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There's the "Tom's Amazing Machine" by Gordon Spell

Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.

Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but snippets from the Growing Point review appear to mention gambling mother:

Zenda, as Tom calls the being, is given books and maps so that it can adapt to the everyday world, but there are times when disaster threatens and Zenda's part in bringing nasty Stephen to justice for theft finally indicates that it is time he/she moves on before explanations are sought. The family background of gambling mother and unemployed father provides additional material in a lively mixture of...

There's Tom's Amazing Machine by Gordon Spell

Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.

Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but snippets from the Growing Point review appear to mention gambling mother:

Zenda, as Tom calls the being, is given books and maps so that it can adapt to the everyday world, but there are times when disaster threatens and Zenda's part in bringing nasty Stephen to justice for theft finally indicates that it is time he/she moves on before explanations are sought. The family background of gambling mother and unemployed father provides additional material in a lively mixture of...

There's the "Tom's Amazing Machine" by Gordon Spell

Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.

Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but snippets from the Growing Point review appear to mention gambling mother.

There's the "Tom's Amazing Machine" by Gordon Spell

Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.

Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but snippets from the Growing Point review appear to mention gambling mother:

Zenda, as Tom calls the being, is given books and maps so that it can adapt to the everyday world, but there are times when disaster threatens and Zenda's part in bringing nasty Stephen to justice for theft finally indicates that it is time he/she moves on before explanations are sought. The family background of gambling mother and unemployed father provides additional material in a lively mixture of...

There's the "Tom's Amazing Machine" by Gordon Spell

Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.

Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but the Growing Point review mentions gambling mother.

There's the "Tom's Amazing Machine" by Gordon Spell

Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.

Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but snippets from the Growing Point review appear to mention gambling mother.