XO Tablet for Kids is a continuation of One Laptop Per Child’s (OLPC) mission to make digital education and learning more accessible to children around the world. The non-profit organization first worked on making the cheapest laptop computer for kids at $100 to be distributed to developing countries in order to make education more accessible to kids in these countries. The XO Tablet is the company’s first entry to the commercial market which it unveiled during the CES 2013.
OLPC XO Tablet Technical Specifications
| Parameters | Kindle Fire HD Specs |
|---|---|
| Display | 7" 10 point capacitive touch high definition color display; 1280x800 resolution, video playback at 720p, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology, advanced polarizing filter, and anti-glare technology |
| Processor | Dual-core, 1.2GHz OMAP4460 |
| Storage | 16GB or 32GB on device |
| Camera | 1.3 MP Front Facing |
| Battery | 11 hours continuous use |
| Size & Weight: | 7.6" x 5.4" x 0.4" (193 mm x 137 mm x 10.3 mm) 13.9 ounces (395 grams) |
| Operating System | Modified Android 4.0 (Jelly Bean) |
| Network | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO), 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 |
| Input/Output | USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) Micro-HDMI (micro-D connector) 3.5 mm stereo jack |
The XO tablet comes wrapped in a bright-green bumper case with a ring sticking out of the corner which serves as a handle. Good thing this is already included since if you’re going to buy it separately, it will cost you an additional $20. Without the rugged case, the XO tablet looks like any budget tablet. The technical specs of the Vivitar-made XO tablet is what you’d expect from a $149 tablet. The tablet comes with a modest 1.6GHz dual-core processor, front and rear-facing camera, HDMI port, and a micro USB slot for storage expansion.
OLPC wants to make XO tablet available to kids in developing countries. These are kids who probably don’t own a lot of gadgets so the modest specs of XO tablet would be the least of their worries.
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OLPC XO Tablet Software and Apps
The XO Tablet runs on Android 4.2 (Jellybean). As with other tablets for kids, the XO tablet comes pre-installed with educational apps, around 150 apps and and these come in English and Spanish languages. Many of the apps were developed in partnerships with educational-content providers such as Scholastic, Discovery and Discovery Kids, Oxford University Press, Barnes and Noble and TED. Kids has a lot of interest so in the Dreams dashboard, the kids can choose what they want to be. This will will open apps in relation to the chosen career path.
XO Tablet Parental Controls
Parents can create three separate settings in XO tablet so it can be used by different kids. Parents can also view how a child use the tablet and an insight into the child’s performance. However, you cannot set the time the child spends on an app unlike the Fire 7 tablet which is a tablet with a more robust parental control. The parent-mode is password protected to control access to apps and web browsing.
Customer Reviews on XO Tablet
Buyers at Amazon rated the XO Tablet 3.5 out of 5 stars. The following are the summary of XO tablet for kids reviews by customers.
Pros:
- Budget tablet for kids
- The child-friendly cover is stylish and included in the box
- Extensive apps which do not require internet connection
- Full Android tablet
- Expandable memory (Up to 32GB)
- Bilingual apps (English and Spanish)
Cons:
- Built-in speakers are not good
- Display is not good
- Switching between accounts isn’t easy
- No Bluetooth capability
What’s Included in the Box
- Vivitar XO Tablet,
- bumper case
- charger
- 100+ preinstalled apps.
Recommended XO Tablet Accessories
Aside from what’s included in the box, here are other recommended accessories for your XO tablet.
Final Thoughts
The XO Tablet is obviously not an iPad when it comes to hardware but you can’t expect that much from a budget tablet for kids. On the content side, the XO tablet is more encouraging. Its Dream interface is an innovative way to encourage kids’ curiosity and enhance their knowledge. It’s good that they’ve also included a rubber bumper to protect the tablet at no additional cost to the parents.
The XO tablet is not meant to be your kids first tablet so it is more appropriate for school-age kids. It may not be a cheap tablet for kids, but XO tablet purchases will go to further develop the XO Learning software, to make education through electronics media more accessible to children in developing countries. Click [easyazon_link identifier=”B00BPPQY8G” locale=”US” tag=”kidtechlab-20″][easyazon_link asin=”B00BPPQY8G” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”tabforkidgui-20″ add_to_cart=”no” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]here[/easyazon_link][/easyazon_link] to read more reviews on XO Tablet or watch the video below.
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