Laptop or Netbook for 10 year old??

I am looking to buy a laptop for my son for XMAS and would like to pay $200 or less for one. Not sure if there are any decent ones out there at this price point and so if I need to spend a little more to get something decent I would do so.

Here's what I would like to use it for:
surfing the internet
writing papers for school
possibly watching DVD's or netflix


We don't need top of the line laptop but something basic and easy to use for a 10year old and his 8 year old sister. Would be willing to get 2 if the price is right.

THanks so much!!

Netbooks won't have an optical drive, and as such, watching DVDs will be out of the question.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...?t=3498952

http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...?t=3502072

Thanks for the info. Still looking for a decent laptop if anyone has any recommendations. Thank you!

Quote from momtoty2001 : I am looking to buy a laptop for my son for XMAS and would like to pay $200 or less for one. Not sure if there are any decent ones out there at this price point and so if I need to spend a little more to get something decent I would do so. Here's what I would like to use it for: surfing the internet writing papers for school possibly watching DVD's or netflix We don't need top of the line laptop but something basic and easy to use for a 10year old and his 8 year old sister. Would be willing to get 2 if the price is right. THanks so much!!

Quote from prozac4312 : Netbooks won't have an optical drive, and as such, watching DVDs will be out of the question.

But you can always get an external DVD drive... Clearly removes some of the 'portability', but would take care of that.

Additionally, Op could always rip DVD's to another computer's hdd, and then transfer to the laptop/netbook.

OP -- Is there a reason you're wanting to go with a laptop/netbook instead of a desktop? Regarding price -- You can definitely get a laptop for ~$300, and I believe ~$250 (and maybe even a little bit lower) come this holiday season. HOWEVER, I think you'd be hard-pressed to buy a *new* laptop for $200, at least this current year... A netbook on the otherhand, you could get at this price-point... But, as noted above, it would require an external DVD drive (if you wanted it to support reading DVD's).

Quote from momtoty2001 : Thanks for the info. Still looking for a decent laptop if anyone has any recommendations. Thank you!

$200 is pushing it. You could find a netbook for around that price but it's really hard to find a laptop for that cheap. Anyway, I think a laptop would be a much better choice for your child, for mostly the screen size and the way it will be used.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshi...8205766215

http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...?t=3502072

That is right around your price and would be suitable to your needs. I wouldn't expect to see anything for much less than this, they will be hard to find if there is. You could invest a bit more and find a deal for a laptop that is better but it might not make much of any difference for what you want it for.

Quote from johndoehoe22 : $200 is pushing it. You could find a netbook for around that price but it's really hard to find a laptop for that cheap. Anyway, I think a laptop would be a much better choice for your child, for mostly the screen size and the way it will be used. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshi...8205766215 http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...?t=3502072 That is right around your price and would be suitable to your needs. I wouldn't expect to see anything for much less than this, they will be hard to find if there is. You could invest a bit more and find a deal for a laptop that is better but it might not make much of any difference for what you want it for.

I guess laptops are cheaper than I thought... However, based on the comments on that laptop, I don't think I'd want to be providing it to children to use -- well, maybe it's a good thing -- helps decrease the chance of them impregnating someone...

Quote from zodiac711 : I guess laptops are cheaper than I thought... However, based on the comments on that laptop, I don't think I'd want to be providing it to children to use -- well, maybe it's a good thing -- helps decrease the chance of them impregnating someone...

wtfarkingfark?

Quote from zodiac711 : I guess laptops are cheaper than I thought... However, based on the comments on that laptop, I don't think I'd want to be providing it to children to use -- well, maybe it's a good thing -- helps decrease the chance of them impregnating someone...

Quote from prozac4312 : wtfarkingfark?

The Op said they were looking to buy a laptop for their 10 year old (I thought they said boy). If the laptop runs really hot (as some comments suggested), and if the laptop is sitting on the child's lap, it can/will fry their testicles... This can have adverse medium-long-term impacts to fertility.

Quote from zodiac711 : The Op said they were looking to buy a laptop for their 10 year old (I thought they said boy). If the laptop runs really hot (as some comments suggested), and if the laptop is sitting on the child's lap, it can/will fry their testicles... This can have adverse medium-long-term impacts to fertility.

That's creepy as hell that you'd even think about a 10 year old boy's testicles, let alone post about it.

You a Penn State fan?

Hey, in his defense, that was the first thing I thought about and I'm female-older than the hills. I have a laptop that gets so hot that I can't use it on my lap without a board.

Quote from SueM : Hey, in his defense, that was the first thing I thought about and I'm female-older than the hills. I have a laptop that gets so hot that I can't use it on my lap without a board.

Is it 8 years old?

Quote from prozac4312 : That's creepy as hell that you'd even think about a 10 year old boy's testicles, let alone post about it. You a Penn State fan?

I was trying to NOT think about it beyond making an observation that it could fry one's balls... Upon your response, asking WTF, I had to go into more detail than I would have preferred...

And no, not a Penn State fan, but I do take offense to your implications. Of course, I'll just assume you're being a bit sarcastic while I try to make a valid point about the danger of laptops... if you're not just being sarcastic, I'll then assume that you've been putting a laptop on your forehead for a bit too-long...

Quote from SueM : Hey, in his defense, that was the first thing I thought about and I'm female-older than the hills. I have a laptop that gets so hot that I can't use it on my lap without a board.

Thanks. Be careful however -- he might accuse you of being a cougar...

Umm OK... I am just hoping to get some advice on a good laptop for a grade-school child and was hoping someone could point me in the direction of an adequate one (doesn't have to be top of the line) that can be used to do homework projects on, surf the net and possibly watch a DVD or 2. We will have it set up in our media station by the kitchen so he probably won't have it sitting on his lap.

Thanks for the recommendations thus far and I would appreciate any other recommendations anyone might have.. Thanks.

Quote from momtoty2001 : Umm OK... I am just hoping to get some advice on a good laptop for a grade-school child and was hoping someone could point me in the direction of an adequate one (doesn't have to be top of the line) that can be used to do homework projects on, surf the net and possibly watch a DVD or 2. We will have it set up in our media station by the kitchen so he probably won't have it sitting on his lap. Thanks for the recommendations thus far and I would appreciate any other recommendations anyone might have.. Thanks.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...hp?t=47758

Please read those posts. This is not a forum for computer advice or recommendations. If you're new to laptops and netbooks then you need to do some research. Prozac replied to your post with 2 links to perfectly good deals on laptops and you skipped right over it. It has been explained that an external DVD drive can be purchased and used if the laptop doesn't have one.