LeapFrog Clickstart My First Computer Reviews

• This is a must have for preschoolers

  
  By A20K9PYTRUVTKZ on 2007-08-21
  We bought this for our 2 1/2 year old, because she kept wanting to play with our laptop computers. We figured this was a better option for her, so she would not break our laptops.
  She loved it from the minute we hooked it up, and has played it everyday for the past three weeks. She has not gotten tired of it at all since the more you play the more challenging the games get. We are still using the original set of batteries and the keyboard does actually turn itself off after 5 minutes of non-use. (Note...buy the AC adapter, so you can skip having to use batteries in the console unit)LeapFrog ClickStart™ My First Computer Adapter
  
  We give it 5 stars for fun due to the fact that she wakes up each morning still looking forward to playing with Scout, and the Typing Tree. Not many toys can entertain and teach the ever important skills of keyboarding and mouse control to a 2 1/2 year old.
  
  We give it 5 stars for educational value because she at 2 1/2 now has enough eye hand control to use not ony her little mouse accurately, but she can use a real computer mouse with percision. Counting, letter recognition, color recognition, following directions, phonics as well as nurturing are all addressed in the 4 games that are preloaded. The ability to add more games also merits 5 stars.
  
  Durabiity gets 5 stars because she is two, has played with it everyday for three weeks and it still works! :-) She is not super tough on her toys, but has on several occasions carried the entire keyboard by the mouse cord. I was concerned that that mouse would stop working if the cord became loose, however, it is attached to the keyboard very securely behind a screwed in plate that kids cannot access, and you can actually replace it yourself with the replacement mouse offered by Leap Frog.
  
  Again, this is a GREAT product!
  
  

• LOVE IT!!!!

  
  By A3MF5Q9IHZR6IY on 2007-08-27
  Bought this for our 3 year old's birthday and he absolutely LOVES IT!!! He was always interested in playing with our home computer and when I happened to see this while birthday shopping I bought it without reading the reviews, when i got home and read the reviews I was glad I bought it, now that he has actually played with it I am thrilled with this purchase!!! He adores this system and it is really educational, it is something I don't mind him playing with for hours on end which he frequently does. We are actually thinking about geting a TV especially for this since he uses it so much. He is learning so much from this system and on my work days when he is home with dad I can send him a postcard before I leave and he is thrilled to wake up and get his "mail". This is definitely one of the best purchases we have made.
  As far as the keyboard, it turns itself off after about five minutes, it will turn itself back on as soon as it is moved but it stays off after we put it away for the night!
  If you have preschoolers this is a MUST HAVE!!!
  
  

• Mom of 7 and 3 Year Old

  
  By AXS4PSQ8BKDQ8 on 2007-11-23
  My three year old LOVED this toy; however, the mouse on the keyboard would only move left and right and not go up and down. It was very frustrating for her that she couldn't play the mouse related games nor could she "x" out of the screen because the mouse wouldn't go there. It seemed to clear up on its own and then did it again. I called Leap Frog and they said they were having problems with them, but had no troubleshooting advice for it. They told me the product needed to be returned for another unit. I think we are going to pass on getting another one. Like I mentioned, it was very frustrating for both my kids. It is too bad because they really did love the games.
  
  

• Keeps her off my computer.

  
  By A26JQCF3ZR0NIW on 2007-09-04
  I bought this the second I saw it at the store. I came onto amazon to look for games and the A/C adapter that the store didn't carry. It's great to have. My daughter is two and a half, and has become very interested in my computer, mostly the mouse and keyboard, because she likes the cause and effect it creates. So I saw this and figured that she might as well learn about navigation of the computer and the mouse. She loves it! As soon as it turns on she says, "Click my name." and will navigate right to her name, not her sisters accounts, and will load the game she wants to play all by herself.
  
