Vtech - Tote 'N Go Laptop Plus Reviews

• "Pop Pop" Hits a Homer

  
  By A6FIAB28IS79 on 2007-10-21
  You'll see toys that look more like "real" notebook computers on Amazon, but I trusted the consumer ratings (and liked the price) and gave this to my granddaughter for her third birthday. Reports from mom are that she's played with it practically non-stop (granddaughter, not mom) for three days and wants to take it with her wherever she goes. We're all musicians, and even mom's reviews about the functionality and tolerability of the music were positive.
  
  Granddaughter more or less confirmed mom's favorable review by getting on the phone, reciting her ABC's ("alphabet," she corrected me), telling me that her own name starts with L, her Halloween costume starts with M (Mary Muffet), and her baby brother's starts with S (spider). Mom said she was impressed because at least five of the games are still beyond her (granddaughter, not mom), leaving room for further activity down the line.
  
  ("Pop Pop" refers to the writer--I forbid the use of the word "grandpa" with respect to my person--if my granddaughter tells me my name starts with the letter G, I'll consider lowering my rating).
  
  

• My 2 year old knows her ABC's. Thanks VTech!

  
  By AX0G4MKKTF331 on 2007-03-31
  My daughter always wanted to play with my laptop so I picked this one up for her on her 2nd birthday (August). And by October, no joke, she knew every letter of the alphebet. This laptop comes with 30 different games, one of which shows you an upper case (or lower case) letter and the child needs to correctly push the correspoding letter. My daughter is now 2 years, 7 months, and in preschool. Her teachers are amazed that she can correctly identify every letter they show her (upper and lower case). Sure we sing the ABC's and I can't deny that she is very smart but I sincerely attribute most of her alphebet knowledge to this little laptop and I highly recommend it. Thanks VTech.
  
  

• A Winner

  
  By A3MK277MH4N939 on 2007-12-03
  Vtech really got it right on this one:
  
  * Durable, rugged construction. After a year of abuse from two young boys, the only issue is the mouse doesn't click well to the left, but it still works OK. Everything else is 100%
  * Intuitive. My older son (then 2 years, now 3) figured it out almost immediately.
  * Surprising depth. Some functions are more complex, making for lasting play. A year later, and my son still pulls this laptop out for play.
  * Highly educational. Our son picked up his letters and numbers early, largely through constant use of this laptop.
  * Cheap. the 3-year-old has been showing -- at best of times -- our younger son how to use it. Sometimes they'd fight over it. So we bought another.
  
  
  Wayne Gralian
  
  

• Eh. Not super impressed...

  
  By A3LIITRB4K2Z0K on 2008-06-08
  Got this for my 2 year old son when I got my own laptop, in hopes it would occupy him with his own and off of mine! It does that. Briefly. He's an active kid and doesn't sit and play with this kind of thing very long, okay, but this doesn't occupy him very long. I'll get my laptop out and he'll run off and get this, sit down, put it on his lap, mess around with the buttons and the mouse for a while, and then he's off to something else (or MY laptop) after about 5-10 minutes max. He's certainly as bright as some of the other reviewers' 2 year olds, but he most certainly didn't pick up the alphabet in some days/weeks and start playing with this thing "correctly." This is NOT a stupid or slow kid, and things like figuring out how to choose exactly which activity he wants and playing it correctly every time are absolutely beyond him. I suspect that anyone with a 2ish year old that did that is absolutely the exception, not the rule.
  
  If you're looking for this for your 2(ish) year old to keep them occupied, you might want to look for something else. If you have a really calm toddler, you can probably use this WITH them to help teach the alphabet etc - it seems to be a good learning tool. But don't expect most kids that age to sit there and figure it out alone and learn that way. Not gonna happen. They're too young. If you want something that they can bang away on pretending to be typing like Mommy on her laptop and pretending to be using a mouse like Mommy does, it's great. (That's why I got it for mine.) But even then, it's limited in its ability to "entertain" them - at least at this age.
  
