This week at CES Intel announced that it had partnered with a tablet company named Fuhu to produce DreamTab; a Bay Trail powered tablet design exclusively for children. This tablet uses Intel’s Atom Z3740 SoC and runs Google’s Android OS. It was created by the two companies through a partnership with DreamWorks Animation. Intel’s press release contains very few details about the technical vitals of this tablet. Instead they chose to talk about how Fuhu has worked to create its own software ecosystem outside of Google’s control. Advanced parental controls and the “custom-built nabi Play” store, “features the widest variety of kids programming… comingled in one easy-to-navigate location.”
Intel and Fuhu have also brought in Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nick as content providers for this platform. There is also a curated App Zone and Treasure Box for apps and shopping.
The funnest thing about this whole episode it the back story that certain Intel reps are hinting at.
Here’s quick promo video that Intel released and you can browse the DreamTab’s Twitter if you’d like.
[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/Z2-XAb23Zo0″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″]
Now the concept of mobile devices, and even tablets, just for children isn’t a new one with examples like One Laptop per Child and Intel’s own Classmate PC showing how often these initiatives amount to nothing but a trade show press release for hardware vendors. It’s hard to accurately gauge how much support and momentum Fuhu’s DreamTab has. But with the way Samsung has been discounting and bundling its tablets with new phone purchases lately it’s hard to imagine that the DreamTab will take much market share from the entrenched leaders in this space.
Then again perhaps there is a sizable niche for the DreamTab fill in the boutique market. We’ll have confirmation one way or another when this tablet goes on sale in June.S|A
Thomas Ryan
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