The
Ultimate Kid-slate
Anyone
who has ever handed their expensive tablet to their child before,
will know of the fear and trepidation in doing so. Sticky finger
marks, accidentally bought in-app purchases, and – God forbid –
cracked screens can all result when the kiddies are at play. If only
there was tablet out there for children that possessed all the cool
features of a regular adult slate but was safe for them to
kid-handle. Hot damn, there is my friend, and it's called the LeapPad
Platinum.
This
tablet for kids aged three to nine is the latest in a long line of
educational technology from LeapFrog, and this looks to be their most
advanced yet. In a nutshell this rugged, protected tablet features a
seven inch capacitive touchscreen (with a grip-friendly bumper-like
bezel all the way around), 8 GB of onboard storage, a 2MP camera on
the front and on the back, a web browser that has been limited to
make it safe for kids, and access to hundreds of games and apps, as
well as having plenty pre-installed goodies with which to get your
kids started.
The
first thing we noticed with the LeapPad Platinum once we had charged
it up, was how impressive the screen is. Those seven inches are used
well to cram in a 1024x600 resolution, which on a device this small
(and this price) is great. Clearly the Platinum has more muscle in
the processing department as well, as the main menu screen loaded
quickly and smoothly. In fact all transitions between apps and
screens were slick and quick, and the touchscreen is the most
responsive we've ever tested on a kid tablet.
Another
part of the hardware to mention are the two cameras. As well as
taking snaps in 2MP, kids can also record video at 480p. That doesn't
sound like much, but when viewed back on the LeapPad's smallish
screen, it looks fine. Plus, capturing at a lower res means that the
onboard storage won't be quickly sapped by videos of the dog or, as
we found when we gave ours to our six year old tester, nearly an hour
of video of the living room carpet. Fun.
The
included apps include the likes of a media player (files can be
uploaded via the bundled USB cable – which is also used to charge
the LeapPad Platinum), LeapSearch, which is LeapFrog's safe web
browser that uses the built-in WiFi, a PhotoFun app that lets you
edit your pictures, utility apps such as a calculator, and also a
credit to download something from the App Centre. On the store you'll
find hundreds of fun things, most with an educational twist, and lots
of recognisable faces in the forms of licensed games featuring the
PAW Patrol and Team Umizoomi (our personal faves). We'll be honest
that we found the majority of the apps and games to be quite
expensive, with many of them coming in at £7.50 (and some Frozen
titles priced at £15). That's pretty cheap compared to console game
prices, but for a digital download it is a lot – so pick your
freebie wisely.
Another
bit of added extra is the inclusion of Imagicard, a physical
card-based game from LeapFrog. You can purchase additional packs,
again with kids' TV characters, which then unlock a download. It's
quite a nice additional as there are six cards included with the
LeapPad Platinum, and the more kids collect, the more they can unlock
in the games and apps.
So
although we were tad shocked by the prices of the apps, there is
enough included with the LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum to keep kids of
all ages entertained for a good long while. The emphasis is very much
on education and learning, but our young tester found it to be both
fun and useful. If you're thinking about getting your kids a cheap
tablet, one for watching movies and playing games, the price of the
LeapPad Platinum really makes it attractive, as well as the fact that
it essentially comes in it's own protective case. Check it out.
£99.99
(extra Imagicard sets are £19.99)
Visit
www.leapfrog.com
