So your kid wants a laptop. They’ve convinced you they need one too. You’re probably thinking, “Oh no. Looks like I’m going to be eating sandwiches for the next year.” Before you pick up that lunch meat from the grocery store, take a look at these affordable models that are perfect for every child’s needs.
Compaq - Presario Laptop with AMD Athlon™ X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor QL-60
This is a great computer for any beginner and at $380.00 it won’t break your bank. It has an AMD Athlon™ X2 processor, which makes for great gaming and super fast internet. It also has a high definition widescreen which makes for excellent movie watching. All things that a teen or tween would love. With 2GBs of memory and a 160GB hard drive, I would definitely say that this one’s a winner.
Acer 8.9″ Aspire One Netbook Computer w/ Intel Atom N270 Processor
This Computer is geared towards students, which makes it great for teens and tweens who need something that’s going to help them with their school work, which is what they’re getting it for after all, right? Priced at a modest $338.00, you’re sure to get your value out of this one. Wireless connectivity and a built in webcam are only two of its great features. It has 512 MB of DDR2 system memory and an 8 GB NAND flash drive, not to mention it reads SD memory cards. Best of all, it’s only 2.2 pounds.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-1211 10.2″ Netbook - Black
The sleek design and black, glossy color make this laptop the most eye-catching of the bunch, and because of that, probably a favorite with teens and tweens. This laptop has a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, which is just enough to take notes, I.M. your friends, secure your music library, and even watch a movie once in a while. What more could you ask for? Its 1GB of DDR2 system memory and 160GB hard drive are just what they need and the built in webcam and microphone are great bonuses. $450.00 is a great deal for such a fine laptop.
Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop
This laptop starts off exciting as it allows you to choose between an array of different colors and even pattern designs. A 1GB2 Shared Dual Channel DDR2 memory and 120GB3 SATA Hard Drive definitely make it worthy competition. It also has a CD/DVD writer which is sure to make it a favorite for teens and tweens. Like some of the others, it has a built in microphone and webcam, but its 8 in 1 media card reader and dual headphone jacks set it apart. All that and it will only set you back $500.00. Not a bad deal at all.
Toshiba Satellite A200
This laptop screams innovative technology immediately with its fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader protects files like a logon password usually would and it switches user profiles with a single swipe of the finger. I’d be willing to bet that any teen or tween would love to brag about this special feature. With its 2GB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM memory, 160GB HDD hard drive, Window’s Vista Home Premium, and a built in webcam and microphone for only $630.00, why say no?
Apple MacBook
If you’ve just got to have a Mac, this is the laptop for you. While its price of $1099.00 may seem a little steep, it’s definitely the best deal you’re going to get on a Mac. It’s also going to be worth it. Available in its standard black or white, it boasts a magnetic latch, two finger mouse scroll, and a ready to use built in webcam, and that’s’ just the beginning. Built in wi-fi and Bluetooth 2.0 +E.D.R. make this the best computer for even the most challenging classes. It comes with Mac OS X Leopard, Mac’s own unique software, as well as an array of user friendly programs. It’s 120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive and its 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM help seal the deal. To top it all off, Macs are known for their immunity to viruses so your teen or tween can be worry free, even if they’ve downloaded something less than trustworthy.
Sources
Notebooks - Dell
Laptops - Toshiba
MacBook - Apple
Laptop Computers - Circuit City
Laptop Computers - Wal-Mart
Laptops - Internet & E-mail - Best Buy
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Acer Aspire One 8.9-inch Mini Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1.0 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Blue Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, the Aspire one mobile Internet device is the ideal traveling companion that lets you take the Internet on the road without the heavy load. Good things come in small packages, just like the Acer Aspire one mobile Internet device providing ultra-portable performance to enjoy full Internet browsing, communicate with friends and family and enjoy a variety of entertainment in a small portable design that keeps you connected on-the-go. The Intel Atom Processor combines performance, power and efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while on the go. Enjoy reliable on-line access with 802.11b/g Wireless to explore the Internet and view photos or video clips and listen to music in a comfortable browsing environment on the Acer CrystalBrite display. Windows XP Home Edition lets you surf the Internet, edit documents and photos, read email, and enjoy the webcam to chat online with or take still photos smoothly and reliably right out-of-the-box at a great price. Store all of your digital albums, music libraries and documents on the high-speed 120GB hard drive. Sufficient storage that’s easy to upgrade, just pop in an external SD card. Whether you are a first time user or just want a second computing device to easily check e-mail and surf the Internet, the Aspire one was designed for simplicity with a intuitive desktop design, widescreen display and easy-typing keyboard. 8.9 diagonal WSVGA (1024 x 600) CrystalBrite TFT LCD Display Integrated Crystal Eye Webcam Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 Built-in Stereo Speakers Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wireless 10/100 Ethernet LAN Multi-in-1 Card Reader SD, MMC, RS-MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone/Speaker/Line-Out, Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 9.8 (W) x 6.7 (D) x 1.14 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 2.19 Pounds
Customer Review: Great Product
I bought this mini laptop for my 9 year old son. He loves it and works well for playing internet games.
Customer Review: Decent Product
Like the mini laptop so far. Fits in my small Timbuk2 bag nicely.
Only problem so far is the Office 2007 trial software installed.
Have not figured out how to remove it and just use Word 2003.
Did load OpenOffice on it though so I won’t lose my work when the trial runs out.
Keyboard is large enough, screen is a little small.