As for the device itself, both the original and the LeapPad2 are fantastic learning tools for the 3-8 age range, and yet again, Leap Frog does not disappoint. My main complaints with the original version were the easily damaged screen, the incredibly short-lived battery life and the difficulty getting into the battery compartment. With version two, they have fixed the battery compartment issue it is now much easier to get into, but also easier to snap into place without having to wiggle it just so. It overall feels more secure. The screen is still pretty easy to scratch, even with gentle playing with the provided stylus. And after watching my two children play with it, ages 4 and 6, I can tell you that with some games, they want to attack the screen with the stylus. I think this would happen with any touch screen device, but for a game that runs one hundred dollars, we're investing in some screen protectors to try to keep it nice as long as we can. My four year old started out just using her finger for a lot of the games, and really this works fine for most of them. However, once she started playing the art studio and Mr. Pencil, she realized the stylus gives much better control. I've noticed a change in how she holds a pencil when she writes after she started playing the Mr. Pencil game. Her writing has definitely improved, which I think is pretty amazing because she pouts every time we practice preschool writing, but with Mr. Pencil she can't wait to play the game. Leap Frog is very skilled, in my opinion, at making learning fun.
With its large screen, the Leap Pad 2 eats batteries for breakfast. This might have something to do with the app the kids use it seems like if they do a lot of camera time or movies, the batteries go down more quickly. This is where the power option comes in so handy we love having the extra battery pack and the adapter for when we're home.
My kids LOVE the front-situated camera. They can actually take pictures of themselves and put in some pretty neat effects in the art studio. The original Leap Pad had the back-facing camera, and while this was fun to use it just like a camera, my kids got frustrated taking pictures of themselves they kept ending up with great thumb shots or just the nose, etc. They literally had two hours of fun with the front-back camera on a recent road trip.
The leap2 has some pretty neat game options, and I like that the cartridges can move between the Leapster Explorer and the Leap Pad. As with all Leap Frog games we've found, there is some great educational content, for reading, writing and now more math and science oriented as well. I also like that you can hook this up to the Leap Frog site and download games, books and movies directly onto the device so you don't have to worry about keeping track of the tiny little cartridges. The storage capacity is much bigger on this version two than the original, and this is also a nice added touch. I have also found that the app cards at our local store are exact value i.e. twenty dollars cash for a twenty dollar value on the Leap Frog site. I snagged a twenty dollar app card on Amazon for fifteen dollars last week, and while the price fluctuates, it's consistently lower than our local stores. It's a good way I've found to get more apps for a little less money, just FYI.
I'm very impressed with the Leap Pad2, and the power option is a nice upgrade. While a large selling point on the box is the extra five apps, I don't think kids in the targeted age range will use them much. The main selling point for me is the reduced hassle with the batteries and play time.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We have owned both the LeapPad 1 and the LeapPad 2. I got each of them as soon as they were released. My kids are 6 and 3 now and tend to play a lot of video games on their 3Ds's and the PS3. However, even with those non-educational" games they like to play, the LeapPads still get tons of use. I love watching them play the games because I know they are also learning as they progress through each one.The LeapPad2 Power is identical to the original LeapPad 2 in every way. There were no improvements to memory, processor, whatever. This is totally fine as the LeapPad 2 was a huge improvement in speed and memory over the LeapPad 1. The only differecne that the power has is that it comes bundled with a rechargeable battery pack which was originally only available for purchase as an aftermarket part.
We purchased the pack for the origial LP2 and it works great. The pack is not compatiable with the LP1 so we have been forced to change batteries constantly in that rather than just plug it in to charge. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Power which I have given to my oldest son who was using the LP1. He was very excited because it is so much faster than his LP1.
Setup is super easy especially if you already have a Leap Frog account. I opened the software on my PC, connected the tablet and it was recognized. I followed the prompts and it successfully updated. My only issue was trying to figure out if I could transfer my sons progress on the games from his LP1 but I could not find a way to do that. I was able to sync the apps I already purchased onto the Power for the most part but a few of them like the ultra e-books required me to remove them from the old device before adding them to the new one as I already was at the max allowable number of devices.
So other than my son not being able to bring his progress over to the new LP, everything went smooth. He played with it for about an hour before going to bed last night on one of the free apps you get to download when you purchase this. It wa sa solar spaceship game that teaches you about astronomy. he was having a blst with it.
Leap Frog has been in our family for the last 6 years since my wife and I had kids. They make quality products that are fun for the kids but allow the parents to know that they are learning while having fun. I highly recommend that anyone buying a LeapPad, get the version that comes with the Power Pack as it is worth the cost when compared to the cost of buying new batteries. I believe Leap Frog usually lowers the price of their older versions and tries to keep the newer ones in line with what the old one used to cost. So if the Power is priced at $99, you save $40 compared to what it would have cost you to buy the original LP2 and the power pack separately.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I really like LeapFrog products. I wasn't sure at first, but after owning a LeapPad1, LeapPad2, and recently the LeapReader, I've been impressed with their learning power. Plus, I find the company seems really interested and invested in creating toys kids enjoy and can really learn from. That being said, I don't overload my kids LeapPads with lots of apps and game cartridges. The few my boys have, they play with well enough, and really enjoy (Jewel Train has been the absolute favorite in our house). I like that my kids have technology, but they need other tangible things (like books, manipulative toys, and the outside world) to learn from too.That being said, the LeapPad2 Power is a great addition to the LeapPad line. Differences I found between the LeapPad2 and LeapPad2 Power were:
-The color scheme is a bit different, more white than green like the original was.
