Leapfrog releases computer for kids ages 8-13

• LeapFrog Enterprises released its Fly Pentop Computer Monday to help "tweens" with their homework, signaling an attempt by the educational toy company to reach an older market.
• The Fly Pentop Computer, aimed at kids 8-13, is able to recognize the characters written on a sheet of special Fly paper.
• Through an audio interface, the device also can tell kids the correct spelling, or give them a translation from Spanish to English and vice versa.
• The device can also offer assistance with a math problem if users draw a calculator and touch the handwritten digits and functions.
• Educational electronics devices such as LeapFrog's LeapPad Learning System are aimed at helping younger children learn the alphabet and basic reading skills and have been displacing PC-based learning software.
• The Emeryville, California, company also wants to leap from the toy department to the consumer electronics department with its new product line.
• The device, originally announced last January, is now available at consumer electronics stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City, as well as the consumer electronics departments inside big box retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart.
• "This product totally missed back to school, which is probably the second-largest shopping period," said Sam Bhavnani, principal mobile computing analyst at research firm Current Analysis.
• But in August, the Jerusalem-based company announced a restructuring aimed at achieving profitability.
• Nevertheless, Leapfrog has met with considerable success as well as a following for its LeapPad and other toy products.
• Test Prep and Other Add-ons A range of add-on accessories and applications are available at prices from $4.99 to $34.99.
• Sines said relies on information drawn from 90 percent of all the school textbooks for grades 6 through 8 in those subjects in the United States.