Can anyone recommend a "first" computer for a 3 & 4 yr old

[chlobo]

Looking for computers for my 3 yr old neice & 4 yr old dd.

[deannanb]

ds 3 years is using an old apple flowerpot (not sure of exact name of computer) - it was a hand me down from the neighbors...

he has also been getting onto older son's computer and playing elmo online - I'm very impressed with this website!

I would say to stay away from a laptop! DS has taken the keys off of 2 different laptops (mine twice!)

what do you want the kids to do on the computer? games, internet, certain programs? you could get by with a basic pc for most anything you want.

hth

[Marisa6826]

Got this for Mia for Christmas

http://www.leapfrog.com/en/families/clickstart/cs_clickstart.html

-m

[giavila]

DD (3.5) uses an old Laptop that Dh was given at work when they were replacing everything. We let her get on sesamestreet.org for now. She's pretty good at using the touch pad. She also has a toy computer. It's a V-tech. We got it at Target, they also have a Thomas version. She enjoys this a lot as well.

[tny915]

DD uses our laptop to go to the Playhouse Disney, Discovery Kids Ready Set Learn, and pbskids websites. She started doing the starfall.com site around 3 1/2 and has gotten pretty good at the touchpad.

Of course, that won't work for a gift for your niece, but it might work for your DD.

[erosenst]

Abby uses an old laptop. It's still functional, but couldn't handle doing more than one thing at once. We did get her a preschool mouse - eBay has some that are animal shaped, but has more defined buttons and is sized for kids. (She can use the touch pad, but it's harder.)

Emily

[egoldber]

Sarah's computer is one DH put together from spare parts after he got a new one. I got his old one, then Sarah got my old one. We had an old monitor laying around. We recently had to update her CD drive because it was too slow to run games she wanted to play.

[CiderLogan]

My DD, who's 4, has only used our regular home PC. She has no problems with the regular mouse, keyboard, etc., and it saved us from buying something new!

[KBecks]

Alek uses my computer and he's gotten very good playing the Dino Dig game at Caillou's web site.

For their own computer I think an iMac would be awesome.... or an older computer picked up cheap.

[bubbaray]

Another option that we considered was the Fisher Price Internet Launch Pad. It hooks up to your regular, adult computer. IIRC, its about $25US at Target and Walmart.

HTH

[kijip]

We have a old iMac running OSX for Toby. It is great and I don't have to worry about him breaking our laptops. He can go to the PBS kids website, play on KidPics and type away nonsense in Word.

You can still buy them from mac resale shops. Often less than $100.

http://www.wegenermedia.com/imac500.htm

We bought ours off of CL, it has been great. We had to use an Ethernet cable plugged into a wireless receiver to hook him up the the internet, upgrading the airport was impossible.