LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer tablet ready for pre-order

LeapFrog will be taking pre-orders for its $100 LeapPad Explorer tablet for kids beginning Wednesday, the educational product developer announced on its site this week. The 5-inch tablet comes in pink or green, has a 480-by-272 pixel (16:9) touchscreen and will have 100 downloadable apps or app cartridges ranging in price from $5 to $25 available in time for the August 15 release.

The multifunctional learning tablet "builds off the success of 2011's Educational Toy of The Year Award winner, Leapster Explorer," LeapFrog said in a statement. The LeapPad Explorer is intended for children ages four and up.

"LeapFrog created the first interactive learning experience with our original iconic LeapPad Learning System in 1998. After 10 years of research into the most proficient ways for children to learn, we are doing it again with LeapPad Explorer," said Craig Hendrickson, senior vice president and chief product officer for LeapFrog, in a statement announcing the tablet back in February.

"LeapPad Explorer is a multifunctional learning tablet that can ignite children's imaginations and learning, but also handle a little rough and tumble play. This will be the must-have gift for all eager learners."

The specs are certainly more toy-like than turbo-charged—the chip chugs along at 400MHz, there's just 2GB of storage, and there's no WiFi in the LeapPad.

The LeapPad Explorer can capture and play videos and photos. It's compatible with the entire existing library for the Leapster Explorer, a groundbreaking educational handheld device.