Kids Review Kids' Tech

PC World - Children's toys are going more and more high-tech each year.

We asked five reviewers under the age of 12 to try the latest gadgets--a digital camera, a handheld, an e-book reader, a laptop, and a cell phone--designed specifically for a child to use.

Here's what the kids had to say about the toys after putting them through their paces (with a little added perspective from moms and dads).

Digital Blue U Turn Digital Camera

Reviewer: Noah, age 8

Age group targeted: 6 years and up

Price: $50

PCWorld Kid Rating: 4 Smiles

Noah took to the camera fairly quickly, figuring out the controls and effects with little adult guidance. When he asked about the lightning-bolt icon, his uncle told him to take a picture with it on and another with it off to see what happens. Once he did, he understood that it was for the flash.

Noah really liked the different effects that he could apply to photos in the camera, saying, "I just love how when you press the swirl button you can make a cool mode."

He also liked the ability to plug the camera into a TV with the supplied AV cable to see what his photos looked like on a bigger screen.

On the flip side, however, Noah thought that it was hard to figure out how to view the pictures he already shot, that it was difficult to open the cover over the USB connector, and that the lens was placed in such a way that his fingers often covered it.

Uncle Nick's take: "The age level is appropriate for this camera. It was definitely helpful for Noah that the camera covered only the basics."

Noah's bottom line: "It's fun to take anywhere" and "I wish it had a touchscreen!"

Note: The camera is currently out of stock on the company's site, but a representative says that it is for sale at Toys R Us.

Leapfrog Leapster Explorer Learning Game System

Reviewer: Zoe, age 7

Age group targeted: 4 to 9 years

Price: $70, plus the cost of downloadable games, e-books, and videos

PCWorld Kid Rating: 3 Smiles

When the Leapster Explorer arrived at Zoe's home, she was very excited since she thought it was a Nintendo DS, which it slightly resembles.

Zoe's father, who helped her install the Explorer software necessary to purchase and download one of the more than 40 games and activities from the Leapfrog site, was unhappy with the setup.

"I found the software very slow and frustrating to use, and it was a good hour before I could manage to see the available games," Dad reports. "Then there were a lot of miscategorizations, and apps that were not available for download even though there were previews of them."