  I have 2 big complaints with this product. The first is what other reviewers have mentioned: The sound level defaults to medium (should default to low!!), but worse than that, when the sound level button is pressed, the really, REALLY annoying monkey on the screen starts screeching (my husband says it sounds like a super loud annoying cricket) and does not STOP until a different key is pressed. Even if the cover is closed. Wanna guess what button my little boy likes to press the most? And then walk away. Arrgh!
  
  Second, I realize he's slightly below the minimum age for this, but still. The battery compartment on the back has NO screws holding it closed. It simply snaps shut. He delights in turning it over, opening it, and yanking out the batteries - faster than I can leap up and get him to stop. This is simply DANGEROUS. Unless the toy is for 5+, they ought to be securing those compartments shut. I don't get it.
  
  All in all, I think it's a good learning tool, and with a fairly calm kid or a slightly older kid, I think they'd learn a good deal from this and have fun doing it. But if you're reading this because you're thinking of buying this for a 2 year old or thereabouts, and hoping they're going to learn all this stuff all by themselves just by playing the game, I don't think it's likely. And if you have an active ("busy") toddler, don't expect this is going to hold their attention for all that long.
  
  

• Fun for kids, annoying for adults

  
  By AFS8T1KFMYJDP on 2007-09-23
  We'd received this as a birthday gift for our 3-year-old, who loves setting up her computer next to me while I work (just as she is doing now). However, I don't love the fact that the volume control resets to "medium" (which is loud) each time the toy starts. The same goes for the awful background music: it can be disabled, but only until the next time it is turned on. Since both the volume and power buttons are very prominent and are accompanied by animations and sounds, she has as much fun pressing them (and resetting the volume) as the rest of the features.
  
  If you are hoping to distract your 3-year-old while you are working or studying, keep this in mind: every time you sit down to work, you may just find a squawking, bleeping, screeching little yellow laptop appear at your side. It may be a good educational toy for the 4+ set, who could be steered toward using it during specific study times, but I doubt that it will be with us that long. Now I need to find a less obnoxious replacement.
  
  
• A Lot of Bang for the Buck
  By A1BCDC7CT8NZJA on 2007-05-15
  Wow! I am so glad I bought this. After reading reviews on all of the other "laptops" for children, I decided on this one after thorough research. Most complaints with other parents on the other laptops was about the LCD screen being so small, while the screen on this is perfect for its size and intent. I did not have trouble seeing anything. So it doesn't light up, I'm thankful, that's one less battery to replace. The other complaint I read about the others is that they were loud. This one is not. My children playing with their toys doesn't disturb me though. If they are learning & interacting with the toy, I'm happy.
  Another fun feature on this paticular "laptop" is that it has a working mouse. You can click to enter & move it slightly left or right or up & down (it is attached to the pad) to get to another activity or participate in one of the thirty plus fun games that offer pre-K learning & Kindergarten learing...find the shape that is bigger, etc... And yes I played with it to make sure everything worked correctly & to see what & how it would be teaching my children. It does teach & it has been fun for mine. It is a sturdy laptop with more bang for the buck than the rest of the other "laptops with many complaints" out there. You will be glad you purchased this for your little one. I have NO COMPLAINTS with this product. I also get involved with my children as much as I can to show them how learning can be fun. This purchase has been a smart one! Thank you Amazon!!! Go VTech !!!!
  
  
• Great Product - but heed the age recommendation
  By A1VKTATPDXURQW on 2007-03-25
  First of all, the device works great and we have no complaints other than the fact we bought it for our son who is too young for it. So this review is really intended for parents considering it for their toddlers.
  
  We bought this as a laptop distraction for our 20 month old in hopes that having his own would help alleviate some of the need to play with mom's and dad's more expensive versions.
  
