Digital Cameras for Tweens

Digital Cameras have become so much more affordable by the year, and photograph quality, as well, has improved exponentially.  Given the sale prices on the models available, digital cameras have become a favorite tween gadget gift for parents and relatives to give.  A more inexpensive model will generally serve the needs of a middle school student, or younger, without sacrificing on quality.  When your tween reaches high school, he or she may want to upgrade, at which point a more costly camera will also be more advanced, in all likelihood.  This was the case with my daughter, whose first digital camera was a Black Friday doorbuster, and which served her well for 4 years, at which point she requested something more advanced.

My daughter's new Nikon Digital Camera has twice the Megapixels of her starter camera.
Your tween will enjoy getting used to using, and caring for, a digital camera, and when older
will be ready for a more expensive model.

Colorful digital cameras are abundant, and for tweens, colorful gadets are well liked, whether computers or cameras.  Kodak Easy Share Cameras have been great performers through the years, and are available in assorted colors, at great prices.

Kodak EasyShare Sport in Red

EasyShare C143

Find green digital cameras, orange digital cameras, purple digital cameras, blue digital cameras,  red digital cameras, and pink digital cameras for your tween.

You can also check out Amazon's most gifted digital cameras list.

Tween Electronics: Should I Buy the Extended Warranty?

My tween son saved for two years, and found a deal on his Sony PSP.  We suggested strongly that he pay a little extra for the extended warranty.  His friend had already encountered mishaps, so it didn't take much convincing.  Nearly two years from the purchase, his device started to have problems.  When we returned to the retailer, they replaced the PSP with a comparable model, free of charge.  We even had the opportunity to warranty the new device.  My son thought it was going to be sent away and repaired, so he was elated at the way this turned out, and he learned the value of getting that extra bit of insurance on his electronic device.

If you've spent time around tweens, you know that they can be absentminded, and you know that they can be careless.  Has your tween lost a cell phone?  Or worse, washed it?  One of mine has done both.  Has your tween misplaced a gaming system?  More than one of my tween kids has done this.  Has your tween accidentally (or purposely) slammed the lid of a laptop shut?  Or dropped it?  If it's portable, electronic, and/or fragile, trust many tweens to find the limits.  Warranties are wise with tween devices, if the cost is reasonably high.  With cell phones, insurance policies are potentially wise investments, but there are some alternative thoughts.  Read more about cell phone insurance alternatives.

Tween iPod Choices: Nano vs. iPod Touch

Apple products are very much a favorite with tweens and teens, particularly in the last several years with the continued improvements to the top selling mp3 players, iPod and iPod touch.  There are many factors to take into consideration, as you consider which iPod to purchase for your tween, as both the iPod Nano, and the iPod touch, are quality devices.

Cost may be your deciding factor, as the Nano is the less expensive option of the two.  You can purchase the 8GB iPod nano for approximately $135, and the 16GB iPod nano for $165 (scroll over/click images below for current pricing at Amazon).

8GB iPod Nano

The iPod touch, meanwhile, ranges from $210 for the 8GB model, to $275 for the 32GB model, to $365 for a 64GB version.

32 GB iPod Touch

Cost not withstanding, some of the other considerations you may want to take into account, when it comes to an iPod for your tween, will be the use of the device.  While the iPod nano is less versatile than the iPod touch, this can be a great thing for a tween.  Most parents can appreciate a tween's desire to listen to music, and there is nothing quite so great as being able to create custom playlists, and to organize one's music his own way.  Nano is fantastic to this end.  So is iPod touch.  However, with tweens, it's good to limit the technology, to some degree.  While iPod touch has additional use as an internet browser, and has lots of games, calculator and dictionary apps, movie viewers, and even ereader apps, this all can be very distracting to the tween.

Tweens can be very undisciplined and disorganized.  I've raised several, and taught hundreds.  Parents really need to be in charge of technological access, and the disorganized tween will not improve with unrestricted access to a multi-use device.  As a parent, I prefer the Nano to the iPod touch, because my tweens can enjoy their music, and personalize their listening experiences, but don't cause me frustration in neglecting school work, and other responsibilities, as I feel they would if they had something more involved.

On the other hand, the older tween can make good use of the apps available for an iPod touch.  If your tween has demonstrated self-control, and the ability to manage his or her time well, the iPod touch is a versatile tool.  As a parent, if you decide to give your tween an iPod touch, be sure to continue supervising its use, and restrict the use of the iPod if grades slide, or chores are neglected.

Your tween will have his or her own preferences.  However, parental determinations will be the final deciding factor.  Emphasize responsibility, regardless, as an iPod is a significantly priced tool.

Read more about the various iPod choices, as they relate to tweens.

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.

Asus EEE PC 1001PX-EU27-BK
Most gifted netbook at Amazon:
Click image for current pricing details.

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.