Shopping...what Can Kids Use Besides a Computer to Get Online With?

If they also own a cell phone you may just think about upgrading their phones to a web-capable smart phone. We have Sprint and love them becuase their plans are unlimited so no worry about going over minutes. They have a bunch of phones that have web-browsing, the best of which, right now, is the EVO - it is like a pocket computer! It can make calls, play music, browse the web, play video, take photos, play radio, etc.

Under 100 is tough. But the ipod touch, many cell phones go online, even a nintendo DSi which plays games and can also get on wireless internet, the DSi you can get at gamestop if it's new it's over 100 but you can get used refurbished with warantees for less than 100.

I like saving the laptops for H.S. graduation. It's an excellent gift when sending kids off to college. & until then, they can just use our family desktop! I believe it helps govern what they're doing......I'm a meanie, I know it! I also think the XBox & PS3 systems & their cell phones are enough electronics.......

The kids want their own computer to facebook and youtube??? If that is really it then a phone will work but there is almost always a monthly access fee. the itouch gets you online but it is more money. Anyway to get one this christmas, one next, and so on. (don't know how many you need to buy). Who is your ISP? Is your contract up? Many offer those netbooks super cheap (or free) and you only pay for service for a year or 2 so maybe look into that. My bro bought a laptop on ebay and it never arrived. Thank goodness for insurance so he will get his money but it has been 6 months w/o any money yet. Be careful buying something over a site like this though. They think someone at the post office took it and a friend of mine who works at the post office said that it happens a lot.

for under a $100 there is only mobile phones, which are awkward for online use, I have a contract free one, pay as you go which I can get online with but the screen is small.
I LOVE LOVE my ipod touch, nowhere near $100 though, unless you get 2nd hand.
netbook would be the best - 2nd hand, or double your budget.

They can use the internet on their cell phones, but I can tell you from my experience that it is more expensive because you are charged by the minute. We got AT&T Uverse bundle for our landline, tv, and internet. I pay about $120 a month total. There are really good internet plans out there. Believe me, if they are like my teenager, they really do need the internet for school, so the expense of the internet is really not that bad. (The only way I have found it to be free is to go to our local library and use their computers when ours is down!) If there is a truly reliable FREE internet service out there, I'd love to know about it myself!!!

I love my netbook--I can do facebook on the living room couch! you can get them for $270 in stores. they are slower than laptops/desktops and have smaller screens, but are great for the social media stuff. The keyboard is big enough so typing is easy. You can do word processing on it and photo downloading/viewing, but no photo or video editing. There is no CD drive, but if you really needed it, you can hook up an external drive by USB.

I'd suggest they share one desktop/laptop and one netbook, so one can do facebook while the other is doing homework without spending $$ on two regular computers.

the new 4g cellphones are basically miniature laptops.

Not for under 100$
net books are good because , just about the only thing they are good for are going on the net they have no real storage space or graphics ability , can't play games on them or really do much else.

I would wait until they graduate HS and give them a laptop as a graduation gift.Or if they want one now they need to save up and buy their own,

I know of nothing under $100.

We got a Dell laptop for our daughter (15) about 3 yrs ago ($2000) She uses it regularly for homework research, computer projects and of course the FB account.

We are wireless in the house and she takes it where ever she needs it at the time.

Phones have capability of internet but there are charges associated with that monthly. Daughter and I have IPhones with unlimited access and our monthly phone bill is $191.

I don't see you able to get anything in your price range. You might however, find someone upgrading their system and manage to get a used laptop.

Good luck.

Add my vote to the laptop for college crowd. We did this with our daughter & will do the same with our younger child. Our older girl kept asking & would point out all her friends who had their own laptop. Over time though, she realized that her friends' laptops were junk & never lasted very long. For her birthday before going off to college, we purchased a really nice Apple laptop for her. She was thrilled & agrees that it's better to put off the purchase until it's a need rather than a want.

My 14yr old son uses his psp, I know some of his friends use the web enabled phones to do it too. I hope this helps.

My daughter (22) and I just upgraded to the iphone 3GS & are having a ball with them. I pay $15 a month for limited service because we have wireless at the house and office and the town we live in is 3g. For her I got the more expensive service at $25 a month because she is all over the country. We paid $99 each for them at best buy. We also recently got her a notebook for her school work etc. and paid about $400 for it at Best Buy.