  Be aware, there is no "mute" button (or headset jack), and tragically the volume control button is the most enticing button on the device for my 20-month-old. Unfortunately, Vtech decided to use an annoying and constant "chirp" to let the child know what volume is being set. So, rather than playing games and learning, we now have a loud beeping toy that just keeps on beeping at different levels of volume until one of us hits a different button.
  
  As I said, we are at fault for buying it for our toddler before he is really ready to use it. However, the device may have been a better fit had vtech put the volume control somewhere else or put a headset jack on it.
  
  
• Great learning toy BUT............
  By A2W7I14Q08HJS8 on 2007-11-01
  We love this toy and I would have given it more stars if not for the fact that we have now had it for only a few months and it no longer works! My two year old is still in the chewing phase and chewed on the cord a bit and now the mouse no longer works, so you basically can't use the thing at all and my almost four year old is devistated! This was his favorite toy and now he can no longer use it because of the flimsy design of the mouse. Whoever thought to give a corded mouse computer to kids this young? I mean I understand that it makes it good for lefties or righties, but if you have younger kids at home you have to keep this out of thier reach and than the older one can't play with it much. That is no fun since the younger one did enjoy it as well, but is still too young to understand you can't chew on it! The other problem is that the battery compartment is too easy to open on this thing. I know a 3 year old should know not to play with batteries, but that won't stop many if they get it opened, and they easily could..not sure why most of the vtech toys that are marketed to 3 and up are like this..seems to me that you should still have a screw in the battery compartment for anything marketed to a 3 or even 4 year old esp since my boys are still into the mouthing thing, sure they are not the only ones! It was a fun and educational toy while it lasted, but we are going to go with the more expensive and safer more durable fisher price one...I still think this one is better in alot of ways, but since I still have a young one who will destroy it and even my 3 and half year old isn't that trust worthy with it, I will have to get the more durable one from Fisher price...maybe it will last longer...:(
  
  
• Great educational toy, but...
  By A1N669ZT400URF on 2007-11-07
  This a great educational toy & my son has really enjoyed it. He loves having his own computer since he can't touch mommy's or daddy's computer. He has also learned so much! I bought this toy because it was less expensive than the Fisher Price Laughtop & because it seems to have more activities & games. My son's had this toy for about 9 months & it has taken a beating...it has been durable. I bought it for him when he was 2 & he immediately caught on. This toy would be a lot better if the screen was lit up (with a neon green light) like the Fisher Price Laughtop. VTech's screen is just black & white which makes it hard to see. I also wish they had an AC adapter hook up because having to buy batteries over & over again can get quite expensive. I think there should be more toys with the option of using batteries or an AC adapter (have both options on the toy)...let the parent choose. I understand most of the time manufacturers go with the battery option because it's supposed to be safer for the children. However, if the parent is supervising his/her child, using an adapter should be no problem & not a safety hazard. Also, the detachable mouse on this toy can be very annoying because it comes off very easily. My son carries his computer by the mouse instead of by the handle. Thank God it still works! If it weren't for the 3 cons I mentioned, I would've given this toy 5 stars instead of 4. We are now planning to buy our son the Fisher Price Laughtop. We will be buying it from Amazon because I've found it's cheaper here than in any other store. We'll see how it turns out & I will definitely write a review for it. I still think the VTech version has more activities & games though.
  
  
  
• Laptop Fun
  By A2V0JJ1IWMWHI4 on 2007-01-18
  Santa brought this item for my 5 1/2 year old son. He LOVES it. He was so excited to get it and he still plays with it daily. I love that it is a learning toy and that he can figure it out on his own, so I am not hearing "MOM can you help me" every 5 minutes. The mouse is a bonus that I think is GREAT! Makes it more "real" to the kids because they have a mouse like mommy's computer. All in all I would buy this again.
  
  
• Educational & Fun
  By A5H0WPWBY6CM8 on 2007-01-15
  My boys 2 1/2 & 4 1/2 both enjoy this laptop. My older son learns alot from it and has fun at the same time. I love the way the little mouse really works because they love playing with the mouse on my computer. This is a great product!
  
