bloodline23's Full Review: Mattel Easy Link Internet Launchpad
My son is 3, but he's getting to be pretty internet savvy. He enjoys playing games on the internet, especially from the Fisher-price website, and watching videos on Youtube (the Cars "music videos"). One of our friends noticed how well he was able to get around online and decided to get him this internet launch pad for his birthday. We thought it was a cool idea and hooked it up a few weeks after getting it. Little did we know what we were getting into! I'll divide this review into two areas, installation and usage.
Installation-
The launchpad connects to your computer via a USB cable, so you'll need to have a free one somewhere for this to work. You'll also need an always-on internet connection, otherwise you'll always have to get the connection established for your child before s/he can play. The system requirements for the software are Windows 2000/XP/Vista, 750Mhz processor, 128MB RAM, and 100MB free hard drive space, so pretty much any computer made since 2000 is probably up to speed (if you can surf the internet on it you can probably run the launchpad software).
The launchpad comes with a CD with the software, so you'll install that and then connect the launchpad to get things going. You'll also have to provide a password for the launchpad software (I'll discuss that more in the usage section). Once you've done those things, you'll be up and running. It took us about 10 minutes to get everything installed on our 4 year old Compaq desktop.
The launchpad is a bit large (imagine a very oversized mouse pad or maybe two mouse pads put together), so you'll want to make some room somewhere on your desk for the launchpad, as your child will need to be able to reach that and the mouse (and possibly the keyboard).
Final verdict- very simple and quick installation. The large size does mean people with smaller computer desks are going to have to make some compromises. Grade: B+
Usage-
This is a very neat idea. Once you have the launchpad going, your child inserts a particular character into a holder on the launchpad and the child is taken to a specific website. The launchpad comes with three characters (and direct access to three websites); Elmo for sesamestreet.com, a two-headed dragon for dragontales on pbskids.com, and a dog for fisher-price.com. Those are all sites my son visits regularly, so it was perfect for us, and you can also buy additional characters to expand the places your child can easily reach. There are arrow keys on the launchpad to help the child play games and navigate around, so once you slide your mouse over to the launchpad area, everything your child needs is really right there in front of him. The keyboard can also be used while the launchpad is working.
The second thing this device does that is great is that it blocks pop ups and prevents your child from navigating away from the sites accessible through the launchpad. That means you don't have to worry about your child heading off somewhere he shouldn't be when you turn your back. I don't think kids that this is designed for have trouble with getting into material that isn't age appropriate, more that they click the wrong link and are taken out of the game site and can't figure out how to get back. So this device eliminates that issue.
Now here's the catch with the launchpad; one of the things the device does is require a password to start and stop the launchpad. So when you plug it in, you provide your password and then the device is active, and when you unplug it, you provide your password to get out of the software. If you forget the password, my guess is you'd have to shut down your computer, disconnect everything, and reboot. So if you were working on something and then let your child play for a bit, you may have just lost a bunch of data. That also means you really want to block off time for your child to use the computer (no checking your email for a moment between games as it becomes a bit of a hassle getting in and out of the software quickly). So that's the price you pay for restricting your child's internet access to just those approved sites.
Final verdict- the system works as advertised, but the password system for getting in and out of the software does make it difficult to quickly access something while your child is playing. Grade: B
Overall verdict-
Although we liked the concept of controlled internet access for our child, he isn't old enough to use the mouse well by himself, so there is always an adult helping him. As a result, the launchpad is not very useful (it's more like a physical version of his folder in our favorites toolbar). Because of the hassle of using passwords to start and stop the launchpad combined with the regular monitoring when he is on the computer, we ended up uninstalling the launchpad and putting it in storage. Maybe in another 2-3 years, it will be something he uses regularly. If that is the case, we'll also probably put it on a computer that isn't used regularly, making it his computer for general use and maybe the spare computer for when we have guests staying with us. Hopefully by then other websites will have keys available (keys for additional sites, which there aren't many of, range from $3-5 each), giving a lot more range and usefulness to the launchpad. A great start, but still a ways to go.
Final Grade: B-
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99 Type of Toy: Game
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years
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