If you read this site, there's a good chance that you consider yourself a geek on one level or another. If you're also a parent, you undoubtedly want to share your geekdom with your children. Sometimes this means sharing your digital devices with the little one(s), which is something that I don't normally condone (it's just a disaster waiting to happen, in my opinion). But what if you could give your children a tablet of their own? And I'm not talking about some knock-off Leapfrog "tablet," either; I'm talking about a real Android tablet, designed just for children.

That's exactly what the Nabi 2 is: an Android 4.0 tablet designed with kids in mind. It helps them learn new skills and responsibility, as well as improve elementary skills like math, reading, English, and more. It's not all business, though; with the Tegra 3 processor, this little tablet can bring the fun, too.

I've spent the last week or so playing with this little device, so let's take a closer look at everything is has to offer (and what it doesn't).

Details

Specs Display: 7" 1024x600

7" 1024x600 Processor: 1.3Ghz quad-core Tegra 3

1.3Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 RAM: 1GB

1GB Storage: 8GB, microSD card slot

8GB, microSD card slot Camera: 2MP front-facing camera with 720p video capture

2MP front-facing camera with 720p video capture Ports: microUSB, miniHDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack

microUSB, miniHDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack Battery: 4,000mAh

4,000mAh OS: Android 4.0.4

Android 4.0.4 Dimensions: 6.05" x 8.69" x 1.14" (with bumper case); 1.31 pounds

6.05" x 8.69" x 1.14" (with bumper case); 1.31 pounds Price: $199

$199 Age Range - The Nabi 2 caters to age groups from Pre-K to around fifth grade, but certain aspects go a bit above that range.

- The Nabi 2 caters to age groups from Pre-K to around fifth grade, but certain aspects go a bit above that range. Availability: Mid-July

The Good NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor . This tablet may be for children, but that doesn't stop it from rocking one of the most powerful mobile chips on the planet. Make no mistake, either, this isn't some underclocked, watered-down version of the Tegra 3 - it's the real deal.

. This tablet may be for children, but that doesn't stop it from rocking one of the most powerful mobile chips on the planet. Make no mistake, either, this isn't some underclocked, watered-down version of the Tegra 3 - it's the real deal. Kid-friendly UI and Apps. Since this tablet is designed for kids, it only makes sense that the UI also be appropriately designed. The Nobi 2 features a sandboxed UI called Monarch OS that keeps kids away from the bulk of the OS, as well as inappropriate content on the internet. Within Monarch you'll find a plethora apps designed just for children, and, surprisingly, most of them are not only well-made, but seem to be extremely well thought out.

Since this tablet is designed for kids, it only makes sense that the UI also be appropriately designed. The Nobi 2 features a sandboxed UI called that keeps kids away from the bulk of the OS, as well as inappropriate content on the internet. Within Monarch you'll find a plethora apps designed just for children, and, surprisingly, most of them are not only well-made, but seem to be extremely well thought out. Parent Mode . The Nabi 2 also features a special mode called "Mommy/Daddy Mode" that essentially disables the "Kidz Mode" and opens up the full UI for adult use. Not that you're going this tablet for business purposes or out in public, but it's nice to see that Fuhu catered to the adults as well as the children.

. The Nabi 2 also features a special mode called "Mommy/Daddy Mode" that essentially disables the "Kidz Mode" and opens up the full UI for adult use. Not that you're going this tablet for business purposes or out in public, but it's nice to see that Fuhu catered to the adults as well as the children. Protective bumper. Let's face it, if you're going to get a tablet for your child, then you have to be prepared for drops, tosses, and whatever else a youngster will think of to do with it (aside from actually using it). Fortunately, the Nobi 2 ships with a thick ruberized bumper that should protect the device pretty well. One of the cooler things about the case is that it's made from food-grade silicone, so it's completely safe if your little one decides to use it as a teether. That's good design.

