Things have come a long way in a decade, when it comes to computer choices for families, and to computer prices for families. In the early days of personal computing, a decent system cost a pretty penny...we spent well over $2,000 for our first system, with a 3GB hard drive! That's laughable, now, as even the simplest mp3 players surpass the storage of that early device. 4 years later, the expenditure for a much better system was half as much. In the most recent years, great deals abound year round, with the very best coming at back to school time, and on Black Friday, where the relationship between price and hard drive space are even better.
Whether you are searching for a cheap computer for your tween, or just trying to keep your costs low as you find a durable, quality computer, it's good to have this perspective on the improvements that have been seen over the years. The next thing to keep in mind is the goals for that computer. Are you looking for an educational computer for your tween to use in doing school research, learning games, and word processing? Are you looking for something that will adapt to complicated gaming?
As a parent, I don't like to encourage much computer game play, and so our household needs won't entail the kind of memory needs that some of the popular pc gaming entails. I do like to allow puzzle games, and a little bit of free time on the computer, but my preference for gaming is in the context of educational venues. At this stage, a slightly outdated pc still handles the needs of the kids in the house, including the tweens. The low cost systems sold during a Black Friday or Back to School sale are sufficient for most educational needs. Look for bundled deals which include monitors and printers, to make the most of sales, as both of these components have a tendency to wear out within a couple of years of use. If the cost is affordable, keep the upgrades in mind, as bigger screens, more memory, and such features are most likely to be big draws.
A desktop system is a good choice for a computer system to be shared by a family, including a tween, and is a great way to curtail activity, while keeping tween computer time to a limit. Parental oversight, not the favorite of the tween, is important, and much easier to handle with a centrally located desktop pc for tween and family. ( Read through the list of Amazon's best selling desktop computers, and find customer reviews.)
All in One systems are space savers, and still provide a central computing experience. Again, the deals are going to be best on these during the post-Thanksgiving shopping of Black Friday, and during the Back to School promotions of July and August. It's wise to spend extra for extended warranties on such a system, as the failure of one component affects the entire unit. The HP Omni, shown at left, has outstanding reviews at Amazon, and the space saving design, along with the serious work environment the desktop creates, are great features, whether in a tween pc, or a family pc. Comparing the cost of a desktop and monitor, sold separately from each other, this example is very cost efficient.
Touchscreen computers for tweens are attractive, for the additional interactivity, but may be on the pricey side, if you are looking for a cost cutting tween computer choice. Tablet PC's for tweens are great as an additional educational tool, but as a main computer, not the best selection.
Laptop computers are popular for all who use computers, and give a mobility that a desktop does not. If you are interested in a cost effective tween laptop, then keep the size of the laptop in mind. A 17" laptop has a great screen size, but is awkward for a tween to handle. Fortunately, the relationship between price and size is usually comparable, and as screen size decreases, so does the price. 14-15" is a better handling size, if your tween will be moving about with his or her computer. With electronics for tweens, sometimes the small sizes cause concern for parents, with regard to eye strain, but in this case, smaller tween electronics are less likely to be dropped or damaged. Beyond this, a laptop usually includes a dvd drive, perfect for educational disks to be incorporated into tween learning. Again, there are frequently great deals all year long, with plenty of drive space and memory. Watch for some especially good deals during Black Friday sales and Back to School promotions. (Find Amazon's list of current bestselling notebooks and laptops.)
For the household on an extremely tight budget, a netbook is a great tween pc choice, as the memory and storage are reasonable, while prices are also reasonable. Come Black Friday, many people speculate that there will be huge deals, even $100 netbooks, featured in the sales circulars. However, the only ones that have broached these low price levels in recent years have had very low memory and hard drive capacity, and have been off brands. Though price is important, it's not a great investment to purchase such a deal if it won't serve your needs. Comparatively speaking, most brands of netbooks have basic models at the $250 price range, with plenty of memory and hard drive space. These won't serve the needs of the pc gamer, per se, but will be more than adequate for a tween's base educational use, including the ability to incorporate Microsoft Office software, and to handle other relevant research. The ASUS featured at left has 250 GB Hard Drive, and 1GB memory, expandable to 2 GB...equal to the capacity of my 4 year old desktop, and a fourth of what the desktop cost at the time. If you are looking for the most cost effective computer for your tween, a netbook is going to save quite a bit of money, and should last through much of the child's public school education. It's wise to invest a little bit of the savings in an extended warranty, as accidents can happen with any tween electronic device, more so if it's a portable gadget.
