Is it silly to sell Leapster Explorer and get DS a refurbished Ipod touch?

[artvandalay]

I thought my 4 year old would love the Leapster Explorer. He played with it a bunch in the first month or so, but has lost interest. I don't feel like investing any more money in games, especially since they run about $25 a pop.

I've recently purchased an iphone 4s and am amazed at the amount of games, free apps and even eduational games I can get.

Should I ebay the Leapster and get him an Ipod Touch and just load that up with games/apps? How exactly does this work... I mean, does it only run on WiFi, so would it be useless in the car, etc.?

Would it be ok to get an older (2nd or 3rd) generation? Will they run as smoothly with the apps? I don't imagine I need one with lots of storage, I"m thinking the 8gb is enough.

Thoughts? Anyone btdt?

[vonfirmath]

I only let my 4 year old play with my ipod Touch when I am right there with him -- so it would not work for us in the car, etc. But you know your kids (and he's loving his Leapster2)

The ipod Touch DOES work when away from wifi -- whether a particular app works depends on that app. I can use most of my apps away from any Internet source but I don't have a lot of kids apps.

[ahisma]

No, not silly.

My 3 and 5 yo boys each have iTouches. One is an old iPhone, the other is a 1st gen iTouch that came free with a laptop.

We're sticking with those and have no plans to get anything else similar in the near future. I've been able to find lots of quality apps at low or no cost.

I would suggest getting a model as recent as you can justify, cost-wise. Some of the apps won't work on the older ones. Not a biggie, there are still plenty to pick from. I suspect ours will be obsolete in a few years though.

ETA: They do play with them in the car. We haven't had problems. My 3 yo is a bit spirited but does respect the rules for them. Other than downloading apps, we don't use wifi.

[Kymberley]

DS, who is almost 2.5, plays with our iTouch. I wanted to get him a toddler version like a leappad or something, but nah. Apps are so cheap and there are so many, it's great! Once the app is downloaded on the phone, you don't need wifi, unless it's something like facebook. Most games don't need wifi once installed, so you're good to go!

[artvandalay]

DS, who is almost 2.5, plays with our iTouch. I wanted to get him a toddler version like a leappad or something, but nah. Apps are so cheap and there are so many, it's great! Once the app is downloaded on the phone, you don't need wifi, unless it's something like facebook. Most games don't need wifi once installed, so you're good to go!


OK, thanks guys. Good to know once I download it I don't need to worry about WiFi or anything.

I am new to all this ipod/iphone stuff!

[mommylamb]

My 4.5 year old DS has an itouch and it's great. We have a bunch of aps downloaded and he can access them even when we're not in a wifi spot. You just can't use the internet to download new ones or do other internet related things unless you're connected to a wifi network.

We have a lot of movies downloaded onto it (you need special software to shrink the size of the movie file, which is fine for the ipod touch, but then you wouldn't use the same file to play the movie on a TV), and he can watch those movies in the car or wherever (no need for wifi). I like this because rather than toting a more cumbersome portable DVD player and a bunch of DVDs, I can just throw the itouch in my pocket. Great for air travel.

DS does like to watch youtube on it, and when he does (at home with our wifi) I have to stay on top of him constantly because there's all sorts of crap on youtube. Mostly, he likes to watch videos people make of their garbage trucks (:confused: I don't know why people record these things) or watch cartoons on it. But it does freak me out because we've had times when he's come across something I didn't want him to see. For example, he was watching some bowling cartoon the other day and the ball went over the pin and crushed the pin and blood came out of its head. Not appropriate IMO.

DS has had his since he turned 3. It was refurbished when he got it, and no problems.

[kijip]

If you want to make it more kid proof for the car, you can get a protective case. We got T the Otterbox Commuter series in hot pink for the 4th gen iTouch he is getting at Xmas.

The 2nd and 3rd grn ones are fine but do not have a camera, don't know if that matters to you or not. T will like the camera a lot, but he is older.

