We hitched the tablet to the internet with ease, and were able to use a VTech account we had made in the past for my daughter. This registered the product, and updated the tablet. We then tried the cassette that came with the tablet. It had three features. One was a game with a drop of water, which was "educational" in terms of the water changing states to ice at times and the game explaining that. It only worked with the D pad, which was confusing to today's touch pad generation! I can't see many kids really being engrossed by it. Another feature was a book, with 20 pages, about sounds. The book would be of interest to maybe a 2 or 3 year old, but I don't think most of them could figure out how to change the pages---it wasn't easily apparent, and we had to go back a menu to do it. The pages had limited interactivity. The third feature was a coloring book type app. You used the stylus to fill in sections of the picture different colors---not terribly creative. You could then shake the screen and the picture wobbled a bit. Not really a thriller, although probably some kids would play with it for a while.
A lot of the content was ads for other cassettes! When you went to watch a video you made, most of the videos listed were for other games you could buy.
The camera was okay---it took low res pictures, if you had enough light. I could see kids enjoying this, if they didn't have access to another camera.
The screen wasn't very responsive. You really needed to use the stylus---fingers didn't work well.
Overall---I'm just not sure what to say. Nothing was super bad about this tablet, but nothing was really that good, either. I supposed if you have a young child that badly wants a table, and you don't want to or can't get them an iPad, and they have a good tolerance for slow programs, and they aren't craving terribly exciting content---this might work. Otherwise, I'd look elsewhere.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Innotab vs. an ipod/Android device:There are some kid-friendly android tablets out there for not much more than the innotab. Plus older generation iPod touch devices are not too much more expensive. Leapfrog, Disney, Nickelodeon and other big draws for kids make content for all these devices, so what's a parent to do?
Typically those apps are around $4-5 for iOS/Android. The Vtech games offer 3 modes in each cartridge (games, art and story), so in a way it's like getting 3 apps, which makes the prices much more comparable. Additionally, used kids clothing stores almost always have a ton of games very cheap and this is a great way to buy at a lower cost.
In my opinion, if your child is on the younger side (3-6), he might like the Vtech better if you're willing to buy into a few games. The educational content is much higher on Vtech than the free apps on iOS/Android, and with my tips above, it's probably cheaper on the real game/app content as well. The trade off is being locked in to Vtech, not being able to quickly stream content to the device, and lower specs on the hardware itself.
If you have older children, or if you want to watch a lot of video content (ie digital copies of movies, stream shows from things like the Disney Jr. app, etc) then the iOS/Android might be a better option. Also, if your kids are on the older side (7+), I'd see the days being numbered for how long they'd hold on to an Innotab before wanting that wider range of content.
My 5 year old likes the innotab, but usually reaches for a Kindle, iPod, etc first. However, he has older siblings so he's learning from them, too. I don't feel like the content on those devices is educational, but its fun. Therefore, it'll come down to your tolerance as a parent as to what they spend their screen time doing.
Overall Positives:
+Works with a large library of games.
+Games offer 3 modes on each cartridge game, art and storybook.
+Durable construction
+Low cost games using my tips above and considering the variety in content on each cartridge
Overall Negatives
-Compared to the Innotab 3s, which is only $30 more, it lacks rechargeable batteries and wifi. These might help bridge some of the gaps to an iOS/Android device, but I don't have the 3s to know for sure
-Screen scratches easily
-Must connect to computer for any progress updates and learning achievements to be visible online.
-No way to translate a cartridge purchase into a downloadable form of the content. It would be really nice to be able to transfer the game cartridge onto the internal storage so you don't have to carry multiple cartridges. Many games sold in cartridge form can be bought online (including here on Amazon as a redemption code) and downloaded to internal memory. The down side of this is that the license is linked to your Vtech account, so if you gave or sold the innotab to someone, they'd lose that content as soon as they sync it to their own account.
