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 We here at HardwareGeeks.com have reviewed a lot of things over the year, but we have never reviewed anything educational and specifically designed for children. So we took a new approach on how to review this product; we actually got input from kids.
The FLY Fusion Pentop Computer is primarily a homework help tool, but it also has other functions. You can install different applications available for the device and it will help your child or even you with anything from Algebra, Spanish, creating music beats or playing word games.
When I first saw the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer at an event, I fell in love with the device not for my own kids, or my nieces and nephews, but for myself. I thought to myself, wow, this would be cool for me to use, because I can write a bunch of notes and have the pen record the notes and transfer them to my computer later on. I didn't look at it as an educational tool; I looked at it as a tool to help me be more productive. Doing what I do for a living, I tend to take a lot of notes, and being able to transfer those notes to my computer for archiving is a lot better than having shoeboxes full of notes.
The device comes with software that allows you to sync your device with your computer; it can also send the notes you scribble down to Microsoft Word or to an email. The program had no trouble working with Office 2007.
Since I only looked at the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer as more of a business tool, I tried to get opinions of how it is as an educational tool. I decided to have some kids my sister teaches and tutors to try it out, so I took it to her school.
When I walked into the class room, I saw a bunch of 9 year old kids all looking depressed because they would have rather been outside playing than stuck in summer school, but as soon as I pulled out the FLY Fusion, one of them immediately asked me what it was and another kid said, "Hey that's that pen I seen on TV!"
I showed them all how to use it, how to enable certain features by drawing a flycon, and how to navigate the flycon. A flycon is basically a small circle you draw with the pen that has two letters inside, "SP" for Spanish "FT" for flytones. These flycons are what you use to select a program and navigate through the program's options.
After I explained the basics to them, I let them have at the pen on their own, and they caught on quickly. My sister teaches Spanish so they used the Spanish program on the bed to translate different words. The Spanish software allows you to write a word in English and translate it into Spanish and vice versa. They really had fun writing every word they could think of and have it translated. They even had fun playing the Spanish word games available.
Another program they really liked was the math program. With this program, you write out a math problem and the pen solves it for you with its calculator that talks. They all had fun writing really long problems trying to stump the pen. For example, they would write "792 x 487 x 499 +6 -1 +3 =" and they were surprised and impressed at the same time when the pen repeated the problem and followed it with the answer, which is 192,466,304.
"For $79.99, the Fly Fusion is the cheapest tutor I ever met" said my Sister after demoing the unit herself.
There are a lot of programs for the FLY Fusion, including one that allows you to mix your own music beat and record it.
The FLY Fusion also plays MP3s and has a headphone jack so you can listen to your music in private, as well as the answer to your math question in private.
There are a lot of different programs available for the FLY Fusion Pentop computer and many more are to come. The costs of the programs vary and start at $14.99 and go as high as $29.99. The FLY Fusion Pentop computer also requires a special notepad, which cost $7.99. The ink refills cost $7.99 for two.
I would love this pen even more if there were a thinner, more business oriented version. I would definitely use it, and I personally think there would be a market for such a pen. If there was a smaller, more stylish pen with different sized pads for it, I would be a customer for life.
 Overall, the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer is an excellent tool any student from the 5th grade to the 12th grade. Heck, if LeapFrog even develops some college course programs, I am sure there will be a demand for them as well, or maybe even a program that teaches you to draw. We award the LeapFrog and the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer our Five Star Editor's Choice Award and recomend this product for children going back to school.
The pen is available for $79.99 and comes with 60 MB of storage, which is expandable with cartridges that cost $29.99. Or you can get it at Amazon for cheaper.
For more information, visit: http://www.leapfrog.com.
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