The Bad No Google Apps. Unfortunately, the Nabi 2 doesn't ship with Google apps, so you won't have access to Gmail or the Play Store. This isn't such a bad thing if you're only getting this for a young child, but if you plan on sharing it, you'll feel the effects almost immediately.

Unfortunately, the Nabi 2 doesn't ship with Google apps, so you won't have access to Gmail or the Play Store. This isn't such a bad thing if you're only getting this for a young child, but if you plan on sharing it, you'll feel the effects almost immediately. Less than stellar battery life. The battery life isn't necessarily awful on the Nabi 2, but I would liked to have seen a few more hours of use out of the unit.

The battery life isn't necessarily on the Nabi 2, but I would liked to have seen a few more hours of use out of the unit. Great for kids, not so much for parents. There's no denying that the "Kidz Mode" interface is absolutely fantastic for kids. However, when switching into Parent Mode, the experience is less than ideal. Since this tablet is mainly designed for children, the only reason I mention it is because many families may not have the money to buy a tablet for themselves and their children, so they're looking for a solution that both can use.

There's no denying that the "Kidz Mode" interface is absolutely fantastic for kids. However, when switching into Parent Mode, the experience is less than ideal. Since this tablet is mainly designed for children, the only reason I mention it is because many families may not have the money to buy a tablet for themselves and their children, so they're looking for a solution that both can use. No way to check the battery percentage in Kidz Mode. Since the notification area is disabled in Kidz Mode, the only way to gauge the battery is by looking at the icon. That may not bother some people, but I simply can't stand not knowing how much battery is left.

Since the notification area is disabled in Kidz Mode, the only way to gauge the battery is by looking at the icon. That may not bother some people, but I simply can't stand not knowing how much battery is left. "Kids" is purposefully misspelled. This actually peeves me a lot more than it should, but I feel like a device designed to help children learn should keep that idea in mind throughout every aspect of the UI. The fact that the kid-specific interface is called "Kidz Mode" just doesn't sit well with me, as it could possibly confuse children learning to read and write. I feel like that is counter-productive to the entire idea behind this device, not to mention that spelling things with a "Z" instead of an "S" is neither cute nor clever. It's annoying. Looks like I'm not the only one who was troubled by this, as I've just spoken with Fuhu and was informed that Kidz Mode is now called "Nabi Mode." Strike one more con off the list!

Build Quality, Design, and Feel

As soon as you open the box (which has a nifty little design itself), you're greeted by a small-ish device with a bright red, rubberized exterior. When I first picked it up out of the box, I was actually surprised at how light it is - judging by appearance, I was expecting it to be somewhat heavy. I'm glad that it's pretty light, because that will make it even easier for small children to hold on to it. Speaking of, the red bumper case that surrounds the device not only adds some extra grip to the device and keeps the device safe in case of a drop, but it's made from food-grade silicone, making it safe for the little ones to chew on. I commend Fuhu for such a wise material decision, and I'm sure all the parents out there with young children who may decide to munch on the casing appreciate this choice, as well. The bumper case is also removable, so if it gets dirty (or you don't like it for whatever reason), you can pop it right off.

On the top of the device, you'll find the volume rocker and power button. All of the available ports are housed on the right side: charging adapter, microSD card slot, microUSB, miniHDMI, and 3.5mm headphone jack; the microphone is the only thing located on the bottom, and the left side is void of anything. On the back of the device above the speakers, there's a unique set of slotted protrusions for use with Fuhu proprietary accessories that will enable parents to customize the Nabi 2 with add-ons, including letters and numbers, various fictional characters, and even utilitarian accessories like a headrest mount (all of which will be available at launch). The device only has one camera: a 2MP front-facer. Since it's lacking Google Apps, Skype comes pre-installed for all of your video chatting needs. The front of the device also features a nice little battery icon that lights up whilst the device is charging, so it's easy to tell when it's full with a quick glance.

All of the buttons are very easy to push and have a very satisfying "snap" when pressed - with or without the bumper case - so your little one shouldn't have any issues powering the device on or changing the volume.

