I remember when I got my first laptop in my early twenties. It was clunky, heavy, only available in black, cost a fortune and hardly had any memory or storage. Laptops had just been introduced as an option to consumers and development was clearly still underway. Fast forward 20 years (ahem! I’m totally aging myself here), and things sure have changed. Not only in the design, quality and functionality of a laptop, but also in terms of when people start using them. In fact, we’re currently in the market for a laptop for Kyle. He’s in grade 3 this year and to help him with his school work and writing, we’ll be buying him one. Since he is only 8 and his needs differ than mine, there are some specific things that we are looking for in a laptop. Specifically, it needs to be lightweight, easy to use, and most importantly, durable!
When I was offered a chance to review the new Dell XPS 13, those were the three standards that I used to put it to the test. Because even though the prices of laptops have come down, the last thing I want to do is spend money on something that won’t be a good fit or that we will need to be replaced after a few years. However, my personal laptop is a Dell and I absolutely love it (even though it’s not as sleek or stylish as the XPS 13), so I had a feeling that we would really like this new model as well.
I think my favourite part about this laptop is that it’s super small (13″ display), thin and lightweight. It’s easy for Kyle (and Ryan and Nate) to hold it and use without me fearing that they will drop it. It also makes it super convenient for taking along with us on road trips or weekends at the cottage. Not to mention, the battery life is superior to most laptops. How do I know this? Because my kids are too lazy always forget to plug it in after they are done using it but somehow, they are able to keep enjoying the laptop without having to recharge the batteries consistently.
The interior of the laptop is white, including the palm rest. As a mom, I would normally be crazy to buy anything for my boys that is white (whether that’s clothes or technology). However, when it comes to this laptop, it doesn’t matter! That’s because the palm rest is made with alpine white woven glass fiber which is stain resistant, and made specifically for Dell. We all know that kids don’t always have clean hands (or faces, or feet, but I digress…) and my boys are no exception. However, I never worried about them using the laptop even if they didn’t wash their hands first. Any dirt that ultimately ended up on the white palm rest would easily wipe clean with a damp cloth. Now all I have to figure out is how to get that material on my white kitchen island table and counter tops.
Lastly, was it easy to use? Let’s just say that this laptop was my savior last week when I was solo-parenting for six days. All of the kids were fully entertained using the laptop for writing, games, and watching YouTube and Netflix, with minimal input or help from myself.
Have you purchased a laptop for your child? If so, what was your criteria before buying one?
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Dell Canada. In exchange for this post I have received perks in the form of compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.
I keep thinking about getting a laptop for the kids but I find they are still a bit too young to navigate without my help using the keyboard and mouse. My 10 year old can do it but the 6 year old and 3 year old still require me to be there. We have, at his point, opted for tablets and out of the 3 that we have purchased the best one is the Samsung which seems durable and reliable though I wish it had more memory. Good luck choosing!