Apple's iPad 2 is the tablet of choice for most people. But it's not always suited to sharing, and its thin metal-and-glass construction might not be the best thing to give a young child ... whether she's prone to dropping things or putting them in her mouth.
Fortunately, Apple isn't the only game in town when it comes to tablets.
Enter the Android
The programming code to Google's Android operating system is freely available online. You can check it out by clicking here, if you're into that kind of thing. The people at Vinci are, and they used it to create their own tablet for toddlers: The Vinci Tab.
Only Google's approved partners are allowed to use the programming code for Honeycomb, the tablet version of Android. That's why Vinci used the programming code for the latest smartphone version, the same way that Barnes and Noble did for the Nook Color e-reader tablet. Because Vinci and Barnes and Noble don't need to ask Google's permission, they can make Android do some surprising things ... like create a tablet specially designed for readers, or even one that's childproofed.
But what does a tablet that's made for kids look like?
Let's check off the obvious items first. It'd have a smaller screen, made out of tempered glass, with rubber bumpers and things to keep it from breaking when (not if) it is dropped. It'd be safe for your child to put in his or her mouth, and would even be safe to eat off of -- because, let's face it, your child will sooner or later.
It'd have a child-friendly interface, with huge on-screen buttons in primary colors, and apps made for kids and their parents. It wouldn't have Internet access, not even through Wi-Fi, and it'd cost less than an iPad 2.
The Vinci Tab looks like it delivers on all counts.
I haven't seen any reviews of it yet, since it won't be released until Wednesday. But you can pre-order it now, starting at $389, and there are specs and pictures and videos up on its site.
The biggest thing I'm concerned about is its app selection. The iPad 2 already has tons of apps designed for early childhood and schoolkids, whereas Android tablets have basically none. (There are Android phone apps, but they don't work quite as well on a tablet.) That means the people at Vinci will have to build their catalog essentially from scratch, like how Barnes and Noble is with its Nook Color -- if you don't make a Google-approved tablet, you don't get to use the Android Market.
There's a case to be made for people like Vinci building a childproof case of some kind for the iPad 2, instead. But then, the iPad can't meet everyone's needs. Including, perhaps, your kids'.
Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.
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