Notebooks aimed at children

PC World has developed a range of notebook PCs for children.

The Advent K range has been designed by schoolchildren who participated in a range of focus groups.

All three models in the range, the K100, K200 and K300 have interchangeable covers in a variety of colourful designs. They have a 15.4in widescreen and also come preinstalled with Vista Home Premium and Norton Internet Security 2007.

In a bid to keep children safe, the notebooks are covered under PC World’s Children’s Charter commitment. This scheme provides parents with advice on how limit the time children spend online and monitor the sites they access using the security features of Microsoft's Vista operating system and Symantec's Norton 360 internet security software.

They also come with Childnet's Know IT All software preinstalled, which provides a guide for parents to keeping their children safe online and encourages parents to become more involved with their children's online activities.

Using this information it is hoped that parents can stop children 'accidentally' stumbling across pornography websites, or chatting with strangers through instant-messaging software and in open chatrooms.

PC World has also said that the notebooks will be set up by an in-store TechGuy who will configure each notebook's safety features, free of charge, in consultation with parents at purchase.

The K200 and the K300 come with Microsoft Encarta encyclopaedia software and integrated webcams. They also come with 2Gb of memory and built in Wifi. In addition the K300 has the Home and Student Edition of Microsoft’s Office suite installed.

The K300 and K200 are priced at £649 and £499 respectively. The entry level K100, has 1GB of memory is priced at £399.

PC World representative Leigh Smyth said: “Advent K is a kids' thing. Seeing adults with the new K laptops would be a bit like seeing your dad dancing at the school disco.”