GENIO MAX My First Laptop By VTech Review

DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.

Reviewed by new_mama

Electronic Learning Toys | Best Learning Toys | VTech UK

Now in October and families are well into their usual school routines, parents thoughts turn to Christmas.  I am no exception and was delighted to be sent Vtech’s Genio Max ‘My First Laptop’ to trial.  There were no issues with delivery or packaging when it arrived.  The box and item itself look like a simple mini adult laptop and is certainly not designed to be a toy.

My son was delighted at being given something that looked ‘like a grown ups’.  It is light in weight and pretty robust looking, whilst being the right size for smaller hands and has crucially been designed specifically for children.  The keyboard is laid out as a simplified version of a qwerty keyboard, allowing your child to start to get to used to this.  For adult use I did find it a little clunky, but this is in comparison to my own laptop and it didn’t appear to be a problem for my son.  In fact since fine motor skills are still developing in young children it was probably not noticeable to him.  A wired optical mouse is also included and can be easily switched to be used for left or right handed children with the cable cleverly hidden under the laptop. 

The laptop is extremely simple to set up (a huge pro!), with two stages to set the date and time and then create a user account.  A voiceover is also present which gives clear instructions to follow.  The sound appears clear and with a simple volume control.  This was great to ensure ease of set up when an impatient child is keen to try their new laptop, or perhaps depending on age, would even allow the child to lead the set up themselves.  The laptop screen is somewhat smaller (7 inch) than I had assumed given the overall laptop size, as it is not as wide as the monitor section (10 inch).  The apps are all preloaded and easy to see and open however.  A colour screen (with adjustable brightness) is designed as you would expect, with many of the features a typical laptop has such as a clock and diary.  Somewhat impressively, the internet is also accessible via a web browser (via wi-fi) and I was pleased to see that this is automatically switched off and requires parental controls to be changed before the laptop is set up to enable access.

Only websites enabled via the parental controls can then be viewed.  Parental controls are also available to limit use of (or add or remove) apps or set time limits.  A child friendly cartoon safety video about internet use is also present on the main screen.  The Vtech Genio Max has over 80 different activities and games already loaded on and ready to go. 

A word processor allows your child to begin learning to type and I loved the different template designs for timetables, party invites and cards that they can adapt.  Standard shortcuts also work for tools such as cutting and pasting.  I liked how your child is therefore being exposed to aspects of technology on a child friendly version.  The art studio allows them to design all sorts of creations from scratch. The calendar gives your child a chance to start developing their autonomy in keeping track of plans or scheduling in homework.  20 different revision sheets are also available covering a range of educational topics. Interactive games and eBooks linked to parts of the school curriculum are included and allow your child to learn and develop skills and knowledge whilst playing.

Charge time is stated as 4 hours and battery life around 1.5 hours.  This is clearly less than many laptops however it doesn’t feel fair to compare given the price and aim.  This therefore seems reasonable and sufficient, given children will be conducting many of the activities sat at a desk and therefore can be plugged in.  Whilst not included, a MicroSD card can be used to expand the memory which is great once the laptop is being used to its full extent and your child is saving documents, music and photos which can be imported).  Additional games are also available to download as your child grows (although these are for an additional charge).  I liked how multiple accounts can be set up so siblings can share the laptop if relevant.  Accounts can then be personalised via settings, with wallpapers and profile pictures. Passwords can also be added (which parents can reset if required).

Like many children my child just loved being able to copy us and use his own laptop to ‘work’ or to play.  Aimed at children 5-10 years old, this would be a great Christmas gift for any child who has just started or returned to primary school.

Rating: 4/5 

RRP: £154.99 Although currently on offer for £114.99

This product can be purchased from Smyths toys here.