With the bumper case removed, the Nabi 2 is actually a pretty neat looking device. It's solid white (aside from the bezel) with small non-fucntional red buttons displaying the Nabi logo in each corner.

The overall feel is good - it may be made with children in mind, but it doesn't feel like a child's device.

Display and Touchscreen

It's safe to say that most users would expect an awful display on a $199 device designed for kids. In fact, the display isn't that bad. It's not the best I've ever seen (far from it), but it's definitely not the worst, either.

The colors are actually quite vibrant on this display; whites looks white, and dark colors look dark. It's well balanced. Of course, there are drawbacks since this is a low-cost device, and in this case, it's viewing angles. The horizontal angles are much better than the vertical angles, which are still more tolerable than some of the other 7" displays that I've seen, but it's still not ideal. Given the fact that your child will likely be using this device far more often than you will, though, I don't see this as a deal breaker by any standard.

Unfortunately, the Nabi 2 doesn't feature any sort of reinforced glass on the display (like Gorilla Glass), so it could scratch/break/shatter easier than one would hope, given its child-friendly nature. However, the bumper case does a good job of protecting the entire device, and I feel like it would protect the display rather well in the event of a drop, even if the device landed screen-down (though this theory isn't something that I'm willing to test on a review unit).

The touch sensitivity of the Nabi 2 is actually very impressive. The touchscreen is extremely responsive (even with the slightest touch from the smallest fingers), yet highly accurate. Throughout the entire duration of time that I had the Nabi 2, I had absolutely no issues with the touchscreen; reactions are sharp and typing on the device is highly accurate (though it doesn't have haptic feedback). It was actually a surprisingly pleasurable experience.

Performance, Use, and Battery Life

This is probably the most surprising aspect of the Nabi 2 tablet: it's a powerhouse. The Tegra 3 chip makes this tablet absolutely zoom; I haven't experienced a single bit of lag since cracking open the box. Everything is fluid on this device, be it scrolling through apps, browsing the web, or even playing games. When it comes to games, the Nabi 2 even comes pre-loaded with some Tegra 3-specific titles, like Riptide GP, Jett Tailfin, and Big Top THD, complete with enhanced graphics.

By default, Kidz Mode is laid out something like this: entertainment apps and the Chore List are on the first page, Fooz Kids apps on the second (more info on each of those later), Tegra games on the third, and everything else follows thereafter. Here's the issue that I found: my children skipped past the first two pages of kid-friendly educational apps and went directly to page three, four, five, and so on looking for games. Unless you edit the Monarch OS desktop to only include the educational apps, your children may never play them (unless you force them too, of course). I would like to think that my kids would want to learn, but at some point I have to be a realistic parent and know that they'll always want to play before they learn. If you remove the super-playful apps from the equation (like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, etc.), it will make things a lot easier; I kind of wish that Fuhu would've set the Nabi 2 up this way by default, and then allowed parents to add to the list. It's a trivial complaint, but one that I felt was worth mentioning; at the end of the day, after all, we want our kids to both learn and have fun with this fantastic technology. I just wish they wanted to do it in that order. But that's more of a flaw in human nature, not in the tablet's design.

Despite the fact that the Tegra 3 chip has superior battery management, this is one area where the Nabi 2 tablet definitely falls short. With moderate usage (playing a few kid games, light web browsing, etc.) the tablet only gets about six hours of battery life. Throw some heavier gaming (Riptide, etc.) or movie-watching into the mix, and you'll see even less. That's not all though - this device seems to take a lot longer than it should to charge. My TF300 can charge from around 20% to full in around two hours, yet this device takes far longer than that to make it to full (it took nearly four hours to go from 35% to full). Combine this with an impatient child, and you have a potential recipe for disaster.

Camera

The Nabi 2 has but a solitary camera, found on the front of the device; ergo, it's not meant for taking pictures, but rather video chatting. Skype is included with the tablet (since Google Apps are missing, Talk isn't present, either) for video chat purposes, and the camera does exactly what you'd expect from a 2MP shooter.

