This Slim Pad also known as small-version-of-a- laptop can be the perfect presents for kids to learn something new everyday, or for parents that want to force the kids to do so. One of the things I like about it is the fact of the screen is detachable and when that happens it becomes a touch pad instead of a normal monitor, but kids and sticky fingers from food/cookies are a match so the touch sensitive screen idea might not be a good one.

It can teach a bunch of things including maths, logic science, geography, history, and two languages as those being English and French - all the teaching is done by making use of games appropriate for kids and other cool activities that I can’t imagine. To give it a real laptop feeling it comes with a “light-up” mouse (read glowing) and 4 cartridges for games, and in order to make it even more identical to a laptop there is software like:

• money manager - didn’t know a kid needed one
• word processor - this is important, like microsoft word for kids
• music mixer - useful too, compare it to windows media player, or iTunes
• typing tutor – it’s always good to know how to type before using the word processor

Other features include a voice recorder & playback that I can imagine being used in coordination with the music mixer, maybe for a bit of karaoke. The Slim Pad costs £90 (around $170) and is intended for kids older than 8 which I consider being an old age to start dealing with computers, the earlier the better.