It is now 2006 and I was 17 in June. - I updated this page two years ago but I actually originally wrote it in 2001. I will leave it on as it may be of interest.

I started to use a computer in school when I was nearly 10 in 1999. After I learnt to touch type my parents bought me an 'emate' which is more of a word processor than a real computer. Looking back it was just perfect as it was very tough and light and the battery was brilliant. It also started as soon as you opened the lid unlike some laptops where you have to wait for ages.
I used the emate for about 6 months and then I was desperate to have a laptop. Looking back I realise that I did not really need to change but the iBook looked so cool that I made out a very good case to get one and eventually my parents gave in!
I used an iBook for a long time and I found it really cool and easy to use. I have recently changed to a Windows laptop because I now make my own software and I use VB.net which I can only use with Windows. It is now also possible to get cool looking and light Windows laptops which was not possible some years ago.
I still use a laptop all the time and if anything I rely on it even more. Over the years I have learnt a few important lessons like backing up my work. I now regularly back up my important work as I have had a few nightmares!
I have also become much better at using the spellchecker on Word. When I started there were so many words that it just could not recognise but now I am much more successful.
I have a very clear routine when I write. I type quickly and every time a red squiggly line appears under a word I right click and look at the correct spellings that are suggested. I look carefully and usually make the correct choice, however, sometimes there are no suggestions or none looks correct. When this happens I have another try at spelling the word and go through the procedure again. This is often successful although not fopolproof as I sometimes choose the wrong word eg yesterday I chose ridged instead of rigid which seeemed a very good choice to me!
I am very organised with the folders on my laptop. I have everything sorted into folders and so it is always easy to find anything that I need.

Below I have listed a few important things to think about when you choose a laptop for school. I think one of the best things I did was to learn to type when I was young. I will also tell you about where I to learnt to type and what happens when it all goes wrong in school.

Computers

a computer

"I think the best computer to use in school is a light laptop with a long battery life."

Here is a quite terrible photo of me with my iBook that I used for a long time - it was brilliant and served me well.

Things to look out for when you choose a laptop:

a long battery life
light and small makes it very easy for carrying to school.
The laptop needs to start quickly in lessons. You cannot spend ages waiting for it to start - it is useful to let it sleep so that it will only need to wake up.
If possible it is useful to have 2 or 3 USB sockets - you can attach a mouse to one, you may want a printer in another and a spare one could also be useful.
A CD-RW so that you can save all your work - floppy drives are not so useful anymore. I have used a small USB keytype drive to transfer work on occasions but on the whole I just save it on our network at home or the school one.
Microsoft Office - you can get this at a reduced price if you are a student.
If you choose an Apple laptop then you will probably find it easier to use Microsoft Office on it so that you can easily share your work with Windows computers. There is a Mac version called 'Office 2001 for Mac' which means that you can share ordinary word documents, or excel spreadsheets between a PC and an iBook. You can get it at a reduced price from Apple Education - tel 0208 218 1599 (if you are in the UK).

Typing

someone typing

Do not try to take a computer into school before you can type. It is a big mistake as teachers won't be sympathetic and you will hold up the class and you won't be allowed to use it.
Learn to type with Alison Townsend before you take your computer to school. To contact Alison please visit her website - www.alisontownsend.com.

I learnt to type when we lived in Eastbourne but it was definitely worth the daily travel to London by train with Connex South Central even if we had several difficult journies with Connex as there often seemed to be broken trains, detours, driver problems etc.
I had 2 'crash typing' courses and 1 'organising' course. Each course was 1.5 hours per day for 5 days. After these I could type 20 words per minute which is about the same speed as I could write. Over the years my typing speed has increased but I am not actually sure exactly how fast I can type.
Alison runs lots of courses that are mainly in the holidays.
Alison also gives some talks on using Laptops in Schools. These are held at various times. I was really well prepared when I started using my laptop and it made lots of difference.

What happens when it all goes wrong?
a duck hiting a computer

You can't rely on your teachers to solve your CIS (Computers in Schools) problems.
If your battery runs out or your computer won't work don't make a fuss just get out a bit of lined paper and write. Always have some paper ready.
There are not any other problems if you are organised.