Mike Wood, Whose LeapFrog Toys Taught a Generation, Dies at 72

https://archive.today/Yifig

https://www.peopleofplay.com/blog/scott-traylor-honoring-mik...

I'm ambivalent about Leap Pads - the "run apps" LCD screen kind, not the book kind. They seem a razor-and-blades kinda thing, with pretty expensive apps for the simple things they do.

But the Leapfrog toys get top marks for engineering. First of all they're pretty sturdy, and second they just do things right. For example on the "Rockit Twist" (another "run apps" thing) none of the gimcracks are fake. Every button and every spinner does something, and does it well. And, for example the "Scribble and Write" (I think that's what it's called) is simply the most amazing use of an 8x8 monochrome LED module I've ever seen. Another good one is "Tad's Get Ready for School Book" - just soo much functionality, and pretty near indestructible too. If one guy came up with all that stuff, he gets full marks from me for engineering.

He definitely left a great legacy.

I still think the Fly pentop and Fly Fusion computers were amazing toys. The later Livescribe models (after the tech leader behind those products started his own company) were must-haves for me.

Both the toys and the Livescribes lost purpose when the snart phones became ubiquitous as not a lot of handwriting was being practiced by kids and professionals.

I still fire up the Fly Fusion occasionally. Too bad they only work if you were able to connect them to the (now long gone) website so, yes, you can still find “new” ones on ebay but unless they were set up before they are only good for writing, no need to charge.

Even in the age of cheap android tablets my young kids still like the leapfrog pads. You really can't ignore the sense of control and tactile feedback that kids like from navigating those books with a physical pen tool.