  I am a big fan of all the leapstart products. My daughter can sing the abc's, tell you ALL the phonetics that go w/ them, and has begun working on letter and number recognition. This helps teach all the skills she is working on, while re-enforcing the ones she already has. Her big sisters are a bit to old for the console, they just turned 7, but they actually have fun playing w/ it too. They have it set to a higher level and use it to help w/ their keyboarding skills. We don't have any other game consoles in the house because I'd prefer they stick w/ educational toys, and I'm just beginning to really let them explore on my PC, so the console is a ready break for them.
  
  There are several different games available for them. Each cartridge works on specific items. We've bought most all of them, but so far have only used two. They are really into Nemo and Dora at the moment. The Dora game helps alot w/ learning to navigate using arrow keys, it's more complex for level two, sorting patterns and such. Nemo works alot on keyboarding and mouse skills. There are four games built right into the console as well.
  
  It is pretty durable. I keep the console up higher, but the keyboard gets bashed around a bit and has had no problems. It shuts off on it's own provided you don't move the mouse or press any keys, and there is a place on the back of the keyboard to clip mouse onto when not in use.
  
  

• Disapointing Toy

  
  By A3V4NXSSK0L3RA on 2007-11-14
  This is no better than several computer applications I have for our daughter. The only reason this caught my eye was that it was a qwerty keyboard. Unfortunately, it brought nothing else to the table. We have a child's keyboard we connect to our computer and an entire library of learning software that is much more cost effective.
  
  
• Fun and Durable!
  By A2B4Y7MXRE2B28 on 2007-09-23
  I bought this for my 3 year old daughter when she started showing interest in my computer. We've had it for over 3 months now and she STILL LOVES IT! She uses it daily and not always in the way in which it was inteded - I've caught her standing on the keyboard more than once! I still haven't had to replace the batteries, nothing has broke and ALL the keys still work! A parent couldn't ask for more!
  
  
• My Grandson loves it.
  By A37WDJZTNQX31B on 2007-08-01
  I bought this for my Grandson's 4th. birthday and he loves it. It is a learning toy with cute games to play. He just giggles at the Dog House game. It teaches the kids how to use a mouse and a keyboard. When he clicks on the bubble bottle, bubbles come out and they have to click on as many bubbles as they can and it counts how many bubbles they popped. Plus that one game has many other items to click on and do different activities. I think it is a very good educational toy. The only thing is I wish the keyboard had an on/off switch. I have to take the batteries out every night. The component that plugs into the T.V. has an on/off switch but not the keyboard. The keyboard is wireless. If it has a switch I have not been able to find it. I am afraid I am going to go through alot of batteries. That is why I gave it only 3 stars for the durablity.
  
  
• Great starter computer for the little people!
  By A3FZVXFBMHRB9P on 2007-09-09
  Bought this computer for my 3 year old grandson after his surgery when he needed to be kept fairly still with no running around. This computer did the trick and I understand that the only trouble was getting him to stop playing with it. He spent 5 to 7 hours a day playing it and has yet to tire of it. Highly recommend it!
  
  
• Educational and Fun!
  By A3ER5SYCSB4VP5 on 2007-09-30
  I was going to give my daughter (4.5 yrs old) this toy for Christmas, but I couldn't wait for another 2 months.
  
  The toy was one of the best buy and she really enjoyed it. The mouse was very easy to maneuver and the product design was appealing to her as well. The included games were fun and I also had purchased two extra ones for her to play later(those I would save to Christmas).
  
  I didn't find the enclosed 4 AA batteries for the keyboard. And you need to prepare 4 1.5v batteries as well for the console. I used an adapter for the console.
  
  My daughter is left-handed and the "mouse pad" can be switched for either side.
  
  I definitely recommend this toy to kids under 6. For the batteries, I will get some rechargeable ones.
  
  If Leapfrog will continue to create games for this console that suit from age 6 and up, this will be a great educational purchase for sure!
  
  
  
• Leap Frog Click Start My First Computer
  By A2XVSV3W02AT53 on 2007-10-25
  My granddaughter loves the Leap Frog Click Start "My First Computer". But, she just turned four years old, and it is recommended for ages 4-6. She quickly went through level one and level two. I think they should lower the age recommendation because, although she still enjoys playing the games, she is not learning and is sometimes bored with it because she is not challenged. The games need to progress with the child in the age groups recommended, and there should be more games available.
  
