I'm looking for a small notebook for 9 year old to run Linux powerfully enough for programming and runing Minecraft to buy my son for this Christmas. I'm based in the UK.Small enough to suit a 10 year old, a 13 screen would be fineNot too heavy, he will only be using it at home but I want it to be easy for him to move around the house.He wants to learn basic programmingHe also wants to play MinecraftFor these reasons, and because it requires less resources then Windows, I want to install Linux, preferably Ubuntu. Would better if it came installed with Linux, not Windows.It doesn't need to be super powerful, but at the same time it should be powerful enough to do the tasks mentioned above.A matte screen would be a bonusAn SSD would be a bonusTo be clear, I do want a proper computer with a hard drive, not a ChromebookIve had a look at Acer, Asus and Lenovo - I think there might be a solution there, but I'm struggling to understand the range, nor can I see anything without Windows installed.I'm looking to spend about 300.
Looking for a small notebook for 9 year old to run Linux powerfully enough for Minecraft
laptop
As Paul Taylor already mentioned, Lenovo X220 was chosen.According to the OP's requirements: Dislay: 12.5 (1366x768, LED backlight, wideview, anti-glare, anti-reflective) Weight: 3.5 pounds with 6-cell battery (~1.6 kg) X220 will handle popular Linux distros with ease (Source 1, Source 2).  Most often X220 has Windows on the board but it can be also (in specific cases) available without an operating system (related link). Powerful enough to learn programming and play simple games SSD is available in some builds (up to 160 GB - datasheet). It's in your budgetSome of the people don't really like the gritty touchpad but you can replace it on your own for ~$13.This topic may be useful.I have found a very perfect solution for the ones that do not like the  touchpads on newer Thinkpads. On my Thinkpad T400s i just peeled of  the old surface, which is just a sticker, cleaned of the glue by  rubbbing it off with my finger, and then put on a new smooth  touchpadsurface from the company skinstylerandI recently replaced the worn gritty touchpad on my Lenovo T420S.For those wondering around this I have attached a pic.  http://1drv.ms/1pacMv8Process was easy, and removing the existing skin remarkably easy. My  pad was pre-cut according to T420S size. I would recommend doing it -  the old worn pads do look tacky.Protection skin mentioned in the topic is available here.Related video