[Kymberley]

My 4.5 year old DS has an itouch and it's great. We have a bunch of aps downloaded and he can access them even when we're not in a wifi spot. You just can't use the internet to download new ones or do other internet related things unless you're connected to a wifi network.

We have a lot of movies downloaded onto it (you need special software to shrink the size of the movie file, which is fine for the ipod touch, but then you wouldn't use the same file to play the movie on a TV), and he can watch those movies in the car or wherever (no need for wifi). I like this because rather than toting a more cumbersome portable DVD player and a bunch of DVDs, I can just throw the itouch in my pocket. Great for air travel.

DS does like to watch youtube on it, and when he does (at home with our wifi) I have to stay on top of him constantly because there's all sorts of crap on youtube. Mostly, he likes to watch videos people make of their garbage trucks (:confused: I don't know why people record these things) or watch cartoons on it. But it does freak me out because we've had times when he's come across something I didn't want him to see. For example, he was watching some bowling cartoon the other day and the ball went over the pin and crushed the pin and blood came out of its head. Not appropriate IMO.

DS has had his since he turned 3. It was refurbished when he got it, and no problems.

Can you tell me what software you need to shrink movie files?

[larig]

DS has an old iPhone. it's great for him. most games and videos don't require wifi or anything like that, so we actually have DS's on airplane mode (he doesn't need to be sending emails or buying apps, and airplane mode prevents that from happening--in addition to having locks on those things or accounts deactivated). it has no sim card, so it's essentially a touch. It is in an old silicone case, and it's good for him, but I really think that the Woogie 2 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20120176-1/griffins-woogie-2-turns-iphone-into-soft-toy/) is an adorable case for around the house, not so good for traveling, but it would prevent theft, I'd say. (pretty obvious when someone is stealing it).

[mom2beofboy/girltwins]

Hands down, the best software I've found for formatting DVDs into ipod playable files, is from a website called www.slysoft.com. You need 2 pieces of software, AnyDVD (strips the encryption, security type stuff off) and CloneDVD Mobile (converts it into the correct file format for the device of your choice). I'm not an advocate of ripping off movies, but if own a DVD I should be able to watch it on any device I have. I have been super impressed by how often they constantly update this software (and notifiy you of it) to adjust for every new type of protection that's used. In fact, there have been times that I have tried to convert a newly released DVD and had it not work, only to realize I wasn't current to the most recent version. When I do the free updates then it works.

It's super simple to use. Once the programs are installed on your computer you just put the DVD in and open up CloneDVD, the AnyDVD program just does what it needs to do in the background. You step through a few screens of choices and then let it do it's thing. One thing I like is that you can just select the main body and not all the previews and chapters and it makes it really simple to start it up on the ipod. If you stop it, it'll start back where you left if off anyway. It does take quite a bit of time to convert the DVDs (maybe that's different on different computers?) so you don't want to try and do this like an hour before you leave for the airport or anything, but it always works and the movie always plays correctly. I tried out a lot of other types of software to do this and I was always having problems - from it not being able to get past the licensing or being all glitchy when it played back. I haven't ever had those problems with the Slysoft software.

Once the file has been converted you just import it into itunes and then you can drag it to your ipod just like you do with your music. Good Luck, HTH.

[Kymberley]

Hands down, the best software I've found for formatting DVDs into ipod playable files, is from a website called www.slysoft.com. You need 2 pieces of software, AnyDVD (strips the encryption, security type stuff off) and CloneDVD Mobile (converts it into the correct file format for the device of your choice). I'm not an advocate of ripping off movies, but if own a DVD I should be able to watch it on any device I have. I have been super impressed by how often they constantly update this software (and notifiy you of it) to adjust for every new type of protection that's used. In fact, there have been times that I have tried to convert a newly released DVD and had it not work, only to realize I wasn't current to the most recent version. When I do the free updates then it works.

