Microsoft ActiMates Early Learning System
© 1997 Microsoft Corp.
This system consists of a robot doll (either Barney, Arthur or his little sister D.W. ), a radio transmitter that plugs into your computer or VCR, software, and a videotape (a special encoded show). The doll picks up signals from the software, telling it when to talk or move. For example, Barney knows 17 songs and 2,000 words, so he can comment on the screen action or even sing along-- in key! Our testers found that while the children liked to watch TV with the talking Actimate, they had no interactions with the doll. On their own, the dolls are very well built, with a nice set of features and vocabulary. We have never heard of anyone who has successfully hooked one up to a computer and has actually used it for more than a few times, however. Instead, they end up using the dolls as standalone toys.
$159, Smart Toy
Teaches: shapes, colors, numbers and letters