Tablets may be considered the new form of “child’s play” but these days everyone is using computers and the internet more and more. Keeping kids busy while you get things done by handing them a tablet is all very well but what are they watching? What can they access when you are not looking? Is it age appropriate? Do you really want them on that website?
PC Revolution is a New Zealand owned and operated company initially starting in the education sector, purpose building tablets for kids to use both at home and school. Having four children of our own we were facing the task of deciding which device on the market would be best for our kids.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) was all a bit overwhelming for me and all I really wanted to know was;
Are the kids safe on it whether at home or school?
Do the kids really need to be connected to the internet to use their devices?
Will they use the same operating system (Microsoft, Apple, Chrome) that is on the device when they move to the next school, university or start work?
Do I really need to spend between $900 and $1400 to get a good quality device for the kids to take to school?
What else do I need to buy to go with the device? Keyboard, cover, HDMI converter, software?
The kids however, are only concerned with how cool they look, how heavy the device is to carry to and from school, how many photos, movies or games can be stored and that they are fast – of course everything has to be instant these days.
With many hours of research we decided that the best option would be a tablet as it is lightweight and looks cooler than most laptops however, tablets in a reasonable price range only had 32G or less memory and that would be used up very quickly and slow the device down. Also many of these required the kids to be connected to the internet to operate them.
It was also discovered that as popular as Apple is as an operating system, 70% of the worlds businesses still run on a Microsoft platform. Even though many businesses and schools say they have Apple devices or are an Apple school they still have Microsoft systems running. Unless the kids are going to be particularly talented in arts or music they are most likely to use a Microsoft based product when in college, university or when leaving school.
I also didn’t see the need for the kids to have continuous access to the internet. If we are going away I wanted a device that would stand alone and not require connecting to internet to complete its operating system; one that allowed the kids to open their files or save their work while offline.
After several trips to China and much discussion with a factory (endorsed by Microsoft), we now have a high quality Tablet operating Microsoft Software.
Not only does the tablet provide great entertainment, it a true learning tool. Pre-installed with Microsoft 8.1 & Office 365 this device easily connects to the internet. It will run its full operating system even when not connected. It has front and rear cameras and a whopping 128G of memory. It will easily run Google Docs, browse the net, even connects to your TV and turns it into a Smart TV.
The reintroduction of ports for USB and an SD card connection enables these devices to be incredibly versatile and means the memory can be expanded. All tablets come with keyboard, case and a 1-year warranty.
Perhaps, most importantly to parents though, it offers Microsoft Parental Controls that are second to none.
These parental controls enable parents the freedom to select specific internet sites a child can view, has age appropriate settings and time parameters for use allowing cut off times to be set i.e. 10.30pm. You can limit time use in a day i.e. two hours. If your kids are old enough to select what sites they want to visit themselves, you can ask it to report back to you every week via email with details of what sites your child has looked up and how much time was spent on each site. It even allows you to block sites you don’t want your kids to access. So no matter where they go with their device you know they are safe!
These quality affordable products are available now on line in two sizes – 8" tablet and 10" tablet so check out our website
www.pcrevolution.co for more information.
Until 6 November 2016 when you purchase a PCR tablet we will donate 10% of the purchase price to a local school or pre-school of your choice.
Terms & conditions apply. Quote code: CHSC16.
