Re: [NTLK] eMate for my baby?

From: Dan Lingman <dlingman_at_rogers.com>
Date: Wed Dec 20 2006 - 10:19:20 EST

There are ways around this.

We gave our daughter an older IMac when she was one and a half.

A keyboard and mouse are only around $10 each. We got a laptop mouse, which
makes it the right size for little hands. She didn't get a keyboard to
start with, and the first games we got pretty much involved move the mouse
around (didn't even need to click) for things to happen.

There is a wealth of software available for older (ie pre-osx) macs. Some
are better done than others - The Winnie the Pooh games tend to be quite
well behaved, closing off correctly when shutting down etc, while the Dora
ones do not.

If you want a baby proof keyboard, they do exist:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=30
0135&Tab=0&NoMapp=0

And here's the mouse we got (it was on sale at staples)
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=44
3213&CatId=0

Whenever our (now 3 year old) daughter tries to use our pc's, she's stymied
by which button to use to do stuff, but on the mac, either button works just
fine, so she's doing well.

Since she's been two years old, she can start her mac (knows which button is
power), launch her game (if the CD is in, or ask us to change if the wrong
one is in), play, and correctly shut down her game, and power off the mac.
It took me more than 2 years to get my mom to do that...

Dan.

-----Original Message-----
From: newtontalk-bounce@newtontalk.net
[mailto:newtontalk-bounce@newtontalk.net] On Behalf Of Martin Joseph
Sent: December 20, 2006 1:20 AM
To: newtontalk@newtontalk.net
Subject: Re: [NTLK] eMate for my baby?

On Dec 16, 2006, at 4:17 AM, Daniel Padilla wrote:

> The issue there is the hardware, not the software. The baby (or any
> baby)
> could destroy our laptop within minutes if allowed. eMates are not
> only MUCH
> more sturdy, you're only out $50 if the caustic baby drool damages it.
> Grownup equipment is just too delicate for li'l ones (talk to my
> wife's
> nonfunctioning cell phone after the baby decided to suck on it.)

Yes, by daughter did exactly the same to one of my t68i phones...
When I took it from her (after only about 30 seconds) it was FULL of
baby spit. Never charged correctly again.

She has killed my power book G4 a couple of times already also,
luckily I can fix it. Still dreading the broken screens that seem to
be a certainty in my future.

Marty

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This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
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Received on Wed Dec 20 10:26:15 2006

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