For multiple years, the hottest toy in the United States was a book. But not just any book: a smart book that could play sounds and respond to taps and help kids learn to read. It was the kind of gadget seemingly any parent could get behind, but it came with a high price — and some unexpected parenting questions.
Why the LeapPad couldn’t survive the iPad
On Version History: How a book became one of the top-selling toys in the US. And stayed that way.
On Version History: How a book became one of the top-selling toys in the US. And stayed that way.
On this episode of Version History, David Pierce is joined by The Verge’s Andru Marino and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy to explain how the LeapPad worked, why it was so enticing to both kids and adults, and why the company that made it could never quite follow it up.
We’re almost finished with our fifth season of Version History, all about the most iconic school tech. So far this season we’ve already dug deep into the stories of Oregon Trail, the original Chromebook, the One Laptop Per Child program, and those ubiquitous Texas Instruments calculators. If you missed any part of our season, check out the episodes here:
If you’re a Verge subscriber, you can also get access to Version History (and all our other podcasts) with no ads. All you have to do is visit your account settings.
If you want to know more about LeapFrog LeapPad’s history, here are some links to get you started:
- From Wired: “LeapFrog’s Wild Ride”
- From The New York Times: “LeapFrog Hopes for Next Hit With Interactive Reading Toy”
- From The Wall Street Journal: A Tablet Children Can Grow Into
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