Instructor Offers Tips for Parents Shopping for Computers for Kids

The holidays are a perfect time to purchase a computer for the family. UALR information technology instructor Thomas Wallace in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) offers some buying guides:

• Invest in at least a 15-inch (measured diagonally) liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. The family that’s into gaming, video editing, or graphic-design applications should invest in a wide-screen monitor.
• The minimum processor speed should be at least 2.0 gigahertz. The higher the processing speed, the quicker the computer copes with performing multiple applications.
• A hard drive’s minimum storage capacity should be 80 gigabytes. More memory should be purchased if family members will be working with lots of photographs or video and music files.
• One gigabyte – minimum – of random access memory (RAM) should be in the system. If the computer is to work with the Windows Vista operating system or with graphic-design applications, two to four gigabytes will be needed.
• To prepare for the future, parents may want to consider purchasing a 256-megabyte video card for upgraded software. That level is also necessary for graphic design, video, and gaming applications. Otherwise, a system will perform well with a 128-megabyte card in place.
• Parents will also want to invest in a DVD read-write drive for making disc backups and watching movies on the computer system. Compact discs can also be played in a DVD player.

“While every new system is different and every family’s requirements are unique, we generally advise on investing in a computer with certain minimum technical requirements,” Wallace said. “Other portions of the system can then be personalized with software and hardware that are appropriate for each family’s needs.”