Which 2 in 1 or laptop for 6 year old ?

[Abarbarian]

I need some help .................................. I have just spent the last two days looking at and being bemused by too much choice. I would like for this portable machine to have,

Touch screen with a pen.
Decent screen ie: good colour, viewing angles.
USB C.
Wireless ac, Bluetooth.
Sturdy chassis.
Ssd or better still nvme drive.
Nippy cpu.
Decent graphics card or inbuilt.
Webcam
Fingerprint reader ?

This will be for my niece, I am tending towards a "2 in 1" as I think that format would be ideal for a child as would the ability to draw and write on the screen. I want to provide a machine that will run sweetly today and for at least a couple of years going forward, possibly till she goes to the big school at age eleven, when she would need a more uptodate pc.
So no cheap and cheerful slow flimsy rubbish and no expensive Mac types either.
The unit will probably have Windows 10 installed but I would like to have a machine that will run the penguin nicely with no major quirks as I may install MX-19 on it.

Not a lot to ask for I know

Trouble is I am confused,

Cheap and cheerfull under £300

i5 with integrated graphics £500 3 year warranty

i5 integrated graphics needs extra pen £650

i7 integrated graphics 3 year guarantee £700

There are lots of products around for £300 to £400 but they have i3 or lesser cpu's and I don't think they would give a decent experience unless you were just surfing. In the £300 to £600 range you can find i5 and similar with integrated graphics. At the £600 to £750 range you can get i7 with integrated graphics.
If I am spending £750 I might as well spend £900 to £1,300 and get a i5 with RTX2060 graphics. However I think that last option is a tad over the top for a six year old.
So I am a tad lost do I stick with a 2 in 1 which is very appealing and the best I have found so far is the Medion with the i5 and 3 year guarantee. Or would I get better value with an ordinary laptop ?

Help me out folks.....................please.

 

[TriplexDread]

Its a hard choice. I'm not sure though a touch screen for a 6yo is suitable.
Especailly one that can use a pen.

It wont last long. Pressure marks all over the screen from impatient eager children can be quite upsetting. I know

 

[Ian]

Although it's not the question you asked, I wonder if a cheaper tablet would be a better choice for a 6 year old. Some of my friends kids the same age have one of these:

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet, 8" HD Display, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case (Previous Generation - 8th) : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet, 8" HD Display, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case (Previous Generation - 8th) : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

www.amazon.co.uk

It's rugged and Android based, comes with a webcam etc... and lots of useful apps for kids. But, the best part is this:

If it breaks, return it and we'll replace it for free with our 2-year worry-free guarantee.

It would last at least a couple of years and costs so much less, so the money saved could be used for a 2-in-1 when they're a bit older. I imagine if you're getting it for them during the lock-down, it'll get a lot of use .

 

[Abarbarian]

Although it's not the question you asked, I wonder if a cheaper tablet would be a better choice for a 6 year old. Some of my friends kids the same age have one of these:

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet, 8" HD Display, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case (Previous Generation - 8th) : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet, 8" HD Display, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case (Previous Generation - 8th) : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

www.amazon.co.uk

It's rugged and Android based, comes with a webcam etc... and lots of useful apps for kids. But, the best part is this:

It would last at least a couple of years and costs so much less, so the money saved could be used for a 2-in-1 when they're a bit older. I imagine if you're getting it for them during the lock-down, it'll get a lot of use .

Thanks Ian it sounds good on paper however it is very low spec with a pitiful amount of ram. I am not a fan of Android due to security issues and am not really a fan of subscription based services either. I know W 10 is not ideal either but I hope to convert anything I get to Linux.
I had a read of the comments from that Amazon link and there were quite a few issues raised. This article seems to cover most of my misgivings,

Why You Shouldn’t Buy an Amazon Fire Tablet for Your Kids

I quite like this Lenovo Winbook at £ 279 as it comes with Win 10 Pro and it apparently is linux capable with no problems.

https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/leno...tive-pen-windows-10-pro-81m9000yuk-48483.html

Keep them alternatives coming though and thanks in advance folks.

 

[EvanDavis]

Thanks Ian it sounds good on paper however it is very low spec with a pitiful amount of ram.

Yes for an adult pushing 3D rendering software, but for a 6 year old it is perfect.

 

[Taffycat]

Hi @Abarbarian, have you thought of taking a looksee at configuring your ideal spec here: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/laptops/

 

[Abarbarian]

Hi @Abarbarian, have you thought of taking a looksee at configuring your ideal spec here: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/laptops/

Thanks Taffycat I have used that site before when building a pc. At the moment I am looking for a off the shelf laptop/2 in 1 sort of thing so the site would not be much help.

At the moment the child has the use of a very old ToughBook CF19 running MX-17 that I loaded up with all the free linux games I could find.
She really likes "Tux Racer" and strangely enough "Tux, of Math Command".
I am a subscriber to the old saying "If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day; If you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime."

 

[Ian]

That's impressive that she's already used to running Linux on a laptop!

I'd still be tempted to go down the Amazon Fire Kids Tablet route (the 10" has 2GB RAM and an octo-core CPU), but I can see you are set on a laptop . The Medion on you linked to looks like a good deal for £499, but I do worry that the slightest drop from a 6 year old would finish it off. That is of course unless it is set up to be stationary in laptop mode, and not moved for the moment until she's a little older. The specs look decent for just under £500 and for a 2-in-1.

The Huawei I posted about in this thread (https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/choosing-a-new-laptop.4075429/) is a cracking deal (£550) and great specs, but it's probably even more delicate.

 

[bodhi]

Now that they are learning from home for the foreseeable future I’m going to buy my nearly 9 year old (where did the time go... NINE!!) a laptop.

I’m thinking of a chrome book as they seem to have a lot of Google stuff at school. The new Pixelbook Go is getting good reviews.

Anyone got experience of these chrome books?