  
  
• Great Toy but Phonetics are mispronounced
  By A31MZR41SM9JU5 on 2007-12-17
  My daughter just received the Vtech Tote 'N Go Laptop Plus as a gift. We haven't fully explore the toy yet but one thing I noticed are the Phonetics that are mispronounced. V-tec should have consulted an educator about the sounds of the letters coz the following are incorrect: L, M, N, R, V, & Z. The toy pronounced it as lu, ma (mu), nu, ru, vu, & zu. vtech are teaching wrong phonetics to the kids.
  
  Other than that, the screen is too small, the mouse is also small and my daughter is having a hard time manipulating the mouse.
  
  The rest of the games are educational. I still have to wait and see if this toy will really last. Maybe there are better laptops out there.
  
  
• Great Product
  By A2RAD0N3JXMULH on 2006-12-30
  This is a great product for a young child. My son is two and loves it! He can do a lot of the activities and the ones he has trouble with are a good challenge for him. I can hardly believe how inexpensive it is (I got it for under $[...] at Meijer), but totally worth every penny.
  
  
• I love this laptop!!!
  By A1UD6RSIE03GBU on 2007-01-18
  I can't say enough about this tote and go laptop! My little boy thinks he is so big because he has his own computer. In the last few weeks he has learned to recognize the numbers on the keyboard. He loves this and I do too! A great way to introduce letters and numbers to a preschooler. The price was awesome and Amazon shipped it fast. Thanks!
  
  
• Don't hesitate...BUY IT!!!
  By A33LFS8AS5FBHQ on 2007-11-25
  My daughter was given this as a gift for her 2nd birthday. It was an instant hit and she hasn't lost interest the way she does with her other toys.
  
  In the past two weeks of using HER laptop daily, she can recognize her uppercase letters and is working on the lowercase ones. She can also find the letters on the keyboard quickly when playing the "typing fun" game. So, she has progressed from random pecking and poking of the keys to actually understanding the point of some of the basic games in two weeks. I'm so excited about how much she is learning. She already knew a few letters before she got her laptop, but now the learning has accelerated significantly. (A great supplement, or introduction, to this toy is Fridge Phonics by Leap Frog. It does a better job of teaching letter sounds).
  
  I'm not sure what all the fuss is about with the detachable mouse. Maybe I've got a modified version because it doesn't seem detachable to me. And as many times as she's dragged it around by the mouse cord, I can tell it's gonna take alot of pulling to detach it. So far, it's held up to her rough play. If she breaks it, I'll definitely replace it or get an upgraded vtech model with a better screen resolution. I've learned to tune out the sounds...except when she pushes the volume keys repeatedly and it keeps chirping. Then, I have to step in and hit a key to make it stop. She's learning that that annoys me and isn't doing it as much anymore :-)
  
  
• This One's A Keeper!
  By APU4JJHDQWDKU on 2008-02-04
  My 3 year old got this for Christmas and she loves it. It looks like Mommy's computer and she can use it instead of trying to "help" me with mine. The screen is a little small and it's not color, but my daughter doesn't seem to notice or care.
  
  There are a variety of games and exercises to try ranging from easy to hard, so it will hopefully keep her attention for a while yet. Some of the games are geared toward learning to use a "real" PC or laptop, such as games to control the mouse, etc. Others are more for learning alphabets/numbers/phonetics and things of that nature. I can't tell you all of them because, honestly, we haven't tried them all yet. There is a little room for improvement (with the size of the screen, etc.) but that being said, we're into February now and she is still playing with this on a daily basis so they must have gotten something right!
  
  
• Excellent tool for learning...
  By A1QHU4MJJ6ERJK on 2007-01-04
  This toy is perfect for an inquisititve mind, can keep a child busy for hours.
  
