Yes, because the school provided computer or iPad is limited.

No. He has a PC desktop that he built with his dad and they upgrade parts as needed. This is in a public area of our house which I love cause I can glance at what he's doing. When he was younger and didn't have a phone it really helped me monitor usage and behavior.

Now he also has a phone and an iPad, so I'm not naive enough to think the monitoring is still happening, but that combo of three (phone, iPad, desktop) is plenty. When he goes to college we'll get him a laptop.

Anonymous wrote:Unless he needs potability for some reason, just have him build his own. He can tweak it as needs arise or change.

Home computers desktops in all the kids room. You all must have huge houses and separate offices.

Yes, DC (junior in hs) has one but it's dad's old laptop and on its last legs. Planning on getting them one for college.

Middle school kid has a personal iPad.

Unless he needs potability for some reason, just have him build his own. He can tweak it as needs arise or change.

Anonymous wrote:My son has a PC he built with his dad for Christmas several years ago. Monitors and various parts have been switched out so it's always kind of new?

He uses that for homework but also his Chromebook. When we travel he is welcome to use my MacBook.

Works great. I imagine as an adult he'll have a laptop for business and a PC for recreation.

This plus a school issued MacAir. Then he has a pretty high performance laptop that he uses for coding, ai/deep learning, cyber security stuff. I want to say it is Tensor Book not 100% sure.

Yes and I have major regrets about giving it to them. It is so much harder to manage screen time now.

Nope, between the school laptop and home computer they haven't needed another laptop.

Yes, DS built a PC during covid and switched out some parts but it’s still going strong. Then he got used to a better machine and saved his money for a laptop since the school one seemed terrible. I wished he used it all more for school than gaming and YouTube.

DS had a 13” MacBook all through high school for his own coding projects. He didn’t want to download excess apps on his school issued laptop.

DD on the other hand doesn’t have her own laptop. She is a musician; the family iPad is sufficient to keep her sheet music organized. She just uses the school laptop if she needs to get online for anything else. She also understands that she has to be respectful of the school internet use policy.

Anonymous wrote:15yo DS is asking for a laptop for Christmas. He has a school issued laptop and we have a family computer (iMac) at home. Not sure he needs one. I'm guessing he'd use it mostly for YouTube and gaming. (We also have a PS5 and Switch.) I don't think he needs a MacBook for that. If your teen does have a personal laptop what do they have that's not a Mac?

Yes. And dots used a lot. Her FCPS computer is a POS and getting the school to keep it running was a full time job. So we got her a MAC (not what u want but that’s what she has).

Yes. Both my teens do but they need them for college. They also both have IPads with Apple pens to take notes in class. We did not get them until they were going to college.

My 14 year old does not.

There are plenty of great games to play that aren't "gamers gaming" games that require $1500 graphics systems.

Gaming PCs are ricer toys for boys like cars.

A high schooler should have a laptop to write summer program applications, message friends, maybe manage his debit card etc. a phone does the tokay, but a laptop is better for ergonomics and less addicting

We bought a Chromebook from Target for $80 — there are lots of options

For gaming, a MacBook is terrible, chromebooks don’t game, and most PC are so so — you need a gaming PC or one of the $$$ gaming laptops.

17y -

Bought himself a 17" gaming computer when he was 15y.

Has a school issued Chromebook

Has an old Chromebook during the pandemic while school system was trying to get school issued devices out.

Will buy a Macbook Air for college next year.