Disney Pix Jr. Digital Camera For Preschoolers

$50, Windows, Mac OSX

Teaches: creativity, digital photography

CTR Rating: 70%

CTR Review

These days, every kid needs a digital camera, especially if a trip to the zoo is on agenda. The $60 Disney Pix Jr. Digital Camera (at www.disneyshopping.com) is one consideration, although there are weaknesses to note.Shaped like a large rubbery bar of soap, the camera has 32 MB of RAM plus an internal SD card slot for more, and 1.3 Megapixels of resolution, producing images on par with most modern cell phones. The 4AA batteries give it enough power to last for several days.The clunky-feeling camera has rounded edges which makes it completely symmetrical, giving a child a 50% chance of grabbing it upside down. There's no optical viewfinder, and getting the SD card from the camera or changing batteries requires a small Phillips-head screwdriver.This camera is a case study in how an Interface can be simplified to the point of bewildering you (the user) -- at first anyway. There's no power on/off button, for example. The idea is, that if you press any of the five buttons, the camera turns on. A timer automatically turns it off after 30 seconds if nothing is pressed. The problem with this approach is that the camera can turn on and possibly take pictures when being bumbled around inside a backpack.Getting the pictures off the camera is simple -- just plug in the USB cable (provided) to any Macintosh or Windows computer. You can use your existing photo editing software, or you can install the included disk on your Windows computer -- for even more Disney themes. Other features include an auto flash, 1.5-inch viewfinder, wrist chord, and the ability to overlay Disney characters onto the subject in the viewfinder.Digital cameras are great creativity devices for all ages, and every child should have one. This particular camera can do the job, but keep in mind that a real camera is only a few dollars more, and can take much higher resolution photos.See also the LEGO Digital Camera