If you are looking for a supplemental computer for your tween, a tablet pc for your tween may be a great choice. For my thoughts on tween tablet pcs, check out the following posts:
Pros and Cons of iPad for a Tween
iPad for Kinesthetic Learners
Alternatives to iPad: Tablet PC Choices for Tweens
Showing posts with label computers for tweens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computers for tweens. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Supplementing Middle School Academics: Tween Computers?
With finances tight for many households, it seems tough to keep up with technology. On the one hand, as advances in development happen, prices decline for more outdated products, and many of those so called "Outdated Products" are light years beyond the dinosaur computers of a decade ago! Costs aren't as prohibitive, but getting the best return on your technology investment is important.
Desktop computers are priced to sell, in many cases, and are especially cost effective during back to school sales, and during the Black Friday blitz in late November. Plan for either of these time frames, to get the best package. Do your research on Black Friday discussion boards so you have an idea of previous years' offerings. The last few years, I have seen huge speculations about $100 netbooks, but the only netbooks that come close to that price range tend to be insubordinate models, and really won't grow very far with your tween. Basics will be able to be accomplished, but netbooks have advanced so well in recent years, that the $250 range can purchase a nice piece of equipment, suited to most school needs for the middle schooler.
Laptops are often desired, but caution is suggested in terms of size. Middle schoolers, and younger, will have a little trouble handling a larger laptop, so sticking with a smaller size, 14-15 inch, is advisable.
If your budget isn't super stretched, and you can afford to spend more, there are lots of fun options, including colorful tween netbook computers. Likewise, all in one and touchscreen computers are great options for enhancing your middle schooler's research options. Tablets are also great computing options, with multi-modality benefits for all major learning styles. Everything boils down to budget, interest, and goals.
Desktop computers are priced to sell, in many cases, and are especially cost effective during back to school sales, and during the Black Friday blitz in late November. Plan for either of these time frames, to get the best package. Do your research on Black Friday discussion boards so you have an idea of previous years' offerings. The last few years, I have seen huge speculations about $100 netbooks, but the only netbooks that come close to that price range tend to be insubordinate models, and really won't grow very far with your tween. Basics will be able to be accomplished, but netbooks have advanced so well in recent years, that the $250 range can purchase a nice piece of equipment, suited to most school needs for the middle schooler.
Laptops are often desired, but caution is suggested in terms of size. Middle schoolers, and younger, will have a little trouble handling a larger laptop, so sticking with a smaller size, 14-15 inch, is advisable.
If your budget isn't super stretched, and you can afford to spend more, there are lots of fun options, including colorful tween netbook computers. Likewise, all in one and touchscreen computers are great options for enhancing your middle schooler's research options. Tablets are also great computing options, with multi-modality benefits for all major learning styles. Everything boils down to budget, interest, and goals.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Best Computer Choices for Tweens: Tween Netbooks, Tween Notebooks, or Tween Desktops?
There are many factors to take into consideration as you look at a computer system for your tween. What's hot isn't always what's best, and the latest innovations sometimes have kinks to be worked out. That said, computers have come a long way in a decade, and when your tween looks back, he will probably be amazed at how far things have come when he's a college senior, finishing his degree.
At the time we purchased our first desktop, a family we knew had a tween who tinkered with an older computer at the time. As technology advanced, he continued to tinker, and is now working with computer development for a living. Tweens have the capacity to learn quickly, when they have an interest, and computers definitely hold the interest of many tweens. Your investment in a computer for your tween is not just provision of an educational tool, but has the potential to provide a path to an interesting career.
