Playskool's Magic Screen Learning Desk - A Perfect First-Computer for my Daughter
Written: May 08 '02 (Updated May 08 '02)
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Pros: Multiple, educational & entertaining activities. Durable yet light-weight.
Cons: Smallish, 1-color screen. Not upgradeable.
The Bottom Line: Here's a great way to introduce your child to the marvels of a computer.
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| jag2112's Full Review: Playskool Magic Screen Learning Desk |
During this past Christmas holiday, one of the main items that the grandparent's were throwing around was some type of child-like computer for my daughter Rebecca (who's now 22 months old). There were two choices at hand. First, the Fisher Price Microsoft Intelli-table which seemed rather interesting and the second choice was the Playskool Magic Screen Learning Desk.
As the resident computer expert in the household, the decision was mine to make. After looking at both models, I decided (for no real tangible reason) to go with the Magic Screen Learning Desk. In my opinion, it would get more of a 'work-out' from Rebecca that the Intelli-table.
Ever since I made that decision, and ever since Christmas came and went, Rebecca seems to be happier than ever to verify that the choice I made was the right one. This is not to take anything away from the MS-Intelli-table, but judging by the extensive interaction she's has thus far with the Learning Desk, it seems unlikely that she would have been happier with anything else.
So, just what is this contraption from Playskool? I invite you to glance at the picture of this desk about. As you can tell, the premise is that a small child can sit underneath the desk while being semi-surrounded by a keyboard-like input area that also contains a track-ball (mouse) device. Above that is a flip-up pseudo-LCD screen which is actually made up of a number of 'pixels' - each about 3/8" round. You'd be amazed of the flexibility of this screen and the images it can portray - perfect for a little growing mind, without being overly complex.
This desk, which really functions in many ways like a computer, utilizes some superb speech synthesis and musical sound effects to effectively describe the scenes that are being shown on the screen. The keyboard area, which can be moved to reveal new areas, has a wealth (for a child) of information for a toddler-like user to explore and discover.
Some of the features of the Magic Screen Learning Desk include learning the alphabet, with visual examples of each letter, and a word/animal/object that begins with that letter, counting from 1 to 10 with more visual representations and sound effects, playing musical instruments, learning about some animals, shapes & colors, watching some screen savers (like fireworks or swimming fish) and much more.
Utilizing just 3 C batteries, it's amazing how many visual and audio options this desk can produce, all while using a minimum of power (so far, we're still on our first set of batteries after constant use since Christmas).
Because the desk is made out of a sturdy, yet light-weight plastic composite, Rebecca can easily move it around to a position or location of her liking. Even though it can be a bit of a tight fit to sit underneath the desk, she has no problems lifting it up and placing it on top of her lap.
But when time goes by and she becomes to big to sit underneath, the legs can be removed to make the unit more of a desktop item (talk about forward thinking!).
Clearly, there are a lot of positive reasons to own the Magic Screen Learning Desk from Playskool. It's very educational and entertaining. It's fairly easy to use, even for the youngest of toddlers (banging/moving any keys always nets a positive result), it'll help develop your child's ability to function behind a computer (a necessity nowadays as well all well know), it's affordable (around $50), and it doesn't strain your battery-budget.
But there are some issues I do have with it. First, it's not upgradeable as the MS-Intelli-table is. What you get is what you're stuck with for the long haul. That's not necessarily good since it is loaded with features but, as with anything, eventually your child will learn all there is to learn, do all there is to do and, in time (perhaps 2 years) this toy will no longer get the attention it once commanded. The MS-Intelli-table likely has a longer life due to future enhancements that have yet to be released coupled with those that have been.
Second, while I believe the screen on the Learning Desk is great, I would have preferred to see a little more resolution (number of dots) and some more colors. As it is, it's only a 1-color screen (light green).
Finally, there's isn't an on-off switch per se. If you move the screen down, it turns off (with a "bye bye"). If you lift the screen up, it turns on (with a "Peek-a-boo!"). And while there is an auto-off features (that follows an automatic screen saver), if the desk turns off with the screen on, you need to move the screen down then up again to turn it on. A little confusing and frustrating at times (for Rebecca, not me... usually...)
Aside from those 'complaints' I still recommend this item for all of it's wonderful activities, attention to detail, and entertaining fun.
Thank you, as always, for reading.
-John
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
jag2112
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Member: John
Location: Clinton, NJ
Reviews written: 303
Trusted by: 312 members
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