If your child is more than 18 months old and you use a smartphone, iPad or an Android tablet, chances are your devices will have more apps for the use of your little one than for yourself. With game-based learning thought to be the future of education, apps for children have an ever-growing market. Going a step further, the market now has a tablet that caters only to children aged two to 10 years.
My tech-savvy two-and-a-half-year-old son has taken to Eddy like a fish takes to water. I was always apprehensive of giving my iPhone, Nexus 7 or his father?s iPad to him, fearing he would straightaway go to YouTube for his ?ABC songs? and Masha and Medved cartoons and in the process end up getting exposed to inappropriate content on the Internet. This new tablet launched last month by Delhi-based education start-up Metis Learning relieves me of this worry.
Eddy claims to be the first Android-based learning tablet for kids and has been designed by educators. Its content is linked to school curriculum, and a child can read books, learn to play musical instruments and also practise mathematics through games on the device.
?Eddy introduces the concept of responsible technology, ensuring a safe and controlled technology experience for children with a strong focus on learning,? says Metis Learning CEO Bharat Gulia.
Here is a lowdown on the product from a parent?s point of view.
Net-safe: Though Internet-enabled, the device does not allow my son to access regular tablet features without parental approval, keeping him away from social media sites, Internet and unwanted apps. Coming pre-loaded with the Maxthon Kid Safe Web browser, Eddy provides a violence-free and controlled environment.
Monitoring: The first thing you do on the tablet is to customise the device as per the age of the child. It also lets me monitor my son?s activities on the device through detailed reports.
Disciplined usage: The best feature I have found on this tablet is that it allows me to decide how long I want my son to use the device for. I can set the permissible number of hours per day or week and even allot exact time slots.
Choice of apps: If my child finds one subject too engaging and gets hooked to it, spending most of the time on it, I have the power to block that particular app and promote another. My son likes the language and maths subjects most and I can keep changing apps in each section.
Sharing: Eddy gives me an option to create multiple profiles. The feature is not of much use to me but kids with siblings can share the device using the separate profiles created according to age. A maximum of three profiles can be created.
Notable features
Over 150 pre-loaded apps selected from popular and recommended ones used worldwide
Access to Google Play through the ?Parent Zone?
Comes with Kids Radar — a proprietary recommendation engine that helps find new apps according to age, subject and price.
Thumbs up
Approved by ophthalmologists
Made of food-grade material looking at child safety and drop-safe due to its shock-absorbing sturdy cover
Spoilers
At Rs 9,999 (introductory price), the device is costlier than several regular tablets
Comes with a specific old-world Nokia-like pin charger, cannot be charged using any other one.
Somehow, iOS seems to have the best apps for kids. But then Eddy runs Android.
Specifics
A 7? IPS touchscreen (1024 x 600)
0.3 MP front camera and 2 MP back camera
Android 4.2 OS
3200 mAH battery/3.7V Lithium (ensures 4 hours of usage on full charge)
1.6 GHZ dual core processor
1 GB RAM
8 GB storage extendable up to 32 GB with Micro SD card (can install up to 350 apps at a time)
WiFI enabled (54 Mbps), external 3G SD card slot
1xMicro USB
1×3.5 mm earphone jack
Rating: ****
Currently being used in select Delhi schools, the device can be brought online from Eddy Tablet and amazon
