LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer

My 7-year-old son has spent the last few months eyeballing the Apple iPad some family members have been sporting. It's not something I was actually considering getting him anytime soon. The good news is, I found something that he found just as entertaining: the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer ($99.99 list). Aimed at the 4- to 9-year-old set, this device is meant to be not just a gaming and media consumption platform but also one for learning.

Design and Features
The LeapPad measures approximately 5.1 by 7 by 1 inches (HWD). The chassis is made of plastic in the LeapFrog signature colors of white and bright green (there is also a pink and white version). The 5-inch TFT touch screen has a resolution of 480 by 272, which is higher resolution than the 320-by-240 of the LeapFrog Leapster Explorer ($69.99 list). The whole device is rugged enough for typical wear and tear, and just the right size for children's hands.

The stylus can be stowed magnetically in a slot in the top right side of the LeapPad. While the magnet slot is a cool feature, I strongly recommend using the bundled second stylus with a string and attaching it to a small thin bar in a hollow right above the magnetic slot (we managed to lose the stylus without a string in a day). The location of the stylus slot is a vast improvement over its location on the Leapster Explorer, as both left- and right-handed users will not have a problem wielding the stylus even attached to the string.

The tiny power button lies on the left side of the screen. There's also a headphone jack at the top of the device, to the left of the game cartridge slot, and a mini-USB port next to the cartridge slot (a USB cable is bundled with the system). There is a small home button at the bottom right of the screen, which gets you back to the main menu, and the volume control is located to the right of the screen. In the middle of the area underneath the screen is a toggle button.

On the back of the LeapPad is a built-in camera and video recorder, and the device comes with 10 photo edit tools, as well as a countdown timer so users can take self-portraits. The LeapPad has an accelerometer, which allows users to move the device in various directions when playing games.

Leaplet Apps
Since it launched its Leaplet apps store, LeapFrog has added much to its inventory. Granted, it's not anywhere near as many apps as, say, the iTunes store, but at over 100, there's a lot to choose from. Among the highlights are what LeapFrog is calling Ultra ebooks (not to be confused with the new laptop category), a souped-up version of the ebooks that LeapFrog already had in its library. Where the ebooks had sound effects and a read-aloud feature, the ultra ebooks add games in the middle. For instance, the Cars 2 ultra ebook features a couple of cool racing games that take advantage of the built-in accelerometer.

In addition to games and e-books, there are also LeapFrog videos for purchasing and downloading to the Leapster. (I hope to see more videos available either in the store or on cartridges, if possible.) You have two options for purchasing an app from the Leaplet store. You can do so directly from LeapFrog's site, or you can buy a Leaplet app card, wait until you get it, then enter the download code. Once purchased, you can add the app, book, or movie to up to four Leapster Explorer and LeapPad devices, a boon to those who own several devices.

Performance
Setup was relatively easy. The system takes four double-A batteries, and installing them doesn't necessarily require a screwdriver. I used a quarter to slip open the two slots in the back of the unit, and voila, batteries installed. After inserting the batteries, I turned the unit on. I also created a player account for Jake (though this part was easy enough for Jake to have done himself). Then I inserted the bundled CD-ROM into my PC, and it brought me to LeapFrog's site (you'll need an Internet connection for this) where I downloaded the LeapFrog Connect app. Then I simply followed the instructions that came up on my computer screen.

After I connected, I added the device to my existing LeapFrog account (creating a new account is just as easy). It's important to note that if you have a previous LeapFrog account and set up a new account, you won't have access to apps you downloaded using your original account. (I found that out the hard way.) After the setup, I handed the LeapPad to Jake and sat back. Given that he already has the Leapster Explorer, it wasn't too hard for him to figure out the controls. The difference is that the physical controls?two control buttons (A and B), main menu, Hint button with a question-mark icon, and a Pause button?are now touch controls on the screen, but they're located more or less in the same place they were in the Leapster Explorer.

Jake had a lot of fun using his Leapster Explorer game cartridges ($24.99 list) on the LeapPad, such as Wolverine and the X-Men, a game that lets you customize over 12,000 words that the user can spell while reuniting the X-Men and saving mutant-kind, and Ben 10 Alien Force, which teaches concepts about animals, geography, and DNA.

Being an emerging comics fiend, Jake played the Wolverine game first. I thought the game creators did a clever job of weaving spelling exercises in with the gaming action. I actually thought he was oblivious to the learning that was going on with the gaming, until he said to me, "Mom, it's like the iPad, but with learning." That's my boy.

Jake was relatively intrigued with the racing games in the Cars 2 ultra ebook. Getting accustomed to using the accelerometer to race took time, but once he mastered it, he loved playing the games over and over again. He didn't have as much interest in the actual book, but that maybe because his reading skills are more advanced. That wasn't the case with his 3-year-old brother Matt. Matt was very taken with the read-aloud function, and spent a lot of time just listening to the book being read aloud to him. He was also very taken with the Pet Pad app that came with the device. He thought it was very funny that blowing into the microphone could help dry his pet. Both Jake and Matt had fun with the built-in camera and video recorder, and they loved playing their videos back on the device.

It's important to keep in mind that the LeapPad is toy, and not an actual tablet. In contrast, the Vinci Tab ($389 list, 2.5 stars) is an actual Android-based tablet that's targeted toward children. The Tab is certainly more expensive than the LeapPad, but it also has higher-end components, and the android-based game apps are cheaper than the $24.99 gaming cartridges or the $5 and up gaming, movie, and book apps you would shell out for the LeapPad. But the LeapPad offers a bulletproof kids' experience right out of the box, with minimal setup and no support necessary.

The LeapPad's design and interface are appropriate for Jake's age, and it's colorful and advanced enough to hold his interest. It was also something that his younger brother enjoyed playing with. So, I consider it a two-for-one win. I wish LeapFrog had put in some sort of media card slot. That way, we could maybe keep more apps and games than the system's of onboard memory allows. But then again, 2GB of memory is pretty big. I also hope LeapFrog comes out with a recharger, because, seriously, I'm keeping Duracell in business. Overall, the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer is my?and more important, Jake's?favorite LeapFrog product yet. It takes the concept of a tablet and makes it an attractive learning toy for the kid crowd.

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