Tablets for Tweens: Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire
An inexpensive, cutting edge, tablet computer choice
for your tween, or for you.

Tablet computers are at the top of many holiday wishlists, including those of tweens, with the iPad 2 being high in demand. However, many parents will shirk and shudder at the $500 price tag for the basic model of the popular tablet pc. Amazon has just announced pre-order, however, for it's latest offering in this tablet computer medium, the Kindle Fire, which will be released Nov. 15 of 2011.

The $199 tablet is more than just an ereader, though the Kindle name has been associated with the ereading platform since it's introduction. However, the Kindle Fire is a tablet sized device which incorporates video streaming (Amazon Instant Video), digital music, ereading (in color display, with this latest release), document viewing, and web browsing, with the Amazon Silk browser. Use of cloud computing allows storage to be handled via the cloud, rather than on the device, freeing up space.

Whereas the iPad, and other Apple products such as iPod and iPhone have memory limitations, with greater memory models costing significantly more money, Kindle Fire includes unlimited storage for Amazon content. This may be the biggest drawback for the tween who might want to use the tablet as a listening device, for streaming audio from their iTunes library. However, the use of a tablet, for many, is more about the apps and activities, than about the music. iPods seem to be the tween's preferred music playing device.

You can view more information about the Kindle Fire, along with demonstration videos, and comparisons of the various choices in Kindle ereaders, and in the Kindle Fire tablet computer, in order to make a good decision as to whether this is the tablet for your tween.

Ereaders For Tweens: Newest Kindle Choices for Tweens and Teens

Kindle has just rolled out a whole slew of new Kindles, well in time for the 2011 holiday season, and providing many great options for the parent of tweens to select from.  The most basic Kindle is $79, and already available, with the Kindle Touch with special offers priced at $99.  Traditional Kindle is still available, but now at a reduced special offers price of $99, with the 3g version of the Kindle Touch priced at $149 (special offers version). 

Kindle Fire
Available for Pre-Order at Amazon, available Nov. 15.

The Kindle Fire is an exciting ereader for a tween, or tablet for a tween, however you want to consider it. A media centered tablet type ereader, with touchscreen interactivity, this is one of the more inexpensive tablet computer products for a tween, with the benefit of accomodating apps, movie and video viewing, music, and ereading. Don't forget web-browsing! This should be a hot product for those who can't quite afford an iPad for their tween, but whose tweens really want that tablet for Christmas. You may want one for yourself, as well! I will be updating with some more comparisons, but this is a really exciting selection, for my purposes as a parent, and educator, and one which has a lot of potential for my tweens and teens, as well as for younger children.

Portable Video Devices for Tweens: Portable DVD Players vs. iPod and iPad

Less than a decade ago, portable DVD players were all the rage.  The prices were slightly steep, and the Black Friday crowds were fanatical about getting them at a discount, with some serious repercussions for those who were shoved around in the crowds.  As time has progressed, these have become favorite travel accessories for families with kids, and tweens, in particular, have enjoyed the personal viewing afforded by the compact systems.

Yesterday, my tween son commented that he thought DVD would go the way of VHS tapes, though, and with digital video incorporated into so many more tech devices, I think he's right.  iTunes makes it possible to rent or buy movies, music videos, and television episodes for use on the home computer, the iPod, or the iPad.  Companies like Netflix have made it possible to access an account from these same devices, and with a subscription to their instant viewing, it's possible to skip the DVD process in great part.  Youtube has also played a big role, providing a mountain of digital video material, although one might exercise caution in permitting a tween to access the medium of viewing, as there is definitely some offensive material out there. 

If you are thinking about a portable DVD player as a gift for your tween, it's important to consider the motivation in doing so.  A good sale may be your reasoning, in which case, by all means, go for it.  Don't get trampled in the process! 



On the other hand, if you are looking for usefulness in your choice, you may want to consider how much your family is currently using DVD as a viewing option.  If you are more prone toward streamed video, or have ditched your Netflix DVD option, then that portable DVD player may become a piece of clutter rather quickly.  While iPod touch is a bit pricier than the DVD device, it will have multiple uses.  Even more, the iPad 2 (read about pros and cons of iPad for a tween) will have a multitude of uses for the tween. 