There's also an included "photobooth" type app called Camera Fun that the kids will surely love to use for taking pictures of themselves, as it features some amusing (yet basic) effects such as Color X-Ray, Mirror, Pinch, Sketch, and more.

All in all, the camera is fine for its intended use, but don't expect to get any mind-blowing images out of it.

Software

Okay, so we've talked about the form factor and hardware of the device, but this is where the bulk of the review will be, as the majority of the experience is found in the software.

When you first fire up the Nabi 2, it's very clear that you're not dealing with a "normal" tablet. The lockscreen is a fullscreen image, and you have to drag the entire thing to unlock the device - a la Samsung's Touchwiz UI on smartphones. The lockscreen is plain, features the date and time up in the top left corner, and the shortcut to the camera in the bottom right. It's quite clean, and I like the look. However, it's a bit frustrating to use - you sometimes have to swipe two or three times before it actually accepts it and disables the lockscreen. I found that sometimes I even had to swipe across three-quarters of the screen to unlock the device. That's not a huge deal for me, as I'm an adult with adult-sized hands; for a child, however, it may be far more difficult.

Once unlocked, you're greeted with the aforementioned "Kidz Mode." It's a very basic interface that consists of several pages with eight oversized icons on each. Not surprising, the backgrounds and icons are both bright, vibrant, and look very child-like. The first three pages seem to be themed, indicated by various backgrounds; once you get to page four, however, it applies the user-defined background and maintains that throughout the remaining pages. If you'd like to jump straight into an app without having to swipe through a dozen pages, however, the full Kidz Mode app tray is accessible in the same way it is on traditional tablets; namely, the button in the top right corner.

You'll also notice that, whilst in Kidz Mode, the navigation bar is a bit different than normal: instead of the normal Back, Home, and Multi-task options, you get Back, Home, and Menu. The menu button doesn't open the system menu, though; it's the Kidz Mode menu. This is where you'll find quick links to Home, Web, Camera, Parent Mode, Chore List, and Settings. I'm going to run through the non-self explanatory ones really quickly just below.

Home, Web, and Camera: Do I need to explain these? Didn't think so.

Mommy/Daddy (Parent) Mode: This disables Kidz Mode and takes you to the default ICS interface.

Chore List: I love that they added a quick link to this. It is exactly as it sounds: a list of things you want your child to do. I'll go into more detail below.

Settings: Not ICS' stock settings menu, but rather Kidz Mode settings where you can connect to a Wi-Fi network, toggle Bluetooth, change the wallpaper (only affects Kidz Mode), change the look of the "button" (the background for the icons), adjust brightness, and toggle auto-rotation.

Spinlets+ TV and Music

The tablet features a figurative ton of apps for kids, starting with Spinlets+ TV and Spinlets+ Music. Spinlets+ TV is basically Netflix for kids. It lets your little one stream cartoons and other kids' shows; granted, however, the selection isn't that vast - there are only 63 different shows/moves at the time of writing this. Still, if there's one thing I know about kids, it's that they love to watch the same thing over and over. And over. And over. It'll actually drive you mad. All the parents out there know exactly what I'm talking about, and Spinlets+ TV does a good job catering to this behavior. Upon launching the Spinlet's TV service for the first time, I had to start a "free 30 day trial," but there was no indicator of how much the service would cost past that 30 day window; after a bit of research however, I found out that the Spinlets+ TV service is a reasonable $2.99 for unlimited streaming. Thus, if your little one gets madly addicted after 30 days, you won't go broke trying to keep them entertained.

Similarly, Spinlets+ Music is a music service for kids. Unlike its TV counterpart, however, Music isn't a subscription-based service, but rather an á la cart service. The selection is exactly what you would expect from a childrens' music store: Kidz Bop, Selena Gomez, Hannah Montana, and more cartoon soundtracks than you can shake a stick at (I really don't understand that phrase - why would I want to shake a stick at anything, really?). Oh, and there's Ziggy Marley, too. Tracks cost the standard $0.99 per song, but you don't have to worry about your mischievous little angel buying tracks without your knowledge - it requires the mommy/daddy password before it allows a purchase to happen. Crisis averted.

