A mini notebook can be the perfect first computer for a child.  Kids are learning about computers at an extremely young age and that’s a great thing.  The younger you get a child involved with something the more they excel and computers is no exception.  Unfortunately up until now computers have, especially laptops have always been out of the price range for the average parent to purchase for them.  The introduction of mini notebooks and netbooks has completely changed this.  Not only are these laptops extremely affordable, but the small design is perfect for the kids.  They also have the added option of the solid state hard drive that doesn’t have any moving parts in case the laptop gets dropped or bumped.  The solid state drive also gives off less height so the child won’t burn themselves.  The last thing to consider when picking out a netbook for your child is what operating system to get them.  You’ve got the choice of Windows XP or a form of Linux.

• Window XP – Higher cost and more susceptible to virus’s, but also more like what they’ll use when they get older.
• Linux – A Linux laptop is cheaper, simple, and has almost no chance of getting a virus, but most likely not the operating system they’ll use when they get older.

Overall netbooks are a great choice for a child’s first laptop.  Like any piece of electronics they do require a certain level of maturity to have and the exact age your child will be ready for one depends on several factors that are outside the scope of this article.  I would suggest one of the Asus netbooks for your child’s first laptop.  You can purchase them from many online retailers and even your local Target.  Otherwise a few companies like Dell offer the mini notebook in a variety of colors which the kids will love.