One of the flaws of the virtual classroom is that a device with a camera is necessary. Without
one, you are unable to join your class. If you are needing a laptop, Best Buy offers the best deals.
Although the school provides Chromebooks, you may be interested in purchasing your own.
1. ASUS 11.6” Chromebook- $189
This laptop has 4 Gigabytes of memory and 16 Gigabytes of flash memory, which is slower than
normal memory. It also has a camera and microphone. While the 11.6 inch screen isn’t huge, it’s
more than enough for class. It has excellent reviews due to its high quality keyboard, interface
and ease of use.
2. Lenovo 100e 11.6” Chromebook- $169
The Lenovo 100e has 4 gigabytes of memory and 32 gigabytes of flash memory. It is twenty
dollars cheaper than the ASUS, but with double the amount of flash memory. It also has a
camera and microphone, and is designed with durability in mind, so it can take plenty of abuse.
Due to its lower price but with more features than the ASUS 11.6” Chromebook, this is the best
laptop available.
Many laptops feature cameras for your Zoom classes and if yours doesn’t, webcams are cheap as
well. Webcams can be purchased on Amazon.com for under $50, and offer many useful features
such as a microphone and high quality video. They are compatible with almost all devices, so
your options aren’t limited. Though there are many more expensive options, the additional
features are not necessary for school.. A smartphone is the best value because it contains all you
need for Zoom meetings, such as internet, a camera, and microphone. Walmart features many
models and affordable data plans and a great protection plan. Walmart offers a two-year
protection plan for a mere three dollars. The plan covers accidents like drops, spills and cracks
and screen and battery failures. Here’s some top choices:
3. Straight Talk LG Journey Smartphone- $40
You are offered several affordable plans, with the cheapest being just $35 a month. It includes a
camera, microphone and will satisfy all of your school needs.
4. Walmart Family Mobile LG Rebel 4 Prepaid Smartphone- $30
This device has every great feature of an expensive smartphone but is much more affordable. Be
advised, it may lack the quality of name brands such as Apple and Samsung.
Some phone plans will bind you to pay for data over a couple years so read the fine print. Zoom
calls can use a lot of data, so be prepared to buy a large plan. A smartphone is definitely the best
deal because it includes every feature you need for class!