  
• VTech V.Smile vs Leapfrog Clickstart
  By A24F1ELHW3QT9C on 2008-01-28
  Electronics are evolving into pretty much every area of life, and that includes Early Learning. Apart from PC software, and stand-alone toys, a new approach follows the `games console' line: a console that you can hook up to your television so your little one can play games that will teach him or her counting, the alphabet, and the basic reading/writing/'rithmetic. Whether this approach actually `works', in terms of teaching children the basics, remains to be seen - it's too early for any useful research evidence.
  
  Two of the front-runners in this evolution are the V.Smile from VTech, and the Clickstart `First Computer' from Leapfrog. Both are fairly cheap plastic battery-powered consoles pitched at 3- to 6/8-year-olds; both come with initial free software, and have a range of additional software available as cartridges, mostly themed on popular cartoon/comic characters (Disney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Superman etc). Unable to decide which (if either) of these might be helpful for our three-year-old boy, we decided to buy both and try them out. This is what we found.
  
  The V.Smile is slightly more expensive (AU$119 for the console, plus AU$40 per software cartridge). It seems like the better machine in a lot of respects. There is a much wider range of software (about 30 cartridges available), catering from 3-to-5-year-olds up to 6-to-8-year-olds. Unlike the Leapfrog system, the V.Smile cartridges can also be used in the handheld Pocket V.Smile. It looks better engineered: sound output can be in stereo; there is a built-in compartment for storing your cartridges; there is a microphone (which we haven't used yet); and, although battery-powered (4 x AA), you can also run it off the mains - though, somewhat annoyingly, you have to buy a separate AC adapter. The user manual leaflet is somewhat better than that of its competitor, though both are adequate and both systems were quite easy to set-up without the manual.
  
  However, its appearance gives the game away for the V.Smile: it looks like a cartoon version of a Playstation, and the interface is joystick-based (one supplied, with the option to add a second). It is first and foremost a games console, and the software confirms this: the activities are essentially `platform games' (think Donkey Kong or Super Mario), with a fairly thin serving of word/number/pattern/colour recognition thrown in. It was readily apparent that the main entertainment lay in manoeuvring, jumping, and evading hazards, and the basics of this were beyond our three-year-old at his first sitting; in contrast, the puzzles shown (`which one is the apple?' `pick the red circle' etc) posed little or no challenge to him at all. Although he had great fun (with Daddy's help), I'm not sure he learnt anything at all in an hour's test run.
  
  The Clickstart got off to a poorer start, despite being a bit cheaper (AU$98 for the console, and AU$31.50 per cartridge). For openers, it's packaged in that annoying wire-and-sticky-tape fashion that takes at least half-an-hour to get out of the box and generally requires destroying a substantial amount of the packaging. There seem to be only six software cartridges available, aiming up to 6-year-olds. It does have the big advantage of being cordless, relying on an infra-red transmitter rather like your remote. We thought this might be a problem for our projector (being behind the child, as opposed to a TV screen in front of them), but it proved to be no problem at all unless someone stood in front of the IR receiver - presumably the IR signal is reflected from the wall. However, this does also mean that there are two components each requiring batteries (4 x AA and 4 x C); again, you can buy a separate AC adapter for the receiver, but not for the keyboard.
  
  But - and it's a big but - the Clickstart is quite clearly based on a computer, not a games console. The interface is a QWERTY keyboard, with a simple one-button mouse; it can register different `users', if you have more than one child; and the home screen is a simplistic `point-and-click' GUI. A cute puppy called Scout is your guide to the system (and our boy LOVES puppies). The built-in games are more varied in format, and richer in content, than those of the V.Smile; they focus on developing both conceptual skills (numbers, letters, shapes, colours etc) and interface skills (how to use a keyboard and mouse). Even with no keyboard skills at all, our three-year-old could still have a grand time pressing random keys to collect alphabetical fruit or bring up phonetic-linked pictures. But by the end of an hour or so, he was starting to recognise individual digits (`press the 8 key'), and was getting the hang of the mouse. The cartridge games we tried were somewhat more `platform'-like, but with less emphasis on tricky manoeuvring and more emphasis on picking the right shape/number/colour, and some counting. The cartridge graphics seem to have come from the 1980s, but our three-year-old could recognise Buzz and Woody and Emperor Zurg and that was good enough for him! And whereas the V.Smile cartridges are each pitched at a specific age range, the Clickstart games and cartridges each contain different levels for different age groups - making up to some degree for the fact that there are fewer of them.
  
