I use many different devices. iOS, Android, Windows. iPad, Chromebook, Macbook, Surface, etc. I like to compare and contrast differences between systems and devices.. This post is about how the Microsoft Surface and Windows 8.1 works for parents and kids.
Why? Well, it isn’t so much the Surface and Windows 8.1, but Microsoft Family Safety. This has been around in Windows for a while, through the “Live Essentials” and what have you, but now it is built into the OS. Since previously I didn’t have kids, I had no use for it. Now with younger kids that want to play on my devices, I tried it.
On my Surface, I just created a kids account, and linked it to Family Safety. Now, when the kid plays, it tracks what they do. I can control what apps, what sites, levels of app ratings, time, etc. I get a report every week
If she tries to play a game or install something it won’t let her. It asks for password, it even asks “is your parent here now” so I can just put in the password. Pretty awesome.
Other systems and devices have nothing like this that I have seen, nothing built in anyways. With an iPad (or iOS) you really don’t have this control. Maybe if they have their own device, but if they share your’s you are out of luck since there are no accounts in iOS.
I have no problems now just giving her the Surface to play with – and I can track usage and set limits, pretty awesome. If you are a parent and have a Windows 8 or 8.1 device, check out the children accounts and family safety. You don’t even have to set up an email address for your kids, it just works as a local account if you want. Score one for Microsoft!
Steve Novoselac's Blog 
3 replies on “Why The Surface (and Windows 8.1) Makes The Most Sense for Parents and Kids”
For Android, I’ve used https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zoodles.kidmode. It allows you to “jail” the kids into the app. You can decide which system applications/games are accessible, plus it has a bunch of (mostly shitty) games and educational videos available within it as well. Get weekly usage reports, etc. The application “grows” with the kids as well, it will show content based on their age.
All that said, it’s got so many weird quirks that I don’t use it anymore.
The Family Safety system looks nice and slick for the Surface indeed. The kids have their own RT, and nice to see it’s available on that platform as well.
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[…] Why The Surface (and Windows 8.1) Makes The Most Sense for Parents and Kids […]
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A coworker bought a Kindle HDX 8.9 that he lets his daughter use. That has a child-friendly (and child-protective) mode built in, too.
It’s good for parents to have options.
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