LeapFrog introduces a tablet for kids

LeapFrog has been making educational electronic devices for kids for far longer than your 5 year old has been stealing your iPad. Now the company is getting ready to launch the next-generation LeapPad — a tablet meant for kids under the age of 9.

While the original LeapPad was basically designed for reading books, listening to audio, and writing notes, the new LeapPad is a 5 inch tablet with a rugged plastic case, a working camera, microphone, and 2GB of storage.

This isn’t your typical iOS or Android tablet. It’s designed to run educational games and apps including cartridges designed for the Leapster Explorer. It can also play videos or work as an eBook reader. The LeapPad will sell for $100, and it goes up for pre-order Wednesday, June 29th.

Will it keep your kids from borrowing your iPhone? It’ll cost $100 to find out. But at the very least they’re less likely to break it… or accidentally call your ex on it.

via NY Times

Posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011, 3:56 pm by Brad Linder | 5 Comments

Anonymous

I rather get those cheap Android tablets ($60 – $150) for my kids. I’m pretty sure LeapFrog does not have capacitive screens. Besides, those cartridges will cost a lot of money.
gman

The masses will get sucked in this proprietary black hole called the LeapPad. I hear the sucking already.
Anonymous

True, but they’re actually made for kids and there is far less chance of the kids finding inappropriate content. Along with a lesser chance of them breaking the device or crashing the OS.

Never mind the risk you run with a regular tablet if other family members also use it for things like accounts and financial information.

For example, I remember once letting my nephew play a car game on my PS3 and the next thing I know I got a email notice thanking me for purchasing a optional add-on race track for the game.

Kids are not good with limits and security, but they can get into just about anything if given the chance…
Anonymous

Right. That is true. Kids will do anything to get to the next level without realizing they had just bought something over the web. That reminds of the stories I read about kids buying stuffs for their online characters. Thankfully, there are a couple of Parental Control apps for Android. Hopefully that might work.
http://twitter.com/V_U vēer

Typo: “and wriitng notes, the new”
I guess only way to find out whether this device will succeed or fail will be when their parents start buying them and whether kids will be hooked on them or not.

LeapFrog introduces a tablet for kids

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