Desktop Computers for Tweens
A desktop isn't as popular these days, given the portability of laptop and netbook options for tweens. Nevertheless, the desktop can promote a bit of responsibility, and can provide just about all a tween needs to get through the middle and high school years, with some oversight. A desktop won't walk out the door to school, and isn't likely to be dropped, a couple of pitfalls of giving a tween access to a portable computer. An anchored workspace is a good habit developer for a tween, as organization and discipline in studies aren't innate skills for most kids in this age range. If multiple children will be sharing a computer, this is best located in a central area, where parents can observe what is being done, and where parents have easy access to examine browsing histories and web activities.
Amazon has a great desktop computer finding tool, and you can examine customer reviews of various products.
Laptop Computers for Tweens
A laptop can be a good option for the tween who needs some portability, and who is going to need to use dvd's with their computer. Homeschool students using computer curriculum, for example, would greatly benefit from a laptop, which can be taken on the road, or moved from room to room. It's still important for a parent to oversee activities on a tween computer, and to hold the tween accountable for their online activities. A larger laptop is awkward, and I've experienced some precarious moments with my tweens handling my laptop. I suggest a 14-15 inch size, which will be a little less precarious to balance, than a 17 inch.
The Amazon laptop finder tool can help you refine your search, based on your priorities.
Netbooks for Tweens
Netbooks are lightweight and ultra portable, able to accomodate most tween needs. An external dvd drive can accomodate the homeschool student, while the cost of the netbook makes it extremely attractive as an all in one device. The main concerns for tweens and netbooks will be security, as it's easy to fit a netbook into a backpack and take it to school, which isn't wise, at all. As well, the small size of a netbook makes it difficult for a parent to see much of what the child is doing while he's browsing online. Hence, parental controls and vigilance are essential, for the sake of online safety and security.
***Read user reviews of Acer, an inexpensive netbook choice.
With any tween computer, it is imperative that the parent not give free reign, but rather, supervise the use of the computer, imposing restrictions for any inappropriate computer use.
At the time we purchased our first desktop, a family we knew had a tween who tinkered with an older computer at the time. As technology advanced, he continued to tinker, and is now working with computer development for a living. Tweens have the capacity to learn quickly, when they have an interest, and computers definitely hold the interest of many tweens. Your investment in a computer for your tween is not just provision of an educational tool, but has the potential to provide a path to an interesting career.
Desktop Computers for Tweens
A desktop isn't as popular these days, given the portability of laptop and netbook options for tweens. Nevertheless, the desktop can promote a bit of responsibility, and can provide just about all a tween needs to get through the middle and high school years, with some oversight. A desktop won't walk out the door to school, and isn't likely to be dropped, a couple of pitfalls of giving a tween access to a portable computer. An anchored workspace is a good habit developer for a tween, as organization and discipline in studies aren't innate skills for most kids in this age range. If multiple children will be sharing a computer, this is best located in a central area, where parents can observe what is being done, and where parents have easy access to examine browsing histories and web activities.
Amazon has a great desktop computer finding tool, and you can examine customer reviews of various products.
Laptop Computers for Tweens
A laptop can be a good option for the tween who needs some portability, and who is going to need to use dvd's with their computer. Homeschool students using computer curriculum, for example, would greatly benefit from a laptop, which can be taken on the road, or moved from room to room. It's still important for a parent to oversee activities on a tween computer, and to hold the tween accountable for their online activities. A larger laptop is awkward, and I've experienced some precarious moments with my tweens handling my laptop. I suggest a 14-15 inch size, which will be a little less precarious to balance, than a 17 inch.
The Amazon laptop finder tool can help you refine your search, based on your priorities.
Netbooks for Tweens
Netbooks are lightweight and ultra portable, able to accomodate most tween needs. An external dvd drive can accomodate the homeschool student, while the cost of the netbook makes it extremely attractive as an all in one device. The main concerns for tweens and netbooks will be security, as it's easy to fit a netbook into a backpack and take it to school, which isn't wise, at all. As well, the small size of a netbook makes it difficult for a parent to see much of what the child is doing while he's browsing online. Hence, parental controls and vigilance are essential, for the sake of online safety and security.
