Back to School: 6 Tips for Not Overspending on Tech
You don't have to break the bank to give your kids heading back to school the tech tools they need. From free Office alternatives to PCs at half the price of Macs, here are six tips for parents looking to spend wisely.
Mon, August 15, 2011
CIO — School is just about to start, and if you have a kid heading for college you're probably grimacing at the thought of all those bills. You're on your own when it comes to soaring tuition and housing costs, but there are ways to spend less on your student's technology needs while still giving them what they need to succeed.
Be warned: Some of these ideas will meet with serious disapproval from the young person who wants the coolest gadgets you can buy. But, hey, it's your money, spend it wisely. And here are six tips that will help you do just that.
Feature Phone, not Smartphone
"Smartphones aren't a necessity," says Andrew Eisner who works for Retrevo, a shopping site specializing in consumer electronics. "Feature phones do a lot, including texting, and they have the virtue of not requiring an expensive data plan."
And given that most carriers are dropping unlimited data plans that carry some serious charges, that's a great point. Eisner adds that some of the functionality of a smartphone can be had by buying an iPod Touch. Yes, they are a bit pricey, but since they work on Wi-Fi only, you won't have to deal with data charges.
Don't Buy a TV
No, I'm not saying students shouldn't watch TV, but these days, there's no reason not to watch it via the Internet.
Instead of buying a television, get them a large flat-panel computer monitor with either DVI or S-Video and HDMI ports. That will come in handy when they need more screen real estate than comes with their laptop, and it will also save precious space in a crowded dorm room.
Rent E-Text Books
Why should a young person walk around with 20 pounds of books in the backpack? A growing number of sites sell electronic versions of popular textbooks that can be read on an e-reader or laptop at prices well below what you'd pay for a print edition.
Some sites will rent them, meaning they will no longer be accessible after a certain period of time. It's worth poking around, because some sites have a much broader selection than others. Simply search on "electronic textbooks" and you'll get lots of suggestions.
Don't Buy a Macbook Air
A laptop is an absolute necessity. But as Eisner points out, you don't have to spend the $1000 to $1600 (depending on the configuration) to buy the gorgeous, ultra-light Macbook Air. Yes, the older Air is cheaper, but it comes with an obsolete Intel (INTC) processor that really hurts performance on some tasks.
