IT and Education: LeapPad tablet for kids released

An educational toy company LeapFrog has announced the price and specifications of its new tablet LeapPad Explorer which is intended for kids aged 4-9.

The LeapPad Explorer includes a 5-inch, 480 x 272-pixel touch screen and uses a 400MHz processor. It has a built-in camera (with video capture), microphone, stylus, and accelerometer.

The tablet launches educational games and programs. The device offers four pre-installed apps and over 100 downloadable apps are available on the LeapFrog website. They feature programs which teach reading and writing, interactive coloring books, musical programs and apps for teaching basics of healthy lifestyle.

There's no wireless connectivity in LeapPad Explorer, therefore to download additional content the device need to be connected to computer. Besides LeapFrog is going to offer cartridges with apps.

The tablet for kids, announced in February 2011, is debuting in the USA on August 15. It is still unknown whether LeapPad Explorer will be sold in other countries. Earlier LeapFrog introduced LeapPad laptop for kids with similar options.