***Read user reviews of Acer, an inexpensive netbook choice.
With any tween computer, it is imperative that the parent not give free reign, but rather, supervise the use of the computer, imposing restrictions for any inappropriate computer use.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tablet PC's for Tweens? What are the alternatives to the iPad?
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| Apple iPad 2 for your tween? Are there some alternatives? |
The most wished for item in Amazon's tablet computer offerings is...no surprise...the Apple iPad 2. Many tweens have high hopes of owning the latests and greatest in tablet technology, and when it comes to tech gifts, it's often a battle to keep our budgets in check, with the costs of some of the most trendy gadgets tweens can find. Nevertheless, there are plenty of tablet PC's out there. Following, we will take a look at some of the bestselling tablets.Amazon's top selling tablet is the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer:
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| ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-A1 10.1 inch Tablet Computer Click image for current pricing and availability at Amazon Generally sells at $399.99, for 16 GB version, $499.99 for 32 GB version |
- Operating System: Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) Platform
- Display: 10.1-inch WSVGA IPS capacitive multi touch display built with durable and scratch-resistant glass; 178° viewing angle(1280 x 800)
- Chipset: NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 Mobile Processor
- Memory: 1GB DDR2
- Wireless: 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR
- Storage: 16GB eMMC Flash (Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (functionality requires future software upgrade)
- Camera: 1.2 megapixel (Front); 5.0 Megapixel (Rear)
- Speakers: SRS Sound
- Card Reader: Micro SD Card Reader
- Input / Output: 1 x Mini HDMI, 2-in-1 audio jack (head phone/mic-in jack), internal mic
- Battery Pack: 24.4 W/h Li-polymer battery (up to 9.5 hours)1
- Dimensions: 10.67" x 6.89" x 0.47" –inches (W x D x H)
- Weight: 1.5lbs
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| Samsung Galaxy Tablet with wi-fi Retails at $349.99 |
- Android Froyo (2.2); CPU: 1GHz A8 Cortex Processor;
- Battery: Li-Polymer, 4000mAh
- Memory: 16GB Internal Memory; Up to 32GB Expandable Memory (microSD)
- WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n; USB 2.0; Bluetooth 2.1 Connectivity
- Audio: MP3, OGG, AAC, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA, FLAC, WAV, MID, AC3, RTTTL/RTX, OTA, i-Melody, SP-MIDI
- Display: 7.0" WSVGA Display; 600 x 1024 Pixel Display Resolution; 3.54" x 6.05" Display Size; 16M TFT Display Technology
- Video: Codec: Mpeg4, H.264, H.263, Divx/XviD Format: 3gp(mp4), wmv(asf), avi(divx), mkv, flv
ViewSonic gTablet with 10" Multi-Touch LCD Screen, Android OS 2.2: 5th best selling tablet at Amazon
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| ViewSonic gTablet $299.99 |
Superpad 10.2" Tablet PC, Google Android 2.1: 6th Bestselling Tablet at Amazon
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| Superpad 10.2" Tablet with Google Android 2.1 $199.99 (or less, on sale) |
Product Features
- 10.2" Android 2.1 Tablet PC Touch
- Screen+WIFI+3G+GPS+Camera+HDMI+RJ45
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
- Hardware Platform: PC
- Processor: Unknown
- Number of Processors: 1
- RAM: 256 MB
- RAM Type: DDR DRAM
Hard Drive
- Size: 2 GB
On the other hand, when it comes to an iPod or smartphone, the size stresses my own eyes, and I don't like the idea of encouraging eye strain in my tweens. Given the choice of an iPod touch, or an inexpensive tablet PC, I prefer the size of the tablet.
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| 8GB iPod Touch |
If you are considering a tablet as a means of equipping your tween with an amplified ereader device, the cost of Kindle, particularly the Kindle with special offers, is much safer, should a mishap take place.
