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Computer For a Child?
jameswing writes "I am thinking of buying a UMPC, such as an Eee PC or a Wind for my son, and wanted to get input from Slashdot. He is almost 2 and really curious about our computers, and anything electronic. I want to foster this in him, without having him on my desktop or laptop. I also don't really like the idea of getting one of those cheap 'Learning Laptops' that have a tiny screen and are really limited.
Does anybody have one that they use with their children? How sturdy is it? Will it stand up to a 2-year-old? If not, what are good alternatives?
What are your thoughts? Suggestions?"
A two year old is going to have a hard time manipulating the keyboard and touch pad of any netbook. Consider one of the Fisher Price things you hook to a regular TV. If you are insisting on a real computer, the XO-1 from OLPC is available on Amazon for $400 ($200 tax break for the G1G1 program). Sugar bothers most adults but my five year old (now six) took to it well, and it has lots of interesting software. For the less adventuresome, the Classmate from Intel (distributed by CTL) is also available on Amazon. It uses a modified Edubuntu build so has a lot of educational applications. Unless your kid is some kind of bio mechanical freak, that can handle mice, keyboards and touch pads at two, I'd suggest buying something designed for that age and holding off on the netbook for a couple of years.
I have a nephew around the same age (slightly over two). He loves playing with my Nintendo DS and Mario 64 on the Wii (which, of course, he doesn't quite know how to control yet, but the freedom to just run around is fun even to him).
What would be a good portable I could get him that would be more his age? I don't think he's a prodigy or anything, I just want to get him something fun.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
I don't think it was necessary to be that rude to the guy. Maybe his child *IS* a prodigy. You don't know.
That said, 2 is a bit young to be buying a proper laptop for. Although a netbook would be a fine choice if you really think he is ready. I know I started showing my kids how to use the computer at around two, and by 3 they could use the mouse. My kids are hardly prodigies (actually, they both have Autism Spectrum Disorder) but now they can both use the PC with no problem. I've found the Zac Browser to be a great help, as it limits the options kids have and basically turns the PC into a toy they can play with.
I would suggest trying that first. Download it, and sit with your child using it. (Hand-over-hand on the mouse at first.) You will find it to be great bonding time for you and your child, and the bonus is that they learn to do some basic things on the PC, and eventually it will be a nice, kid-safe method of entertainment.
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There are a few games for OS X designed for
Baby Safe II
# Teaches the numbers and the alphabet with spoken words as the toddler presses keys.
# Displays pictures of flowers and animals at random or when the space key is pressed.
# Displays geometric shapes at random and when the mouse is clicked.
Baby Banger
Baby Banger fills the screen with a large white window where randoms sounds and shapes are displayed for young children to look at and identify. It can even speak the name of the shapes being displayed. The source code is included in the download.
I'm sure there are Linux equivalents.
Are you crazy? Do you realize how much a choking hazard keys are? I know ThinkPads are durable but they're not indestructible. Spend the 20 bucks on a toy that has the same intellectual return value. These toys are designed with the safety of a child in mind, a ThinkPad isn't.
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
I really wish you would quit it with your spams. At least put it in your sig so it can be properly ignored.
My kids are hardly prodigies (actually, they both have Autism Spectrum Disorder) but now they can both use the PC with no problem. I've found the Zac Browser [zacbrowser.com] to be a great help, as it limits the options kids have and basically turns the PC into a toy they can play with.
My son is on the spectrum too, I made a Linux distro for him with some nice open source games. Check it out at: http://quinncoincorporated.org/
http://www.mhall119.com
The Boohbah website also has this kind of stuff. It's a flash app you should put in full screen mode. There are more sites like this if you look around, as every tv show has a web page nowadays.
You mean that the original poster might actually want what he explicitly said he wanted?
Inconceivable!
Adherence to the truth is a form of disloyalty.