- The Good: It's well made, affordable, and genuinely innovative; its pedagogical software design is inspired
- The Bad: Waiting for audio cues can get tiresome; makes the occasional mistake recognizing writing; kids could have a tough time keeping track of all the bits and pieces
- The Verdict: A one-of-a-kind kids' gadget with the potential to entertain and educate
I've been a parent for less than two years, but I'm already sick of all the poorly designed and useless toys that have found their way into my daughter's life. From books that are supposed to talk but instead make scary electronic sounds to supposedly safe toy appliances that fall apart and create choking hazards, I'm dismayed and alarmed at how much junk is being manufactured and marketed for kids.
That's why it was so nice to spend some time with educational toy manufacturer LeapFrog's new FLY Pentop Computer , a cutting edge, one-of-a-kind gadget for kids that's not only durable and well made, but also has the capacity to deliver education and entertainment in equal doses.
It's blue, fat and reads tiny dots
Blue and white with a ball-point nub on one end, at a glance the FLY appears to be nothing more than a big, fat plastic stylus. But beside the pen tip sits a tiny scanner that reads miniscule dots on specially printed sheets called FLY paper. The dots are so small and faint that they're barely visible to the naked eye, but the scanner has no problem seeing them and recognizing patterns that it interprets as information, allowing the paper to function, for all intents and purposes, like a touch screen computer display.
A standard piece of FLY paper has several "FLYcons" lined across the bottom of the page. FLYcons can be tapped to bring up menus or initiate programs in much the same way one would move a mouse pointer over an icon on a computer display and click on it to interact with it. Tap the FLYcon that looks like an M with a circle around it and the word "menu" will be emitted from a small speaker located on the end of the pen. Tap the checkmark beside it and you'll scroll through the available options.
Sounds wild, huh? But here's where it starts to get really cool. If the piece of FLY paper you happen to be working on doesn't have FLYcons lining the bottom of the page, you can just draw your own. Write an M, circle it, tap it, and the FLY's scanner will be trained to recognize that area of the page as a menu icon.
And FLYcons are just the tip of the iceberg.
... and the things I draw come true
Draw a calculator on a piece of FLY paper and it will act like a real working device. Just tap numbers and functions to carry out any mathematical task you would on a regular calculator.
You can also keep a schedule and set reminders for yourself by writing dates, times, and messages. When the time for the reminder comes, your FLY will automatically turn on and read the message back to you.
You can even draw a keyboard and drum kit and make your own music. Simply tap the keys, drums, and controls for looping and recording and you'll be well on your way to composing a song.
Add-ons are endless
All of the applications described above—and many more—come with the basic package, which goes for $99. But there are countless additional—and many of them far more complex—applications available as well, ranging in price from less than $10 to about $40.
You can get FLY paper stickers that kids can affix to binders and pencil cases that will cause the FLY to talk, laugh, or make a variety of other sounds when tapped. Going on a road trip? A pad of FLY paper with games on each page—including hangman, word jumbles, and matching challenges—can keep kids occupied for hours. You can even get a journal for your little girl that, at the tap of the FLY, provides a fountain of ideas for her to write about and also engages her with other activities, such as magazine-style personality quizzes.
Not just a toy, but a tool, too
However, while I've little doubt most kids will get a kick out of these games and activities, as a parent I was more interested in seeing the FLY's educational applications.
One of the FLY's most basic pedagogical applications is a small foldout map of North and Central America that, in the hands of a child wielding a FLY, becomes an interactive educational tool. Just tap specific activities listed in the corner of the page to be challenged to identify provinces, states, countries, and their capitals. I myself spent nearly an hour testing my own geographical knowledge—and learning plenty in the process.
a+b (x-y) = totally cool
A more advanced application I tested is FLY Through Algebra. I was told that this particular piece of software was designed with the assistance of teachers in the American school system to ensure it matched what is taught in their curriculum (which, according to LeapFrog, doesn't differ much from algebra programs in Canadian schools).
The $40 package comes with a small cartridge that is inserted in the end of the FLY, pads of regular and graph FLY paper, a FLY paper glossary card covered with common algebra terms, and a pencil cartridge meant to replace the FLY's standard blue pen tip.
I was astounded by FLY Through Algebra. I expected it to offer up solutions on demand, but it never gives away the final answer—or, for that matter, a single step. It's more like having your own personal teacher help you along.
Students start by simply writing an algebraic problem on FLY paper. Can't figure out how to begin? Draw a HELP FLYcon, put a square around it, and then tap it to be provided tactics for approaching the current step in the problem. Having trouble with the terminology used? Tap the word you don't understand on the glossary card and its meaning will be explained.
It's basically like a textbook, but one that can answer specific questions about any stage of any problem you care to throw at it. But you don't have to take my word for it; many teachers in the U.S. apparently trust the FLY's teaching capabilities to such an extent that they actually allow children to hand in homework written on FLY paper.
While FLY Through Algebra was the only serious educational application I evaluated, packages for Math, Spelling, and Writing are currently available as well.
Fly in the ointment
Now I'm well aware that up to this point I've sounded a little like a FLY evangelist, with nary a negative word written. But have faith that I did find cause to gripe about a few small things.
The first is efficiency. Unlike a standard PC, which delivers most of its information visually, the FLY Pentop Computer relies on audio cues. That means users have to wait precious seconds for menu items to be read aloud rather than simply selecting from a displayed list.
Also, the FLY will occasionally have a tough time recognizing your writing. While I was genuinely impressed at its ability to make out characters written in a variety of ways—such as an "8" written in a single stroke or as a pair of circles, or a "4" drawn with a right angle and a straight line as well as one composed of a triangle with the bottom and right lines intersecting—it did sometimes confuse the number "1" with the letter "I", "2" with "Z", and "0" with "O". There are specific ways to draw these characters that will help avoid confusion, but one ought not be forced to change their writing style to use a gadget.
My final complaint is that I felt as though there were too many things to keep track of, including multiple pads of FLY paper, pen and pencil tips, and application cartridges. LeapFrog's optional FLY Catcher Case, which has compartments for all of these things, really ought to be part of the basic package.
But these problems are relatively minor. My baby girl is still nearly half a decade away from being able to effectively use something as advanced as the FLY, but if it's still around come schoolin' time I'll definitely be taking her for a little LeapFrog shopping trip.
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