Pre school kids notebook - PICAXE-ABLE?

[manuka]

Xmas buying frenzy, & I've just been cornered by a mate whose bright 4-7 yo. kids are "always wrecking dads computer". As an admirable distraction, he's pondering a kids laptop such as the Startright bilingual super notebook, selling here in NZ for ~US$30 (Dick Smith Electronics code Y7229). My own kids (now adult) had immense fun with the legendary TI Speak & Spell units ~20 years ago, & these 2008 "e-toys" may well be a similar stimulant.

I've been recently involved with the much more costly ($$$) & sophisticated One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO-1, which is intended for elementary & junior school use, & certainly recognise a pre & early school learning niche that these cheap "toy lappies" may meet.

Of course -aside from educational uses- these things may be PICAXE-ABLE ! That huge mono LCD especially caught my eye. A quick Google however shows little info beyond "takes 3 x AAs & draws ~½ Watt". Anyone got tech. (or educational) insights? Stan

 

[westaust55]

manuka,

seems to be very limited information available - even at the manufacturers website.
http://www.startright-kids.com/download/2009_JL_License_Catalogue.pdf

Had a look at the "Specifications" other models but nothing really about the hardware. For the one you mention even the specs link is disabled.

 

[manuka]

Agreed- it's a "who knows what's inside". Someone must have ripped one open however?

 

[hippy]

I pulled a toy laptop apart having also thought it might be good for LCD re-use but was disappointed.

In the one I dismantled, the LCD is attached to a PCB using conductive rubber strips and directly controlled by a Chip-On-Board (COB) controller. Nothing else but the black blob, a few passive components and wires to the batteries, speaker, buttons and keyboard.

You may get lucky but I bet these are all built in a similar way for economy. Probably often the same controller PCB flashed differently for the particular product it goes into. Not impossible to re-purpose but not easy nor simple.

 

[manuka]

"Black blob- speaker- buttons- wires"- these alone must be worth US$30!

Thanks for the feedback Hippy- I may well grab one & hack it open myself. In fact they look so similar to today's nifty netbooks,that one (unopened!) may make a cheap status statement- or burglar "gotcha".