JFischer00

I was in a similar spot to you and I ended up finding a like-new Essential Phone for $255 shipped so that might be an option.

Thank you guys for your help. I ended up finding a sweet deal on a like new 2017 Macbook Pro (i5, 8GB, 256GB, no Touch Bar). I got it for only $900, which is definitely a better deal than either of the original two options.

Alright, thanks for your help. It's definitely swung me over to the Macbook side. I'm still a little worried about performance longevity, but I know Macbook's are famous for continuing to run smoothly even 5+ years after launch.

I have heard about a lot of XPS 13 issues, even with how nice a laptop it is, which is why I am considering a Macbook. Up until the last year, I've never heard of any widespread problems. I thought the XPS 13 had longer battery life. About how long does your battery last with "normal" usage?

I am currently deciding between these two laptops. I can use macOS or Windows 10; it really makes no difference to me. For an i5, 8GB, 256GB configuration, either one will cost $700-750. If it changes anything, I am majoring in Business Analytics and Information Systems (basically Business with some Computer Science thrown in). Obviously, each one has its pros and cons, I would just like some help deciding which one to get.

I'm open to it.

Wow, thank you for the many options. I'll be sure to look into each of these in depth.

I live in the United States. I don't think that would work for me, but thanks anyway for your help.

That's definitely a creative plan, maybe a little too creative for me. Also, 768p on a 15" is "meh" to downright bad IMO.

I am looking for a laptop for school this fall. I have about $700 to spend. I am majoring in business, so nothing too demanding specs-wise. I prefer something a little thinner and lighter if possible. An SSD or an empty 2.5"/NVME slot is absolutely necessary. I need 8GB+ of RAM and at least an i5. I really don't want a screen smaller than 13". A discrete GPU is not at all necessary as I still have a gaming desktop to use. I think that's about it. Thanks for your help guys!

I appreciate all the great suggestions and ideas. I understand @M.Yurizaki's point about preferring iteration over recursion for multiple reasons, but I still believe it is a concept that should be covered in some depth in an introductory CS course. As long as tools' strengths and weaknesses are taught, more tools in your toolbox will generally result in better code (and problem solving thought processes since we're talking about CS in general, not just programming).

That's pretty neat, but I don't feel like it really explains recursion in a programming sense (down the stack until we reach a certain point then back up).

I am currently teaching a Computer Science class for middle schoolers. This week we will be covering recursion. I know for many people recursion is difficult to understand and visualize so I was wondering if anyone had any tips or examples that they've used to explain recursion or someone used to explain it to them. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I watch all YouTube videos at 2x speed, but only when using headphones/earbuds, otherwise I can't understand them well enough.

That does look like something really good that might be worth saving a couple months for. Well, that is unusual. It might just work. With another 24" monitor that would probably create a cool-looking square, or maybe I might even have enough space to do three monitors in portrait mode. Both of these options sound intriguing. The double/triple setup would be cheaper, but I can see some potential issues. Not having enough horizontal screen real estate on one monitor would make the bezels extra annoying. Thanks for the suggestions.