Choosing the right device (laptop, desktop, tablet) is a challenge by itself. As I had discussed earlier ( Are all laptops really kids friendly? ) one needs to take into account several factors. Here I have focused on the priority checklist for buying a educational laptop or tablet for children aged 8 years and above – from a parent perspective.
While I have titled the blogs as ‘educational laptops’ I was pondering that it should have been titled ‘devices’. Given a choice between a laptop and a hybrid tablet with dockable keyboard and stylus, touch screens – it is often a deliberation to pick a 2-in-1 tablet. In my observation the only compelling reason to choose a desktop over laptop and tablets over laptops is – ease of movement. Ease of carrying a device comes with an inherent damage (drop) risk – especially when used by children. Let’s divulge into our core topic.
Here I have tried to focus on some major elements to consider while choosing a device for kids 8 years and up. For example,
- What kind of activities the child intends to use the device for?
- What specification is required to help the child meet his/her educational milestones?
- What kind of entertainment does the child use the laptop for other than educational?
- Battery life requirements – up to 8 hours battery life is recommended if the child would carry the device to school/college.
- Once the above have been ascertained it is necessary to decide on the size of the device – laptop, tablet or 2-in-1 and its ruggedness.
- Rugged drop tested device like our Solid Slate, Solid Xtreme, Solid Premium, Solid 2in1 would help. Opting for rugged envelops/armor could make the device less sleek and heavy to lift, while these may be ideal for industrial purposes.
- Safety of the child – fingerprint sensor or face recognition for log-in and a webcam kill switch in order to shut the camera as and when required (to avoid mischievous sneaking), anti-virus and parental lock are factors to consider.
- If the kid is specific about the color and appearance of the device, then that’s one additional ingredient to consider.
- Accessories (wi-fi mouse, wi-fi earpods, laptop bags, etc) and the type of printer that would support the volume of prints required.
- What is the budget in hand and which model would be best fit into all (or the important) of the above requirements?
This should serve as a quick questionnaire for parents who are on the lookout for the apt PC/laptop/tablet for their child.
Again these are questions that pertain ONLY to the selection of the device, the hardware and the technology. There are more intangibles that are a parent’s responsibility while handing over a device to a child. Parental lock is a mandatory requisite. Security tools/software against ransomware is a need of the age. Besides these, monitoring the child’s screen time, cyber bullying threats, etc are also factors that should be on the parents’ to do list.
Any question that I have left unanswered? Leave me a note in our contact form and I shall get back.
