Kid Savvy PC (ver 200911062359)

With computers becoming more popular than ever, it is only expected that it is becoming increasingly popular among young kids to explore the internet for simple (i.e flash-based) games as well. Having said that, some parents and teachers may want to introduce their children (ages 8 and younger) to the internet and computers, but at a much more controlled level and without having to worry about their data getting exposed, unwanted material, pop-ups etc

We have come across the software application, known as Kid Savvy PC, a simple application that works with parents and teachers to introduce a more kid-friendly computing environment. It’s part of a series of projects at Resolutions Realized, LLC.

The application is available to everyone and you are able to use it for a 30 day trial. Installation was very simple and little computer literacy is required.

Features:

First boot:

After running the application for the first time, the user will be promoted to type a password which will be used to control the settings of the application and access to other features. It is important to remember this password as it is required occasionally. The following is a screenshot of the password setup window.

Main window:

The main window for the program is very simple, clean and requires little time to become used to. The adult will have no problems navigating their way through it, but a kid might need to familiarize themselves with it for few minutes.

The window is laid out in a simple tab based format. It is application based, which means that the user is given a unique environment much like software and such, with no access to operating system files and settings. On the bottom, there are three tabs including World Wide Web, Software, and Activities. Under the World Wide Web there is a slide-show format (near top) of the preset websites that kids can access. It includes popular sites such as Disney, Hot Wheels, Nickelodeon and more!

The software tab includes a calculator and math application, where the latter gives some basic mathematical questions such as addition, subtraction, division etc. Here is a screenshot of the math application:

The activities tab is where I assume that most kids will spend their time on because it includes a good selection of simple built-in games. A screenshot is included below:

Settings:

The program has volume control built-in which is a good feature for kids so they can learn how to control the environment around them. The settings option is located on the top right, showing two gears close to each other.

A nice addition is that once the settings button is pressed, the user is promoted to enter the password, thus limiting the kid to manipulate the settings in anyway. The same password used at first boot is required here. The settings windows differs slightly in a way that it is not as kid friendly and it is not supposed to be since the user controlling it has better computer literacy. Here is a screenshot of the settings window:

The settings window is very well laid out as well, much like the rest of the program. It is tab based as well, which includes handy features such as General program settings, Timer options, Allowed programs/activities, Web Filters, Approved links, and more.

An important setting that the parent/teacher should pay attention to is the “Extra Protection” under the General tab, which removes the “CTL+ALT+DEL” option to avoid the child shutting the program down. Also, under the Timer tab, the parent/teacher has the ability to set a time limit on which the child can use the computer for. This is a very handy feature that will help keep track of time spent on the computer.

Additional features such as Allowed programs and Activities are important as well because the parent/teacher is allowed to control what the user can access, and if desired, the adult can add/remove programs at own wish.

Web Filtering and Approved links is a very handy tool. I believe that many parents and teachers will be modifying the Approved links as often as possible to make sure that the user has a wide variety of links to access. I consider the Approved links a very handy feature because the teacher and parent will modify it to include not only fun sites, but school related ones where the child can use computing for educational purposes as well.

Final thoughts and conclusions:

Overall I think this neat software application is a good way to introduce young kids to the age of internet and computing. Having said that, the application boasts a range of features to help the parent and teacher provide a more controlled environment, which includes a good set of built in tools to get started, such as popular sites and kid-based games and activities.

The program was simple and straightforward to use, there were no glitches that I came across or any system stability problems during installation and use.  I believe the program is a solid edition to any home or school which has young children as some of the users.

At approximately 65MBs of memory consumption, it’s not the lightest application out there, but also most of users will have it running by itself. Secondly, most of the computers today are equipped with 512MB of ram minimum. Windows Vista and Windows 7 capable computers are equipped with at least 1GB (and on average 2GB of ram). Therefore, the 65MB memory consumption is not as bad as it seems.

The developers have worked hard to make sure that initial setup is minimal, and it is exactly like that.  During first boot, the user is only required to setup a password and the program is ready for use. The default settings are what most parents and teachers opt for, with the exception of adding/removing websites (other than preset ones) and time limit.

The application is available for $29.99 through online purchase, or the user can download the 30-day trial to test the product.

Requirements:

-Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 (32/64bit) capable computer
-20 MB of free hard disk space

Overall Rating:

Product rating: 95%
User friendly: 90%
Stability: 100%
Features: 95%
Cost: 80%

Article Downloads:

-Kid Savvy PC “30-day trial”
-Kid Savvy PC “buy” option

We would like to thank the developers of Kid Savvy PC for providing us the full version of their software for this review.

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