It's worth noting, too, that Spinlets+ Music force closed every time I tried to purchase a track, but that could have something to do with the fact that I'm using a review unit that was pre-configured when I got it.

Chore List and Treasure Box

I absolutely love the inclusion of the Chore List. My kids are already pretty good about about doing what needs to be done without having to be told (more than once, anyway), but the Chore List makes it so even I don't forget what they're supposed to do. It's really quite simple: in Parent Mode, you populate the chore list with whatever item you want. It offers some pre-configured items, all of which can be spoken using the TTS engine by tapping the speaker icon (that's invaluable for children who can't yet read). Unfortunately, if you manually add a chore in, it doesn't offer the same feature. Sadface.

Otherwise, the Chore List is pretty to-the-point. Your child opens it, sees what needs to be done, and makes it happen. In order to check the item off the list, however, they'll have to bring the device to you, as this can only be done within the Parent interface. That initially bothered me, but it prevents children from checking off items that haven't yet been completed, so it gets a pass.

But why would a child want to check things off without completing the task, you ask (because we all know that our children do no wrong)? Because the Chore List features its own built-in reward system via the Treasure Box. Basically, when you assign tasks to the children, you also allot how many "Nabi Coins" each tasks is worth. When a child completes a task (and you, in turn, check it off), this virtual currency goes into their bank. They can use it to "buy" various things, including new games and videos, from the Treasure Box. Pretty neat, right? I, for one, think this sort of reward system is a fantastic idea, as it allows kids to realize that reward comes with responsibility and hard work does indeed pay off (hey now, taking a shower is hard work to a kid). Also, if you want to give your kids a little help (and what good parent doesn't?), you can buy more Nabi coins for them at any time.

My only issue with the Chore List is that it may be a little too basic; I would like to see more granular controls. For instance, perhaps your child has a chore that only needs to be done three or four days out of the week - the Chore List shows every task on weekly basis, so it's still up to your child to remember which chores need to be done on which days. This may be trivial to some parents, but I could definitely see the added value in a day-by-day chore list over a weekly list.

Nabi Cloud, Nabi Sync, and App Zone

Since cloud storage is the hottest thing on the planet right now, every company, manufacturer, software developer, carrier, ISP, cable company, gas station, fast food chain, and retail outlet has to have their own variant. The same is true for Fuhu, and on the Nabi 2, it's called Nabi Cloud (clever, right?). Like Dropbox, Nabi Cloud offers 2GB of free storage, but that's pretty much the only thing the two services have in common, as Nabi Cloud seems to be extremely watered-down. In this use-case, however, that's not such a bad thing (remember, this tablet is for kids, not businessmen). How is it watered-down, you ask? Well, for starters, the sync is only one-way. You cannot upload anything from the tablet to Nabi Cloud; but rather only view the content within. Nabi Cloud has three folders by default: Movies, Photos, and Videos. This way, parents can put their little one's favorite shows, movies, and music in the Cloud that may not be available elsewhere within the Nabi ecosystem.

Similarly, Nabi Sync is a way to transfer local files from the computer to the tablet and vice versa. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try out the service, as it requires Windows software that was not made available to me. I'll go ahead and give this one the benefit of the doubt, however; I'm sure it works as advertised, given the simple nature of syncing files over USB between a PC and a mobile device.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, the Nabi 2 doesn't have access to the Play Store. What it does have, however, is its own app ecosystem called App Zone. The App Zone features over 500 different apps, including games, entertainment and learning titles, and more - all designed just for kids. It has a clean and easy to use interface that breaks down apps by type, as well as age group, so finding age-appropriate content is a snap. A quick look through the App Zone revealed a couple of familiar Tegra 3 titles like Riptide GP, Big Top THD, and Rett Tailfin, as well as a handful of other popular games like Burn the Rope and Angry Birds, but, for the most part, it's populated with apps that I personally have never heard of (in all fairness, though, I don't spend a lot of time surfing the "apps for learning" scene). Of course, the Amazon Appstore is always a good choice if you're looking for a way to broaden the range of content your children have access to.

