[BigV]

Meanwhile, back at the original question....

The answer is RAM. Also connection speed for internet activities, but this is outside the boundaries of laptop specifications. There is no web page on the internet that you would want to live through that can make any modern processor break a sweat. Same goes for word processing, light bookkeepping, etc.

As for Daughter... I have been through this one too. You correctly identified the two choices, cheap/replaceable versus expensive/long-service. In my experience, getting something NOW that is CHEAP (not a Toshiba though... personal bias) is a better route. It is extremely difficult to predict what the student's needs and expectations will be a couple years from now. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that a couple years will reveal great changes in your daughter and even greater changes in the technology available. Picking something now that will be a good fit in two or three years is very tough.

It is made easier by spending more, true. But this brings me to the next reason why I suggest cheap/replaceable. The kids are *hard* on the equipment. "Oops" could be the sound you hear juuuuust before you have to reach for your wallet again. Liquid damage. Falls and drops. Setting the backpack on the back of the screen. Lost it / had it stolen. The list goes on and on. Unless you're getting a specially ruggedized machine (they exist, but cost more, and offer no extra protection against being lost or stolen), having a delicate piece of gear last three years in the hands of a kid that didn't pay for it with their own money (and would therefore have a greater interest in protecting it) is practically begging for trouble. If, not when it breaks, you want the replacement/repair to cost the least possible. And while it is not broken, it will be complained about (no matter how much you spend) eventually "My computer is so slooooow!"

Next point. Whatever you get, also buy the protection plan. A rule of thumb for this is (for inexpensive gear like this) to expect to pay up to half the cost of the machine for a three year warranty. This won't prevent complaints about it being slow, but when they break it, at least you'll have a backup plan.

Wow... what a windbag. Good luck. I've been through this with three kids and even more computers. If I did it again, I'd do it this way. Just like their first car, it's gonna suffer. I'd like to pay the least possible for that sacrifice.