According to the National Retail Federation families will be spending an average of $750 during the Back-To-School Season.Tech products consume the biggest part of the budget for college students and place a close second, right after clothing, for kids in grades K – 12. David Gregg – Senior Editor of BehindtheBuy.com joins us this morning with his picks of the hottest and most affordable Back-To-School tools for the 2013 school year.
Dell XPS 18 Portable All-in-One
An A plus student can’t use a C minus computer. The XPS 18 all-in-one computer – the world’s thinnest, lightest and most portable all-in-one is the perfect companion for bookworms and overachievers looking to go above and beyond. This portable powerhouse can easily transport from home to the classroom, doing double-duty as a desktop and entertainment center. The XPS 18 features an 18.4” full HD touch screen (nearly three times the screen size of an iPad) and weighs in around 5lbs. Also, for a limited time only, buy a Dell and get a $200 Dell promo e-gift card to use towards a TV, Xbox or thousands of other items!
Price: Starts at $899.99; www.dell.com
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Student Edition
The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Student Edition includes a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, desktop dock and Bluetooth keyboard. As the perfect in- and after-school companion, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Student Edition allows students to create, share and store documents in addition to browsing the Web.
Available in white for the first time, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is packed with Polaris Office, one year free of 50GB of Dropbox storage, and three months free of Hulu Plus. The desktop dock and Bluetooth keyboard give students the functionality of a laptop just by connecting to the dock and pairing the keyboard. The desktop dock allows students to charge their Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at their desk while working or playing, and the ultra slim Bluetooth keyboard enables fast and accurate typing.
Once their homework is complete, students can use the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 to watch TV shows and movies on Samsung Media Hub or explore the more than 750,000 apps on Google Play. They can even control the TV with the Smart Remote and built-in IR blaster!
Price: $349.99; www.samsung.com/us
HP ENVY 4500 e-All-in-One
The HP ENVY 4500 e-All-in-One is an affordable printer with built-in Wi-Fi that allows on-the-go printing from your smartphone, tablet and laptop computer. This All-in-One produces quality photos and laser-sharp documents from wherever creativity strikes, making it the perfect back-to-school companion. It also includes HP Printables, which delivers news, fun and coupon savings directly to your printer. It can also scan photos and documents directly to a mobile device for sharing or storing, and connect to a wireless network quickly. Offering print speeds of 9 pages per minute (PPM) in black and 5 ppm in color, the ENVY 4500 e-All-in-One also conserves resources with automatic two-sided printing and save with optional high-capacity cartridges. It also reduces environmental impact with free, easy cartridge recycling.
Price:$99.99; www.shopping.hp.com
Kyocera Hydro Edge
The Kyocera Hydro Edge is an affordable, waterproof smartphone that has built-in protection from life’s aquatic accidents, like getting caught in a rainstorm or the sprinklers, or dropping it into a puddle, lake, pool, sink, tub or the dreaded toilet! It is IP57 certified for protection from sprayed water (like sprinklers or rainstorms) and full immersion in up to a meter (3.28 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. The Kyocera Hydro Edge is available for just $19.99 at Sprint with a 2-year contract OR for $149.99 at Boost Mobile without a contract. Compare that to expensive protective cases or other high-end waterproof devices costing anywhere from $200 to $600. At those affordable price points, on-the-go tweens and teens can get an attractive, full-featured Android smartphone that can handle their hectic, accident-prone lives as they go back to school this Fall. In addition, Hydro Edge features Kyocera’s proprietary Smart Sonic Receiver technology to help hear more clearly in loud places, so you know your teen is hearing you when you tell him to come home and study (that is, if he actually answers a phone call).
Price: $19.99 at Sprint with a 2-year contract OR $149.99 at Boost Mobile without a contract; www.kyocerasmartphones.com/hydro-edge
Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CX Graphing Handheld
Much more than just a calculator, the TI-Nspire CX is a handheld learning tool that helps students explore real-world math and science concepts. These days, a graphing calculator is a necessity for students. In fact, most teachers recommend parents purchase graphing calculators for student use in the classroom and at home to boost student performance. And Texas Instruments is the most recommended brand by teachers. The good news for parents is that the TI-Nspire CX is going to last from middle school into college – that’s at least six years of use, including on the SAT, ACT and other high stakes exams. Its durable, its upgradeable and it is going to help your students get excited while developing a deeper understanding of math and science. This year, TI has expanded its TI-Nspire CX Graphing Handheld into a family of products, including stand-alone computer software and the all new TI-Nspire Apps for iPad. And if you purchase a handheld, the computer software is included, allowing students to have all the benefits of a TI graphing calculator on a home computer too.
Website: www.education.ti.com