Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System

Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System

The Fisher-Price iXL is a toy aimed at kids from 3 – 7 that imitates a tablet such as an iPad. Toys of this kind are becoming increasingly popular, and offer lots of playability. Fisher-Price has a few serious competitors in this category, but on face value it seems they hit all the right points. Let’s find out how the product itself stacks up.

Features Of The Fisher-Price iXL

• A handheld learning tool for kids,
• Includes 6 play options: Digital Reader, Art Studio, Note Pad, Game Player, Photo Viewer and MP3 Player,
• 3.5” color screen protected by closing cover,
• Comes with assorted pre-loaded software,
• Additional software, such as games, books and other new features, can be downloaded.

Is The Fisher-Price iXL Worth Buying?

One of the great benefits of toys like the iXL is that they encourage learning through play. This is one of the best ways for kids to learn, as they remain enthusiastic even while they are being tested and pushed to their limits. The iXL offers a range of interactive features to keep kids happy while they learn. These include an e-reader function, an art studio, a note pad, a game player, a photo viewer and mp3 playing facilities.

The reader tells the story out loud and highlights words as it goes along, the art studio lets kids draw pictures using the stylus, they can learn how to write with the note pad, play games that teach them how to count, view photos and even draw on them, and listen to mp3s (it’s even possible to listen to the mp3s while using the art studio at the same time). All of the features are brightly colored and engaging, and really hold kids' attention.

With the photo viewer, it’s possible to put your own photos onto the device. This means that you can put photos of mommy and daddy onto the iXL and let your child look at them, and also draw on them! The mp3 playing feature also enables you to select your own music for the device, so you can put your child’s favorite lullabies on there, or anything else you like. These features help to make the iXL more personal, and offer lots of fun!

An appealing feature of the iXL is its size. Being small, it is an ideal toy to bring on long journeys. And, because of its multiple play options, it keeps kids engaged for long periods of time. While you may not want your child playing it all the time whilst at home, in the car it can be a great help – keeping your child from getting bored and you from getting frustrated with too many calls of “are we there yet?”!

Of course, technology toys need to be durable if they’re going to last long with youngsters. Fortunately, Fisher-Price haven’t fallen short on this account and they’ve put together a really robust toy that can withstand a good few tantrums. The hinges stand up to a lot of strain and the hard plastic case means that if the iXL is thrown it shouldn’t get damaged. The electronics inside are also made to withstand rough and tumble, so you don’t need to worry about your children breaking this toy.

Despite it’s good points, there are a few shortcomings of the iXL. Firstly, whilse it’s possible to download new games and books, the on-board memory is quite small. This means that you’ll only get a maximum of four additional games onto the iXL before you run out of space. However, this isn’t a big issue as it’s possible to expand the memory of the iXL with conventional SD memory cards.

However, it’s worth noting that if you do intend to buy many additional games and books, they cost quite a bit. It’s a shame that Fisher-Price charge so much for these little extras as they stop the product from being as good as it could be. Still, it’s worth putting extra memory into the iXL anyway, just so that it can store more photos and mp3s.

Another small issue is the transfer speed when putting downloaded games onto the device. A game of just 40MB takes half an hour to transfer onto the iXL using the included USB cable. This is extremely slow given the size of the file. If you want to put anything extra onto the iXL, whether new games and books, or just your own photos and mp3s, you’ll also need a PC or Mac to do so. Although most households have one now, it’s still worth mentioning.

These issues are really only minor though, and don’t spoil an otherwise great product. It’s almost certain that your child will love to play with this toy, and it’s certainly a recommendable product. Don’t hesitate if you’re considering this as a gift for your child.