Back to school laptop guide: Pandemic survival edition

Back to school laptop guide: Pandemic survival edition

Pencils, paper and crayons? No, this year's most important back-to-school supply is a computer.Support our journalism. Subscribe today.arrow-rightAfter a scramble when covid-19 first shut classrooms in the spring, many school districts have designed this fall's education around laptops and tablets. That, of course, presumes parents can get the right device, prevent it from breaking, keep the WiFi running and ensure their kids aren't just goofing off online. And with the economy in the toilet, many families can't afford a pricey new laptop or broadband connection.Maybe the laptop is something your school supplies — or maybe you'll buy it yourself. Either way, you need a survival plan.Last year, American schools bought about 30 million laptops and tablets, while parents bought 2.2 million directly, according to industry analyst Futuresource. Even with a