Frequently Asked Questions
What can Boppo do?
boppo can play a wide variety of activities. Just like an iPad has "apps", boppo has "activities". One activity is playing at a time. Activities already built include playing music, podcasts, teaching kids their colors, practicing counting and many different kinds of games. Games include classics like memory, simon says, press-a-mole to new games designed just for boppo. This is just the beginning.
Because boppo has WiFi and Bluetooth, you will be able to add new activities over time as we and the community make more.
How do I switch activities?
There are a few ways to change which activity is currently playing on the device:
1) There is an on device menu where you can select activities by clicking colored buttons and following easy voice prompts from Boppo.
2) Faceplates are automatically recognized by Boppo and change the activity when they are placed on the device.
3) There is a companion phone app where you can find and select an activity.
How is Boppo powered? Does it need batteries?
boppo has an internal rechargable battery (lithium polymer) and it recharges via a USB-C port.
What are faceplates?
Plates go on top of boppo and add new meaning to the buttons for new topics (such as space, animals, musical instruments, vehicles, countries...) Each plate will come with a variety of activities like songs, facts, quizzes and games.
How many different faceplates will there be?
We plan to launch with 3 different plates (our solar system, musical instruments and farm animals) and then add many more plates over time. Let us know if you have suggestions on topics that your kids would love!
Can I make my own activities and games?
Yes!
Some activities will also allow for user uploaded content. For example we are working on an activity where users can record sounds on the parental phone app and assign a unique sound to each button.
Users can also upload music such as mp3s.
We are open sourcing a software development kit to allow anyone to create their own activities. If you have an activity you think others would like, let us know and if it meets our standards we can add it for everyone to access. For more information visit our Github page.
Why does Boppo cost what it does?
Boppo is a screen-free tablet, not a cheap toy:
boppo has WiFi and Bluetooth allowing it to download new activities over time, play podcasts, upload your favorite songs and customize for your favorite activities.
10 high quality mechanical keyboard physical buttons are satisfying to press and cost more than alternatives.
Boppo also contains a rechargeable lithium battery so you do not have to buy disposables.
The software that powers Boppo took years of engineering to build.
What countries can boppo ship to?
For our initial Kickstarter campaign we plan to only ship to the US and Canada.
After the initial campaign we plan to add new countries for shipments.
Since boppo is a kids product, has an internal battery, has a wifi and NFC antenna there is a lot of work to sell in each country. Please be patient as we do our best to open up to each country as soon as we can.
Is Boppo just for kids?
No, boppo can be fun for all ages. The tablet is just a platform with 10 light up buttons and a speaker. While much of our content is focused on kids aged 1 to 8, many games or activities are fun for big kids, and yes adults too.
What does the parental phone app do?
The parental phone app enables the following:
- Setting up WiFi on the boppo tablet
- Finding new activities and switching activities
- Uploading music or audio files for playing on boppo (such as mp3 files)
- Finding kids podcasts and playing them on boppo.
- Adjusting the volume or button brightness
We want to add some special activities in the future that interact with the phone app (e.g. recording sounds and assigning them to buttons)
How durable is Boppo?
Yes we have done our best to design it for durability. One of our Chief Testing Officers (e.g. our then 2 year old toddler) has thrown it across the room before and stepped on it multiple times without any breakage. We have had a 4 year old pound it with both fists as hard as
he could multiple times during a play testing session.
The mechanical engineer for boppo thought a lot about durability, there are lots of supporting structures internally (e.g. to support the buttons all the way through). Of course we can't guarantee it will survive every fall or every toddlers sabotage technique but we tried our best to come up with a design that can handle most of it.
Because boppo has really nice physical buttons with satisfying travel as they are pressed, boppo is not designed to be water proof. Please keep away from water.
How safe is Boppo?
Before shipping boppo will undergo rigorous testing required for kids products.
Does Boppo collect personal information?
The Boppo tablet has no microphone or camera and does not collect personal information.
We have a mailing list that stores emails. You can unsubscribe at any time.
You can read our privacy policy at boppo.com/privacy-policy. Reach out if you have any questions.
What is Boppo not suitable for?
Very Quiet Environments
While Boppo has a headphone jack for quiet listening of audio activities, many activities are not suitable for a very quiet environment. Boppo's physical keys are fully tactile and while they feel great they do make noise.
Bright Outdoor Sunlight
Boppo's lights have adjustable brightness and can go very bright. But even at the brightest setting, in very bright outdoor sunlight the button colors may not be visible. Take Boppo to the shade and play away.
How long have you been working on Boppo?
Ben has been working on boppo (originally called 10 Buttons) since 2019. Read more about our History.
I have another question not answered here!
Thanks for your interest and reading of our FAQ. Sorry we didn't answer your question. Please email me at ben@boppo.com or post in our subreddit.