Giving a young child a laptop seems like an anti-intuitive thing to do. Most people think of laptops as being expensive pieces of electronics that can easily be broken and giving a child spells disaster. Believe it or not though giving your child a laptop can be one of the best things you do for them and the younger you give one to them, even if they only use it when they are being supervised by you, the better grasp they’ll have and the quicker they’ll catch on to using one.
So what makes a adequate kids laptop? I can’t say it’s any one thing in general or even a group of things. At times the best laptops for kids are the ones that they can actually use or have access to. If you can’t afford a laptop for kids, than just being able to interact with yours while you help them is a good start. Otherwise you have the option of getting them either a used laptop or your old laptop after you upgrade to a newer model. If you want to purchase your child their very own laptop then a netbook can be a great choice. Netbooks range in size from 7 to 10 inches and with the solid state drives that come in many of them, they can be a bit more durable. Although it’s still important to be very careful with them as the solid state hard drive doesn’t make them unbreakable.
Vtech – Genius Notebook
Compact laptop, with real mouse and animated LCD screen, engages child in computer-based learning fun
No matter what option you decide for getting your child a computer, there is one very important thing to consider and that’s the operating system. Make sure that operating system that they are using is Windows. When they are in school and then eventually college, almost every computer they come into contact with will be a Windows based computer. Chances are this won’t be a problem, but it’s a point worth mentioning. A lot of the toy laptops are fun for your child to play with, but don’t help them learn how a real laptop or computer works.
Cost will most definitely be a factor for any parent looking to purchase a kids laptop. Luckily models can be found for just over $200 new and used laptops can be found for even less. Ask some of your friends, some of them will definitely have an old desktop they aren’t using that will work perfect for your childs first computer.
You must log in to post a comment.