Kid Friendly Portable Media Player

[mikejtl]

In the next 6 months, my family has to fly coast to coast twice and take 2 road trips of at least 3 hours each way, all for weddings. The one thing that will keep my daughter entertained is Sesame Street, so I need to find a portable media player solution that will work on both a plane and in a car. Would love to hear other's experiences with this, here's the ideas I'm playing with.

1. Load up my iPhone with Sesame Street. I'm not crazy about this because even though I already own the thing, so zero startup cost, the cost to replace an iPhone that three year old damages is pretty steep (I'm only one year into my contract)

2. iPod Touch - This could work, but for $200, all, I get is 8GB of space, probably enough for a trip, but I don't have a real purpose for a Touch otherwise.

3. Portable DVD Player - Cheaper, but then I need to buy dvds, and I probably won't use the dvd player at home nor the dvds.

4. Netbook Dell Mini 10v - I'd be handing over a computer to a three year old, but it's a netbook, cheaper than replacing an iPhone if something goes wrong. On the plane I could supervise, and in the car I was thinking about trying to stick it in one of these back seat suspension systems

http://www.amazon.com/Car-Portable-Player-Attaches-Front/dp/B000ID37EA/ref=pd_sbs_a_2

(anyone use these? anyone use one with a netbook?) Plus then the netbook could be the computer we travel with, instead of taking one or both of our MBPs.

Money is an issue, so I don't want to buy something I won't use for anything else, nor do I want to spend too much (ie. no iPad for me yet)

Would love to hear people's first hand experience.

Thanks.

 

[akkkmed]

You've probably thought of this, but just throwing it out there. After the trips, you could sell the iPod or netbook on Craigslist... You probably wouldn't get all your money back, but probably close to it, especially with the Dell Mini...

 

[Matty-p]

2 road trips of at least 3 hours each way, ... Would love to hear other's experiences with this, here's the ideas I'm playing with.

1. Load up my iPhone with Sesame Street. I'm not crazy about this because even though I already own the thing, so zero startup cost, the cost to replace an iPhone that three year old damages is pretty steep (I'm only one year into my contract)

2. iPod Touch - This could work, but for $200, all, I get is 8GB of space, probably enough for a trip, but I don't have a real purpose for a Touch otherwise.

3. Portable DVD Player - Cheaper, but then I need to buy dvds, and I probably won't use the dvd player at home nor the dvds.

4. Netbook Dell Mini 10v - I'd be handing over a computer to a three year old, but it's a netbook, cheaper than replacing an iPhone if something goes wrong. On the plane I could supervise, and in the car I was thinking about trying to stick it in one of these back seat suspension systems

Money is an issue

Would love to hear people's first hand experience.

Thanks.

ok so i have an ipod touch (8gb 2nd gen) and a netbook(acer aspire one (9 inch screen running xp and ubuntu dul boot) that i use for when im going on holiday

ok so in a couple of days time were going on holiday about 4 hours each way now what i usally do for this is take the netbook and load it up with about 10 or so hours of tv programs that i want to watch from iplayer (the uks provider of most decent tv's online watch/download anything thats been on tv in the last 7 days kinda deal) ive been doing this for the last 3 years sinc e i got the netbook and it worked well its screen is plenty big enough when your heads less than a metre away but after about 3 hours the battery dies and i switch over to my ipod touch (i use vidio editing software to scale it down to the exact resoloution of the iphone/itouch display and after that an hour of tv will take up about 200mb(mp4) so expext at least 20 hours of tv to be stored on there the screen size is ok and the batter lasts longer than the netbook (my little sister watches her tv programs on there wile im watching the netbook for the first 3 hours in exchange for £1.00 and pece and quite for three hours. ok so while im not really a child anymore(just turned 15) my sister can sometines still be quite clumsy she's 10 and its fits between her two hands easily in horizontical mode. no then i suggest you see if load up 1hour of sesame street (ha i remember that program) to your iphone see if she is ok with the relitively small screen. if she is then pick up a itouch 8gb (you can get them quite alot cheaper if you buy from amozon or somthing instead of apple ) and pick up a £3 (4$) rubber grip case and maybe attach a string to the case and tie it round your daughters hand like on the point and shoot cameras. meh just my £0.03 ($0.02!)

 

[aross99]

How about an iPod Nano for $149 for 8BG, or $179 for 16GB?

They seem a bit more indestructible than an iPod touch...

 

[Matty-p]

How about an iPod Nano for $149 for 8BG, or $179 for 16GB?

They seem a bit more indestructible than an iPod touch...

Yea but only has a 2 inch screen and when watching tv programs on it for 3 hours straight?- it would really start to hurt my eyes anyway

 

[eawmp1]

Get an Otterbox case for your iPhone and load it up with media. The cheapest option in the long run.

 

[Signal-11]

Get an Otterbox case for your iPhone and load it up with media. The cheapest option in the long run.

This. +1. QFT. Or something.

 

[Tomorrow]

Our son has been using our iPhones and my wife's iPod Touch to play games and draw pictures since he was 4. What kind of "damage" are you expecting? You can even drop the thing onto the floor of a car or airplane and it'll hold up fine (I speak from experience).

Save your money and let your daughter use your iPhone. Make sure her hands are clean first.

 

[BanjoBanker]

This. +1. QFT. Or something.

Another vote here for an Otter box. My son's best friend left his iPhone on the roof of his car after a night out drinking and the iPhone sat there through a pretty good rain storm. 10 or so hours later, iPhone still works. A drunk 22 year old could not hurt an iPhone in an Otter Box, so I doubt your three year old will be able too.

 

[mstrze]

Buy a used Touch if you are worried about cost. My nearly 3yo son uses one for video and his game Apps. 8GB is probably more than enough for a load of Sesame St. episodes...don't forget the free video podcasts too (the Word on the Street).

But buying used, you can probably get a 16GB model for $200 easily.

(Just looked on eBay and saw several 16Gb going for less than $100.)

 

[kshat28]

iPad maybe?

 

[mikejtl]

Thanks to everyon for their responses. I hadn't thought of an otterbox, great idea. Used touch might be a good cost effective solution.

But let me run on more thought past everyone. If I did go with a netbook Dell mini 10v, once I get it loaded up with media, will it be usable at home hooked up to an HDTV? I beleive it only has VGA out. So I'm not sure how the picture would be nor do I know if it has the juice to stream netflix etc.

If it would be usable at home for a basic media center then I might be able to justify the cost.

Thanks again.

 

[chery123]

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