Would you buy a 10 year old a laptop?

[Beauty]

?????

Am I the only one that thinks 10 is a little young for a laptop?

 

[janette]

Only if they were going to use it at school. My 11&8yo DD's have their own desktop computers. It would take up less room to have laptops but they aren't as cheap and not as sturdy.

Some of the middle schools here loan laptops to the entire class. That would be 6th graders, about 12yo.

 

[RitaZ.]

My friend is buying one for her son (10 y.o.), he likes to make movies on the computer. Her DH is in the advertising business and even his colleagues are impressed with the movies that Matt has made. She said that will be the only gift he will get.

 

[Cindy B]

No, I would not buy a 10 year old one.

But I would possibly, think about a small PDA, like a Zire...

My 7 year old has a desktop and our 5 year old will have a desktop soon in the near future.

 

[Cindy B]

Ok, Beth here's an example that I would allow it... my DH has at least about 7 or 8 PCs down in the basement in all sorts of repair/disrepair. One is a laptop from 3 jobs ago (like in 1999) that told him he could keep the laptop as part of the severance agreement.

We never got around to selling it on Ebay, so, just as I was reading your post, my seven (soon to be 8) year old asked if he could have it... my DH said "Well... I have to think about it"

 

[Beauty]

John-Cole has a desktop with net nanny on it and he really enjoys it. He mostly goes to Kazaa, Nick and Disney and a few more game sights.

Laptops have come a long way I guess but I can just see John-Cole laying it on his dresser and knocking it off by accident, and he is 11.

I just don't know! Now Cindy a used one I could see...one that didn't cost a lot and if he damaged it then you aren't out that much but a new one. I just don't know, and I'm usually so open to allowing children things...John-Cole has a cell phone.

 

[Kermit]

Honestly, if we had a 10 year old, he'd probably have a laptop. But we're a computer family. DH has more computers than I can count. And laptops are so convenient since you can take them anywhere. We have a wireless network in our house, so we can use our laptops anywhere we want and still access the Internet and network printers. It's very convenient, but it's nowhere near necessary.

 

[Cindy B]

Yes, Beth, and think..from my DH... (the computer expert) was saying that a cracked screen is one of the most common problems.

He services the laptops of his whole company, and the cracked scrrens void the warranty, unless the person specifically buys a cracked screen warranty.

It only takes a laptop to fall from a kitchen table to the floor to crack a screen. He just said he has seen more cracked screens in his career at his current place than other places.

If you are talking an active 10 year old, I personally would not recoommend it. Adults in DH's company come in with broken screens all the time. I know how my kids are, and how easy it is to do.

 

[Beauty]

That was my thought too Cindy. A desktop is much better in this situation.

 

[Cindy B]

Yes, I would have to agree.

Eventually, my son may get the older laptop, but right now, the desktop will work for them.

 

[Krisu]

I don't think I would. I know it would have been dropped when my DS was 10. I would have him stick with the desk top

 

[Tantorini]

well I don't have a 10yr old.. but I do know that Dell offers a "complete care" warranty - which covers all accidental damage to portables .. (not acts of god)... but it would cover a portable being knocked off a dresser and earning a cracked lcd..

just fueling the fire

(of course the warranty costs more - but it does exist!)


beth

 

[JasonLyons]

no

 

[LucyStorm]

Maybe it's just me, but I think a 10 year old with a laptop is a ridiculous idea. (no flames intended towards anyone, how you raise your children is your business) I just think that a 10 year old needs to be out playing and not in front of a computer all the time. That would be much harder to monitor if they had a laptop.

I worry about the socialization skills of kids who have spent too much time with video games, tv's, and computers, and not out with real people.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

Originally posted by Beauty
[John-Cole has a cell phone. [/B]

Why would a 10 year old need a cell phone? My kids didn't get a cell phone until they started driving...cars, not bicycles, that is.

 

[patsal]

My seven year old daughter has a laptop. While it is not state of the art there are a few games she can play on it and mostly she uses it for word processing. She really likes to write stories, so this a way she can do this. However, we laughed the first time she asked for one (she was 6 and said that if she could have one she would never ask for another thing!)lol. Anyway some relatives were getting rid of one and we got it for her. At first I thought it was ridiculous, but now that I see how much and often she uses it for academic purposes I consider it a fine investment. I think that it is crazier for people to spend money on video gaming systems and games, colored television sets in children's rooms, etc. IMHO.