Most kids nowadays prefer using laptops for attending their online classes and also for completing their projects. The current education system has changed a lot, and hence the requirement for computers start at a very early age. The moment they start attending their kindergarten classes, they will be introduced to the concept of computers. Some kids also prefer playing games on computers rather than using television. With the increasing amount of online gaming systems, online education, and printed projects, laptops’ requirement is increasing rather than decreasing.
When you are looking forward to purchasing a laptop for kids between the ages of 8 and 11, certain features need to be considered. You cannot just go around and buy a costly laptop. Wasting a lot of money for digital gadgets for children at this age is not required. So the better option is to choose a laptop for a reasonable price with the required features. It’s not just about the quality of the laptop. The parts should also include the safety of the laptop and the children. If you are looking forward to purchasing a laptop for your child, read the passage below to understand more about the laptop models available for kids in the market. Rather than visiting the nearby shop, you can choose the designs from online websites like Amazon that have options larger than any other showrooms combined in your city. Let us now see the features required for a children’s laptop in detail
Budget
The budget is the most important requirement while purchasing a laptop for the kids. Purchasing a costly laptop for the kids might be useless because they won’t use high-end software like programming and video editing. These children’s basic requirements with the laptop can be completed with the basic MS office software, video player, games software, browsers, and a few other online video software like Skype and zoom. So purchasing a basic laptop with a price range of Rs.20,000 (270 $) to Rs. 35,000 (473 $) will be enough. Going for a budget above this particular price range will not be suitable for kids as they tend to handle the laptops with roughness. The software required for the kids can be installed on the basic level laptops, and hence you do not need a costly one.
Brand
When you are purchasing a laptop for the kids, go for some of the common brands that can withstand pressure and last for a long time. Certain brands like HP, Acer, Asus, and Dell are more suitable for children. Purchasing a laptop from Brands like Apple will be useless because they need to be taken care of proper maintenance. The laptop brand will also ensure a safety level that is not available in non branded products. So when you purchase a laptop for your kids, buy them from a well-branded company for constant servicing and a reasonable warranty period. When you search for laptops on online websites like Amazon, you can view all the brands available for a particular budget. But if you visit the showroom, you will be limited to the choices present in the gallery.
Processor
The processor is an integral part of a computer, and it is responsible for processing the input and producing output. Since you will be purchasing a basic level laptop, having a regular processor is more than enough. You can either buy a primary Intel Core I3 processor or go for other types of processors like the AMD processor. You can also go for the Core i5 or i7 processor, but they are a bit costlier than the other models, and they are not useful for kids’ usage. The processor you are choosing can have a single core, dual, or a quad-core. Since you will be running some basic applications, any type of core will be suitable to maintain the laptop’s speed. When you are purchasing a laptop, make sure that it has a standard Windows OS and nothing else. Having a Linux or Chrome OS will not be suitable for the kids.
Web camera
Nowadays, most of the classes have been shifted towards the online medium. Attending online courses through mobile phones and tablets may be a cheap method. This condition does not provide comfort, especially if the child has online courses for at least 5 hours. Holding the mobile and tablet for such a long period might be a bit stressful. So using the laptops will be the best available option in the market. To attend online classes having a good quality web camera with a fair resolution is essential. The web camera should have a proper resolution of 2 megapixels to 8 megapixels for sound clarity. Using such a good quality web camera, you can view the classes and record your speeches with comfort and clarity. Purchasing a laptop with a good quality camera will allow you to enjoy an excellent online session with your teachers without needing to buy a separate webcam for attachment.
Audio quality
The audio of the laptop should be perfect. The laptop should have a high quality internally embedded microphone and speaker. The speaker’s sound should be clear enough, with no distortion and good sound. The sound should be large enough with clarity on the voice. The microphone should have the ability to absorb the voice without any extra sounds.
Touch or no touch screen
The next important concept that needs to be considered by purchasing a laptop is whether to have a touchscreen or a touch screen. When you are purchasing a laptop for a low budget, getting a touch screen would be impossible. Most of the touchscreen laptops are of high price. Simultaneously, using a touchscreen laptop for the kids will not be efficient since they tend to handle things roughly. So purchase a non-touchscreen laptop with a good Technology and fingerprint scanner. The touchscreen laptops require soft handling that cannot be expected from the kids. So buy a non-touchscreen laptop for a low price. If you are purchasing a laptop for the kids about the age of 11 years, you can provide them with the touchscreen laptops because they will have the maturity to handle them.
