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For months now, I’ve been wanting to replace the old PC we have in our library room with something newer that would be of more use to Charlotte now that she has started elementary school. Earlier this year, I made a sort of half-hearted effort to install Ubuntu on that computer, but ran into just enough roadblocks that I didn’t feel like I wanted to spend any more time on it, and decided the best plan was to simply buy something else.
At this point, my daughter’s computing needs are pretty simple. She likes to visit a few kid-oriented websites like the various Nickelodeon and Disney sites and, like every other kid right now, Webkinz. She likes to play the online games they have, and she often prints out the coloring and cut-out project pages. Because she is a beginning reader/writer, she hasn’t yet been sucked into the swirling vortex of instant messaging or the online clique-clack of social networking websites. In fact, she really only needs something a little more capable than the Nintendo DS handheld she loves to play with. But, within the lifetime of whatever sort of computer we might choose to replace the old one, she will develop needs for something she can use for more practical purposes.
(this is a pretty long post, so I’ll place the rest of it “after the jump”)
These days, it’s entirely possible to buy an entry-level PC for somewhere between $400-600. Tower or laptop. Windows or Mac (or Linux). Name brand or no-name. If you have to add a bunch of necessary peripherals like monitors and printers, the price tag jumps, but we’re fixed for all those items, so that price range applies to us. Consequently, we could just saunter into Wal-Mart or Best Buy or Staples, plunk down the money, and go home with a totally adequate computer of some sort. But this is 2007, dammit, and there are Brave New Worlds to be explored.
One of my initial thoughts was to give up on Windows and move back to the Mac world, where I began my own personal computing adventure years ago. The Mac Mini has been around for several years now, and appealed to me because it’s such a small package for a desktop machine. Long gone are the times when one had to worry whether or not the Mac platform would still be around five years hence, and the Internet has obliviated the old issue of “no good software for Mac” that used to be a serious detraction. There had been some talk over the summer that Apple was going to do away with the Mini, but instead they refreshed the hardware to use the Intel Core Duo processor, which also allows it to run Windows for those occasions when you just can’t escape Uncle Bill’s reach. The only downside I see to buying the Mac Mini is that it’s really more computer than Charlotte will need for a while. But if it needs to last four or five years (and it will), it will eventually be a really good choice.
A few weeks ago, though, you might remember that I posted about the promotion from the One Laptop Per Child foundation to make their groundbreaking XO laptop available to consumers in a “buy-one-get-one” deal that lets you pay about $400 to get one XO for yourself AND donate one XO to a child in a developing country. The current version of the XO is a rugged system designed for use in non-traditional locations, primarily by children. As such, it’s a big departure from the standard laptop PC in terms of hardware design. It also features a custom Linux-based operating system that offers some pre-loaded productivity software and supports installation of other Linux software. Wireless network connectivity is included so that Internet access is simple and automatic and a central feature of the machine. The professional reviews of the XO have been mostly glowing, with only a little carping about the relatively small amount of flash-based storage. The appeal here has been two-fold: one, to be in on the ground floor of a potentially significant development in the personal computer world, and two, to be helping out a child in a developing country at the same time.
The promotion for the XO begins next week, which is what has me closing in on making a decision NOW. I suspect that the demand for the XO is going to be huge, and that they will sell out of every available machine if we do not order one at the first opportunity on Monday. They’ve already had a couple of hiccups with their production and with their OS, but they promise they’ll be able to fill orders. We’ll see.
Right on the heels of the XO promotion, electronics maker Asus brought out a “sub-notebook” PC that is inspired by the XO, the Eee. Like the XO, the Eee runs on a custom Linux OS and has a ton of built-in features (wireless, webcam, etc.) that are very appealing. It also uses flash storage; at the moment the only model available has 4GB of storage, but an 8GB model will be available later. Also like the XO, it is getting a ton of good press from the assorted sites that review hardware and software. Unlike the XO, it is already capable of running Windows XP, if you’d rather — OLPC says that they will work with Microsoft in the near future to provide Windows compatibility, but it’s not available now. Pricewise, it’s also in the right spot, but it’s already beginning to be difficult to find in stock from assorted vendors. I like that it’s smaller than a regular laptop; I can easily imagine Charlotte dropping a somewhat-unwieldy laptop and breaking it. It might be a little less rugged than the XO, but otherwise is a similar good choice.
Every time I think I have made up my mind about this, something sticks itself into my peripheral vision that changes my assessment. I figured writing this post was going to help clarify things for me, but as I wrote about each computer I found myself changing my mind. The availability issue may, in the end, be the real deciding factor. It might not be possible to get either the XO or the Eee in a timely fashion that would accommodate Christmas morning. The Mac Mini is not Apple’s hottest item, so I would expect to be able to get one fairly easily.
If you’ve got an opinion about any of these three computers, I’d love to hear it and SOON.
Good luck with this. If these kid computers work out, I might get one for my mom.
I just saw this laptop…be sure to add it to your list: http://www.amazon.de/chocolap-Schokoladenlaptop/dp/B000XSAUZO
Mmm, chocolate computer….
Bridget and I talked about it a little and we’re going to go with the Mac Mini. Her concern is that a small laptop will get treated like a toy, which is to say abused to the point of disaster, and with a 6-year-old that’s not a stretch of the imagination. I can sadly imagine stepping on it in the dark when it gets left on the living room floor.
But beyond that, the Mac should be better suited to growing along with Charlotte. The Mac is a much more mature platform and even though the Mini is an entry-level machine, it is capable of all the things the Mac has come to be expected to do — music, video, and more.
I’d still like to get my hands on the Asus Eee as a replacement for a standard laptop. And I will still be making a donation to OLPC because I believe in their mission.