No problem! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks.

Thank you for the quick and detailed response.

Hey Leslie,

The CTL line of Chromebooks are definitely a force to be reckoned with. I think the durability of them of their design makes them perfect for anyone who needs a literal solid block of laptop for everyday use- kids, teens, and workers that work in extreme conditions (like construction, business, or constantly on-the-go).

If you’re looking for a durable Chromebook with a little premium for the build quality, CTL is worth considering on your shopping comparison list.

However, other than the build quality, they do seem to suffer from poor internal components. Things like the battery, screen angle viewability/color/contrast, and even resolution have all been reported as not-so-user-friendly from my experience.

For example, in the CTL J2 (probably the most popular model and I believe it’s the newest one you’re referring to?), the contrast can get so ridiculously low that it makes it hard to even distinguish lighter font colors like gray on white or other contrasting colors like highlighting text, bright fonts, and even some bright backgrounds. The screen size also seems to have some issues displaying pages correctly as the edges of the screen get cut off and you need to zoom in or out using the default UI to see it. It’s pretty annoying and I’ve only run into this issue with CTL series Chromebooks.

Other than those reasons, it’s a decent buy for the price. But you will pay a premium for the durability. You could call them personal preference, but it seems like their quality control isn’t very strict. Some people have good experiences with them and others don’t. In my opinion, CTL is still new to the market and has a ways to go before perfecting a kid-proof device that functions how it should. There are already a lot of durable and rugged Chromebooks on the market that is solid buys and don’t’ suffer from the same issue as the J2.

You may be interested to give a quick glance-over:
Acer 11 C771
Acer 11 N7
HP x360
5 of the best Chromebooks in 2018

And if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask =].

Thanks.

Hey Berri,

No problem. Glad to help.

If durability is your priority, there are a few specific Chromebook you can look into.
Some of them have the basic necessities like a spill-proof keyboard, scratch-resistant screen, and rubberized edges all the way to military-standardized shock/drop/hot/cold/weather-tested design and even super durable lids that can withstand a full-sized textbook drop.

I like the scenario you drew out. I think if you really want to protect the laptop, your best bet would be to get a model designed with durable features and get a nice case to go with it.

You have a lot of options.

Here are a few pages you may want to check out:
Acer 11 N7
Play Store compatible models
Acer 11C771
Models with smaller screens
And some of the newest models

And here’s a list of some good Chromebook cases.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks for your comment.

No problem =].

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks again for your inquiry.

Thank you, Andy. This is very helpful! I’ll take a look at the links. Happy Holidays to you too!

Hey JAM,

Sadly, this is just one of those tidbits that’s pretty deep within Google’s Terms and Conditions (and for many sites on the web).

You’re not missing anything. These laptops are marketed towards the younger generation, and many kids in elementary schools are using them. In fact, school districts are the dominant market for Chromebooks in the US.

Schools, however, to my knowledge, use a managed enrollment system that allows them to filter student activity on their Chromebooks. This offers some degree of web filtering and protection.

There’s a children’s privacy act governed by the FTC called “COPPA,” which in a nutshell makes it very difficult to create products that willingly are marketed towards children under 13 years of age. Its aim is to protect the privacy of children online. You can read more about COPPA here.

Any Google product requires that the user be at least 13 years of age or else they won’t be able to use it. You can read their statement here.

So, besides using your account, there isn’t much you can do at this point to get him a personal account. This has actually be an ongoing issue, so you’re definitely onto something. It’s been discussed about for years in various Google forums. Here’s a shining example.

The only working method is to use Supervised User mode or set up a Family Link account. You can find out information about both of these using the previous link to the Google Forums. But even then, the methods stated in that forum thread are hit-or-miss. Some users seem to have success with it, and most don’t.

This is an issue that will probably be addressed soon, as many news sites speculate that kids will be able to get their own personalized Google Accounts in the very near future.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

And thanks for the kind words =]. Happy holidays!