New Netbooks for Tweens in 2012

New netbook releases in 2012 are looking up, already, with the mid-January availability of a new Acer netbook choice in the under $300 price range. I'm on the hunt for a new, lightweight computer for our home, and this looks promising, with a reasonable price as well as increased storage. Whereas most previous netbooks for tweens, teens and others included a 250 GB harddrive, the Acer Aspire One AOD270-1679 10.1-Inch Netbook has a 320 GB hard drive, with 1GB memory. As a lightweight low cost computer, this is an excellent starter for a tween.

As always, I recommend with tweens that portable electronics include accident protection plans, simply due to the fact that tweens can be a little sporadic. One day, you're reliving the terrible twos, the next, you're sure that your tween is mature enough to handle the responsibility of a computer. It's those unpredictable days that cause me to consider an accident plan with my own children, as we've experienced some close calls. You will find the accident protection plans range greatly in price, and in some cases, aren't even offered.  When we researched a college laptop for my daughter, there were no accident protection plans available through WalMart, and Best Buy's plans at the time were pricey.  While we obtained a special deal at the time, I was unaware then of Amazon plans available, which are very affordable, and cover as much as 3 years' accident/drop/spill insurance.  This is definitely worth a look, if you are purchasing any electronics gadgets for tweens.

Ultrabooks for Tweens

One of the highlights of the January CES show was a new generation of laptop models, known as Ultrabooks.  When you are looking for a good computer for your tween, you may wonder if ultrabooks for tweens are sensible.  Much of that decision depends on your goals in finding that tween computer.

Ultrabooks are ultra thin, and very lightweight.  This makes them easy to transport, and is a great feature in light of some of the awkwardness that tweens face during their years of extreme physical change.  Ultrabooks are designed in the same small dimensions of the popular netbooks, making them less prone to drops.  However, with a tween, even the most lightweight device can be dropped. 

The major highlight of an Ultrabook is it's instant on, instant off, quick up and running function.  This isn't an essential for the tween, but is nice. 

Pricing on Ultrabooks is a bit higher than netbooks, ranging from the $500 range and up, depending on assorted features.  A lower priced version may be a great investment for the tween, as in the case of the Acer model displayed above. A more expensive Ultrabook isn't a big necessity, and in fact, a less expensive netbook is a good alternative, due to the costs. Of course, your own tween's need or interests for tech tools will influence your decisions, but with my own experiences, tweens and tools seem to encounter many close calls. I'd rather invest the extra money in a protection plan, in order to assure a longer time of the tool being in use. An older child in the teenage years would potentially be well served by an Ultrabook. Further, using a netbook during the tween years allows a child to demonstrate responsibility, allowing the opportunity to earn the right to have a more advanced tool in later years. However, you can read more about ultrabook computers and explore models to get a feel for the range of choices available.

Netbooks for Tweens: Textured Casing with ASUS Eee PC 1008P-KR-PU37-PI

When you select a tech tool for a tween, sometimes color and style matter more to that young person than performance. Netbooks for tweens are outstanding choices for a few reasons, and color isn't the highest priority, of course, but it doesn't hurt if the design is attractive. This ASUS model in its Karim Rashid Design (Pink) is fun and different. It's a little higher priced than some of the inexpensive netbooks. However, as a netbook for a tween, it's a great choice due to more memory and ram than the cheapest models. Whereas most cheap netbooks have 1GB memory and 250 GB hard drives, this model has 2GB memory and 320 GB hard drive. This is more comparable with moderately priced laptops, and provides the tween with something that should last well through the teenage years.

The netbook doesn't include an optical hard drive, which means that it is ultra portable, and easy to transport whether to the library, or around the house. The size of a netbook is more suited to the tween, who can experience awkward moments with a full-sized laptop. More and more, the need for discs is becoming less necessary, and the need for mobility, more important. With any tween tech gadget, it's wise for a parent to consider investing in an accident protection plan. The awkward stage is one of lots of physical and emotional changes, and accidents may not be intentional, but they can be disabling to a tween computer.