That’s a long time for a laptop, and by the end of the term you’ll feel like you’re really getting your money’s worth.
starting price; 13.3-inch model, M1 chip, $1300. The 256GB of SSD storage will be enough, but the 16GB RAM option ($250) is preferable for usage that increases over the years.
In the Windows PC world, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 (14.5-inch AMD Ryzen 7000 series processor, 16GB of RAM, and 1 terabyte of SSD storage) is a good model to consider; $1385.
Lenovo
Lenovo
Good headphones
Nowadays personal sound is very important. If your headphones don’t produce good sound and don’t have noise cancellation, they’re useless.
The recently announced Studio Buds+ are not only beautiful to look at, they also sound great. But it’s not the most important thing.
The highlight of these headphones is the battery life and noise cancellation. The charging case gives you a total of 36 hours of battery life, while noise cancellation helps isolate you from background noise and noise. It is magic.
Apple
Finally, the Studio Buds+ have a transparency mode. This is the opposite of noise cancellation as they allow everything from the outside world to pass through.
Price: $230 at Apple or Amazon.
Apple
Otherwise, the previous model Studio Buds (without +) is also a good and cheaper alternative; $140.
With the same features, I also like the Pixel Buds Pro headphones ($200), which offer very good sound quality and effective noise cancellation. Regardless of the model, the hardest part remains choosing the right tips that provide the important sound insulation that is essential for sound suppression. Or on Amazon.ca.
A cellular connection
When I started with Fido and for several years with Fizz, I like the latter because the unused monthly internet data is not completely lost, but is carried over to the following month for three months. Since I’m not addicted to social media or other bandwidth-hungry services, a one gigabyte (1GB) per month plan is enough for my off-WiFi needs.
With so many free audio-video communication services (FaceTime, Messenger, Skype, Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, etc.), cellular plans and services are unnecessary.
Apple
A tablet
If your favorite teen already uses a laptop, a small tablet can be a nice addition; for example drawing.
Without a laptop, my choice is the unique iPad Air, which I bought in spring 2022 with the M1 chip, compared to $749 before taxes, now $800. With 64GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and a case that doubles as a stand, I paired it with a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard, which I also connect to an iPhone 14 and a Fire TV 4K player using the three available buttons can. With this equipment, the tablet practically behaves like a laptop. In fact, the iPad Air uses the same M1 chip as last year’s MacBook Pro.
Apple
With a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina LED display, this tablet is extremely portable and very fast for its size. Whether you want to take a note, record an entire lecture, or do a search, you can do it on iPad Air.
In addition to the case, you can include the Apple Pencil 2 Stylus for $129, but there are also some interesting cheaper options, like the stylus I bought on Amazon.ca for about thirty bucks.
WiFi or cellular version? If the user already has a smartphone that offers tethering, the cheaper WiFi model is sufficient.
A great mouse
A computer mouse, but upside down, with the ball on top. This is what IT professionals use and recommend.
The Kensington Pro Fit Ergo TB450 or TB550 trackballs are affordable, entry-level, thumb-operated wireless devices for all users.
Winner of the prestigious 2023 international Red Dot Design Award for product design, these new trackballs are ideal for tight spaces with limited desk space, such as: B. Desks in the classroom, library or bedroom study area.
Compatible with Windows and macOS, the Pro Fit Ergo TB450 and TB550 trackballs combine the feel of a wireless mouse with the comfort and precision of an advanced trackball.
Kensington
The Pro Fit Ergo TB450 model (K72194WW; $50) has five programmable buttons and offers the familiar left-click, right-click, and scroll wheel of a traditional mouse to ease the transition to the trackball. This energy-efficient wireless inverted mouse offers long battery life, up to 18 months when using 2.4GHz technology or up to 15 months when using Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) connectivity.