Generally the action (ie string height from the neck) is going to be a shade higher on an acoustic making fingering chords harder for new fingers and acoustics tend to be less forgiving of mistakes, so it sounds worse for a newer player.
That and nobody wants to hear you play Michael Row The Boat Ashore.
Let me just say, thank you for not buying the first act pack! I teach band, and any kid who gets a first act instrument regrets in in a few months. They break, and barely even play properly upon purchase. Repair techs refuse to fix them because the materials are so weak they are liable to cause more damage while trying to repair them.
Fender is a name with some history to it. I don’t know how much I vouch for the longevity of a 200$ instrument, but anything is better than first act.
He will love it. The next thing he’s going to want is VOLUME- but that’s something you should make him save up for. I got a very similar package when I was his age, and my mom wouldn’t budge on getting me an amp upgrade for Christmas (B-Day is in November) So I saved up for a few months and in that time learned the chords, did a lot of research to find exactly what I was looking for and why, and nothing was more gratifying than the day I went and got my first 100 watts with my own money.
(Do NOT let him figure out that a guitar can hook up pretty easily to your stereo. he will ruin it.)
Considering he sticks with it, you’ve done really well by him. That is a decent starter pack, and with a little tweaking to the guitar, he’ll be able to master all the basics. I’m going to get crucified by the purists for this, but I’ve found that a quality amp with a good battery of pre-set effects can do far more for you than an upgrade in instrument. That’s not to say that your sound quality and ease of play isn’t vastly improved by a good guitar, it is; but for most of what kids want to learn the amp is the way to invest.
Oh, and strings! good strings!
The first one listed in the OP is the set that Hallgirl1 got Hallboy for Christmas. We bought it at a guitar store–it was recommended for a beginner teen who wasn’t sure how much he really wanted to learn, but showed an interest. It came as a complete package for under $200, plus the guy at the guitar store told us to bring it by a few days before Christmas and he would “set it up” and have it ready for Hallboy to play on Christmas day.
Me, I’m buying him headphones.