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Staples Review on PC Purchase Experience

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staples reviewRecently, I (Kristen Stephens – Lesson Plans Editor) had the exciting opportunity to purchase a new computer from Staples in place of my eight year old Dell PC.

The first step for me was to look online, and see what types of computers Staples offered and which one would work for my family. I chose the HP TouchSmart 10-1020 All-in One Desktop PC which I thought would be very user friendly for the various ages in my family since it has a touch screen. From the Staples website, I could see there was a great ‘in-store only’ offer on this computer. I checked  to see if it was in stock at my local Staples and I was off to the store.

As I entered Staples, I went directly to the computer section, and started to look for the computer I wanted so I could give it a test drive.  I found the HP and began to explore the different features. After about two minutes, I had an HP representative come up to me and ask if I had been helped. He called over the Staples Tech person, and she was showing me some features. After seeing how the computer worked, I told her I would like to purchase it, and had her confirm the price that I found online.

At the checkout counter, the GM began to help me write up the work order to transfer my files from my old computer’s HD to the new one. At home, we also have an external hard drive which I was interested in transferring data from as well. I brought both HD’s in, and the manager didn’t think it was a problem to transfer all files to the new computer, that the space would be sufficient.

My last step was to purchase the computer.  I also purchased an anti-virus software that was on sale. I was very pleased with the final price for the computer and the service I received from the staff at Staples. Upon getting ready to  leave, I asked the GM when I could pick up the computer with my hard drives, and he told me that the technician came in at 2pm. He said it just depended on how long it took for all the files to transfer onto the new computer.

Overall, my experience was a good one, and once I receive my new computer, I’ll be able to give Windows7 a try!

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Comments

  1. That’s a good computer! I worked at staples for 2 years before my husband and I relocated to where there wasn’t a staples (frown). I was the department manager of all the electronics stuff (computers, printers, etc). I’m not trying to be nosy, but please, please, tell me you bought the protection plan for the touch screen computer. If you haven’t…you should! I would honestly go as far as getting the accidental plan. You may not ever need it, but the two years I worked and sold them the extended protection plan is a must! You’ll thoroughly enjoy the computer you got…it’s awesome! Plus, you can use a mouse if you decide not to touch the screen all the time! 🙂

  2. I purchased an HP Pavilion Slimline PC 3 weeks ago. It died on me this past Tuesday. I was told to contact HP customer service and that was very aggravating! I never got the help from them so I called the store and was told to bring it in the next day (yesterday). Their 2 IT tech. employees are totally awesome and very empathic. After checking everything out I was told that it had a defective hard drive. They are replacing it and updating Windows 7 for me. Thanks Staples for hiring such wonderful employees.

    I did get the 3 year service plan and I never expected to be using it. I would definitely take out a service plan again when buying a new one.

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Learn about China for Kids

China is such a big country with such a long history we can’t possibly cover it all in one blog post, but let’s get to the basics of the People’s Republic of China for kids.

China Basics

  • China is a country in East Asia and is the second-most populous nation in the world, with a population of more than 1.4 billion people. That’s 17.4 percent of the world’s population.
  • Its area is 3.7 million square miles, or almost 9.6 million square kilometers, which makes it the third largest nation by land area. It borders 14 countries: North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. It also borders Hong Kong and Macao, which are considered special administrative regions. Its land border is the longest of any country at 13,954 miles, or 22,457 km. It also has a 9,000 mile/14,500 km border on the Pacific Ocean. 
  • China has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic Era and is considered one of the cradles of civilization.
  • Gunpowder and paper, among many other things, were invented in China.
  • The country has been the People’s Republic of China since 1949 when Communists took control of the country. It is a one party socialist republic, where the leader of the Communist Party is the president.
  • Beijing is the capital but Shanghai is the largest city by population (and Chongqing is the largest by physical size).
  • The nation is 91 percent ethnically Han Chinese, and about 33 percent of the people are Buddhist.
  • Because it is so large it has many different climates, including deserts, subtropical forests, mountains, coastal and river environments, grasslands and plateaus.

Chinese National Symbols

The Chinese flag is red with a large gold star and four smaller gold stars in the upper left corner. The flag was adopted in 1949. Red represents the revolution, and the large star stands for the Chinese Communist Party. The smaller starts are for the unity of different classes of Chinese people.

The national anthem, “March of the Volunteers,” became the official national anthem in 1978. The lyrics were part of a poem written in 1934 about armies that opposed the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.

There are many symbols of Chinese heritage including the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the terracotta warriors.

Chinese dragons and pandas are also considered symbols of the country, and the panda is the national animal. Plum blossoms and chrysanthemums are popular flowers. Unofficially, the red-crowned crane or Manchurian crane is the national bird.

Chinese Learning Activities for Kids

There are so many options for activities related to China, but here are a few things to get you started.

Pack More into Life has a great China unit study broken down into three days that includes crafts, food, music, folktales and more.

Mr. Donn has a great set of informative pages about ancient China, including an introduction to Confucius, Taoism, Buddhism, the major dynasties, oracle bones, cultural achievenemts and more.

Learn more about the Great Wall of China, the terracotta soldiers, and the giant panda. You can even throw a panda party with help from Red Ted Art. Or have kids build their own Great Wall of China with this activity from How Wee Learn.

Play Mahjong online or learn the basic rules of mahjong (not very basic!).

Learn about the lunar new year, make dragon crafts and snake crafts for the year of the snake (2025).

Check out more activities at Activity Village and Teachers Pay Teachers.

It’s hard to say what the national dish of China might be because it’s so large and diverse, but one you can make at home is Hot Pot. Check out the recipe from The Woks of Life. Listen to some traditional Chinese music while you eat!