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22<br />
IPAD<br />
Apple’s world-beating<br />
tablet is portable,<br />
powerful and has all<br />
the apps you need, and<br />
with the latest software<br />
update it’s also a real<br />
alternative to many<br />
laptops.<br />
It’s £379 from Apple.com.<br />
Back to<br />
School Tech<br />
for the new normal<br />
Technology has always been an important tool<br />
for schoolchildren and students, but it’s even<br />
more important now: during lockdown it became<br />
clear that children and teenagers with access to<br />
appropriate technology were better placed for<br />
remote learning. Lockdown may be over, but if<br />
infection rates rise again then we could go back<br />
to ‘blended learning’ where some or all of the<br />
school week has to take place at home – and<br />
older children are expected to use technology for<br />
homework even when things are normal.<br />
And of course, technology isn’t just for studying.<br />
It’s also for having fun: video chatting with friends,<br />
playing games, bingeing on TV box sets and<br />
taking advantage of apps. And that means buying<br />
tech can be a challenge: what should you buy if<br />
you want something that’s useful for school or<br />
college work as well as leisure time?<br />
We think these products should be in your tech<br />
shopping list. Apple’s iPad has no real rivals, so<br />
if a tablet is your preferred option that’s the one<br />
to go for: even the cheapest one is incredibly<br />
powerful and flexible; however, it’s also eminently<br />
breakable, so consider a protective case and<br />
gadget insurance too.<br />
Apple may seem like the go-to choice for laptops<br />
too, but its Mac laptops are much more<br />
expensive than equally powerful Windows<br />
PCs. There are lots of really great<br />
Windows laptops for very good<br />
prices, and Microsoft’s Surface<br />
range is stylish as well as powerful.<br />
We’ve also given some thought to getting online<br />
when there isn’t good broadband available, and<br />
to something that’s as important as any PC’s<br />
processor or tablet’s tech: the backpack it’s going<br />
to be carried around in.<br />
HUAWEI MOBILE WI-FI DONGLE<br />
If your child can’t get a fast,<br />
reliable internet connection for<br />
studying this dongle connects<br />
to the 4G mobile phone network<br />
and creates a Wi-Fi network you<br />
can connect multiple devices to.<br />
It’s £65 from Logitech.com.<br />
It costs from £22 per month at<br />
three.co.uk.<br />
MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2<br />
Many schools and colleges are based<br />
on Windows apps and require a<br />
Windows computer. Microsoft’s<br />
Surface Go runs the full version<br />
of Windows 10 and is desirable,<br />
portable and affordable –<br />
it’s £399<br />
from<br />
Microsoft.com.<br />
LOGITECH CRAYON<br />
Logitech’s tablet stylus is as<br />
much fun as an Apple Pencil but it’s<br />
an awful lot cheaper. It’s great for drawing<br />
and note-taking, and it works on the current<br />
iPad and the iPad Pro.<br />
It’s £65 from Logitech.com.<br />
FJÄLLRÄVEN KÅNKEN LAPTOP<br />
BACKPACK<br />
A sturdy, padded backpack is<br />
important for carrying tablets or<br />
laptops around, and while the<br />
Fjällräven Kånken is one of the<br />
more expensive ones it’s beautifully<br />
made and very fashionable. Be<br />
careful, though: this brand is widely<br />
counterfeited so only buy from<br />
reputable retailers.<br />
It costs from £71 at Amazon.co.uk.
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