This past weekend I bought an HP Stream laptop for my daughter. I waited most of the summer to get it because I was really waiting for Windows 10 which by the way is totally awesome and super easy to upgrade to. The HP Stream I got was the 13″ laptop in blue and I went ahead and got the Microsoft Signature Editon so it wouldn’t have any crap-ware on it like the ones I saw at Best Buy. I only received the comptuer yeterday and I didn’t even get a chance to use it all that long untl I had to give it up to my daughter to play with.
I spent most of the time with the computer to upgrade it from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 mainly because the experience would be better for me for configuring the thing. I was able to get on 2 account with minor difficulty. I had to use my Hotmail account which I haven’t used in eons it seems like but I still use it occasionally when I need it for all things Microsoft. The computer itself is really sleek looking and the screen really isn’t all that bad for such a cheap computer. Being a Signature Edition laptop, there really was just Windows on it and nothing else. I have a gift card for the Microsoft App store but I don’t know if I want to load it with a ton of junk that will just make it slow. I also have Office 365 for a year but like the apps that are offered on the MS App store, its not something that I need nor does my daughter at this point in time. I think when the time comes Google Docs should work just fine as a replacement unless there are weird macro’s in her homework.
I didn’t try any of the web cam stuff that is embedded on the top of the screen but the computer plays videos from the internet just fine as well as games from nickjr.com and other kids sites that my wife showed to my daughter. I think it might be one of the better cheap laptops out there but I think the trick is to get Microsoft versions of everything rather than going to Best Buy or some other place for it. If I could do clean installs on those computers, that would be another discussion entirely but you can’t so any future Windows computers will be purchased directly from MS.
I’ll try and do more testing when I get back this weekend. The computer is really only meant to play stuff on MS Edge and nothing else at this time and for that purpose, I think its a fine machine. I’d probably get anther one if I could just so I have a personal computer besides my iPad to bring with me when I travel on the road. Although I think a new MacBook would be a nicer choice but at almost 10 times the price the HP is a good compromise.
Wonger's Ramblings 