  So my vote goes to the Clickstart, simply because it aims to be an educational toy computer rather than an educational games console; and (on the basis of a short test run), it actually seems to achieve some education. On the other hand, for an older child who's already hooked on video games, the V.Smile probably stands a better chance of getting their attention, and perhaps keeping it with the older-age-group cartridges and two-player options. I'm still not convinced that either of these systems is really the best way to teach children their numbers and letters; and I realise that nothing will take the place of hours of input from an enthusiastic adult. But I'd much rather see my toddler having fun with a keyboard than a joystick, particularly if that's going to set any sort of pattern for the future.
  
  
  
  
• Sleep mode / keyboard OFF issues
  By AZZI5UUHYKBAU on 2007-11-25
  While the main console is OFF, I found that pushing the RESET button under the keyboard for 5-10 seconds seemed to help make the keyboard turn OFF and go into SLEEP mode more frequently. I still agree that the keyboard should just have an OFF switch, and that removal of the batteries is NOT a reasonable solution to turning the keyboard OFF. It makes one wonder if the designers are in cahoots with the battery companies.
  
  
• Could have been much more...
  By A38G9OV59YC7DX on 2007-12-25
  Let me start of by saying that I'm somewhat satisfied with some elements of this product. The build is good, the keyboard is above average, the quality of picture is not bad. So far, so good. I would also like to say that the keyboard and mouse are a tremendously great idea and would be a great introduction to computers for little kids IF they had been actually implemented to any useful and educational extent. As it stands, the reviewer who said that better educational software could be had over the internet is absolutely correct. The software that comes with this computer and even the software you buy for it is drivel.
  
  Here's the rub, the software that is available for this device are the very nearly the exact same pieces of software that appeared on the LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game System (Leapfrog's handheld) device in reduced form. Yes, let me rephrase that, the software you buy for this computer is less powerful than the software you can get for Leapfrog's handheld computer: the LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game System. There's less to do, and what there is to do can be done without the keyboard!
  
  Take for example the Dora software, there are three activities in the ClickStart version of the software. Those same three activities and TWO MORE are available for the Leapster. The same can be said for the Thomas software. The Animal Painting software doesn't allow freeform painting, instead it simple click to color a region painting which my 3.5 year old finds dreadfully boring. He kept wanting to do real painting, something he can do with the Leapster's built-in software!
  
  To be sure, Leapster software is more expensive and in this case you get what you pay for. I had expected Leapfrog to do more than just simply port and reduce already existing software but alas, this new software doesn't even take advantage of the keyboard. Both the computer and the Leapster use a Flash engine, the same engine that is used to make games for various educational web sites. Truth be told, the games you can find on the net have more value than the games that come with this so-called computer.
  
  If this is a child's first Leapfrog product then great, it's a real neat thing, it works beautifully and does the job admirably but if you already have a Leapster then please reconsider. If your child has already played Thomas and Dora to death then they will find nothing new in those titles on this computer. So far my son has found one activity he enjoys and that is typing. Something we let him do on our home computers already. He wanted more options (different backgrounds to type on, for example) within five minutes of turning this thing on. That doesn't make it a bad product but don't assume this will replace a full computer in the child's life.
  
  It should also be noted that there is a profanity filter in the typing element of the built in game. It won't allow the child to type the word "Hello" which is one of the first words my son tried to type. This, in my opinion, is going a bit overboard. There seems to be no setting for turning the filter off.
  