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| Kindle with Special Offers The latest generation of Kindle choices includes a basic Kindle, priced as low as $79. |
In recent months, Amazon rolled out the new Kindle Touch, a touchscreen tablet ereader which also includes web browsing, email, and apps. In conjunction with the announcement of Kindle Fire, a tablet that costs $199, the other members of the Kindle family have seen price adjustments. The Kindle Fire promises to be a great tablet choice, at 40% of the cost of the most basic iPad. There will be digital streaming of video and music, ereading (in color), web browsing, and android apps.
Meanwhile, in staying competitive, Barnes and Noble has introduced the Nook Tablet, costing $249, and has lowered the price of the Nook Color to $199. The simple Nook Touch is now $99.
If you want more function than that of an ereader, a netbook is a great choice, and I'm much more comfortable with what I've seen in the ASUS versions. Not to be handled haphazardly, of course, the ASUS netbooks still feel and appear as if they can withstand the close calls a tween will inevitably have. Setting ground rules is essential, but I would prefer the combination of functions, size, and casing, to the fragility of a tablet.
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| ASUS EeePc 10.1 inch Netbook $249.99 at Amazon |
If you are intent on any tablet PC for your tween, serious discussion about responsibility is important, as well as protective casing. An extended warranty is highly recommended for any tween device.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Netbooks for Tweens
While netbooks have been on the market for several years, the netbook of today is already much more advanced than those of a few years ago. The memory used on netbooks has expanded, and current netbooks generally come with the latest Windows operating systems, whereas the first netbooks were restricted to an older verison.
Additionally, style has become integral in the latest netbooks, with colorful options. Size is compact, but not nearly as small as some of the handheld gaming and mp3 devices. When you consider a technology gift for your tween, a netbook permits ereading, as well. The portability makes it possible for your tween to find a comfy spot to do school research, and netbooks have become popular school computing solutions in many households, where funds are limited, but access to technology, important.
I find that a full sized laptop is awkward for my tweens and teens to handle, and we have had some close calls when it is in use. A netbook is much more suitable in size, and perhaps, just a bit safer when it comes to mishaps. If you will need to load information from or to a DVD-rom or CD-Rom, you will need an external hard drive. However, many netbooks are coming with software for Microsoft Office, and other software, pre-loaded; all you need to do is enter a product key. If you have already purchased Office for students, to use on another computer, your product key will allow its use on another device, up to the number of permitted devices per purchased program. What a nice convenience.
Many top names in computer products produce netbooks, including Dell and HP. However, Asus and Acer have really focused in on the platform, and have the most economical options. In fact, the most gifted netbook on Amazon is the ASUS Eee 10.1 inch Netbook, with 1 GB memory, and a 250 GB hard drive.
Additionally, style has become integral in the latest netbooks, with colorful options. Size is compact, but not nearly as small as some of the handheld gaming and mp3 devices. When you consider a technology gift for your tween, a netbook permits ereading, as well. The portability makes it possible for your tween to find a comfy spot to do school research, and netbooks have become popular school computing solutions in many households, where funds are limited, but access to technology, important.
I find that a full sized laptop is awkward for my tweens and teens to handle, and we have had some close calls when it is in use. A netbook is much more suitable in size, and perhaps, just a bit safer when it comes to mishaps. If you will need to load information from or to a DVD-rom or CD-Rom, you will need an external hard drive. However, many netbooks are coming with software for Microsoft Office, and other software, pre-loaded; all you need to do is enter a product key. If you have already purchased Office for students, to use on another computer, your product key will allow its use on another device, up to the number of permitted devices per purchased program. What a nice convenience.
Many top names in computer products produce netbooks, including Dell and HP. However, Asus and Acer have really focused in on the platform, and have the most economical options. In fact, the most gifted netbook on Amazon is the ASUS Eee 10.1 inch Netbook, with 1 GB memory, and a 250 GB hard drive.
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| Asus EEE PC 1001PX-EU27-BK Most gifted netbook at Amazon: Click image for current pricing details. |
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| ASUS EEE PC 1001PXD-EU17-BK This 10.1 inch netbook is the more recent version of the Asus netbook shown above, available in Black, Blue, and White. Click image for up to date pricing. |
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