  
• Older version still going after 3 years and 3 kids!
  By A1D11A1WTTCL8Z on 2007-11-18
  We own an older version of this computer which has proved lasting, not just in terms of its durability but also in terms of its interest to children (both my 2 year old and my 7 year old love to play with it).
  
  This new version lacks the integral mouse which the other had, and also cannot have its volume turned off as the older version. These are why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.
  
  I also don't like the black and white screen much, but it's never bothered my kids. I've just bought one of these for my toddler to cut down the squabbling, so it must be a product one can believe in.
  
  
• My two year old knows all her letters!
  By A26WIPV4512AMT on 2007-11-28
  My two year old has had the Tote & Go Laptop for three weeks and she already knows all of her upper AND lower case letters. She is starting to learn the letter sounds, too. I'm pretty sure that thanks to this toy she could be reading by three years old!!! I am amazed at the way the little monkey on the screen captures her attention. She just loves it, she barely ever plays with any other toys lately. I didn't think she was old enough for letters, so I kept turning on the number games but one time I put on the letters just to see what she'd do and that was it! She walks around the house finding letters to point out to me. She has letter magnets and she goes through them all, telling me what they are. It's just amazing to me that at such a young age she's learned this. I totally credit this toy!!!!!
  
  
• Nephew's Birthday present
  By A2MMLVI7W71SMM on 2008-06-03
  I'm not sure why anyone is giving this toy low ratings. It is a very good value and I agree with many of the other posters, you can buy a more realistic looking kids' laptop but this one is the way to go. It's durable, it has alot of function and frankly I think little kids prefer the bright colors. When my nephew goes to his Grandma's house, this is usually the first thing he runs to and he is one of those diecast car loving boys!
  
  He's not quite old enough to get the full educational value out of it (read this as this toy still has room to grow with his development), but he does like to play with it and discover new functions, and even when he gets bored he just brings it to someone to put it in music mode and sits around composing songs.
  
  At $30 or $40 this toy would be a nice deal, at Amazon's $19.99 it's a can't miss.
  
  
• amazing value for the price
  By ATBMVZPFIGZ7A on 2008-07-26
  my then 3 year old son got this from santa for christmas. i was sceptical, for the price i didn't expect much. but, i did want my son to have his own lap top so he'd leave mine alone :) i figured for the price we'd try it out. he loved it instantly, as did my then 1 year old. she is now 2, and he is 4, and they still love it. my 2 year old knows all her letters, as does my 4 year old. my son shows ME how to play the games. they are simple, but completely age appropriate. the sounds do get annoying, and the graphics are circa 1984, but i wouldn't really expect more for $21. it's also super durable. both children have repeatedly thrown, dropped and stood on it, and you can't tell at all. my only complaints are that the mouse comes off too easily, and that i wish it had a light up screen. my son plays on it for 15 minutes at bedtime after stories, and it's hard to see. well, for me at least, he says it's just fine. guess my eyes are getting old. overall i think this is one of the best purchases we, uh, santa, has made.
  
  
• Great
  By AOMNA6W67A1ZQ on 2007-01-16
  Despite my daughter being only 19 months, she enjoys using this product and this is most important to me. She is now learning to count and say the alphabet although they come out jumbled.
  
  
• Vtech Tote 'N Go Laptop
  By A22TVEP3I33LUT on 2007-01-19
  The toy laptop is ideal for the toddler who wants to mimic the adult technology. The mouse is secured onto the mousepad which was a great idea. It makes fun sounds!
  
  
• Great toy all around!
  By A3591MOB9F2CXS on 2007-10-28
  My 3 year old son LOVES this toy. We brought it with us on vacation and his 7, 9, & 12 year old cousins liked it too. Sure it wasn't a challenge for them, but it kept them all occupied for a long time.
  
  Pros: lots of different games at varrying difficulty levels. Easy to figure out. Mouse that really works. Volume control.
  
  Cons: Your child will likely spend way too much time with this toy! :)'
  
  GREAT TOY! GREAT PRICE!
  
