What laptop to choose for a teacher in 2020?
While until now a laptop computer was something common and natural in the work of most teachers, the current epidemiological situation in the country has made modern IT solutions almost indispensable teaching tools for virtually all belfries. The need to turn school classrooms into a virtual online learning system probably surprised many, even more so for those without the proper electronic equipment. So we suggest which laptop to choose, so that it will provide all the functions necessary for teaching work, and at the same time not drastically burden the household budget. Let's remember that the epidemic is still ongoing, and remote work is now one of the important factors in the successful fight against COVID19.
Laptop for the teacher a product of the first necessity
Laptops for teachers are generally business-oriented devices that will be used both at school and at home. This is usually also the equipment that will be part of the computer classroom, as well as a stand-alone device that works with other teaching aids, such as a projector or interactive whiteboard. Such laptops are also useful training tools for teachers, as well as equipment that allows them to use education management systems and the SIO. In short, a laptop for a teacher is a first-choice product that must, above all, be as versatile and functional as possible.
What kind of laptop for a teacher in 2020?
Let's start with the fact that basically all laptops available today, regardless of price and their class, come standard with built-in webcams and microphones, which plays a fundamental role in e-learning. The laptop for the teacher must also provide full mobility and freedom of movement. In today's devices, this is made possible by a system of wireless connection to the Internet and a built-in rechargeable battery, which ensures that the device works without the need for constant access to a power source. An optimal laptop is also a self-sufficient laptop, i.e. one that does not need peripherals to work properly, as is the case with desktop PCs (separate mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc.).).
Post-lease laptop for teacher
Let's certainly reject devices with low computing power (netbook). Let's also eliminate devices designed solely for web browsing (tablet), which will not help in any way to optimally prepare substantive and practical classes. What remains?
Only a thoroughbred, powerful notebook can meet all your educational requirements and needs. Here it is worthwhile to go beyond any price as the main criterion for selection. However, this does not mean that you have to spend a cosmic amount of money to buy a laptop or take out a huge bank loan associated with it. The outlet offer is an ideal solution both financially and in terms of quality. A post-lease laptop for a teacher can calmly handle most of the tasks he will face.
What we need?
When looking for the right notebook for teaching and educational tasks, let's pay attention not only to the processor clock, but also to the type of processor. All processors have at least one core with an arithmetic-logic and control unit (single core processor). Multicore processors, as the name implies, consist of several cores (dual core, triple core, quad core), and their greatest advantage is their high speed compared to the poor performance of single core processors (for example, the Intel Core i5-9400F is a 6-core processor).
Leaving aside such an obvious issue as the 64-bit operating system now available in virtually every notebook offered on the market (today it's usually Windows 10), we're looking for a device that has a large enough RAM (min. 8 GB), and also check what type of driveru has been installed in it (the fastest are, of course, driverand solid-state SSD). No laptop for a teacher can fulfill its function without the ability to connect external devices to it. So look for models equipped with VGA, USB, HDMI or Display Port connectors. Not to forget the systems that allow the device to connect wirelessly to the WiFi Internet network, as well as the ability to read/write DVD/CD media on it.
Technologies included
Today's notebooks offer many additional features, which usually come with aspecialized technological nomenclature, particularly difficult to decipher for the layman. It is worth exploring some of them:
- One-Key Recovery- This is a special button, often found, for example, in Lenovo products, which gives you the opportunity to quickly solve the problem if the device fails;
- Intel Turbo Boost 2.0- is a technology used by the Intel brand to boost the performance of the processor and integrated graphics by increasing their clock when the load on the processor increases for a certain period of time and when the conditions are right;
- Enhanced Intel SpeedStep- This is a technology by which the processor is able to automatically lower its clocking, for example, from 3.6 to 2.8 GHz, as well as reduce the voltage supplying the processor (e.g. when running on low-demanding applications);
- NVIDIA Optimus- An automatic notebook optimization feature that ensures high graphics performance and longer battery life, and depending on the resource load generated by applications, seamlessly switches between the two graphics cards in the system to ensure maximum performance or minimum power consumption (a technology used only in devices equipped with two graphics cards: an integrated one and a dedicated one from Nvidia);
- Intel Ready Mode- allows you to instantly wake up your laptop for work, an alternative function to the traditional sleep mode;
Recommended laptops for teachers
Cheap laptop for teacherit's not a mythical unicorn or a white raven of technology. This is a viable outlet-type proposition that represents excellent value for money.â¯Used laptops for teachers made by Lenovo, HP or Dellis a sensible choice for many years of fruitful and creative teaching work.
Here are some of our hardware suggestions for the teaching body that they can use or base their future choice on their solutions. Something good for everyone!
Dell Latitude E5270is a small (12.5" diagonal) but powerful tool powered by an Intel Core i5-6300U processor clocked at up to 3.0 GHz in turbo mode. The laptop features innovative 8GB DDR4 memory and driver SSD. On board there are numerous functional connectors - 3 USB 3.0 ports, VGA, HDMI, LAN, as well as audio jack and SD card reader. It is a quiet and powerful laptop ideal for teaching, training or conferences.
Lenovo ThinkPad T470offers a 14-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution matrix, a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 processor clocked at up to 3.5 GHz, 8 GB of RAM, and a fast driver SSD. Such a set on board guarantees comfortable use of multiple applications simultaneously without compromising the performance of the device. This laptop also featured an HD webcam, as well as WiFi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity systems.
HP Elitebook 820 G3is a device for demanding users, equipped with a sixth-generation Intel Core i5 processor clocked at up to 2.4 GHz and modern DDR4 memory. There is also a high-speed driver SSD and 8GB RAM. HP's Elitebook series laptop has an excellent audio system from the renowned Bang&Olufsen brand that really delivers, further supported by HP's Noise Reduction software for great sound quality during video conferences or ordinary web calls.