Here at Computers for Schools, one of our main missions is to take computers that are still very usable and get them into the hands of individuals who otherwise can’t afford to purchase brand new equipment. Much of our inventory is sourced from various levels of government, and so can be of a higher grade than some computers sold in retail (where a common goal is to offer economical choices).
Below is an explanation of what computers we have available and what some of the terminology means so you can better understand what options you have available.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this information.
The Operating System (Required)
An operating system is a core platform of software that you install any programs that you use into. Whether it’s Mac OS (like on your school computers), Windows 11, or Linux, you need to choose one of these to install on the computer so that your programs can communicate with and use the computer hardware.
$10 – Windows 11 Pro: Windows 11 is available on our Premium, and Premium+ laptops and technically any computer that has the TPM 2.0 chip (for security).
FREE – Linux: There are many versions, or “flavors” of Linux, and if you have a preference, we’re happy to help you out with the specifics. Linux is free because it’s built Open Source where people can contribute to the project, or take it as their own to customize, as long as they don’t sell the community owned code.
FREE – Mac OS: There isn’t any extra fee for Mac OS, however since Apple has limits on what OS’s can be installed on a certain age of computer, we do install Linux on some of the Apple computers so that they have a modern and more secure operating system in circumstances where the the regular Mac OS won’t receive security updates anymore.
Desktop Computers
Desktops are by far the best bang for your buck, so to speak. From us, they’re heavily discounted. Some shops sell desktops for over $100 because there’s higher demand for the extra power and benefits a desktop provides, but here in the Yukon there seems to be more demand for space saving laptops. We give desktop computers out with a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. They are easier to fix, and have a lot more speed and power. Their only real drawbacks are the lack of mobility if you need to compute on the go, and lack of WiFi connectivity (although we have some solutions available).
FREE – Desktop
As a note, our desktops do not come with WiFi capabilities. If you need to connect to a WiFi network with a desktop from us, let us know and we can discuss adding a wireless card to your order. Check out our other upgrades (lower in this list) that can really help to speed up your computer.
A.I.O – All-in-One Computers
An AIO is like a desktop, although it takes up less desk space because the computer is built into the monitor. They typically use laptop components inside to save space, and have the added benefit of having built-in WiFi connectivity.
Monitors
We bundle a good sized monitor with a desktop request, but if you’d like an additional monitor, or one with your laptop request, we can sell it separately as well.
FREE – 22+” monitor, but it doesn’t have a stand. If your goal is to buy some monitor arms to hold the screens, this is the deal for you!
$40 – 22+” monitor when not bundled with a Desktop
Laptop Computers
Laptops are normally a lot more expensive than Desktops that have similar specifications, simply because the computer parts have to be smaller, and fit together tighter to provide a more mobile platform.
FREE Laptop – We now have a free category. These laptops are very old, but some of them are still among my favourites. They will be quite slow, but if you get one of our used Solid State Drives, it can be a decent computer running Linux.
Basic Laptop – Also very old, and we recommend the Solid State Drive upgrade which can give it some pep in its step. 2nd to 5th Gen i-series processor with 8GB of RAM and a HDD
Mid-Grade Laptop – This grade comes with a used Solid State Drive and is a great computer running Linux. 6th to 7th Gen with used 240/256GB Solid State Drive and 8GB RAM
*Premium Laptop – This is the first grade that Microsoft allows Windows 11 to run on now. Microsoft requires the TPM 2.0 module on the motherboard for it to legitimately run Windows 11.
8th or 9th Gen i-series processor, 16GB RAM, 256GB used Solid State Drive
*Premium+ Laptop – These are among the fastest laptops we have available.
10th Gen+ processor with 16GB of RAM and includes 512GB Used SSD
* Students and Teachers can get a $30 discount on both premium models, as education support is still our core mandate.
Upgrades
We also provide some quality of life upgrade options for a fee:
SSD (Solid State Drive)
We typically have a variety of used SSD’s, and we try to keep some brand new one’s on hand for people to purchase as well. An SSD is longterm storage like a traditional hard drive, but doesn’t have any moving parts and is a lot faster. You’ll mainly see the speed increase in computer boot up, any time a program has to access or move files, or your own transferring of files to and from the computer.
RAM Upgrades
For desktops, we can offer an upgrade from the default 8GB of RAM up to 16GB for $30. For Laptops, we can upgrade from the default 4GB to 8GB for $20, and in some cases 8GB to 16GB for $40. A RAM upgrade will allow you to run programs that take up more space while running, like digital editing programs, or web browsers with lots of tabs open.
Internet: Internal WiFi card or external USB WiFi adapter
Laptops won’t need this upgrade, but our desktops don’t have built in WiFi capability. The internal card plugs directly into the motherboard, and has antennae that protrude out the back of the computer for better reception. A USB adapter simply plugs externally into a USB port on the outside, but will typically have more limited range than an internal card. Please check with us regarding pricing and availability for either of these options.