HOW ARE INNOTAB 2 AND INNOTAB 2S THE SAME?
If you're already familiar with InnoTab 2 you're basically looking at the same tablet. The design stays the same, with all of the keys in the same place. The only addition is the WiFi key, which tells you if the tablet is connected to the internet, and how strong your connection is (a four bar display).
Included Apps are the same.
VTech still decided not to include the rope for the stylus. In the manual they call it a "Wrist Strap Fastener" (Note: not included).But it's clearly not a wrist strap fastener, because the stylus has a rope loop hole in it, and the tablet has a hole in it right beside the stylus. The website even states it has a "stylus with hole for string." My husband thinks VTech doesn't want the liability of a child wrapping their neck in the rope, and put the responsibility on the parent to get the strap themselves; it certainly seems that way.
HOW ARE INNOTAB 2 AND INNOTAB 2S DIFFERENT?
Some people like to creatively take the tablets out of the box for setup before handing to a child as a gift. InnoTab 2 is a bit of a challenge; just use sharp scissors to break the tape and foldout the box carefully. InnoTab 2S, I am happy to report, is the easiest of them all! The tablet just slides out the top in a plastic covering; no tape, or attachments cut into the box. You simply pop the tablet out of the molded plastic, and there you have it! I feel like someone at VTech heard parent's frustration and decided to fix this... thank you!
The big difference with InnoTab 2S is the new wireless capability; but don't imagine browser capability. The WiFi is simply used for downloading apps from VTech's website. Your child can make wish lists with the Wish List app on their tablet; my son is only 3, so he's not using that feature... yet. Downloading apps is easy, but you don't purchase them off the tablet itself (that's good new, otherwise imagine all the apps your child might "accidently" buy). You purchase them off your computer, tablet, or phone (I haven't used that feature yet).
The look of InnoTab 2S is basically the same, but I enjoy the bold black inlay over the previous grey and pink choices. I think this way it looks more like quality hardware and less of a toy (that's just my preference, my son doesn't care). Oddly, the one I have is considered blue because of the color of the back, not the front, which is white. Even the rubber sides are grey, unlike the pink one which actually has more pink on it. I think the "blue" is less gender specific because the back looks more dark purple; something to think about for parents who need to share this tablet between genders.
Finger swiping on the InnoTab 2, my son was having problems with the tablet thinking he was selecting an app, which would cause it to load. With InnoTab 2S the opposite has occurred; now the tablet wants to swipe to the next page and not open the app. At 3, my son prefers using his finger, but the InnoTab 2S works best with a stylus and opens apps perfectly that way. This is a bit of a downer, but workable.
OVERALL REVIEW?
It pains me, because I really want to like the InnoTab 2S, but it has one big flaw that hasn't been fixed it's *still* s-l-o-w. InnoTab 2S takes 43 seconds to reach the app home screen. The InnoTab 2 took 37 seconds; we shouldn't be regressing here (I should mention, the LeapPad2 takes 21 seconds!). It takes InnoTab 2S a solid 8 seconds to open an app. I said it before, and I'll say it again, there's a lot of "loading" (read: waiting) going on with the InnoTab 2S, and it makes a difference to me.
Another thing I had a bit of an issue with is videos. The InnoTab 2S comes with the same memory as the InnoTab 2 (2GB). You can add an SD card to expand up to 32GB; that's a big plus, but I've never needed it with my son. This time I wanted to upload videos for him to watch. So I put a 16MB SD Card, that came with an old camera we purchased, into the tablet. Putting the SD Card in was easy. The slot is in the battery compartment; you'll need to remove the batteries. This is a nice touch, in a way, because my son can't get to it and loose it. But can I just say that getting the SD Card out is a pain!!!! Horrible design. My son can probably get it out easier than I can. My husband? No chance. It doesn't have the push-eject feature, so you have to extract it out with small fingers, or tweezers! VTech if you're reading this, please fix this.
Afterwards I plugged in the InnoTab using the USB cord to my PC, and pulled up an LLL file on the card. In that file you transfer your converted video, photos, music (supports JPEG formatted photos, and MJPEG/H.264 videos (avi)). Sadly, there wasn't much I could put on a 16 MB disk. BUT, it was really easy to transfer everything and find them on the tablet. The video was of decent quality with playback options. Unfortunately, I'm not willing (read: lack the time) to convert movies for use on the InnoTab when I already have them converted for the iPad. But, if this is a feature you like and want to use, you'll enjoy it! Also, as an MP3 player the sound quality is decent, not a lot of distortion.
So which do I recommend?
Either. The WiFi is a nice touch, but not necessary. And there are no big changes between the two, except the InnoTab 2S appears slower, and the color change.
In case you don't want to go looking for the reviews on the VTech InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet White, which is the same, here are some things you might find helpful:
Screen size (2 ½" x 4 ½"), or 5" if you're measuring diagonally.
Require 4 AA batteries (not included).
Uses a stylus (comes with two).
Has a cartridge port for additional games and uses purchased apps.
3-9 year age requirement.
Swivel camera.
Can buy additional accessories like screen guard, cases, rechargeable batteries, ac adapters, and headphones.
Personalize for up to 4 players, plus 1 guest.
Has an eReader, MP3 Players, art studio, calculator, calendar, notes, clock, and most of your basic themed books and games.
Has a mic and volume control.
Parent tracker that allows parents to track their child's progress and success playing a game.
Rubber corners to help protect it from a fall.
Battery compartment is easily accessible, just slide a switch and it opens the compartment. This is where the SD Card slot is found.
2GB of memory, but can add an additional 32GB of memory with SD Card (not included). I've found 2GB is more than enough for our needs.
