When it comes to buying a new laptop for your kids, you might not know what features and specifications matter to them. Here is a short guide to help you determine what you should look out for in a computer for your school-age children.
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A Touch Screen
Your kids probably grew up using a tablet as their most used device, and that means they’re used to having a touch screen on their device. Laptops with touch screens are increasingly common, as are convertible or 2-in-1 laptops with a screen that can swivel 360 degrees to turn an ordinary clamshell laptop into a tablet. The Yoga series of laptops from lenovo.com are excellent examples of versatile and convertible touch screen laptops and are great for kids.
A Stylus
As your kids get older, they’re going to want more precision than the bluntness of a fingertip, and adding a stylus into their computer purchase is something to consider. Particularly if your kids are artistic and enjoy drawing and using the computer for creative projects, a stylus becomes a great tool to unlock what their computer is capable of. Some stylus options have action buttons that you can use to interact with the computer while you’re using the stylus, making them powerful input devices.
A Sturdy Build
Kids aren’t the most gentle creatures in the world, and for that reason, a computer that doesn’t have a good build quality and is made primarily of plastic isn’t going to last very long being shuffled in and out of school bags and suffering the occasional accidental knock. Opt instead for a laptop with an aluminum or alloy shell, and one that offers better protection than your average laptop.
Lots of Storage
Kids generate a lot of data. They are quick to take a lot of photos and they love exploring the multimedia possibilities that come with the use of computers. Schools are starting to set tasks to create videos or multimedia presentations too, which teaches kids how to create rich multimedia content. The downside of this, however, is that they need a lot of storage space on their laptop. Look for something with at least 500GB of storage and consider enabling cloud storage too.
A Long Battery Life
Many entry-level laptops come with batteries that will last a couple of hours, but often kids will need to run their laptops off the battery for longer, particularly if they’re working on them in the classroom. Advances in processor technology have drastically reduced the power consumption of modern laptops, so choosing something with an energy-efficient processor and a larger battery will allow them to take advantage of these. Some newer ultrabooks can last on battery upwards of 10 hours, which is a whole day of modest use.It might be tempting to opt for an entry-level laptop to save some money when you’re buying your kid a laptop, but spending a bit more and guaranteeing that it will last longer and be more useful is something you should consider before you make your purchase.
