FP3 player
The Kid Tough FP3 Player was a portable media player designed by Fisher-Price as an educational learning device for preschool children.[1] It had similar features and functionalities as adult portable media players, promoting digital literacy in young children. The FP3 Player™ also included an online store to download music and stories that allowed adults to safely manage children's access to audio content.
Released in 2006, the Kid Tough FP3 Player was one of the first durable, kid-friendly portable media players that allowed children ages 3+ to enjoy songs and stories.[1] It also included its own software and USB cable so parents and adults could import audio onto the device from either a previously owned CD, or the Fisher-Price Online Content Store, providing a safe and engaging way for children to enjoy music and audio for just $60.[2]
Shortly discontinued a year later in 2007, the Kid Tough FP3 Player was the first of its kind to provide children ages 3+ with a safe, durable, portable media player.[1]
Technical features and functions
[edit]The Kid Tough FP3 Player and its contents included a song and story player with a 1.5” LCD screen, 128 MB of storage, one set of headphones, a breakaway neck strap, a CD-ROM with FP3 Player software, and a USB cable.[1]
The device included six preloaded songs and two stories, and additional content could be downloaded from the Fisher-Price Online Content Store for ninety-nine cents each.[2]
The device also required AAA alkaline batteries, a Phillips head screwdriver for battery installation, and an SD card for additional song storage and content, all of which were not included.[3]
The Kid Tough FP3 Player its system requirements included having access to a PC with Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000, 500 MHz Pentium III (Processor), 256 - 512 MB of memory, a hard drive with 150 MB of disk space for installation, 1024 x 768 of video resolution, a USB port, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 with SP1, and Macromedia Flash Plug in.[1]
Child-Friendly Interface
[edit]The Kid Tough FP3 Player included a simple, electronic interface such as large buttons, a durable body that could be dropped,[1] child-safe volume limiting controls, and display screen that showed visual icons for the titles of each song and story, tailoring its simple electronic features to be accessible for to its target audience of toddlers and preschoolers.[2]
User Experience and Consumer Feedback
[edit]Feedback from reviews highlighted some criticism that The Kid Tough FP3 Player faced. For instance, the device was not compatible with 64 bit or, according to CNET, Mac computers. CNET also said that "the foam earpieces come off too easily," and that it was "pretty pricey for a 128 MB player."[4]
Additional Features
[edit]Additional products could be purchased alongside The Kid Tough FP3 Player, such as Player Speakers that provided users to “listen to all of their favorite songs and stories without headphones” by simply docking the FP3 Player "into the speakers without wires for audio entertainment."[5] Other features of the Player Speakers included that it operated on batteries for hours, and included “a button to eject the player, volume control dial, high quality speaker sound and a handle to take on-the-go.”[5]
A player case could also be additionally purchased to accompany The Kid Tough FP3 Player, which was featured as a way to hold “the mp3 player and headphones" on the go.[6]
Cultural influence and legacy
[edit]Educational Significance
[edit]In listening to audio, such as audiobooks, children can "become readers who can understand the message, think critically about the content, use their imagination, and make connections" just by listening to audio.[7] The Kid Tough FP3 Player has elements that are "only found in the audiobook, including music, a skilled narrator’s use of voices and dialects, and supplemental materials ... add to the enjoyment of the book," and in this it helps children with "developing their listening skills."[7] The FP3 Player keeps children's books from becoming a "narrow experience" through listening to the audio, which "increased a child’s comprehension and vocabulary."[7]
Gendered Packaging
[edit]The Kid Tough FP3 Player was offered in blue or pink. The packaging of the FP3 Player featured a gendered marketing approach towards its target audience by offering a blue version of the FP3 Player with a boy on the packaging, and a pink version of the FP3 Player with a girl on the packaging. The device was not available for purchase in any colors other than blue or pink, and it did not feature any other reversed roles regarding its packaging. The Kid Tough FP3 Player and its impact on children’s perceptions of gender through its packaging design is a notable example of contribution to the ongoing discussion about gender in toy marketing.[8] For the early 2000s, the FP3 Player is an example in the evolution of educational toys that reflected both the gender norms of its time and the shift towards more inclusive designs in the following years of toys on the market.
Competition and comparisons
[edit]In the years surrounding The Kid Tough FP3 Player and its release, other influential electronic, educational toys for children were released in the toy market for educational electronic toys produced by toy company competitors such as LeapFrog Enterprises and Playskool. The Kid Tough FP3 Player followed the creation of similar products released during the same time period that combined audio, learning, and play for children, such as LeapFrog Enterprises’ Leapter. The FP3 Player and its promotion of technological engagement within children through engaging with toys is a noteworthy example of how traditional toy manufacturers adapted to the digital age of the early 2000s. This device also reflects the toy companies’ abilities to evolve their products to address the needs and developed interests of a new generation of toy consumers and their preferences.
The FP3 Player was introduced during a period of significant innovation in educational technology in the early 2000s regarding children’s toys. This development marked a shift towards more interactive and personalized experiences for children to increase their education through technology.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e m.service.mattel.com https://m.service.mattel.com/us/Technical/TechnicalProductDetail?prodno=K3420&siteid=27&catid=516. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c Buckleitner, Warren (July 20, 2006). ""This Player Doesn't Mind a Child's Persistent Request". The New York Times.
- ^ https://service.mattel.com//instruction_sheets/K3420pr-0920.pdf
- ^ Fisher-Price Kid-Tough FP3 Player - Video. Retrieved 2024-10-04 – via www.cnet.com.
- ^ a b m.service.mattel.com https://m.service.mattel.com/us/Technical/TechnicalProductDetail?prodno=K5365&siteid=27. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ m.service.mattel.com https://m.service.mattel.com/us/Technical/TechnicalProductDetail?prodno=K5892&siteid=27&catid=516. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c Clark, Ruth Cox (2007). ""Audiobooks for Children:Is This Really Reading?"". Children and Libraries: 49–50. doi:10.1080/15505340.2011.535715 (inactive 1 November 2024).
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) - ^ Coyle, Emily F.; Liben, Lynn S. (January 2020). "Gendered Packaging of a STEM Toy Influences Children's Play, Mechanical Learning, and Mothers' Play Guidance". Child Development. 91 (1): 43–62. doi:10.1111/cdev.13139. ISSN 0009-3920. PMID 30187910.
External links
[edit]- Official FP3 page from Fisher-Price.com
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