Web Browser

The Nabi 2 ships with two web browsers: the stock browser and Maxthon. Why Maxthon? Honestly, I'm not sure. But it's set as the default browser, is rocking a super kid-friendly theme, and packed to the gullet with ways to keep your kiddos safe online. When your kids launch the "Web" button in Kidz Mode, this is what they'll see:

And here's the best part about that:

You see, if they try to navigate to a site not on the white list, they get denied double-quick, and that's fantastic. Because, let's face it, if given the opportunity, many children will at least attempt to visit some less-than-ideal sites on the web. The browser comes with ten pre-loaded websites that are definitely kid-friendly. Like with most other aspects of this device, you're not stuck with just the default options, though. You can easily add more sites to the white list by tapping the plus sign on the main page. You'll go through a one-time setup to create a parental password the first time you do this, and you'll need only enter the password when adding subsequent sites later.

I also really like how easy the browser is to navigate. Unlike more "adult" browsers, the navigation panel doesn't disappear while scrolling the page; in fact, it is always displayed at the bottom of the browser with back, forward, home, refresh, settings, and full-screen buttons always visible. I really like the fact that the navigation is at the bottom of the browser window, because that makes it much easier for little hands to reach. This is actually the default setting in Maxthon, so if you like that layout, you can grab the browser from the Play Store and give a whirl on any device. Maxthon also has some really nifty add-ons, like Screenshot Assistant and File Manager, but that's a different story for a different day. Just know that it's a really neat browser and a nice addition to the already impressive arsenal of child-friendly applications already included on the Nabi 2.

Websites, Videos, Crafts, and Books

Aside from the websites allowed within the browser, there is also an application in Kidz Mode called Websites. It's basically just another front-end to the web, albeit far more specific in nature. All of these sites appear to be pre-selected by Fuhu as part of the Fooz Kids app suite, and run in their own proprietary browser of sorts. Upon launching the Websites app, you're greeted by a paginated list of kid-friendly websites, like Barney and Friends, Blue's Clues, Dora, Miss Spider, and other well know characters, both new and old. The "browser" that these sites are launched in is far, far more basic than Maxthon or the stock browser; it has but two controls: navigation (back and forward) and home. Ergo, if you want to allow the kids to access a select few websites, but aren't comfortable with giving them a full browser to play with, the Websites app is the way to go.

Along the sames lines as Websites is another app, called Videos. Just like Websites, this is a front end an online video catalog full of childrens' shows. There are actually quite of few different shows from networks like Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. It doesn't appear that these are full episodes, however, but rather just short clips from the various shows. Given the ultra-short attention span of most kids, though, that should work out just fine. And, hey, it's free!

Rounding out this set of psuedo-apps is Crafts, which is laid out identical to Websites and Videos, offering a sandbox to some unique content for children. As the name implies, Crafts is a place to find fun things for kids to make, and each of them has a common theme: holidays. Within each holiday's listing, you'll find several crags that your children can make. A quick skim through showed a variety of different projects; some looked fairly easy, while others looked far more time consuming. I actually think this is a really neat addition, as it actually gets kids away from staring at a digital device non-stop and has them doing something productive during their "down time."

Unlike the other three apps in this section, Books isn't a front end to some web-based service, nor is it what you think it is (eBooks for kids). It's a way for children to make their own book using pictures. I actually really love this feature and think it's fantastic for building up kids' creativity, as it encourages them to write a story using images that they've either take with the tablet's camera (which is actually slightly difficult since the device doesn't actually have a rear shooter) or ones that they've saved from the web. Another thing I really love about this app is how simple it is to use. Everything is laid out in an easy-to-follow way, as not to confuse the kids. And once they're finished adding the images and text for their story, then can save it and view their creation in the viewer. What a fantastic way to not only encourage a child's imagination, but their appreciation for the written word!