Best Deals for VTech InnoTab 3 The Learning App Tablet, Blue
A lot of kids play with their parents smart phones and tablets but not every place online is child friendly. That is why I'm excited about the VTech InnoTab 3 Learning App Tablet. It's made just for children and totally kid appropriate. Perfect for ages 3-9. The games, stories, and activities are educational. There's a built-in 180 degree camera for taking photos and making videos. It's also an e-reader and mp3 player! A large library of subjects include reading, math, social studies, science, creativity, problem solving. The InnoTab 3 Tablet is an awesome holiday gift or a great tool to supplement learning with back to school. (VTech provided me with a product sample but all thoughts and opinions are my own) http://simplesojourns.com/Honest reviews on VTech InnoTab 3 The Learning App Tablet, Blue
Our VTech Innotab 3 is enjoyed by my 3.5 year old twins and our 9 year old son. The girls love to play with the music and the camera and taking fun pictures, while my son enjoys being challenged by games and apps. I appreciate how easy it is to reverse the camera.The sound is crystal clear and does not sound like it is coming from the speaker of a toy. The controls are easy to use and intuitive, and the games are challenging enough (and educational) for my 9 year old, but still spark the interest of my little ones without frustrating them.
The Learning Lodge software that is needed to manage music and movies as well as download apps and games takes a long time to load and is a bit sluggish and less intuitive than the Innotab 3. If you are purchasing this as a gift for a child, I would suggest loading the batteries and hooking it up to the Learning Lodge before giving it as a gift, you will save hours of pestering.
As with many similar devices, I recommend rechargeable batteries or the battery pack accessory.
We have had this for about a month and it has stood up well to my kids. I like how there is a slot for the stylus on the back of the tablet. This helps my kids resist the urge to carry it around by the attached stylus.
The variety of apps and games for the Innotab is impressive, and there is a nice range of prices. The Learning Lodge does not have the clearest distinction for age ranges on the games and apps, so you will have to look carefully.
disclosure: I was given an Innotab 3 to facilitate my review. however, all opinions are my own.
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The InnoTab 3 comes with the tablet, 2 stylus pens, 1 stylus cord, 1 game cartridge, 1 USB cable, 1 Learning Lodge Installation CD-ROM and 4 AA batteries. Do you know what it is like when a new kids toy or technological device arrives in my house and 4 kids want to play with it at the same time? Well I'll tell you: utter and complete chaos! Which is just a testament to how much the enjoy playing with it.One of the great things about VTech products is the Learning Lodge Software. It allows you to connect your devices to track and monitor your child's progress and also gives you a plethora of download to purchase. The Learning Lodge features more than 350 educational games, e-books, music and videos developed specifically for each child's unique stage of development and includes a broad library of subjects like reading, math, social studies, science, creativity, problem solving and so much more! Once you install Learning Lodge onto your computer and register your new device, you are given one free download. Your free download allows you to choose from a specific list of apps or eBooks. Apparently, I still had some free downloads left over from the last few VTech items I registered, so we were able to download a couple of educational apps onto our new InnoTab 3.
What Mom Liked
* The stylus cord is a life saver. I cannot tell you how many times we misplaced both InnoTab 2 stylus. One end of the cord attaches to the stylus while the other attached to the tablet. Now that little pen will never fall between my couch cushions again!
* The smaller design, compared to the InnoTab 2, makes it easier for tiny hands to hold. This means my 3 year old can get a good grip on it as he rips it out of the hands of one of his older brothers.
* There is really a great selection of apps to choose from. I was able to look for titles in specific categories (u.e. math, problem solving, etc.) to make sure I had a little bit of everything covered. In addition, there are also character themed games and eBooks that kids will love.
* I love that all of the games and apps are educational so you don't have to feel bad about them having a little screen time with their InnoTab.
* Great color on the screen.
* The 4 AA batteries that were included in the package were a nice touch and let you get stared right away.
What My Kids Liked
* The MP3 player. We love listening and singing along to the radio in the car and my boys love being able to have their favorite tunes accessible to them anytime.
* The camera. They love taking silly pictures of themselves and each other, and occasionally sneaking one of me, and then editing them
* The games, of course! Their favorite game happens to be the Switch & Go Dino one that I was able to download for free. They are definitely playing this the most.
What We Didn't Like
* While the smaller design is nice, I was disappointed to see that the screen also got smaller too. I would have rather they kept the overall size of the tablet larger to keep the screen the same.
* The battery life is short, especially when being used by multiple children. The InnoTab 3 takes 4 AA batteries and I find myself having to replace them pretty much every other day. If you are going to invest in this product, I also suggest you get the Rechargeable Power Pack which will save you a ton on batteries in the long run.
Overall, we are once again pleased with the latest VTech InnoTab learning tablet. I only wish I had more of them so I didn't have to listen to the constant bickering of who's turn it is to play.
I received a complimentary product in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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