It's super simple to use. Once the programs are installed on your computer you just put the DVD in and open up CloneDVD, the AnyDVD program just does what it needs to do in the background. You step through a few screens of choices and then let it do it's thing. One thing I like is that you can just select the main body and not all the previews and chapters and it makes it really simple to start it up on the ipod. If you stop it, it'll start back where you left if off anyway. It does take quite a bit of time to convert the DVDs (maybe that's different on different computers?) so you don't want to try and do this like an hour before you leave for the airport or anything, but it always works and the movie always plays correctly. I tried out a lot of other types of software to do this and I was always having problems - from it not being able to get past the licensing or being all glitchy when it played back. I haven't ever had those problems with the Slysoft software.

Once the file has been converted you just import it into itunes and then you can drag it to your ipod just like you do with your music. Good Luck, HTH.

I've already got both of those! Thanks so much!

[larig]

I've already got both of those! Thanks so much!

I wanted to share a tutorial I wrote for using the free software, handbrake, for ripping dvds that you own. (http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=358942&highlight=handbrake+movie&page=5) It's written for doing this on a mac, so it might help you or someone else that wants to know how to do it.

[artvandalay]

Wow, lots of great info here guys, thanks!

I didn't even think to look at older model used iphones.

Is there any advantage/disadvantage to getting an older iphone versus an ipod touch?

I checked ebay, and from what I saw at a quick glance, there are cheaper iphone 3's than ipod touches. Why is this?

[ahisma]

Wow, lots of great info here guys, thanks!

I didn't even think to look at older model used iphones.

Is there any advantage/disadvantage to getting an older iphone versus an ipod touch?

I checked ebay, and from what I saw at a quick glance, there are cheaper iphone 3's than ipod touches. Why is this?

I'd be hesitant. A phone is used pretty heavily.

[larig]

Wow, lots of great info here guys, thanks!

I didn't even think to look at older model used iphones.

Is there any advantage/disadvantage to getting an older iphone versus an ipod touch?

I checked ebay, and from what I saw at a quick glance, there are cheaper iphone 3's than ipod touches. Why is this?

DS has an iPhone 2g it was our first iPhone in 2/2008. We just kept it. Until DH's previous one was stolen we thought we'd have 4 iPhones for the 3 of us (only 2 in service). So, for us, it was just a matter of recycling our old technology for DS.

There are 2 kinds of iPhone 3s--3s & 3g (the 3s are newer, like the 4s are the newer 4th generation phones). The 3g just has a camera, 3s has video camera, and can run iOS 5. (3g= no iOS5). For DS this has meant that he can't run every single app on his iPhone. This will get worse as more and more developers move things over to iOS5. But he's got a sizable stable of working apps and videos.

The touches, I'm not familiar with in terms of what was on what generation, but iLounge would likely have a break-down in terms of what model does what. Traditionally apple put features on iPhones first, then moved them over to touches--partly because touches came later.

Oh and warranty would be available on a new touch, but likely not on an old iPhone.

ETA: a refurb should also have the warranty

[artvandalay]

Thanks again guys! :bowdown:

I'm going to look into all of my options.

[mommylamb]

Can you tell me what software you need to shrink movie files?

Definitely listen to mom2bofboy/girltwins or larig on how to do this. Friends of ours set up the software for us, and I know nothing. The only DVDs we use are ones we already own though.

[kboyle]

i would definitely do it, all 3 of my boys have an ipod touch, ds 2&3 have the 3rd gen and ds1 has the 4th gen. they use it with out my watching over them all the time and do not abuse their privileges. ds3 got it for his 3rd bday and it's unscathed in it's otterbox defender. it's fallen in all sorts of puddles/messes/etc and it looks spotless when the covers removed.

[artvandalay]

OK this is totally weird. He hasn't touched the Leapster in months. Today he picked it up and he and his brother have been fighting over it all afternoon. It's almost as if he sensed this post and that I was contemplating selling it!

I still am considering an refurbished ipod/iphone, tho ;)