Move Over ITunes - There is a New App Store in Town

today

Yesterday

*update 7/3* LeapFrog is giving away a new LeapPad2 every week until July 16th. Enter to win (one entry per week) on their Facebook page


*update 6/19* The LeapPad2 is coming out in the coming weeks. Pre-order begins on June 18, 2012. With more memory and a faster processor, the apps and games can get more sophisticated. This new version also includes a camera on the front of the device for 4-year old self portraits.
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iPad apps aren't the only app player in town-- at least if you ask my 4 year old son. LeapPad Tablet, the upgrade to the Leapster Explorer was developed by Leap Frog (I feel like I should be jumping lilly pads) last summer as the tablet choice for the under 10 crowd. While the concept wasn't new-- portable gaming systems for kids have been around, well, since the Game Boy (remember that?) came on the scene in the 80's-- the LeapPad has distinguished itself as the first kids system to take on digital content.

With over 150 apps --and growing-- in their online store, LeapFrog has begun building an arsenal of kid content branching out to partner with Disney, Sesame Street, and more. While you are not going to find Angry Birds in the LeapPad collection (note to Leap Frog: get with Rovio and develop an Angry Birds lite for the 5-year old set-- you will make millions) you are also not going to find any objectionable content either. The LeapPad app store is all about kids and some apps will even have your young ones learning while they play. Not a bad deal.

One complaint. Speaking of deals (or lack-there-of) apps are not as cheap as IPad apps. Content can range from $5-$25 which can seem like a bit of a blind risk purchase with no real word of mouth to boost confidence (ever heard of Jewel Train? Me neither, but my son talked me into it and it seemed to work out).

The new partnerships with Disney and Sesame Street should help the anonymous app problem. But I also wouldn't object to a slight price reduction showing that Leap Frog understands that digital content does not carry the same overhead as a boxed game.

More on the new Leap Frog partnerships can be found in this Wall Street Journal article.

~Davina