IT’S ALL ABOUT TABLETS … kiddie size no fries

Lately it seems there each day a new tablet is introduced when you were promised yesterday the one you purchased was the “latest and greatest”. To your horror a lot of you get home and realized that just because that cute little green-bot is on the box does not mean you have access to the great and note-worthy Google play market – nope, it just means that the tablet you purchased runs on an Android OS (albeit there are so many they too change daily that it’s even hard to keep up with those!). So you either took it back or well, can you say brick/door stop etc. Some never receive updates again and some the market they do have you cannot access and if you’re able to then you can’t decipher because you missed taking that particular language in school.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a young lady that does this in her spare time. She works for a living (f/t) but it is her mission in her spare time to seek out every tablet that is marketed and find out exactly what is the good the bad and the ugly of the tablet world; so that you have a little help when trying to make a purchase for your child(ren).

 Lynn runs the site: Kids Tablet which you can find on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidstablet on the website (blog): https://kidstablet.com/ and then on Twitter: @kidstablet

I spoke with Lynn and we talked for quite a while. I am not sure who took a breath first as it was two mutual minds meeting and we had a lot to talk about and dissect. We also decided to leave off the table the iPad in any shape or form and the Nexus – we focused solely on kids tablets – aimed directly at children … so strap on your safety harness and get ready to swipe:

What should parents look for in a kids tablet:

Lynn: Parental controls, a long lasting battery and free, preloaded educational games and activities. Of course, affordability is high on the list as well! In this economy, quality AND quantity are equally important! Next, if a tablet is geared towards kids, it must have parental controls. The internet can be a dangerous place and ensuring that kids are safe online while using these tablets is a must. A decent lasting battery is another requirement. Let’s face it, if the battery life won’t make it through an hour long road trip, it really is not going to serve its purpose. Educational apps is a feature most parents prefer as well. The games on a tablet are fun but we want children to use the tablet as a learning tool as well.

Nabi 2 Kids Tablet:

Tell me about some of the tablets you like this year for kids and designed for kids:

Lynn:  Lexibook offers two tablets for kids: Lexibook Junior Tablet and Lexibook Tablet Master, kids will be able to enjoy a tablet that is specially designed for them. The Lexibook Junior is a kids tablet with internet that has a kid-friendly interface and all the apps that make a tablet fun. There are apps for hobbies, keeping connected with friends, cartoons, games, ebooks, a language translator, and school apps. The Junior device also has a built-in camera, lots of storage space, and the ability to listen to music. This kids tablet PC has everything fun with none of the boring stuff(like financial apps) that adult tablets have. The Lexibook Tablet Master is an educational tablet with WiFi that will put an end to those two words kid so often tell parents: “I’m bored”. Like the Junior, the Master is tough enough to withstand a kid’s often rough and tumble lifestyle. Easily the best tablet for kids for 2012(and beyond), the Master lets a kid learn and encourages play that provides interaction with the worlds of science, English, math, and more.
Unlike other tablets targeted at kids, the Tablet Master is more than just a toy. It will inspire a child to express his/her creative side with drawing and art apps. The Master is a safe, parent content-controlled way for a kid to learn computer basics and explore through play. Lexibook accessories include tablet cases, skins, stylus, keyboards, headsets and more.

Then there’s the Nabi 2 which was revamped recently. The Nabi 2 kids tablet is an Android-based device that has a NVIDIA Tegra 3-toting custom interface. This slate is made with kids in mind and provides them with lots of fun games, activities and so much more. Because children tend to drop and break things regularly, the Nabi 2 features a rubber shell with rounded edges for ultimate protection. This fun and funky design is perfect for children’s bubbly personalities. Nabi 2 is much more than the average gaming system. It is a smart device that has a kid-friendly interface and tons of applications to go along with it. There is also Toys R Us’ tablet which hit markets after much debate and controversy as their design is similar in style and ability as that as the Nabi 2 which they currently stocked and sold exclusively until that relationship dissolved over TRU coming out with their own tablet.

Tabeo Tablet for Kids tablet/slate operates on Google’s Android 4.0 operating system, popularly known as the “Ice Cream Sandwich.”  Tabeo comes preloaded with over 50 kids apps, including Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, as well as over 6,000 free educational games, programs,and books available in the Tabeo store. The Tabeo also promises strong battery life; 10 hours for Internet use, 6-7 for video content. Although it is targeted for sale to the pre-teen and early teen markets, the Android Tabeo PC has a list of features found on all mainstream adult tablets. Features such as a 7-inch multi-touch screen, a front-facing camera, a Lithium Polymer battery capable of delivering 10 hours of usage, and Wi-Fi access are all listed as standard on the kid safe slate. While the child’s tablet only comes with 4GB of storage, there is availability to expand the memory an additional 32GB.

Lynnn also wanted me to let everyone know that for the younger set of kids where you’re not quite ready to commit to a tablet per se you still can’t go wrong with the LeapPad 2 which is always a hot commodity with parents. Games are made from LeapPad and they offer their own market – you do not go out to the Android market to download other games. Please keep that in mind.

Also there is a new tablet in town for that younger set: Nabi Jr should be available in stores now or shortly if they have not already hit (market was for a December release). This Android tablet can do double-duty as a baby monitor or a karaoke machine. Educational apps, games and videos are pre-loaded. It has a single rotating front and back camera.

My question is where were these items at when I was growing up! I missed out on so much yet I’m making up for lost time now. Of course Lynn and I did speak about the iPad and the iPad Mini yet felt we should concentrate specifically to kids tablets in general. When you purchase an Apple device only to turn around and give it to your children to play on you can’t just hand it to them. You have to make sure you have a durable case which then steeps the price even more. So the ones mentioned are made for kids – they are kid tough and marketed towards children ONLY.

And wait until you see what 2013 has in stores for our young kids, our teen/tweens – your head is going to spin more than Medusa’s did when she was slayed. I’m just saing. You think there’s a lot to pick from now? As the old saying goes “you ain’t seen nothing yet, baby”!

To read more about the products mentioned go to:

https://www.lexibook.us/products/lexibook-junior-tablet (lexibook jr)

https://www.lexibook.us/products/lexibook-tablet-master (lexibook tablet master)

https://www.nabitablet.com/where-to-buy/ (nabi 2)

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13265885 (tabeo)

https://www.leapfrog.com/en/pages/support/product_pages/LeapPad2.html (leappad 2)

Photo of girl courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/71077419@N05/8321638368/sizes/z/in/photostream/