Barbie Girl Device
© 2007 Mattel, Inc.
Note: This toy has been discontinued. When do toys and web sites merge? The $30 Barbie Girl Device is an MP3 player kit that comes with 512 MB of RAM, a belt clip, earbuds and a selection of snap-on Barbie decorations. There's also a USB cradle that makes it easier to transfer music and charge the internal lithium polymer battery at the same time. The device was discontinued in 2008 although we've seen it being sold online. The device is half the size of a Barbie doll and is more of a fashion accessory as much as a music player. You can snap on an assortment of hair styles or add "bling" in the form of gem stickers and snap-on fashion accessories. Extra accessory packs (that sell for an additional $10 each) fit onto the earbuds and snap-on hair styles or outfits. One contains a set of beads for the earbuds, for example. Families who purchase the player or related accessories are rewarded with "B-Bucks", the online currency used at BarbieGirls.com that can be used to upgrade your virtual living room. As a digital music player, there's nothing impressive about this—compared with others—other than the retractable USB plug located in the base. There's no LCD display or shuffle feature, so you don't know which song you're on, nor how many songs you have in memory. The controls are located on the back opposite the side of the single LED light—a rather clumsy oversite; but then again, the LED is also part of Barbie's mouth. You can either jump to the next song or change volume; that's it. Also, it is not possible to play music through the player while it is in the cradle. The 512 MB of on-board memory can hold about 120 MP3 or 240 WMA-file songs, and it has an expandable miniSD slot. (This is the mini-size card, not the regular sized-SD card that is used in most cameras.) The player we tested came with a copy of Windows Media Player 11, which is used to manage the music files. It does not work with iTunes. In terms of dress-up play, this MP3 player sets a new standard, but as a music player, it has much to be desired. There are four new accessory packs ($10 each) for Spring 2008: The Fashion Pack with trendy styles for the Barbie Girl Device; the Deco Pack with accessories for both girls and their device and includes pets (baby koala, baby giraffe, and baby elephant); the PJ Party Pack for a slumber party; and the Glam Gowns Pack which dresses your device for a night on the town. Note that as of Fall 2008, the Barbie Girl Device will be discontinued, but existing owners will still be able to unlock access to the www.barbiegirls.com website.
$30, Windows
Teaches: music, some creativity
CTR Rating: 62%