Can be played right away (just add batteries, not included). Need to spend less than 5 minutes setting up the tablet date, time, and personalization.
InnoTab has a tilt sensor like an iPad or iPhone and will tilt the screen if held horizontal or vertical.
Has buttons for brightening or dimming the screen, but don't expect much, there's only four bars and it doesn't make a lot of difference.
Has a "?" button that allows you to hear instructions again, or find out more information about an app (nice touch!). The InnoTab itself tends to repeat things all the time (it's a bit annoying). The tablet doesn't ever sit quietly when turned on and not touched, it constantly wants to talk to you; you'll need to turn the volume off.
Comes with manual.
Internal "kickstand" for standing the tablet up vertically or horizontal.
Plays converted videos. Quality isn't like an iPad or iPhone, but little kids won't mind.
()I love this. It helps the little ones to learn and play so easily with the big buttons to decide what they want to do and the touchscreen is fantastic. the stylus is not attached so it will probably get lost but otherwise the touch screen works very good. My grandaughter played with this and I believe she would have played thru the night if I had let her.One thing about this is you can put learning games on it and they think they are just playing games while they are really learning :)
Buy VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet- Pink Now
()This kids tablet is a low cost tablet choice for the youngins, and while not bad, you get what you pay for.
The resistive 5-inch screen is of decent quality. The menus are colorful and fun looking. It takes a little more pressing down than a capacitive touch screen, like our phones, so the kids took a bit to get used to that. They included stylus helps with that. It is not very accurate for small movement (like drawing a small circle) with my finger. This also shows up also on the menu when tapping an app with my finger, sometimes it'll slide the menu instead of starting the app. Using the stylus helps with this.
While testing the screen, I opened up the art studio app, which had automatically saved what my daughter had been working on previously, so it saves progress pretty good, at least in this case.
The apps in the store are, as I write this, are on sale for $2.99, but the regular price is $4.99. It's a little high when I compare that most apps in the Android store (I'm an Android user) are free, or one or two bucks. You do get 2 free apps for signing into the PC software. There are also eBooks for $3-$5 dollars and videos, that are around 20 minutes, for $3.
The PC software is required for navigating the app store and also for tracking your kid's progress in apps and learning. I haven't had the chance to test all the tracking features yet.
On the tablet is a wish list creator where you child can browse apps and let you know which they want.
The tablet itself hives off the setup features decently, but if your kid can read and/or is clever, they can get into them.
One of the features is a content lock which isn't a restriction system to prevent content (which shouldn't be needed) but instead it prevents deleting content.
One thing I could not discover is how to delete a profile. There is also no way I can see to disable making new profiles. This could mess with all the tracking, if they are making new profiles and playing on them instead of the one they are supposed to.
Any big issue with a tablet is battery life. In a nutshell, it's really great for battery makers. Batteries die daily. But, you can use a 7.5v adapter (not a charger) to keep the tablet powered (needs batteries installed to work), but you will have to be next to an outlet to use the device. Great for knowing where your kid is, bad for taking it on a trip. VTech sells an adapter for a fair price. I'd rather they sell a battery pack that can be charged, but at this time, they don't.
Overall, for a hundred bucks, I'm not sure this is worth it. You could save up for a $200 Nexus 7 or a $159 Kindle Fire and have a lot more options, and a better experience (I don't have either, but I know you could easily set up an Android device to be kid friendly.
I'm a bit of a tech geek and sci-fi visionary, so I see things sometimes for what they could be, and the InnoTab 2s could be a lot better, but probably at a higher price.
It's not bad, and there's a good chance you kid wont mind a lot of the things that bother me. If money is the issue, it's a low price tablet designed for kids. If you have money to spare (or enjoy having credit card debt) I suggest you do a little more research at other options before buying this one for your child(ren).
Read Best Reviews of VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet- Pink Here
I never write reviews but this warrants one. I researched this to death and was so sure I had gotten the right thing for my daughters 5th birthday. I chose it over the leapfrog tablet because of the wifi. The wifi doesn't work when downloading ebooks. You still have to use the cable. The wifi sucks up a lot of the battery power and is painfully slow. You have to install software to download anything and you have to use a computer to download to the innotab. This makes having wifi pointless. The software is soooooooo slow to connect. I just spent 30 minutes just trying to download some new games to the innotab but it didn't work at all. My daughter was drain.
Want VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet- Pink Discount?
()My nine year old and I have been exploring what we can do with the VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet.First, the product is easy to set up but a little time consuming.Don't wait until Christmas morning.You need to load the learning lodge navigator on your PC.That seemed to take a lot longer than installing things usually does.The front of the box boasts 17 apps with the purchase of the Innotab.You have to log on to get them.I wasn't very excited about many of them.I can't figure out what the point of WiFi is on this.You need either the cartridges or you can try to load apps on but we used a cable because the wifi was too slow.The wish list feature is really annoying.I don't really want to get lists of things to buy.And speaking of buying things, the cartridges are $12-$17.That is a lot more than a book or a movie.The one thing that I was interested in was the Vtech University.However when I went into the Learning Lodge it says Vtech University is coming soon for the VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet.That was a little frustrating.
So really for an older kid, this isn't a very exciting product.I wouldn't recommend it beyond age 7.I think she will enjoy the mp3 player and the ability to take video.I don't see us using it much beyond that.I do wish that the reader let me add books from public domain or the other ebooks I have already purchased.
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My girl is 17 mo and has loved "lamby" since she was 6 mo. It stays in her bed but still seems to get dirty. It has always washed up well and has stayed soft and white. I wash it inside a pollow case and air dry it. I am buying two more so I have back ups. It would be a tragedy if we lost him!
