With coding becoming an essential skill in today’s digital age, selecting the right laptop for your child can be a daunting task. At Cuddles Learning, we understand the unique needs of young learners in our STEAM programs and beyond. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key factors to consider when choosing a laptop for your child's coding adventures. From processing power to kid-friendly features, discover how to make an informed decision that supports both their learning and creativity.
1. Apple MacBook Air (M2,2023)
The Apple M2 MacBook Air 2023 has gained popularity in the developer's world for its speed and fast storage. Students can easily code Python using just 8GB of storage, which lasts up to 18 hours of battery life. The laptop also has a big 15-inch screen, so it is perfect for coding and using it for other study purposes. Though having a large display, it is very thin and has a fair weight of 3.3 pounds. On the operations side, Apple installed macOS, which is the most advanced operating system, making the coding experience more powerful.
Coming with such functions, the laptop also has a celeb price tag, which is currently listed at $1399.
2. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
If you are looking for a travel-size portable computer with a fairer price, then Microsoft Surface Laptop Go would be a great choice. Compared to the Macbook Air M2 2023, it weighs only 2.45 pounds and comes with a 12.4 inch display touch screen. At the entry level price, the laptop has about 4GB of memory and 64Gb flash storage drive, suitable for light coding tasks.
On the other hand, the laptop is not that powerful so it is harder to do complex tasks. This laptop is suitable for coding beginners who are sensitive buyers.
3. Google Pixelbook Go
The Google Pixelbook Go is another of Google's great products. It is very well-known for its long-lasting battery life and runs very fast at an affordable price. It uses ChromeOS, which is primarily for running web applications. Not only coding, it also supports Microsoft Office and other Google applications. Most importantly, it has a great keyboard, making it easier for kids to learn to code.
However, this Chromebook can be limited in advanced coding, and requires high resolutions and resources, so it is good for beginner online coding.
4.Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
Another choice to consider is the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5. This is a 2-in-1 convertible Windows laptop, so it can be used either as a laptop or a tablet. This makes it extremely suitable for kids who love both drawing and coding on their device. This laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 and 16GB of RAM, so it is good for basic coding and some movies binging. The laptop is currently $699 for 14 inch size.
There are still some limitations in graphics and content creation capabilities, but overall it is great for some light coding and media editing.
5. Raspberry Pi 400
The biggest advantage of the Raspberry Pi 400 is the price for around $150 and $250 for a full kit. With such a price, it still features a 64-bit processor with 4GB of RAm and 4K video playback, and very portable in the form of an all-in-one keyboard. It runs with the Pi OS, which is also good for learning basic coding.
However, you still need to purchase a screen for this, and of course it is not the best compared to other laptops available.
When it comes to choosing a laptop, parents need to consider some important factors like budget, parental control, safety and its versatility to use.