  
• Mouse Part Falls Off Constantly
  By AEMSR4TMYD2ZA on 2008-01-05
  I thougght my daughter who is almost 4 would love this but she doesn't. It has 30 different games/challenges but since kids her age can't read much it's too much for her to figure out which ones she likes, etc. Some of the choices are really dull too. The part I hate the most is the side part where the mouse is falls off constantly which makes it not as portable as I had hoped.
  
  
• A title?
  By A2VXY290RZMG9S on 2008-01-15
  I agree with some of the other people who critiqued this toy. The screen is really small and I did not think it seemed like a good quality toy, but my kids do like it and play with it happily for some time. It's good to keep the volume at a lower level, however.
  
  
• Best Learning Toy on the Market
  By A2F33YYU65EYMI on 2008-04-14
  This is an absolutely fabulous product. An "Oh So Cute" - "Happy Monkey" (as my Granddaughter calls him) encourages learning through rewards and verbal prompts. My Granddaugter just turned 2 and has already mastered two of the levels. There are 30 activities and the difficulty increases with each level. This toy will grow as her cognitive abilities develop further. I am EXTREMELY impressed with the fact that she does NOT need any encouragment or prompting to sit and play with her VTech Computer.
  
  The mouse is a REAL bonus - Not exactly like a "real computer" but it has enough functionability to satisfy a pre-school child. Some reviews I have read mention that the Black and White Screen is a drawback - However, this is a moot point - The Black and White Screen is NOT a Drawback and therefore a Color Screen is really NOT necessary.
  
  I cannot say enough about this toy - in fact, if anything were to happen to her VTech Computer I would replace it in less than a "heart beat"! This is the BEST learning toy I have found!
  
  
• Great beginner learning toy!
  By A1YVHMBOW9ZQQZ on 2008-09-15
  My husband and I bought this toy for our 3 yr. old daughter last Christmas given the fact that she was becoming more and more interested in trying to play games on our own computer. We didn't think she would catch on as quickly as she did but she is a whiz at most of the games on it. My husband and I had no clue how to show her what to do so she has been on her own from the beginning!
  
  Its so funny and enjoyable to see her learning her abcs and advancing to highter levels but my only complaint is that the volume can't be turned off. Even at its lowest setting, it is still pretty loud but overall I can't complain. Its a great buy and she is still playing it today!(The battery life on it is amazing too! She plays with it quite often and we've yet to change the batteries)
  
  
• VTech Tote 'N Go Laptop Plus
  By A3D4DSLSQ9RNO4 on 2007-01-09
  I was very impressed with the quality of the item.It is very sturdy and can withstand use by a three year old.
  The interactive nature of the software made it easy to engage the interest of my son and has helped to re-inforce what he is being taught in school. It's made learning FUN!!
  
  
• Fun and durable, but not too durable....
  By A4IIIG0RQJ6SU on 2007-10-27
  Ok, we've had this toy for 7 months and it is offically broken. My son put it in the sink(he is 20 months) and my daughter proceeded to turn on the water(she is 3yrs, 8 months). I quickly got it out of the sink, removed the batteries and aired it out, but no luck. It no longer works. I am a little dissappointed, but I am not saying I expected it to work or anything. When my daughter did play with it, she LOVED it. It overall, wasn't too annoying and there is a volume control. I know on another model(same toy, a little different design) the mouse pad and mouse are actually on the keyboard and not hanging by the wire and able to fall away from the keyboard. My son and daughter would sometimes pick it up by the mouse(because it easily comes off the side of the keyboard). I wish I was able to get the other model where it was incorporated into the keyboard. I think it would be a lot easier and better for the computer to last a long time!(or at least have a chance to if it doesn't make it to the sink first...lol...)
  
  

• VTech Tote n Go Laptop Plus - Pink

• Vtech - Write & Learn Letter Pad
• Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper
• Wild Planet Hyper Dash
• LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set
• Playskool Busy Ball-Tivity Center