Up Close With the Next Generation of Tablet Users

Ina Fried — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:00:59 +0000

I spent some time this past weekend exploring the future of tablets.

I wasn’t looking at the next generation of devices, but rather the next generation of people who will be using those devices. Like many youngsters, my 6-year-old cousin and almost-3-year-old cousin need no introduction to touchscreen devices.

My cousins have long enjoyed playing with my iPad, as well as their dad’s iPod touch. This year, they added two more devices to their lives: For Christmas, their dad got an iPad that they occasionally let him use. And the older of the two girls also got a kid-oriented tablet — the LeapPad Explorer, by LeapFrog.

The LeapPad is proving quite popular. It plays matching games, assembles scrapbooks and takes pictures and videos.

And while it took the kids no time at all, their parents spent about nine hours trying to get the thing to properly sync with one of their computers so they could download games.

For those uninitiated with LeapFrog, it’s an educational-technology company that creates all kinds of fun tech geared exclusively for kids. The LeapPad is this year’s hot toy, riding the coattails of the iPad’s popularity. Past Leap devices have overlaid educational gaming on top of other popular tech shapes. Indeed, sitting unused in a corner of the house was the Leapster Explorer — a device that plays many of the same titles as the LeapPad, but is shaped more like a Nintendo Game Boy. The company has also made devices that offer a kid’s take on a laptop and grocery store price scanner, among other digital products.

Of course, the iPad itself boasts plenty of educational content, and was also an instant hit with the girls, who enjoyed tapping on its virtual piano and playing a game called Temple Run.

What struck me is the place that both devices had in my cousins’ lives. They used the LeapPad on their own and together, and shared the iPad — at least on occasion — with their dad.

More importantly, it reinforces the fact that the next generation of computer buyers is already having their minds shaped. And their expectations are high. Everything should be a touchscreen and instantly responsive. Devices should also be versatile and capable of quickly learning new tricks. And, by default, Apple is the gold standard.

A Tablet Children Can Grow Into

Katherine Boehret — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:13:52 +0000

The crowded tablet market now offers a number of devices in various weights, screen sizes and operating systems. But are there any tablets built to withstand tough treatment from kids?

This week, I tested a tablet aimed at ages 4 through 9: the $100 LeapPad Explorer from LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., a company known for its educational children’s toys. This tablet, which is available in green or pink, has a built-in microphone, camera, video recorder and kid-size stylus for writing and drawing on its five-inch touch screen (a finger also works).

It was designed with tough plastics, a sheet of Mylar over its glass screen and an extra metal frame around the screen to withstand physical abuse. This tablet can be used for reading e-books, playing games and running through digital flashcards.

The LeapPad Explorer is the latest in LeapFrog’s gadget lineup, which started with the original LeapPad educational toy in the late 1990s and more recently continued with the Leapster Explorer hand-held game in July 2010.

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The Explorer tablet for kids works with over 40 downloadable apps and has a topside slot for running older game cartridges. A spokeswoman said the company expects to offer more than 70 apps by the end of this year, and has no plans to stop selling cartridges. Cartridges cost $25 each and downloadable activities—including games, apps, flash cards, videos and eBooks—range from $5 to $20 each.

While using the LeapPad Explorer, I discovered plenty of features that would appeal to young kids like fun sounds, on-screen graphics and a sense of accomplishment while progressing through books, games and activities.

The main appeal of the LeapFrog products is the company’s focus on personalized education. When children set up the Explorer, they enter their grades, ranging from prekindergarten to sixth grade. The device’s activities then automatically tune to a child’s capabilities. This means that if a third-grader is performing at a higher level than is expected for that age, the Explorer adjusts to a slightly higher level, and the child is notified and congratulated. However, if a child is progressing at a lower level, the system adjusts to a slightly lower level without notifying the child.

A feature called the LeapFrog Learning Path lets parents digitally track their child’s progress. Whenever the Explorer is plugged into a computer, details about the child’s time on the device are transferred to the PC so a parent knows how the child is performing and can get tips on how to help the child improve.

LeapPad Explorer comes with three apps and a free app of choice.

The activities address spelling, phonics, math, creativity, science, music and geography. And because of LeapFrog’s partnership with Disney-Pixar, kids will likely recognize characters from movies in the Explorer’s games and books.

My favorite app was the Ultra eBook, “Cars 2: Project Undercover.” LeapFrog’s ultra eBooks are like eBooks on steroids. They let kids record themselves reading an entire book and play it back. They’re animated and have six built-in comprehension activities and three games. They offer stories written at three text levels and they use a visual dictionary for vocabulary development. “Cars 2: Project Undercover” is the only Ultra eBook currently available, but LeapFrog plans to add six more to its app store before the end of the year.

LeapFrog designed the Explorer tablet with certain features that keep its cost down, and some also solve child-safety concerns. For instance, the Explorer lacks a wireless connection, so kids can’t get online without plugging the tablet into a Windows PC or Mac. Downloading apps also requires a parent’s password.

Another example is that the LeapPad Explorer runs on four AA batteries rather than the rechargeable lithium ion batteries found in most regular tablets.

LeapFrog’s spokeswoman said this keeps the cost low and noted that Li-Ion batteries can leak, making them unsafe for kids’ toys. Kids can plug the Explorer into the wall with a $10 AC adapter.

The Explorer is a far cry from popular tablets. The device’s one-inch thickness makes it chunkier than most grown-up tablets and its screen is of a lower quality than that of iPads and Android tablets. Its built-in camera has resolution of less than one megapixel. I found the tablet’s response time to be a bit sluggish, but doubt most kids under 9 would.

Each Explorer tablet comes loaded with three apps and a free app of choice (eBook, game or video) from the LeapFrog Connect app store, accessible via computer once the tablet is plugged in via USB cord. Preloaded apps include a pet game, which gives kids a pet to care for, Story Studio for creating stories with photos, voice-overs and art, and Art Studio for drawing and painting with various colors and stamped images.

Though the LeapPad Explorer looks a bit chubby compared with regular tablets, its features will be adequate for kids. Its ability to grow over time with more downloaded apps makes it a smart investment for parents.

Write to Katherine Boehret at katherine.boehret@wsj.com

AllThingsD » LeapPad

Up Close With the Next Generation of Tablet Users

A Tablet Children Can Grow Into