KB Gear Learning Keyboard Featuring Disney's Winnie the Pooh

by KB Gear

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002NDR2
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,156 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

From Children's Software Revue® -- "Subscribe Now!"

Formerly called KidBoard, KBGear Interactive has released a whole new line of kids' peripherals including this colorful keyboard with Winnie the Pooh characters. Bundled with Ready to Read with Pooh software, the full size keyboard is durable and easy to attach to your computer. Is it a necessity? No. It is, however, very appealing and certainly less intimidating to young children than a standard keyboard. Bright orange keys make the letters a little easier to find, and friendly Winnie the Pooh decor make the keyboard more inviting. We were glad to see that it is completely standard, with no need to swap keyboards for adult uses or for peripherals like strap-on playsets.
Teaches: peripheral, keyboard
Age Range: 2-8 (our guess) Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue

Amazon.com Review

This colorful keyboard is as cute as they come, but don't expect the included software to get your child's typing skills up to par. Ready to Read is almost entirely mouse-driven--with two exceptions, both of which involve initially using the mouse to move to a specific area. Certainly, the characters are adorable as always, and the phonics games are fun for early readers to play, but it didn't meet our expectations for what a typing/keyboard package should teach. The keyboard itself seems sturdy enough for little ones to happily pound away on, and the contrasting orange and purple keys that differentiate the letters and numbers are most helpful for young learners. In general, the construction seems solid, but there are two areas of minor frustration. The base is flatter and wider than those of most "adult" keyboards, and because of that, the keyboard may take a bit of adjustment for use by adults. Also, the connection cord runs a bit short, so you may find an extension necessary. (Those with a five-pin port also will need an adapter.)

Overall, the smiling faces of Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet cavorting across the top of the keyboard and the intense colors of the background and buttons lend this keyboard a certain charm. A charming addition to the desk of anyone young at heart, it may be a disappointment to parents of younger fans who are looking for a strong teaching tool. --Jill Lightner

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this keyboard if you plan to use it to type., December 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: KB Gear Learning Keyboard Featuring Disney's Winnie the Pooh (Personal Computers)

I bought this keyboard to use as my regular keyboard at work. (Some of us like to think of ourselves as young at heart). I was extremely disappointed by the quality of the keyboard, though -- I can buy a better-made keyobard for $ at Fry's. The construction is flimsy, some of the keys were sticky, the spacebar is poorly designed and must be hit in the exact center to work, the keyboard cable is only about a foot long, and it wobbles back and forth on the desk when you try to type. I seriously doubt the manufacturer's claims about its "kid-proof" durability.

As for the software, I tried installing it on Windows NT, but the installer crashed while trying to detect my operating system. So much for that. It's about on par with the rest of the experience.

As long as you don't try to use it, the keyboard is very colorful and fun-looking, and I'm sure kids would like it. If you're thinking about buying one for your child, though, don't think that you can set it up on your home computer in place of your regular keyboard, because it's terrible for anyone who types more than about three words a minute.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No keyboard learning here!, December 25, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Bucks County, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: KB Gear Learning Keyboard Featuring Disney's Winnie the Pooh (Personal Computers)

My child is 3 and has good mouse skills, so I thought this product is the next logical step. Good thinking, bad choice. The software is all mouse driven. My child played for 2 hours and was not encouraged to use the keyboard even once. My child kept asking when it would be time to use the keyboard so I took it to the highest skill level only to be let down. My child fell in love with the keyboard instantly so I cannot return it now. I don't want anyone else to make the same mistake.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ment for children., March 10, 2004

By 

W. Orourke "oceanwaves" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: KB Gear Learning Keyboard Featuring Disney's Winnie the Pooh (Personal Computers)

The keyboard is ment for children. adults may find it hard to use. However, my child gets a kick out of the wonderful colors. My suggestion would be to have it hooked up for your child then just plug in yours when yu want to use it. I find it durable and great for babies and toddlers. my six month old loves to just bang on the keys. Then it wont ruin my keyboard.