Best Buys for Back-to-School Computers

Aug. 27, 2007 — -- Back-to-school shopping used to mean picking out No. 2 pencils and three-ring binders. Now it often means picking out a computer.

But many parents shopping for computers for their kids have no idea where to start. With all the options out there, how do you choose?

Kids have different computer needs at different ages -- a fifth grader and an 11th grader don't use it for the same things.

"Good Morning America" technology contributor Becky Worley has done the legwork and helps take the guessing out of computer shopping.

A number of fifth graders say they use computers to play games and research their favorite things online. They don't use e-mail very often, if at all.

Worley's pick for best grade-school computer: The Acer Aspire 9300, which retails for $899. It doesn't have a huge screen, but at this age, kids don't need the fastest processor or the most memory. Go for the basics and save a little money.

Tip when buying a grade-school computers: Realize they will get trashed. Think about getting a computer secondhand, or getting a desktop that can't be dropped or accidentally pushed off a table.

And if you don't want to spend a lot of money, there are rock-bottom budget model laptops available.

High school kids use their computers not only for school work, but to instant message or e-mail friends and to download music.

Worley's pick for the best computer for high school kids: The Alienware Area-51 M5550, which retails for about $1,500. It's got all the productivity basics covered: It has an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, which means it's powerful. It has 2 gigabytes of memory, which means it's fast. It also has built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to wireless networks. And most importantly, it looks cool.

Tip for buying a computer for teenagers: Max out the memory for your budget. It's the most important way to keep the computer up to date and make it last as long as possible. Also, teens need a DVD burner, so make sure the machine comes with one.

You can't attend college these days without a good computer, students say. You need one for everything -- from your academic life to your social life to your dream/virtual life.

Students also do things like watch their favorite television programs on their computers, communicate with professors and take notes in class. A laptop is the best bet at this age.

Worley's pick for best computer for college student: MacBook or MacBook Pro, which retails for about $2,000. It runs both the Windows and the Mac operating systems, so your kid has access to almost every software program out there.

It's also got enough processor oomph and memory so it's fast and powerful enough for video editing and graphics -- something kids in college are doing more and more of. And it's light. The 15-incher weigs 5.5 pounds, and the 17-incher is 6.5 pounds.

Tip for buying for college student: Remember, college kids need entertainment systems in their dorm rooms, and often that entertainment system is the computer. So find one that serves as a stereo, television and computer combined.

Also, buy from your college store -- that's where you're going to get the best discounts. And remember, education software is greatly reduced, so make sure you ask for the student discounts.