Children's multimedia: Then vs. now
22.5.2018
Translation: machine translated
I recently stumbled across the Toniebox, a current and very popular children's multimedia audio system. It reminded me of when I was a little rascal and used to listen to Papa Moll's or Pingu's stories on cassette up and down. So it was time to compare then and now.
Audio plays were a central part of my childhood - no matter what time of day. I could listen to the stories for hours on end and imagine dream worlds in my imagination. Papa Moll and Pingu were particularly popular with me. Every now and then I also listened to a Globi story, but I preferred to look at them in the book volume read.
My music player was a plastic cassette player from Fisher-Price. As usual in that decade, its product name was some arbitrary number in the thousands. I believe it was the 3800 model. Its modern counterpart in this comparison is the Toniebox from Tonies. A digital audio system for children that has Wi-Fi and can play stories using cute characters.
Appearance and design
Cassette player
Toniebox
The outer shell of the Toniebox is made of fabric sewn over soft foam padding. The box is available in different colours, so there is a version to suit every taste. The digital audio system looks neat and tidy and, at 600 grams, is light enough to be easily carried by children. Their design has already won several prizes, including the coveted "Red Dot: Best of the Best Award", which is only awarded to pioneering designs.
Operation and functions
Cassette player
The functions of the cassette player are limited to the essentials: Playing cassettes. There is a button for each function. You can start playback, fast-forward and rewind or start a recording using the microphone. This player also has a small wheel on the front with which you can adjust the volume. The cassette player is powered by four C batteries. These are sufficient to listen to the cassettes for weeks - if not months.
Toniebox
Playable media
Cassette player
You can play all kinds of cassettes, which you can buy at many flea markets, in second-hand shops or online. There are still hundreds of them and they are cheap because almost nobody has any use for them any more. However, the magnetic coils suffer over the years and through constant playback. As a result, their sound quality is not consistent. However, with a cassette adapter, you are able to connect your smartphone or an SD card to this 25-year-old device.
Toniebox
You can find all the Tonies here.
Sound quality
Cassette player
Toniebox
Conclusion
Not everything was better in the past. The Toniebox is an extremely successful product that brings children closer to audiobooks and encourages their imagination. The figures that play the respective stories not only look cute, but also give the child something tactile to touch and collect.
One disadvantage of the Toniebox is its closed system. An audio play can only be purchased in the form of a Tonie figure and no other media can be played on the Toniebox. In addition, these figures are proprietary to this system and are not compatible with other playback devices. The cost of such a figure is also not negligible, as they are usually more expensive than the audio play on CD.
My godson uses my old cassette player every day. After 25 years, it still works perfectly. As far as the Toniebox is concerned, I doubt that his son can still play with it. Nevertheless, the Toniebox is an interesting audio system with great features. It introduces children to audio books, stories and fairy tales, works perfectly and looks good.
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