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Archos Child Pad gets capacitive screen upgrade, minor price hike to $140

Jamie Rigg — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:41:00 -0400

Parents who've already purchased Archos' 7-inch Child Pad may be feeling somewhat miffed, as its screen's been upgraded from resistive to capacitive just two months after launch. There's no such thing as free multi-touch, so you'll have to fork out another ten bucks on top of the original asking price for the new version of the ICS slate, bringing the total to a cent under $140. Other internals are identical, so customers can still expect a 1GHz ARM processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of expandable storage, with some exclusive chipmunk-based content to boot. Just remember to let the kids have a go once in a while.

Filed under: Tablets

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Archos 7-inch Child Pad with ICS now on sale for $130, Aaaalvin squeaks in celebration

Edgar Alvarez — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:16:00 -0400

Oh, we know you've been waiting for this one. Earlier today, Archos announced its kid-friendly Child Pad tablet is finally up for grabs -- which was bound to happen after having passed the FCC's meticulous inspection. In case your brain needs a quick refresh, those $129.99 get your little ones a 7-inch, 800 x 480 screen, Android 4.0, an unpretentious 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of built-in storage (expandable by way of microSD). Obviously, kids are unlikely to focus on the specs side of things, so Archos has done a decent job of including pre-loaded tidbits such as apps, games and "exclusive" Alvin and the Chipmunk 3 content in order to keep them entertained. If you're feeling like this is the one for your child, then hit the source link below to get your order in.

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Archos Child Pad arrives at FCC, escapes drool-free

Zachary Lutz — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:11:00 -0400

If our eyes don't deceive us, that's the Archos Child Pad that just arrived at the FCC. Now, we know what you're thinking: any proper test of this tablet would require someone gnawing on the corners and drooling on the screen, but c'mon -- this is the FCC we're talking about. Curiously, the test documents reveal support for 802.11n, which comes as a nice surprise, since we'd previously only known of support for 802.11b/g. As you might've expected, WiFi is the only radio in the Child Pad, which means the little one won't be pairing it with any Bluetooth devices or putting the hurt on your data plan any time soon. This rubbery, resistive touch, Ice Cream Sandwich-filled creation was previously announced for $129 with availability in late March. While the Archos folks may have missed that goal, with the FCC's stamp of approval, it appears your tike won't have long to coat the Child Pad in celebratory slobber.

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Archos Arnova 7-inch Child Pad hands-on (video)

James Trew — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:39:00 -0500

It might not quite be the hottest tablet news of the day, but we managed to catch a glimpse of the Arnova "designed by Archos" Child Pad on the floor here at CeBIT. Last time we saw this slate it was nothing but a render and a few specifications, but now we know a little more. First, there's a MicroUSB port and a front-facing camera, so your little darlings can be uploading pictures to Facebook even before that pacifier has dried for the last time. There's a microSD slot too, so you can load up an extra 32 gigs of Barney re-runs, if the 4GB internal storage isn't enough. The model we saw was a special edition "Alvin" version, which comes pre-loaded with bonus chipmunk-related content, such as special themes, wallpapers and, well, you get the picture.

The 7-inch, 800 x 480-pixel touchscreen is resistive -- which might be a bit of a dirty word these days -- but considering the intended audience, it's probably a fine choice. Our prods and pokes were met responsively enough, and Ice Cream Sandwich seemed to run just fine on the modest 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor with 1GB of RAM. Archos claims you'll get eight hours of video playback, or 16 hours of music per battery charge, and we assume that's with the 802.11b/g wireless turned off. The plastic finish actually looks pretty good, and will wipe free of jam and chips easy enough. Also, the back has a rubberized feel that should help prevent it from slipping from those juvenile paws. It's penciled in for release in April, and the real kicker here is the price. The €99 (about $129) price tag might not quite be pocket-change, but it's pretty darn close. See Alvin and our hands-on after the break.

Gallery: Archos Arnova Child Pad hands-on

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