  I beg of Leapfrog to make more robust software for the device and in particular software that really exercises the keyboard. As it stands it's the lesser of two products. I'd recommend the Leapster over this one in a heartbeat despite the fact that the ClickStart has a keyboard and mouse. At the very least Leapfrog should have allowed the Clickstart to run Leapster games.
  
  
• Censorship at it's worst.
  By AIM757QBJDA8U on 2007-12-26
  My child's name is Cassandra. Nicknames: Cassie & Cass.
  The Leapfrog company won't allow her to spell her own name on this keyboard because her name contains the letters a--s--s...
  
  I've tried calling them over 20 times ever since Christmas and they refuse to explain to me why they are censoring words on this keyboard and deciding for parents what their children can and cannot spell.
  
  I can honestly say, this is the most ridiculous toy I've ever purchased. They've eliminated thousands of words from the English language by blocking such letter combinations. How dare they???
  
  I'm going to return it. In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions on a toy we can buy our kids that helps them with their typing skills, I'd love to hear about it.
  
  
• Best purchase I've made
  By A2DFWK0H446S7J on 2007-08-16
  My 3 y.o. daughter loves the clickstart computer. It was so easy for her to figure out and keeps her entertained for quite a while before she gets tired of playing with it. It is by far the best investment I've made as far as toys are concerned. I like that it actually teaches her important skills as well and she feels a since of accomplishment.
  
  
• Great Learning Toy!
  By A2RZQ1JCM632Y3 on 2007-09-20
  I bought this for my son's fourth birthday. He is more of an outdoor kid, and I was trying to encourage him to learn letters, numbers, and keyboarding skills. He absolutely loves this toy! He picked up the mouse skills within the first day. He can totally change the games himself and click on each of the different games on the screen. He has also tried the Nemo game and the Toy Story game and loves them too.
  
  
• Overall great product
  By A2U7FTOHMOWDAR on 2007-09-29
  Overall, great! my 2 1/2 year old loves it. Needs improvement: The mouse is difficult to manuever, even for me and the software seems limited at this time.
  
  
• Nice toy but frustrating
  By ACVZWYBX9YZCY on 2007-11-09
  We bought this for our 3 year old. We got it home wihtout ever seeing batteries needed. After looking for several minutes I see it on the bottom of the box in very small print. That was the first frustration. Then I see it has an AC adapter plug in but does not come with one. I find out you have to buy it seperately. Once we get it working I discovered that the paw print where the mouse sits does not allow enough room for my 3 year old to properly move the mouse. so we took that off and put the keyboard on the table. It has fun games, its a good idea. We just got off to a bad start. I guess I'm old fashion. I expect the batteries needed to be easily seen and I expect the adapter to come with it. overall my 3 year old does like it
  
  
• Engaging Like a Video Game
  By A3SEDHJ2QIKGNQ on 2007-11-09
  I bought the ClickStart because, like some of the other reviewers stated, my son (3 year old) likes to mess with my laptop. I figured this was a great alternative and I was right. It has been worth every penny. He has the best time playing the games that came with the system. He laughs and cheers himself when he does something good. I really like this because my son always wants to play with his cousin's Playstation. I don't want to introduce him to video games at such an early age. He needs time to develop and this system is great. My son actually thinks he's playing the video games that his cousin plays. I like how it talks to him and encourages him when he does something good. My daughter (1 year old) tries to play but she's a bit too young. This product is worth the hype. I just hope it lasts for several years.
  
  
• Great concept that failed
  By AOMOS298YQ9RF on 2008-07-15
  This is such a great concept. My kids were excited about it, it looked perfect and could have been such a wonderful product.
  
  The concept I give 5 stars. The product itself I give 1 star (especially when you factor in the price you pay for a flawed product).
  
  The product is sturdy and colorful. Cordless which makes it easy for the kids to move around with. The games are educational and great for the kids.
  
