If you’re a parent of a young child, I’m sure you have a story to share about your young one grasping for, taking off with, or otherwise showing a keen interest in (and possibly destroying) your mobile phone or tablet. I’ve seen stories all over Google+, fortunately usually not to the detriment of the device in question. Personally, I am just the parent of a dog and the most my phone has suffered has been nose prints (she likes to check out the picture I have of her on the lock screen). I’ve also seen stories of parents simply letting their children play with their phones or tablets to keep them occupied while said parent fixes dinner or works on a project; but this means that their device is now inaccessible. Well, it seems Oregon Pacific has the answer.
Yesterday, the company officially announced its second generation kids tablet (“ideal for ages 6 and over”), the MEEP! X2. Sporting a rather substantial 7″ display, it has the look and feel of your standard tablet with the exception of a more kid luring color and rounded shape. Front and rear cameras accent the usability which (in my opinion) could be used to check in from time to time in regards to video chat with your child. But don’t let that worry you. One thing that Oregon Pacific has stated in bold is the parental control capability. Just like with other tablets, you can lock out what you want or don’t want accessed. In addition to the typical parental controls, you, the parent, can access and control the device from any computer or mobile device. And of course, there’s a MEEP store to get you to buy new apps and accessories with hundreds of “free and paid” titles downloadable with “MEEP Coins”. The website boasts “No direct money transactions.” This is great if it means what I think it means; greatly reducing the chance of ‘accidental purchases’ from your child.
The external accessory ports and control surfaces include:
- Rear Camera
- Front Camera
- Power
- Microphone
- Speaker
- HDMI Jack (I want an HDMI jack on my phone)
- Micro USB
- ‘Build-In’ Microphone
- Audio Jack (standard)
- Micro SD Slot (up to 32GB)
Internally, the MEEP! X2 runs Android 4.2 (which is better than some current phones) with 4GB internal storage. For power, there’s not much to write home about, but that’s not the point. This device is more than worthy of the rigorous activities that can take place in a child’s hands with its 1.2GHz dual core processor and its 1GB of RAM. For the more interactive games and apps, a G-Sensor is also included. And to assist you in connecting wireless MEEP! X2 accessories, Wi-Fi and BlueTooth 4.0.
The cost of this tablet is definitely worthy of praise. Oregon Pacific has listed the cost at $150.00 USD. That’s whether you buy it online or in a physical store. For that price, I almost want one. Reviewing it on screen only, it appears to be a very substantial device for the price. And right in time for the holiday season! If you’re a parent, would you consider getting this for your child? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!