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Any tips on a laptop for a 3 year old?

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J

jnyepu

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 5, 2007
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Dallas, TX
My son turns 3 in February, and we'd like to build on basic computer skills that he is learning in preschool (believe me, I'm still struggling with the fact that I have to even post this!).....I wonder if the next generation will start driving at 4, or something like that.....

Anyway, they use a Windows based machine at school, so I've been thinking about a Windows box for consistency sake, then getting him a Mac when he's a little older.

Alternatively, maybe I should just start him on a Mac -- would be looking at an older MacBook or something like that if I went the Mac route.

Any suggestions, or specific systems anyone might recommend? I'm willing to go up to $500-$750, prefer to stay lower - most bang for the buck, so to speak.....

Thanks!
 
Laptop for a 3 year old!? I'd just let him learn at school and get him one when he's older and knows how to take care of an expensive piece of electronics. What's a 3 year old need to do on a computer anyway? Let him play with toys outside.
 
Get a netbook. If you don't want your child to be able to throw it, get the Alienware m17x or a similar unit.
 
3 years old? Get him a ninja turtle. He lacks the major motor skills to do any real constructive learning with ANY laptop. Let the school do what's in their curriculum but don't bother getting him anything for outisde of school learning for at least another 2 years. And then make sure it's cheap because kids are really good at breaking things.

Hell, I could barely play Super Mario Bros when I was 4. I didn't start "getting" it until 5.
 
Let him progress at school.
Buy him a game system, like an older n64 or NES to infuse
some good ol' Mario values into him.
My kids, when I have em, are gonna be raised on Castlevania,
Zelda and the like.
Then in school, they will learn about computers. When they
get a little older, introduce them to computers.

I would crap myself to see a kid throw his laptop/netbook
at the wall.
Don't do it.
 
My little sister is 6, going on 7, and Shes using my Acer Aspire One wih Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Mainly she just uses the education stuff on it, and watches some movies. She would have been using it earlier, but before that she was using an old Dell with XP on it, and just using MS Paint. A good start...
 
iBook G3 clamshells are indestructible, cheap, and they run OS X. My first choice for a toddler.

But for a windows machine, maybe just an older one running 2000 or XP would be good, decent ones can be found for $50 or less.
 
I feel like "bang" is exactly what's going to happen.

Do you really want your kid subject to MORE computer time at 3?

He'll most likely have a job that will require him to work on a computer all day anyway. Wouldn't you want to him maybe kick a ball around at 3?
 
Cassie said:
iBook G3 clamshells are indestructible, cheap, and they run OS X. My first choice for a toddler.

But for a windows machine, maybe just an older one running 2000 or XP would be good, decent ones can be found for $50 or less.
Click to expand...

+1 for a clamshell. if not get one of those old dell's that are bricks and they are very cheap
 
Yeah, Vtech :D

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http://www.vtechkids.com/product.cfm/Nitro_Junior_Notebook/1621/
attachmentid=206062&stc=1&d=1260058467"]http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=206062&stc=1&d=1260058467[/URL]
 

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I would hazard that a VTech learning Notebook like this
80-065041_prod_01.jpg

Nitro Web Notebook

would work at your son's age (recommended for 5-8 yr old)... but then again if you want a true laptop, I'd go for an older clamshell or even an iBook G4, mine has held up well (even with my year and a half year old beating it up regularly).


dang beaten on the vtech by a few minutes while writing this
 
I have a 2 year old im teaching to read. By 3 I want to have a mac to start teaching him bash and some basic unix command line. Now I'll get him on my lap, go to google and have him spell out Dora or Thomas. And play the flash games at the sites
 
I doubt that your son will spend huge amounts of time on any laptop you buy him. So, I would hold off buying him anything for a few years and just let him use your laptop for a few educational games. Then you'll be able to spend more on something better when he's ready for it.

(You might also suggest to his school that they invest in some blocks or get some cardboard boxes. He'll have even more fun and are just as educational at his age. Gotta love them motor skills. :) )
 
:eek:

3 year olds don't need computers. Hell I didn't use one until I was almost out of high school and I managed to get a degree in computer engineering. so I think your kid would be fine without one...at least until he's 4 :D
 
I was thinking a fully loaded macbook pro 17". 8GB ram, ssd, anti glare screen so he can read all the spreadsheets and what not hell be doing, along with any sort of photo editing he may want to do. I also suggest this model so he can play his favorite games such as Crisis or Call of duty on high settings thanks to the 9600M GT.
 
JamesGorman said:
I was thinking a fully loaded macbook pro 17". 8GB ram, ssd, anti glare screen so he can read all the spreadsheets and what not hell be doing, along with any sort of photo editing he may want to do. I also suggest this model so he can play his favorite games such as Crisis or Call of duty on high settings thanks to the 9600M GT.
Click to expand...


You think that will handle all the video editing the kid will be doing however? He will probably be working with some HD Video & a lot of pictures. I would suggest an 8 Core Mac Pro w/ maxed out ram.

You should also think about buying the '30 Cinema Display, that way the kid will be able to see anything.
 
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