  All around it is a great product. Except for one thing. The mouse does not work. My kids so wanted to play with it and ended up frustrated that it didn't work right. I sat down to try it out and it was extremely difficult for me to use (as well as my 12yr old and husband who also tried it out). When you add in the small mouse pad and it is just even more difficult to use.
  
  I tried rolling it on the carpet and using a regular mouse pad next to it. None of this helped.
  
  My kids never play with it besides the few times they tried to. I have thought about just giving them the computer part to pretend with. But, it's too expensive for that. I went out and bought them one of those battery operated laptops instead.
  
  I am thinking of selling this thing on Ebay or something. It's useless, a disapointment and irritates me that I wasted so much money on it. The product cost me $60.-, I paid the $10.- for the adapter and then paid taxes (because it shipped from my state) and s&h charges. So, in the end, I paid about $90.- for it all. Luckily I didn't order additional games.
  
  
  
  
• Mousepad solution
  By A1NWB6IIMJFXGX on 2007-11-30
  We bought this for our 3 year old son. I read all the reviews and decided to try it. A lot of people complained about the mouse being too small and the mousepad. My son has no problem with the mouse. The mousepad however is too small. My husband suggested using our mousepad and putting it next to his leap frog. I said "that's not going to work" but decided to give it a try. Believe it or not, it worked. So if your child has issues with the mousepad being too small, let him use your mousepad and they will now have lots of room to maneuver the mouse.
  Otherwise, I think this is a wonderful product, he is learning, and when shown only once, he now can work this all by himself. Very educational product.
  
  
• Awesome toy... while it worked
  By A3ST0IJN1GS6WB on 2008-07-04
  As a teacher, I'm always looking for interactive learning opportunities for my kids (2 and 4). This seemed like an excellent concept, and I was very pleased with the basic game that it came with. It has two level options, the first one just getting the child acquainted with clicking and pressing buttons and the second level taking it a step farther with letter ID and spelling activities. My children have not used the computer much, so it was perfect for them. That particular game may be too easy if your child has already used the regular computer a lot. In any case, I thought this game system was really great until some of the keys stopped working. The O and the K no longer work on the keyboard, which is a real problem when you are doing spelling games! I'm beyond the three month warranty period, however this game system had not been used much at all. We just aren't into watching TV much, so we didn't use it very often. I'd say that we probably totaled about 2-4 weeks of average use, yet it still broke that quickly. VERY disappointing for an expensive toy from LeapFrog.
  
  
• LOVE this system
  By AQOE9D4PDRTQJ on 2007-10-15
  This toy is a BIG hit at our house. My son just turned 3 and will play with his computer for hours if you let him.
  
  The mouse took about a week to get comfortable with and he needed help clicking on things in the beginning, but one day he turned it on and could do it by himself and hasn't asked for help once since. I love that the keyboard is QWERTY since this is the layout he'll be using the rest of his computing life, but right now he thinks it's just part of the game to find the correct letters.
  
  The built-in games themselves seemed pretty simple at first since he already knew his numbers and letters, but once the computer gauges the child's level it changes the games and asks them to do more difficult things. Right now he is spelling small words, which he was not doing before we got this system. It even pulls the child's name from the profile you set up in the beginning and teaches them to spell it.
  
  I just love that this system grows with the child and will be useful for years to come. Well worth the $60 price! We have not tried any of the other games you can buy to go with it so I can't comment on them yet.
  
  
• Great Toy, but encountered problem
  By AMSPQ86ELNL67 on 2007-11-17
  My 3 year-old son loved this "puter" from the moment we hooked it up. He is learning and getting a lot out of it, but have encountered continuous problems with the keyboard not going into "sleep mode" since their is not an on/off switch. Within the first three weeks I have gone through 2 sets of keyboard batteries and 1 set of console batteries -- buy the adapter for the console! Today I called LeapFrog and initially they tried to tell me to remove the batteries after every use (yea right!)now they are going to replace the keyboard...hopefully that will do the trick. They should have designed it so you could turn it off....maybe the next generation!
  