-New apps... Utility Suite that includes a calendar, calculator, notepad, clock, and stopwatch. This was a nice bonus! The Innotab came with a few of these apps on their tablet, and I always thought it was a nice touch. I'm glad LeapFrog decided to add them to their LeapPad as standard apps. Also, there's the LeapFrog Learning Songs app.
-Recharchable battery with 9/hrs of battery life! This is definitely what makes the LeapPad2 Power irresistible. I was getting so tired of replacing batteries all the time. We use rechargeable batteries, but still, given the way electronics work these days, life is simpler when you just need to plug a toy in to charge. Plus 9 hours is heaven!
Similarities between the LeapPad2 and LeapPad2 Power... we'll, that's pretty much everything else. So not much to report here.
Overall this is a great toy for kids. I actually got the LeapPad2 Power for my little guy whose about to turn 3 (his older brother is currently playing with it). However... I think the LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra Learning Tablet, Green is going to kick this LeapPad2 Power out of the water! So you may want to pass on this one and get the LeapPad Ultra instead. Good luck!
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The Book of Super Awesome Stuff (e-book): 5813 1140 1518 1413
Alphabet Stew (game): 5813 0790 4610 4973
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I love the LeapPad 2, we have two. If this is your first LeapFrog system you will need to download the LeapFrog Connect application to your computer. It's easy to do and doesn't take up TOO much room. Then use the included USB cable to attach the LeapPad, turn the LeapPad on and the set up process will begin. It is VERY straightforward, just follow the prompts. You will get to pick a free game download, and you will also be offered a deal like buy three apps get one free, which is good just the first time you set up a new device. I was prepared for the free app offer this time so I had shopped ahead of time on the Leapfrog website so I knew exactly which games I was interested in. If you are considering an upgrade from an older device like the LeapPad 1 or Leapster GS you might like to know that if you have bought a downloaded app you have the ability to install it on up to three devices, as long as that app is supported on all your devices. For us that meant I could easily install all five new games on both my LeapPad 2's. No fighting over the new games!Unfortunately, the charger worked ONCE, and now doesn't. We already had a LeapPad 2 and it drove me insane how fast it ate batteries. I ended up buying this set of rechargeable batteries eneloop NEW 2000mAh Typical, 1900mAh Minimum, 1500 cycle, 4 Pack AA, Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries with 4 Position Charger which are excellent, but I still felt like the Leapfrog systems should come with rechargeable batteries, not sell them for additional big bucks. I was thrilled to see Leapfrog package the same LeapPad 2 (with a slightly different color face plate so I can actually tell them apart) with the charger. The batteries are easy to install and you never have to take them out to charge, just insert the plug into the side of the LeapPad and it charges up in a couple of hours. The first time the battery charged correctly and gave us a couple weeks of use. Yesterday I plugged it in, the button lit up orange to indicate charging, but in a couple of hours instead of turning green to show it was charged it started flashing orange instead. When I removed the LeapPad from the charger the battery area was very warm, more than I am used to with rechargeable batteries. The LeapPad seems to be working fine (there is NO battery life indicator on this toy, it doesn't tell you anything until you get the low battery warning) but today I plugged it in again to give it a second chance and it doesn't light up at all. I don't trust it and I'm taking the battery pack out and buying an extra set of the rechargeable batteries we use in the other LeapPad 2.
I highly recommend the LeapPad2. If you are considering it I would say go for it, buy the regular one LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer, Green and get the batteries I suggested above. That combination is excellent and well worth the money, but this Power version isn't.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I can't tell you how many times I have been in a restaurant, department store, Disneyland line, or other public place and seen numerous children from toddler to five or six playing on an iPad. Maybe I'm the outlier here, but I would never hand my $600 iPad (or my iPhone, for that matter) to a two year old! Sure, there are some fun activities for toddlers there, but every time I see it, I'm just waiting for the kid to throw, drop, puke on, or otherwise destroy the iPad. In steps the LeapPad2!This has everything you may want for your young child during those down times. It has a touchscreen, it has apps (several really good ones built in, I might add), it has a rechargeable battery, and you can drop it! For your child's sake, it also lacks several features of a regular tablet that you don't want your kids to have. No Internet access (for this model, there is an upgraded model with a larger screen and WiFi). That means no Skype, email, Facebook, or online predators. While it does have cameras, your child can't just send his picture out there for anyone to see. Your child cannot access your settings and remove your work VPN, a major plus!
If you've ever been tempted to (or actually have) given your iPhone or iPad to your young child to make the waiting room quieter at the dentist, this is the gadget for you!
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