Ah, homework. The bane of many parents’ back-to-school existence. With more serious homework comes the requisite serious computer these days, so here are our picks for the best laptops for kids to consider for your student. -Jeana
Recently, Kristen wrote a helpful post on options for finding a first laptop for your child including the option of refurbished unit, which is a viable alternative to buying new. But if you are looking for something shiny right out of the box, here are four ideas we think you’ll like.
We recently covered this computer (above) and dubbed it as a great starter computer for any student in the house. With a 15″ screen, a slim design, a 320 GB hard drive and more features than any elementary school or junior high school student would need, it’s a great choice at an ever greater price point. ($299)
The Inspiron line has been a longstanding recommendation at Cool Mom Tech mostly because of what you get for the affordable price point. With a name like Dell, you can expect a high quality laptop, and from a student perspective, the Inspiron line offers a range of size options (ultrabook to fuller-sized laptop) and has all the bells and whistles you’d hope for including Office software, a large hard drive, touch screen and the Windows 8 operating system. (Prices start at $349)
This kid-friendly laptop is actually a hybrid tablet/PC that is designed specifically for students, as you can tell from its rugged design and scratch resistant touchscreen. Oh and did I mention it has a spill-resistant keyboard and protective rubber coating? In addition to the outside, the inside also comes with 160 GB hard drive, a 1.3 MP webcam, a 4-hour battery life and more, making it a smart, durable choice for school-age kids. ($399, on sale from $499)
For a bit of a splurge that the whole family will be fighting over, consider the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S. A smaller and more lightweight version of the IdeaPad Yoga 13 laptop, the 11S version offers the same cool feature of transforming from a laptop to a tablet to a stand to a tent. It also has an HD display, Dolby speakers, a built-in webcam, backlit keyboard and those special touches that you get when you enter the next price range of laptops. Definitely more than kids alone would ever need, but an awesome machine for the entire family. ($749)
For more helpful products for gearing up for another year, keep an eye on our Back to School Tech Guide 2013.
