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.