Fooz University

Up to this point, we've mostly looked at ways the Nabi 2 tablet entertains your kids. It's not all about entertainment, though - the Nabi 2 tablet is also a learning device thanks to the Fooz University suite of apps that includes lessons to help your child improve at Math, English, Science, and Social Studies. Each subject is broken down into several sub-categories, which varies between subjects. For example, the Math app has options for both lessons and quizzes, in each grade level offered (K-5); English, on the other hand, offers K-3 (and no quiz), while Science sticks with the K-5 grade levels, and Social Studies goes with a more basic Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced setup.

Each application uses a system that we should all be quite familiar with by now: levels and stars (like Angry Birds). After selecting the appropriate grade level and "course," the application presents an instruction window detailing what the child is to do to complete the level. There's also a link at the top that plays a short video clip with the instructions.

The lessons are clear, concise, and to the point. Each one prominently displays the question at hand in the center of the screen, with answer options at the bottom. Of course, this requires the child to be able to read, so be ready to assist and work with your little one if they haven't yet learned how.

Overall, I like the Fooz University offering, as it approaches learning in a very familiar way, making it almost seem like more of a game than an actual learning experience. In my mind, that's definitely a good thing.

Games, Games, Games

Since the Nabi 2 features one of the most powerful mobile chips in existence - NVIDIA's Tegra 3 - the gaming experience is on par with the top Android tablets on the market today. The tablet ships with demo versions of some of the best (and most kid-friendly) Tegra Games, like Riptide GP, Bang Bang Racing THD, Jet Tailfin, Demolition Inc. THD, and more. The full versions of each game are available in the App Zone for the same price that you'll find them in the Play Store.

Unfortunately, not all Tegra titles are available in the App Zone, so if you're looking to play some Shadowgun THD or Dark Meadow THD on the kids' tablet while they're not using it, you're out of luck. The reasons behind this are pretty obvious; this is, after all, a device designed for children.

Still, the games that are available play really well, and the graphics are top-notch. And if you simply must have Shadowgun, you can always grab the non-THD version from the Amazon Appstore. You're welcome.

Parent Mode

Finally, something for the parents! Since this device is made for children, I've focused this review on that aspect of the device. However, as I've mentioned many times throughout, there is a mode just for parents, generally referred to as Mommy or Daddy Mode (I've just called it Parent Mode throughout this review, though).

Once you activate Parent Mode, the Nabi 2 is basically just a stock Android 4.0.4 tablet, minus Google Apps. As previously mentioned, you can sideload the Amazon Appstore so increasing your app catalog isn't all that difficult, but you won't find apps like Gmail or Gtalk there, so you'll still be left just short of a full Android experience. If you can live without GApps, though, the Nabi 2 performs basic functions just fine.

Final Thoughts

So, five-thousand-something words later, how do I feel about the Nabi 2? Honestly, I think it's a fantastic tablet for the kids. My children loved playing with it, and the fact that it incorporates features that help better them while they use it gets a definite thumbs up from me (and trust me, I'm one of those meticulous parents). Sure, it's not perfect, but it doesn't have any drastic flaws that make the device unusable, or even anything that makes it frustrating to use. It appears that most of the details of the Nabi 2, both in software and hardware, were approached with kids in mind; ergo, everything is easy to use, simple in nature, and, for the most part, very intuitive.

The Bottom Line: I think the Nabi 2 is a fantastic device that both kids and parents can get behind. I'm walking away from this review extremely impressed with not only the level of detail in the software, but the overall design, as well. Thus, if you want a device for your kids that's not only fun to use, but has some educational merit, this device is an excellent choice. And at only $199, you'll get a premium Android experience that won't break the bank.