Instant Streaming of Video from both Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand
along with other apps, make this 22" Vizio a multi-use alternative to a DVD player.

Even now, many of the televisions produced are including apps and wireless connectivity, making the access of videos and movies possible in a static setting.  Don't be surprised if those with an understanding of parents' challenges on road trips develop some streaming video products for the vehicle.

Electronic Gift Ideas for an Artistic Tween

If you have a tween who is very artistic, it may be hard to imagine electronics as a good choice in birthday or Christmas gifts. However, there are some popular electronic crafting tools that can be put to prime use by the imaginative tween. My tween daughter seems to take to almost any art medium, so art supplies always migrate to the top of her wishlist, though she also enjoys common tween interests such as video games and iPod. Nevertheless, I love to keep an eye out for great tech tools that will tap into that artistic side.

Cricut Electronic Paper Cutter

The Cricut paper cutter, shown above, is a fun way to encourage paper crafting, providing a venue for your tween to work with shapes, fonts, and varied sizes, to create all sorts of pieces that can then be put together to make cards, scrapbook pages, pictures. In my daughter's case, sewing is a favorite artistic and crafting outlet, and Cricut can cut fabric pieces for applique. Likewise, wrapping paper can be cut for decoupage and altered art projects for the tween. There are a few versions of the Cricut, and even a Cricut cake machine, which can cut food items, fondant, and help the artistic cake decorating tween explore an interest. You can explore Cricut Machines and Cartridges for your tween at Amazon, and read customer reviews of specific selections.

Electronic Drawing Tablet

Another interesting electronic gift idea for the tween who loves to express himself or herself artistically is an electronic drawing tablet. My daughter enjoys creating designs on the computer, but the limited tools available in the basic paint programs frustrate her. This puts the electronic tablet for a computer well within my range of Christmas gift ideas. Pen and paper control with a stylus provides for greater attention to detail. If you are thinking about exploring your tween's artistic options in computer graphics, this is a way to provide an introduction. There is even a ">drawing studio for Wii.

UDraw for Wii

Digital Video Cameras for Tweens

Flip Video Ultra HD
Best Selling Video Camera at Amazon

Tween ages range from upper elementary school to middle school, and the interests range, as well. If you have an amateur videographer in your midst, a camcorder, or digital video camera, is a great way to encourage the exploration of that interest, and thankfully, in price ranges that were once unimaginable, when it came to video recording.

  I recall special units of study in my own tween years, when 8mm movies were made with now archaic devices, and it was considered "cool" if we could successfully shoot enough frames to make a film of an apple disappearing, bite by bite.  Now, the technology is such that all sorts of special effects can be incorporated into a piece, and a tween might run his or her own YouTube channel. Tween girls, inspired by the antics in "iCarly", might enjoy choreographing and directing their own variety show, while you might need to be slightly cautious with the tween boy, filming his extreme sports stunts.

Regardless of interests, a video camera is a fantastic way to give your tween a productive hobby. While iPods and cell phones have videography applications and uses, a dedicated video camera won't overwhelm the memory of these other electronics for your tween, and will provide a more focused concentration on the aspects of video recording. If your tweens are anything like mine, when something catches their interest, they will give it all of their attention, amazing parents who may wonder at their lack of such focus in other areas, most notably academics.

Some video cameras are available in assorted colors, another fun element in electronics gifts for tweens.  You can find the top selling Flip Video Ultra HD at Amazon, along with a listing of the company's top selling and top rated videography choices.

Portable Video Gifts for Tweens

Ipod/Iphone Video Dock Player

Many electronic gifts for tweens and teens center around making their mp3 players and other gadgets more useful in varied ways. For example, the Nyrus video dock player, displayed here, serves to give a slightly larger video display to iPod and iPhone video content. If you aren't ready to move into the cost range of an iPad, this is a good way to provide your tween with viewing options that equate to less eye strain.

