Setting Home-Working Boundaries with Microsoft Geo
Last week saw me put on my big girl pants and take the daunting leap of ‘going freelance’ for my day-job; running my mini PR, Digital Content and Marketing empire from my ergonomically challenged dining room table. After 5 years of working in-house, I decided it was time to work in my house to allow me the flexibility of being my children’s’ on-call taxi-driver/chef/sock-finder.
So far, so good. Except I’ve noticed the clearly defined boundaries of employed life, don’t always fall into place when working amid the chaos of family life. Working hours have a fluid concept and, can be a large chunk of the 24 hours readily available. Snack/tea breaks can happen all too often – given my proximity to the kitchen. And, where I was previously more than happy to let the boys jump aboard my laptop to “search up” the must-have Messi boots, not only do I now run the risk of having vital, work tabs shut down as they stand in their football-boot-hunting path, but, their hours long, dilly-dallying through all the sporting goods retailers in the land can eat into my aforementioned ‘working hours’. Thus, without my laptop, I am like Thor without his hammer – decorative, with good intentions, but pretty useless!
So, when Microsoft got in touch, asking if we’d like to give their latest GeoBook 3X Laptop (exclusive to Curry’s PC World) a try, I jumped at the chance of reclaiming my laptop for work while actively encouraging the boys to do their homework at the same time.
What We Thought of the Microsoft GeoBook 3X
The Microsoft Geo range is fab for families looking for a laptop to get the homework done (sorry kids, you still actually have to do it!), web-browsing, watching films (and the dreaded YouTube) and replying to the plethora of emails that seem to come with running a family these days – all thanks to its Intel Pentium Quad-Core Processor (this means it’s perfect for day-to-day computing) it can multi-task all the above, even if I can’t.
When Microsoft said they were sending over an ‘entry level’ laptop, I was prepared for a plastic-y feeling, lumbering machine that the kids would cast aside in seconds. I wasn’t prepared for the playful, colourful and vibrant packaging that housed the incredibly sleek, silver metal encased GeoBook 3X. Think of those covetable machines that you’re allowed to stroke in those glossy white stores in town, but at a fraction of the price and you’ve got the GeoBook 3X. The boys took one look at the laptop and were cooing over and stroking it like a gold-plated Xbox; they were sold before I even flipped its lid.
Its appearance is on par with a laptop in excess of £1k (but only a third of the price!), so great parental points as the boys felt like they’d been entrusted with the computing equivalent of the FA cup.
Inside the GeoBook 3X has:
- A crisp Full HD IPS screen with wide viewing angles so it doesn’t matter who sits where when watching a film – you all get the same view (hear that boys?!).
- HD Wifi, which is faster than most other ‘entry level’ laptops and allows further reach throughout the house.
- Windows 10, which comes equipped with everything the boys need to complete their homework – including the 3D model animator perfect for their DT projects.
- Perfectly compact 13.3″ screen, with a tough metal shell, the boys can use it on the go. Oh, and it may have slipped into my bag, as it’s so handy, to reply to emails from the sidelines!
In short, if you’re looking to take the leap and invest in a laptop for the kids or family this Christmas, but feel bamboozled by the options (as I did), I would really recommend the Microsoft GeoBook 3X. It looks and feels amazing, can easily keep up with the demands of family life (if only the same could be said of me!) and is affordable. We’ve been gifted this one, which I may have fibbed to the boys about it needing to be sent back, as we’re planning on buying another (this is a big spend for us!) to give Hugo & Bruno one each for Christmas – that’s how much we love it!
This post has been sponsored by Microsoft for the launch of the new Microsoft GeoBook 3X, sold exclusively through Curry’s PC World. All views, comments and anecdotes are my own.
