Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Ever since the tablet market exploded, we’ve seen a wide range of designs find both success and failure. But most of the tablets on the market have something in common: they are primarily designed for adults or at least children old enough to be responsible for a fragile device. Particularly for the popular iPad, we have seen a number of specialized cases design to protect the tablet for use with young ones. But a small cadre of tablets aimed specifically at kids — including preschoolers — begs several questions. Are tablets good tools for kids? Is there value in optimizing them for kids? And if so, how should they be optimized?

Continue reading Switched On: Tablets are toys. No, really.

Switched On: Tablets are toys. No, really. originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:30:00 EST.