My son Dominic loves our iPhones and my sister’s iPad. In fact, he thought for awhile that any screen in the house was a touch pad (he doesn’t anymore). To remedy this, we decided to get him a LeapPad Explorer. After seeing commercials and ads for this tablet for months, my husband and I thought that this would be a great present for Dominic for Christmas.
Little did I know that the LeapPad was the hot toy this holiday season! I was talking to one of my co-workers last week, and she found her son’s LeapPad at a local Fry’s and barely left with one. We searched all the major chains, both in the actual store and online, and they are sold out everywhere. My mother-in-law has searched in Las Vegas and even has a friend searching in Texas for this in-demand electronic device.
While in Target with my sister, discussing the unfortunate unavailability of the LeapPad, a nice gentleman said that the Vtech electronic toys are just as good as the LeapFrog toys. This prompted me to do a little research and I found the Vtech InnoTab. The price point is already appealing because the basic LeapPad is priced at $99 where the InnoTab is right around $66. Even with the added games and gadgets, the InnoTab was still less expensive than the bundles we have seen being offered for LeapPad.
I then found this detailed comparison between the InnoTab and LeapPad here, which gave me more insight as to what Dominic really loves about the iPhone and iPad. At the tender age of almost three, Dominic doesn’t take too many pictures or videos with our iPhones, but because he loves music, he likes using the iPod feature. He also loves games and is always watching his favorite “Cars” movies. Both tablets can run games and are both eReaders, which is what I think Dominic would enjoy. But while the LeapPad does have a digital and video camera, an SD card can be added to the InnoTab so it then becomes a portable DVD and MP3 player. This is what convinced me to lean towards the InnoTab.
If you’re grappling between the two devices, I suggest watching what your child already does with your current devices and make your decision. Happy shopping!
(Photos courtesy of Laptopmag and InnoTab Tablet For Kids)