I'm an SF writer (and theoretical physicist). My work appears often in Analog Magazine (40 stories so far). Naturally enough, I'd like to recommend my own novels and short story anthologies. With the possible exception of 'SF Stories for Linux Geeks', they are all kid-friendly. They're available for e-readers (MOBI and EPUB). Just go to the Amazon Kindle Store and search on 'Frithrik' (my old college nickname). Read about them there--but no need to buy any of them. Just go to my website www.frithrik.com and click for free copies (mention SLASHDOT for faster response). Perhaps 'Moon over Saint Frankenstein's' (a YA novel about good werewolves) would work best for your eight-year-old. BTW: the free book offer extends to everyone.

I think the problem is that there _is_ no ideal laptop. One needs balance weight against battery life against performance, keyboard touch, durability, cost, etc. The question might be: what will the laptop be mainly used for.

The latest and greatest? Why? My two most used and reliable laptops are a Lenovo T42 and T42p running Linux. I use one machine to back up the other. And my T42p (bought a few months ago) came at a cost of $31 on ebay (+$15 shipping). They are virtually indestructible computers (as opposed to HP, but that's another story). Not that this is the right choice for everyone, but there's more to computing than games.

Glad to see this article! For about a year now, I've been a biphasic sleeper: bed at 22:00, up at 03:00, work until next bedtime at 07:00 an up again at 09:00. As students we were told the most effective study time is right before bed as during sleep, you integrate what you've learned. With two sleep periods it's just that much better (I've read that research substantiates that claim). And of course one can get a lot of uninterrupted work done from 3 to 7 am.