63% of teachers preferred desktop PCs for their overall reliability and value in a series of polls conducted by independent online tech retailer Ebuyer.
“Desktop computers are definitely the most popular option amongst teachers I work with,” said Julie Hopper, a year 6 teacher based in York.
“Not only are they reliable and good value, but actually having a keyboard and mouse is much easier when you’re in a classroom environment. They give greater flexibility and larger screens can help when teaching bigger, socially distanced groups.”
It’s fair to say that teachers opinions may not find favour with their pupils. 66% of students said they felt more comfortable working on a laptop. But teacher Julie says that once the children are in the classroom the story is slightly different. She said: “Young children are used to using laptops and prefer to work on those, however, they love having a mouse and being able to see their work on larger screens, which desktop PCs can provide.
“With desktop PCs now lighter and much more compact, they don’t take up much space in the classroom, which is another plus.”
Ebuyer Product Manager Caroline Lister isn’t surprised that the new breed of desktop PCs are finding favour with teachers. She said: “People are finally catching on to the fact that the mini/nano PCs and AIOs (All-In-Ones) are arguably more portable than laptops.
“And with laptops now in short supply and prices getting out of control desktop PCs are a more efficient and cost-effective solution for schools looking to upgrade their computers.”
Ebuyer is the UK’s largest independent electrical retailer. Based in East Yorkshire they employ 250 people and have been trading online since 1999.
Ebuyer conducted separate polls with YouGov, Survey Monkey and Twitter, targeting teachers and general computer users across the UK.
