Dislexia Grant

[nvening]

My sister has just recieved a grant for dislexia from the local council. It is for £2200.
She is going to art uni so there will not be any serious writing, so some of the software seems a bit overboard
However, its not just money in the bank, i (she) has to get the following:

Hardware:

PC - It will be a laptop including full protection cover (shes a student)
Printer
Scanner
Lecture recorder - An MP3 player with a mic (really it would be better to get one with the option to put an external mic on but can seem to find any which offer this)

On the hardware front its just a matter of me finding the right stuff, and i know what im looking for, however i also need to get software and here is where i have a few more questions.

Software:

Typing software - Its highly unlikely that she will use this so i will no doubt just find somethign for a few pounds (or free) in the internet, and i can always get her something good if she needs it!

IT Training CD - I think its just a generial PC training CD, mabe an idiots guide thing?

TextHelp 7.1 - Here we get onto the questions, this seesm to be some sort of voice recognition software, again i doubt she will use it but it needs to be got, she apparently needs the non pro read and write which is £140, which is alot of money! Is there a (cheaper?) alternative to this ? Again i could get it for her if she needs it in the future and for now mabe the money could be better spent else where. But, im guessing cheap software is rubbish so mabe i should juyst buy it (mabe use it for myslef too lol)

Security - NOD32?

OCR - This is for the scanner to read documents which are scanned in, my 3 year old hp scanner came with this software so i guess most modern scanners come with it too?

Office suite - Now i can eaither spend £90 on the MS version (student and teacher) or open office. What is the difference between the two? Ill install open office and see what she thinks of it as again they money could be spent on the laptop.

If you can answer any of the questions i would be gratefull and make any recomendations on anything i have got to get then i will also be gratefull.

I will set to work finding the best deals and keep you informed!

Thanks.

[RedPutty]

cha ching

I would go for the MS office option since she will benefit from the student offer too and it will be less hassle.

Since she is doing art wouldnt she want some art software e.g photoshop?

[bertie]

Give openoffice a whirl, if it's not to your liking go for MS office - Student / Teacher edition is dirt cheap but I often find I can't tell the difference between the two
Lecture recorder is pointless, you're never going to record your lectures and if you do you'll never listen to them!

[deeloughran]

That laptop on sale is nice from PCWorld
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/400205
-549.99
and you get Norton 2006 Internet security for half price, 29.99 with it

[5lab]

i would *strongly* reccoment a fly-weight laptop - you dont want to be lugging a full-weight unit in and out of uni every day, particularly (i woudl think) if you're a girl. i had a toshiba portege which was very good.. survived a good few droppings too.. something like this -> http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.c...shibaShop=true

having had it for 3 years (and subsiquently had a bulky work laptop) i'd srongly reccomend getting a lightweight laptop over one with a particularly large screen etc..

i checked 'what laptop' a few times before buying - they're very good and independant.


as for the mp3 player - creative units *used* to have a mic on the remote (rahter than a line in) but i dont know if htis is the case any more - why does it have to be external?? (the internal on my slim is pretty good)

i'd go with the education office suite from m$ - if she's not massively computer literate she might find it hard to swap between open office etc on her laptop and ms office everywhere else..

[Nick2k]

Hi guys,

Am in the same position. Will be getting my laptop soon. However, would it be possible just to sell it and get something else?

It comes with a 4-year warrenty too, which should add the value. Not sure if am allowed to sell the laptop..

Hm..

[dannyboy83]

You can buy a voice recorder for an Ipod! If she already has one of them.