Discussions

Today we are going to explore a rather different market segment: kids. What are the features one should expect to find on a portable computer targeted to children?
The most obvious one is the external design. Instead of a laptop with a plain looks kids definitely prefer a device that they can relate to, using a color scheme they like. It is so cliché assuming pink for girls and blue/red for boys, but of course I wouldn’t expect a laptop targeted to kids all black, graphite or silver.

One interesting idea I have is to have a laptop with interchangeable external panels and the product could come with three or four panel sets with different colors, so the kid could change the external color scheme of his/her laptop as he/she likes, including mixing and matching colors.

The keyboard is, in my opinion, the main place for concerns. Some laptops carry keyboards that are very fragile even for adults, imagine for kids! In my opinion the keyboard should use the rubber-type keys, where the key caps can’t be removed, and also giving a better protection against dirty hands. The keys should be also with a different color, of course.

I think laptops for kids should come with an external mouse, smaller than standard mice (for obvious reasons) and matching the color of the product. This would give kids the chance to play with a mouse, allowing them to easily use desktops if necessary.
Battery life can be seen in two different ways, which can lead to two different kinds of products. A laptop without any battery at all, being a mere desktop replacement, with the advantage of being cheaper and lighter. This product could have an optional car adapter so the kid could see movies while travelling with their parents. And a laptop with a battery to allow the kid to watch movies while on the road, a feature desired by many parents. The laptop could also come with a pair of earbuds matching the color of the product, as I think many parents would appreciate not having to listen to “Bug’s Life” for the 174th time.

The screen size should be small, not because kids are smaller than adults, but because this would decrease the price and weight of the portable computer. A factory-installed transparent film to protect the screen against crayons and other kinds of markers could also be an interesting idea.

The software bundle that comes with this kind of laptop should also match the product audience.

I also think that price would play a very important role and, because of that, hardware specs like CPU, HDD size and memory size may be “weaker” than their adult counterparts.

Do you have any other ideas of features for a laptop targeted to kids?