LeapFrog's New Pentop Computer Ready to Fly Off the Shelves

Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- One of the year's most innovative new consumer electronics products, LeapFrog's FLY Pentop Computer, is now available at major consumer electronics retailers nationwide, today announced LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. First announced in New York City last January, the highly- anticipated new platform has been hailed by industry pundits and reviewers for its unique technology, which transforms pen and paper into an interactive computer, and for its many creative and engaging learning applications that make the FLY Pentop Computer attractive to both technology-savvy tweens (ages 8 - 13) and their parents.

"Our new FLY Pentop Computer platform has completely blown the doors off of any prior learning products for tweens. We have opened up an entirely new class of learning opportunities that were seemingly impossible to conceive of until now," said LeapFrog President Jerry Perez. "It's all about making learning accessible, engaging and effective, and we believe the FLY platform can make a very positive and enriching difference in the lives of busy tweens."

"Not only are parents and tweens in the consumer markets anxious to get their hands on the FLY Pentop Computer, but school districts and teachers are clamoring for us to make it available for classroom use as soon as possible," Perez added.

Retailers Stock Shelves Across the Country
The new FLY Pentop Computer, a variety of specialized educational applications, games and accessories are available beginning today in the consumer electronics aisles of Walmart, Target, Toys 'R' Us, Best Buy, K-Mart and Circuit City across the country.

Dr. Robert Calfee, Dean Emeritus at the School of Education at the University if California, Riverside, and Chair of the LeapFrog Educational Advisory Board, states, "I am so impressed by the educational value of the FLY Pentop Computer. This new computing platform gives students the ability to engage fully in problem-solving and thinking with an innovative, intuitive and smart 21st Century tool. I'm particularly impressed with the potential opportunities for students to do genuine work in science and mathematics."

Homework Help and Much More
Applications launching for the FLY Pentop Computer, known as FLYware, include a range of useful learning programs that can help tweens with their homework through guided instruction and personalized practice. Because of its rich educational content and convenient, portable form factor, some tween testers dubbed the FLY Pentop Computer a "pocket tutor." New FLYware products available today include FLY Through Spelling (3rd - 5th grade), FLY Through Math: Multiplication and Division (4th - 6th grade), FLY Through Spanish: Pocket Translator, and FLY Through Tests (6th - 8th grade: math, science, and social studies).

For fun and learning, LeapFrog has teamed up with Upper Deck to release Flyball, an interactive baseball trading card game; Disney Publishing has joined forces with LeapFrog to develop the W.I.T.C.H. -- FLY Journal for fans of the popular Disney book series; and LeapFrog has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to launch a Batman Begins: The Battle for Gotham City Interactive Strategy Game designed for use with the FLY Pentop Computer.

Many accessories are also available for FLY Pentop Computer customers, including FLY paper, FLY notebooks, stickers, expansion card packs, quizzes, and game pads. Additionally, LeapFrog is offering a FLY backpack, speaker, recharger, and special face plates to personalize the FLY Pentop Computer.

Personal Learning Tool is Ready Anywhere, Anytime
The new FLY Pentop Computer platform is designed to bring computer interactivity to the most ubiquitous and user-friendly tool of all -- pen and paper. It is the first consumer electronics device to give users real-time audio feedback as they write and draw on special FLY paper, making what the user writes come to life. For instance, a FLY Pentop Computer user can draw a calculator, touch the handwritten digits and functions to perform an operation -- then hear the answer announced from the FLY Pentop Computer. With the FLY Through Spanish software, a user can write a word in English, touch the handwritten word, and then hear the word translated into Spanish as it is spelled out and then pronounced.

FLY Line Product Pricing
The FLY Pentop Computer has a suggested retail price of $99 and the new FLYware accessories and applications have suggested retail prices ranging from $4.99 to $34.99.

SOURCE LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.