Back-To-School Tech Shopping Guide

Buying school supplies used to be straightforward: go to a supply store, stock up on pencils, paper and workbooks, and you were done. But in this age of technology, supply shopping is not so elementary. The Arizona Republic breaks down what students — from middle school to college — should know when it comes to back-to-school tech shopping.

Middle School
Young teens do not need their own personal computer, said Ken Colburn, president of Valley-based computer specialists Data Doctors. This is an age range where harmless surfing can lead to illegal downloading from illicit sites.

Better to play it safe, he said, by having middle schoolers use a family computer that can be monitored and basic software that includes: word processing, spreadsheet and maybe Microsoft PowerPoint. Also, an Internet connection for teachers to encourage more online research.

The computer allows students to be more creative by incorporating text, photos and videos when producing class projects.

High School
This is the time when students become more independent and have more responsibilities. Colburn says the best bet would be a netbook, which is smaller and lighter than a laptop.

A netbook, which can cost as little as $250, offers basic programs and an Internet connection. Compared to laptops, netbooks have less space, smaller screens and do not have a CD or DVD drive.

College
Now, it's time for the laptop with hard drive of 250GB or larger and DVD drive. College students need more space on their computers for papers, photos, videos and their iTunes libraries.

Colburn advises students to check computing requirements for the school and specific classes before making any big purchases.

In many cases, he added, first-year students may be able to get by with their high school portable computers. In time, however, students probably will need to upgrade as courses become more demanding and sophisticated.

Source: The Arizona Republic