The Best Kid-Friendly Netbooks for the Holidays

Netbooks for Older Kids And Teens

We haven’t run across any Twilight-themed netbooks so far, nor do we see much netbook marketing aimed specifically at tweens and teens. Perhaps companies figure by the time they outgrow something like the Netpal kids want the same computers adults do. Buying a “regular” netbook doesn’t mean you’ll have to completely give up damage protection or parental monitoring.

HP Mini 5101

This netbook is designed for business users, but it’s worth a look for the spill-resistant keyboard. Because it’s built for business it’s also built to withstand treatment at the hands of road warriors, thus it will likely do well with an older kid. No parental controls, obviously, but it does come with Corel Home Office so you won’t have to buy a copy of MS Office for papers and projects if you don’t want to. You can find it for around $400.

Dell Vostro A90

Dell is currently selling this system for just $184. Not many netbooks dip below the $200 mark, so this is a great deal for parents on a tight budget. For that price there are tradeoffs — instead of Windows the A90 comes with Ubuntu Linux pre-loaded. Though adults often have a hard time dealing with Linux, kids who are learning and exploring may enjoy taking Ubuntu for a spin. They’ll still be able to create Word documents, edit photos, and access the Internet with this OS. Another aspect that makes this more kid-friendly is the drive: it’s solid state instead of a traditional spinning drive. That means no moving parts and less chance that a drop or bump will damage it. If you think 8GB won’t be enough, you can upgrade to a 16GB drive for $50 more.

Toshiba mini NB205

One of our favorite netbooks ever, the NB205 lasts over 9 hours, has a great keyboard, and a stylish look that will appeal to both boys and girls. It isn’t rugged or spill-resistant, but Toshiba has a history of making solid, dependable machines. If your kid takes proper care of it, the NB205 could last her through high school. $400 or less (with Windows XP).

Software

Your kid may be a bit older, but perhaps you’d still like to put restrictions on his computer use and web surfing. As we mentioned in the tech parenting piece, balancing trust with the need to keep your child safe isn’t easy and you’ll have to gauge how much to go in either direction based on your own comfort levels and your child’s maturity. Here are a couple of tools you can load on netbooks that don’t come with parental control or monitoring built-in.

Safe Eyes

This program offers multiple levels of control over your child’s computer: Web site blocking, program controls, time limits, and usage logging/alerts. Plus you can install it on up to 3 computers if you’ve got more than one child or want to protect the family computer as well as their netbook. $49.95/year.

Net Nanny

Despite the name, Net Nanny can be useful for keeping an eye on older kids. There’s a wealth of blocking options and alerts, all of which you can control and adjust remotely for those times when your kid is online but not with you. There are even alerts for potential cyber bullies. $39.99/year for one computer, $59.99 for up to 3.

Previous: Netbooks Made For Kids

No matter which netbook and level of protection and monitoring you choose, take time to make sure your child understands how to take care for her new computer and how to stay safe with it. Fostering the right attitude toward technology early will help kids grow into responsible and savvy computer using young adults.