What am I looking for?

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[Denise in Florida]

I'm not tech savvy and have no idea what I need. Dd5 loves listening to audio books. We've already gone through all of the age appropriate CDs at the library. I'd like to download free books from sites like librivox.org . So, I'm looking for something that can hold lots of books, fairly indestructible (she is 5), easy for her to navigate, and affordable (preferably under $100, WAY under would be nice!). So what is it that want?

 

An ipod would do the job. How careful is she with things. If she doesn't bang it around it should be sturdy enough. You can buy older models used and refurbished from apple online.

 

If the ipod idea is too small and fragile you could use a pc or laptop. Again it depends on her fine motor control.

[nd293]

Some input, if not a clear answer: we have two cheaper players: the Element is horrible to navigate, so bad that I don't use it at all, and the Zen is easier. We got ds4 a small Zen before he turned two, as we had discovered that music would keep him calmer in the car (he was one of those car-hating babies). The thing is definitely indestructible... The one we have is smaller than a standard iPod, and slightly rubbery in feel (not as brittle feeling as some players), which I think gives added protection. One unexpected plus of the Zen is that it has a built in speaker. This might be something you want to look at, if you're not wild about young kids being permanently "plugged in", and want to be able to monitor volume. Dd has the iPod, and my iPhone has an iPod too - these are probably superior in ease of navigation on the machine, but I find iTunes confusing (the computer interface for the iPod). My am technologically useless, though - dd10 manages just fine! The iPod is definitely more delicate than the Zen ds has. Dd's iPod does not have a speaker - she has to use headphones.

 

Oh, and have a look at www.storynory.com for free audio stories for kids. Dd used to love all the old radio shows too - those are easy to find online.