"But mommy...it's like your Kindle and Daddy's iPod Touch! I want one NOW!" Yep, that's how the discovery of Fisher Price's iXL is going to go down in the Toys R US aisle, like it or not. In what we can only compare to a shrunken
Entourage Edge, the $80 clamshell device is meant for 3-to-6 year olds that are just learning to read and write, and it packs a color, resistive touchscreen and a plastic stylus. While some tots may complain about the not-very-finger-friendly display or the rather chunky and heavy design, Fisher gets that it's all about the software. In addition to the "app based" home screen (which we were told was modeled after the iPhone or iPad), the iXL comes preloaded with games, an animated story book and other applications -- additional children's e-books will be available for download from its online store when the device goes on sale this summer. Using a Mac or a PC, parents can also sideload those illustrated titles, as well as pictures and MP3s using the onboard USB port. Well, you heard the kids... they want it
now!
posted February 15th 2010 10:48AM
I want to hack this!
@LCDBox
We all do.
We all do.
:D
Nice idea
If only it ran Android. "W00t, I rooted my iXL today!"
Very nice, and it looks durable.
I learned to read thanks to sesame street, but this kind of thing would probably have done a great job too. And sesame street did not prepare me for a world of technology.
@(Unverified) Sesame Street is awesome. One of the greatest shows ever developed.
@(Unverified)
I'm certainly not dissing Sesame Street!
It's a great show. I think we live in a world that is a little different now. Kids also need some interaction with electronics as early as possible, in my opinion. If I had a kid, their sesame street would probably by on a portable media player as soon as they could use one safely, instead of sitting them on the carpet in front of the TV. On the other hand, a big part of Sesame Street (one I didn't experience) was that parents could watch it with their kids (that's why they have celebs on).
My mom tells me about how I was able to read before she realized she should even try to teach me how to read. Sesame Street also fills a gap in upbringing, and if it was on in every house 24/7 the world would be a ridiculously better place.
@(Unverified) I dunno about the 24/7 :S I think things will start to get a bit creepy... drug dealers will be cookie dealers, assaulting Oreo trucks in the name of the Cookie Monster. We will be plagued with puppets ( I think we have enough puppets in the Political World hehe it is called Wall Street xD )
@TikiTeko
Ridiculous and better, though.
@(Unverified)
I think this will be a great tool. When I was 3, I was reading thanks to the text-to-voice feature of my father's macintosh
Primer version 1
now to make it electrocute you if you put in the wrong password
@Wikimon I feel sorry for your kids... if they ever get a B or a C :S
Ha! Even Fisher-Price put a USB port in it's "Tablet"!
@thrash1256 LOL!
@thrash1256
The iXL's target audience is obviously more advanced and capable than that other Tablet's.
I'm sure Fart Apps would be well-received here too.
Seriously, an iPod touch is one of the most educational / addictive toys for my 3 year old. There's a wealth of kid-friendly education apps in the iTunes App Store, mostly available at the $0.99 or $1.99 price point. Although an iPod touch starts at $199, with each app costing only $0.99, it wouldn't take long before something like this iXL, Leapster, or Nintendo DS plus several titles ends up costing the same as the iPod touch.
@Edward D
You would let your 3 year old play with the iPod Touch... You must have a lot of money to spare...
@Edward D
Nintendo DS plus some smart Brain age style games is a much better deal for a kid than an ipod touch.
Or a Sony Ericsson style device with a screen that is far more durable than that Ipod.
One of the reasons I keep kids away from apple is that I want kids who are creative and hack and free to play with file structures and put stuff on and off the phone more easily. Pandora's upcoming device with Linux is the ideal. an Ipod is not. Too easy to use, too little freedom to fuck with the device.
@(Unverified)
also, if you REALLY want your kid to learn, get them a 5 year old Windows XP laptop and a couple of programming languages with uncompiled games to tinker with. Gimp, Audacity, some kind of drafting software, Google Earth, maybe that Wikipedia download version if they aren't able to get online all the time. Dual boot ubuntu.
There's your $199 spent well. throw in a car adapter.
Of course, you have to raise them with some rules to keep them safe (same as ipod touch).
I see a LOT of these new ipods with cracked screens. Like MBPs having that crack by the touchpad. Reminds me of Capcom's old "suicide battery" technology in arcade cabinets. Not for kids, in my opinion.
@(Unverified) agree on the whole hacking thing - I use a ThinkPad w/ Jaunty as my primary machine. However, there's something to be said for ease of use and availability of applications, which is why the iPod touch is such a compelling device for my preschooler. Not to mention, touch input devices are incredibly intuitive for kids versus a silly mouse or stylus.
When my child can read/write, yeah, I'll be happy to introduce her to Linux and programming, but I'm focused on counting, phonetics, and simple problem solving at the moment. Your arguments are why kids don't care to study programming or engineering -- "Look how bad ass this shell script is!" isn't a very compelling story. Whereas, "Hey, I like iPod touch games, maybe I should learn to develop one myself!" *is* a great way to get kids interested in programming or engineering.
@Joshua Przygocki I live a comfortable lifestyle, thankyouverymuch, but spending money on educational stuff for my kids is a priority over buying toys for myself. I was interested in computers because my dad let me play with (and break) his $3000 IBM PC 25+ years ago. So, $199 + apps is a pretty small price to pay for encouraging computing literacy.
@Edward D I agree.
A $150 refurb Touch with $0.99 apps VS $80 Leapster clone with $20 apps.
As for breakage, my 3yr old was very careful with it (only could use it when sitting down, only in the living room that has carpet, etc...).
Tots aren't allowed to complain.
How long will it be before some old fart comes in and starts grumbling about how things are too complicated and that back in his day they had to go to school barefoot, carrying oldfashioned books uphill.. both ways etc etc?
@I like things
uphill, both ways, pushing the school bus, in the snow~
I am a geek and I do like all the techno stuff... but I kinda like books better. There is nothing like the feeling of a book in your hands, the paper material, the tradition. I would buy one of these to my kiddo but I would also get him regular books... (I know, Green Peace is going to be mad , but oh well )
@TikiTeko
dead tree books don't break if you drop them or get them wet. They will work in 50 years. They are great technology that will absolutely never be completely eliminated. But kids also need to get a feel for gizmos. The smart kids will be the ones who know all about this crap.
@(Unverified) Werd! Balance is what needs to be achieved.
Lets see: Stylus input, USB port, sturdy design.... best tablet on the market by far
iPad killer!
Why is the Engadget frontpage not inundated with the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series News. I just got some free time at work and decided to check and all I saw was 3 post. What the Hell? Isn't this a clear fact now that Engadget is Pro Apple? Just saying.............. iLadyHygiene got more coverage...
@SetThemStraight Damn, give them time. It just debuted 2 hours ago. These guys aren't superman. And there has not been one post about apple just about all day on here.
The real advantage to reading on a screen over reading from a paper book? I've never been awakened at 4am to the sound of one of my cats ripping a screen to tiny shreds.
nice toy too bad most 5 year olds are already using laptops now.
I bought my 10 and 11 year old nieces a laptop a few weeks ago now my 5 year old niece keep running up to me saying when you gone buy me a puter lol.
this world is moving too fast.
any specs on this?