Keyboard quality
The laptop’s keyboard should be made up of high quality, and they should have the ability to withstand heavy pressure. Try to purchase a keyboard with a QWERTY model with proper spacing between the enter and function keys. The keyboard will be handled roughly by the kids, and the touchpad will also be exposed to the same type of treatment. So purchasing a good quality laptop with a good keyboard set is essential.
Screen
The laptop screen is an integral part of a laptop, and it should be wide enough for clear viewing. The screen should be made up of high-quality resolution and good brightness. The resolution of the laptop should be at least 720p or 1080p with a good viewing angle. Purchasing a high definition screen laptop will be convenient for your kid’s viewing. So when you are purchasing a laptop, various things need to be taken care of in the screen area. Let us know about the type of screens available in the market and how to choose them effectively.
Resolution and clarity
The resolution of a screen refers to the viewer’s ability to view the details in the video with clarity. Though the children do not use the laptop for graphic content creation, they still need a good clarity to view the online classes and play games on the laptop. So the resolution of the laptop you are buying should have an essential high definition quality with an LED screen. Having an OLED screen will be an added advantage. The screen should also have a go clarity combined with adjustable brightness.
Size and safety
The next important thing that needs to be noted while purchasing a laptop is the screen size. Having a larger screen will allow their children to view the content without squinting their eyes. The size of the laptop screen should be at least above 14 inches for a clear view. The children going to school will have difficulty viewing from small screens. The children’s eyes will be exposed to extreme light and brightness to protect their eyes if two things need to be followed. One thing is the brightness of the light that can be reduced according to your wish. When you feel the kid’s eyes damaged from continuous lighting, you can reduce the light’s intensity. The next thing is that the UV radiation emitted by the screen should be protected with a good screening technology.
So while buying a laptop, make sure that the screen is wide and bright with good color emission.
RAM and Disc Drive
RAM or Random Access Memory is the most important thing for running a laptop processor. Having a good RAM processor will allow you to run several applications at the same time. It will also allow you to have a fast booting up of the system. Having a RAM of at least 4 GB is essential for good processing of the laptop’s software. If you are using the laptop only for running simple applications, then having a 2GB RAM will be more than enough.
The disk drive is responsible for storing the data of the laptop. Everything in the laptop will be stored within the disk drive from the operating system to the standard images. Purchasing a laptop with a good quality disc drive is essential for keeping any data, including photos and other memories that need saving for a long time. There are two types of disk drives that are available in the market. The SSD disk drives are more efficient and suitable for programming laptops and other hi-tech laptops. But for a basic model laptop having a hard disc drive (HDD) will be more than enough. Some of the laptops have a combination of both SSD and HDD drive, which is more efficient. Purchasing a laptop with a minimum storage capacity of 500 GB HDD will be enough. But if there is any SSD laptop available with the same type of storage space (250-500GB), you can also purchase them.
Weight and structure
When you are purchasing a laptop for the kids, make sure that it is of low weight so that it would be easier for the kids to carry around. Buying a laptop with a weight of less than 2 kg will be more suitable for your requirement. The laptop’s outer and inner cover should be made up of high-quality plastic material with the ability to withstand some water spillage. The color can be chosen attractively since the kids love the bright colors. You can also choose the neutral colors but always try to choose the dark colors since the children tend to make them ugly within a short period, especially the inner part. The entire laptop should be covered in good quality plastic, and they should not create any accidental damage to the kids in case of overflow of the current charge.
Battery
The laptop battery should have a quick recharge capacity that will allow the kids to view the laptop for long hours, like 8 to 10 hours, with a short recharging time. This will prevent them from viewing the laptop while charging, which is also a danger and might result in accidents. The battery should be adequately covered and insulated to avoid them from accidents.
When you are buying a laptop for your child, keep your child’s safety as the first rather than the features of the laptop. If there is a laptop brand that offers more protection, then purchase them without thinking about the price even if it doesn’t fit in your budget because the life of the future is more important than any other thing. While purchasing a laptop, make sure that it comes with the pre-installed Windows and MS Office versions. This will allow you to maintain the original version for a long time without changing the OS or purchasing them after a few years. The laptop should also have the external ports that will allow you to connect them to other external storage devices and computers. The laptop should also have a good audio jack slot. The laptop should also have internal Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection technology installed within them and a CD player and USB ports. These USB ports will allow you to connect your mobile phones to the laptop.
All the above features mentioned in the passage should be taken into account while purchasing a laptop. Given below are some of the laptop models that are suitable for requirements within the budget. You can buy them from online websites like Amazon. There are also other models available in the market, but these are the most preferred one’s.