  
• fun, but doesn't always work
  By ARDCXJUYFIY52 on 2007-11-29
  We got this for my 2 year old, who likes to play with the keyboards of our computers. She is younger than the recommended age, yet she enjoys playing the games that require use of the keyboard and watching my husband and I play the mouse-driven games (she hasn't quite figured out how to use the mouse yet). The games introduce useful things like letters of the alphabet and numbers in a fun way. It's nice to be able to use our tv as a display and very useful for her to be able to move around the room with the keyboard.
  
  The only problem we have had with this product is that the mouse stops working now and then until the computer has been rebooted.
  
  
• Best TV Learning Toy
  By A1I1RQN9SIA6RU on 2007-12-06
  My son just got this from his grandparents, and I have to say I am really impressed. We've owned several of the TV learning toys (Little Leaps, FP Learn with Me DVD come to mind) and were not really impressed with those. This toy will teach him how to interact with a real computer, and lets him have fun doing it. My son is almost 3, and has been given a probable diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome. Small motor coordination is difficult for him at times - I LOVE that this toy lets him work on his mouse skills. He absolutely LOVES this computer, and I do too. The games seem to be varied enough not to get too monotonous, the way some preschool computer software can. We decided to hook this toy up to a small TV that isnt connected to cable, so that as far as he is concerned, its just a computer monitor. So far, so good!
  
  
• Much better games available for the cost of an internet connection
  By A1CZ7QGR8GKSOF on 2007-12-27
  I had hoped Clickstart would free up my husbands laptop, but the games for this LeapFrog product are substandard to say the least. Starfall or PBS Kids (for instance) offer a much better educational value in my opinion. My 3 year old just ends up playing with the keyboard while walking away from the TV. The games are far to easy for him having played the Starfall and PBS games for so long. Wish I could send it back.
  
  
• Just CHANGE the batteries!!!
  By A29W85T2Q6AYCP on 2008-09-29
  We experienced all the same issues as those unfavorable reviewers and ALL our issues were eliminated when we CHANGED THE BATTERIES!!
  
  I admit, I have never encountered another electronic toy that responds to low battery power like this. I absolutely thought the toy was defective but, as it turned out, new batteries were all it needed.
  
  
• Very disappointed
  By A2TOF7L276XDSH on 2007-12-26
  My daughter received this as a Christmas gift and it literally lasted 5 minutes before it refused to work any more. She is not rough with her toys, generally speaking, and was playing with the keyboard whn suddenly she complained that nothing was happening. Sure enough, the mouse was stuck in the bottom corner of the screen and would not respond to commands at all. Started the machine again and nothing. Took the batteries out and replaced...nothing. So, this toy lasted less than a few minutes before becoming useless. I am very disappointed in the quality of Leapfrog toys lately. The last 3 or 4 have not worked for more than a week or two.
  
  
• Great Potential Marred by One Major Problem
  By A3C4Y079ZFOUQY on 2008-11-24
  We obtained this product for our average to above-average two year old, who is now three. She has barely played with it, and while it seemingly has great potential, it is all flushed down the drain by one horrible design flaw: the fact that the keyboard and mouse interface to the television through line-of-site infrared (like a remote control).
  
  When you have a little kid, they aren't the best in the dexterity department, and they tend the move the peripheral portion of the unit around a lot, messing up the whole line-of-site thing. As a consequence, the mouse and keyboard don't respond very well or go on and off in their sensitivity. This in turn causes frustration for the child, who proceeds to move the equipment around even more erratically.
  
  The experience is such that our girl frantically moves the mouse around only to have small bits and pieces of the movement registered on screen. Even when I, an experienced IT professional, have used the mouse, I have found it to bear little resemblance to the feel of a computer-based mouse.
  
  In our case, at least, this has proven to be the downfall of this toy. Additionally, we've found the games we have used to be rather one-dimensional with little replay-ability. It seems like going through a few easy patterns that repeat themselves, leading to a boring experience.
  
  For our part, we'll never again buy an electronic children's product that isn't self-contained, based on wired connections, or using true omnidirectional wireless technology (e.g., RF or 801.11a/b/g/n).
  
  

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