A 16X CD-ROM is, as you might expect, really, really fast, but it's only justifiable if running games, not educational software, is your goal. Since this is a lot less than buying a new computer, and since most computers are designed to accept new components, this is definitely an option to consider. If you do decide to start from scratch, it's possible to get a break on the price of your new machine by buying a computer as part of an educational promotion. IBM, Dell and Gateway don't offer regular discounts to parents buying a computer for their child or college student. However, Apple has a variety of special deals for parents buying a computer for educational purposes.
College students can get even better deals.
The big PC manufacturers sell their machines at a discount to universities and schools, and sometimes those savings are passed on to students. Apple goes one step further, offering college students computers, modems and printers at prices that are significantly lower than retail, and occasionally offering rebate programs that make the equipment even more affordable. Unfortunately, if your child gets to college and finds out that his computer is completely incompatible with his school's system, then he's pretty much out of luck. So before buying a computer for a new undergraduate, consider waiting until he gets on campus and talks to his professors and fellow students to get a feel for which kind of machine would work best with the school's existing resources. On the one hand, experts like the Parent Soup family counselors Don and Jeanne Elium feel that it's a big mistake to replace the real world with a computer, especially for children under the age of 7.