Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Tech Savvy Daddy’s Computer Purchase Considerations

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From Jessica of DC: Our 4 1/2 year old has had an old laptop for a couple years and we are considering getting her a new computer. If you were going to get a child a new computer what would your considerations be?

Good question, Jessica! Purchasing a computer isn’t always easy and buying a computer for a child is a whole different ball game.

After getting Jessica’s initial e-mail about buying her daughter a computer, she wrote back to say that durability, cost, ease of use/compatibility with existing PCs in the house were also considerations. Ultimately Jessica wants something that would be easy to use and have a child friendly layout that would make it easy to access to child-centered programs and peripherals while maximizing her daughter’s success at being a confident user of technology.

To answer Jessica’s questions about purchasing a computer for her 4 ½ year old, I had to confer with Tech Savvy Daddy to hear his thoughts. Tech Savvy Daddy not only is my husband, the father of Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer, and is also the computer purchaser in our household.  Tech Savvy Daddy delights in shopping for all technology products and finding a great deal while doing so.   And while I know plenty about computers and children, without a doubt Tech Savvy Daddy knows more about computers in general.  He came up with some different considerations from the ones I thought of.
After discussing whether a Mac or PC would be better, we decided that it doesn’t matter. The most important things to consider when purchasing a computer include:
1. Ease of navigation– For example, Macs have a lovely little thing called the Dock.
Located at the bottom of the screen, the Dock is a place to house each icon of commonly used programs. From the Dock, Little Miss Techie can find the icon of the program she wants to use, click, and start working. Whether she wants to iChat with the grandparents in California, create a picture in Clicker Paint, or looking at some family photos, she knows what to click on to launch a program. Easy.


2. Consider avoiding the all in one machine– Getting your child a computer where the hard drive and monitor are housed together is making a big commitment. Generally, the monitor’s usable lifespan is at least 2x that of the computer. In addition, if the computer is built into the back of the monitor and the monitor takes a nosedive and breaks, then you’re out a computer AND a monitor. There are some advantages to an all-in-one such as less cables and separate units (computer, keyboard, etc). Think about your particular situation.

3. Avoid a laptop:
–They are generally more expensive with less performance per dollar spent
-All the eggs are in one basket. If you spill juice on the keyboard, that means death for the entire computer.
-Lightweight and moveable is great for an adult on the go but for a child, this means they can carry the computer around the house. I don’t know about your child, but Little Miss Techie drops things. And then there’s her little brother, Captain Computer.  Who knows where in the house he might take the laptop.  And how many times he would drop it.  Bad idea.

4. Care and feeding– Consider what will be required to maintain the computer once it comes to live in your home. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to launch a war against viruses, engage in a massive manhunt for spyware, and uninstall oodles of trial software that may be loaded on to the computer. I just can’t fit that in while making dinner, doing mountains o’ laundry, and serving as a taxi service. Do yourself a favor. Get something that will be easy to maintain.

5. Price:
-Consider saving some cash by checking deal websites
-Don’t be afraid of refurbished computers
-Buy local like from CraigsList or high school/community computer sales

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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012

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  1. MamaBird says

    Such a thorough and thoughtful look at buying computers for kids. You addressed many issues I hadn’t even considered! Much appreciated, Tech Savvy Parents!