The Vinci: A 7-Inch Tablet Computer prepared for Babies

For just $389 you can get your kid started on the path to digital literacy before they even know how to read.
This month, Vinci, the 7-inch touch-pad tablet displayed above, will go on sale through Amazon, which is already accepting pre-orders. "The Vinci is not an imitation -- it is a real touch-screen Android-based product, bringing the most advanced technology to the benefit of our youngest citizens," according to the product's website.

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Designed to compete with LeapFrog's new LeapPad, a $99 tablet aimed at 4- to 9-year-olds, the Vinci targets an even younger audience (0- to 4-year-olds) -- one it could potentially grow up with for some time. With its protective soft-corner case, this tablet is meant to last. And don't let the non-toxic packaging or the durable handles fool you: This is far different than any other electronics you'll find in the baby aisle. Vinci lacks Wi-Fi or 3G capability, but, with a Cortex A8 processor and 4GB of internal storage, it still packs a serious punch -- it's even outfitted with a built-in microphone and a 3-megapixel built-in camera to capture that special moment when your child first realizes just powerful our current computing technology is.
Or when he or she first sees a music video. While the possibilities for this tablet are fairly limitless, Vinci is being launched with a three-pronged content strategy: games, music videos and storybooks. The games designed by Vinci are meant to promote active learning and "to help parents and children explore, talk and learn together within a real world context." The music videos come from "Baby Haha's Music Videos Vol. 1," an album designed specifically for the Vinci to help children develop a variety of cognitive and motor skills. And the storybooks are similar to traditional e-books, but complete with animations and voice prompts that children can interact with using the tablet's touch-screen.


Dr. Dan D. Yang, the telecom entrepreneur who invented the Vinci, came up with the idea for a baby-focused tablet when she noticed how much her daughter liked to play with her smartphone, according to Vinci's website. But that raises a question: Are you so tethered to your iPhone or iPad that you can't allow your baby to play with it, to press a couple of buttons and watch a couple of videos, every once in a while?
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