Please help me with my moral dilemma - Lap top for an 8 yr old

[Manda25]

Ok among the board games and books on my DS aged 8 Xmas list is a lap top (the 3rd year it has been on there) and I am struggling to decide how I feel about this so would really value your opinions.

This is what I am thinking:

We have no home computer. His only sibling (20yrs) has a fancy computer & lap top but he is at Uni. I have my own lap top which I use all the time I am home downloading one thing or the other.

He was assessed at school recently because he holds his pen in a weird way. It was suggested that we teach him how to type.

These are the main two issues - but I am really struggling with if it is 'right' that a 8 yr old gets their own lap top !! I mean I could by a home computer instead but in effect that would be his ...and I would prefer not to have one stuck in the corner of the room.

FWIIW he doesn't have a phone, TV, Ipod, DVD player, stereo or play station/Wii in his room. The money is not a problem.

WWYD?

Of course an 8 yr old could have one. IT skills wise. No internet obviously. Ds1(nearly 7) has IT at school and is becoming good at excel.
He has dh's old laptop, which he can type word and excel documents,and save it to his file. then he retrieves them and adds to them.
seems essential to me. IT wise, in this day-and-age.

I would not see it as you buying your 8yo a laptop, but rather buying a family laptop since you use yours so much that he does not get a look in.

We bought an iPad instead of a second computer and the children do get to use it for games, within reason.

Why are people so scared of the internet? I can understand the concerns about cyber-bullying, but the whole 'it's dangerous to let children anywhere near the internet" seems to me to be the technological equivalent of "If my child is out of my sight for 30 seconds they will obviously be abducted"

I think if you should think about a netbook.

You can get good ones for around £200 and they are great for playing games on.

My son has a laptop at 8. It was from the scheme someone mentioned earlier and he has voice recognition software and reading software on it as he is dyslexic and has aspergers. TBH he prefers to use it for club penguin but he is capable of producing all sorts of things using various programmes and rarely accesses the internet unless we are with him. It is also not allowed in his bedroom. I appreciate my experience is somewhat different though. I can't see a problem in principle?

Thank you all so much .. I ordered one today !!