Touchscreen Electronics Options for Tweens

If you are a fan of touchscreen gadgets, it's not hard to imagine that you'd love to include these in your Christmas gift options for your children, as well.  However, as the technology becomes more widespread, the prices of the gadgets vary greatly.  As the prices vary, though, so do the functions.  What are some of the top touchscreen "toys" that tweens may add to their wishlists?

Skip the LeapPad and Innotab

There are touchscreen toys, aimed at ages 4 to 9.  If your tween is at that 10 and up age level, the kid themed animations will probably not hold their attention.  Though there may be a passing interest, these ipad like toys aren't intended for the tween. 

Ereaders

The Nook Touch and Nook Color offer touchscreen interaction, in the context of reading.  If your tween is a reader, these are outstanding options, and include a bit of web browsing and apps with Nook Color, as well.

iPod Touch

One of the precursors to the iPad, the iPod Touch is popular with tweens and teens, with a vast selection of apps for gaming, ereading, web browsing, organizing, and communications.  A dominant player in the mp3 market, many tweens and teens sink big bucks into their iTunes collections, and are unwilling to sacrifice those investments for a new platform.  (Read about Facetime on iPod Touch.)

iPad

There are many apps that are specifically devoted to iPad, and some of the educational options are amazing.  Additionally, the size of the iPad is a little easier on the eyes, compared to the small print and visuals on the iPod Touch.  Smoothly transitioning from other Apple products, your tween can keep his or her music collection intact, and this will be even more true with iCloud management coming in fall of 2011.  Both iPod Touch and iPad serve as a good ereading interface, as well, with free Kindle and Nook apps, along with iBooks.

Other Tablets

There are many touchscreen tablets available, aside from the Apple products.  You can examine the top rated offerings, and reviews, from the perspective of Amazon customers.

PSP Vita for Tweens

Each handheld gaming system is improving, and with touchscreen technology and tablet computers so prevalent, especially given the popularity of iPad and iPad 2, it's interesting to see Sony bring that touchscreen experience to its latest inception of the PSP, the VITA.  Pushing upwards toward the costs of some of the lower priced tablet pc's, VITA is approximately $250 for a wi-fi version, and just under $300 for the wi-fi/3g version.

Vita can play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.  Vita game titles will include a "live area", which permits a social element to the gaming experience, with sharing and interaction.  For the devoted gamer, this may be an exciting choice in handheld consoles, but will be available just after the Christmas holiday season, with the release of Vita on December 31, 2011. 

iPad for a Tween, or other Tablet Computers?

iPad 2 for Tweens

Tweens are pretty handy with modern technology, often more so than many of their parents, aunts, uncles, and other older acquaintances.  That said, I'm sure that if you select one of many tablet computer options available,  your tween will run circles around you in figuring out how it works.  However, there is something to be said for the very intuitive Apple products, and with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad sharing so many characteristics and uses, it's much easier to move from one to the other of these popular devices, without difficulty, and with a less steep learning curve.

Without getting into to specs of any of the varied products, and working strictly from the point of view of a parent who has to oversee the tween and his or her use of the tablet computer or touchscreen device, it isn't hard to see that music alone makes it sensible to stay within the same family of products.  Judging by my teens' use of iPod and iTunes, their worlds are wrapped up in their music, which in turn, is wrapped up in iTunes.  To switch to an alternative system could be harsh!  I don't know how many hundreds of dollars these youngsters have sunk into their music libraries over the last several years, but believe me, it's significant.  While there may be some options with other tablets and app stores, the reality is that the experience will be much smoother if the medium for listening is the same, and the time to get it up and running, less frustrating.  When the iCloud releases, this will be all the more true.

There may come a day when they will prefer the type of use many fans of Android tablets desire.  However, for the moment, my perspective is that the tween will use an iPad more for entertainment and research, and not so much for productivity.  If an iPad is within your budget, it's a sensible choice for the tween who already has an extensive iTunes library, along with a set of favorite iPod touch apps.