Hands-on Review: Zipit 2

Zipit Wireless' reincarnation of its handheld wireless IM device is a vast improvement over its first version. With a backlit LED screen and keyboard, the Zipit Wireless Messenger 2 has less of a toy look and feel and is more the portable communication device it is it designed to be.

We've been testing the Zipit 2 out at our house for the past week, so we can help you decide whether it is one more communication device you would want your kids to own. It makes most sense in a home with a few kids and one PC in heavy demand for homework and IM time. The Zipit 2 costs $150, but takes advantage of Wi-Fi hotspots, so there are no additional fees.

Setup was intuitive, quick, and easy, and we were able to connect to our home wireless network within minutes. My 12-year-old and 10-year-old spent the most time with it, and quickly accessed their friends' lists and got down to IMing business. It works with AOL's AIM, Yahoo!, and MSN Messenger accounts. Chatting via IM worked seamlessly, just as it does on the PC.

A few other features: It's an MP3 player. Using a 2GB MiniSD card, kids can store music files and photos to play and view on the device. Just go to the MyTunez and MyPhotoz features on the menu. Kids can customize their Zipits via the ZipitWireless.com web site with several fonts, backgrounds, and themes.

So...

What I like: It does just what it says it will do, allowing kids to IM multiple friends without a PC and without the ability to browse the web.

• It doubles as an MP3 player, making the $150 cost more palatable, especially when trying to decide what gadgets and gaming gear to buy for our kids.

• No additional monthly fees and the ability to save the family money if teens spend more time IMing rather than texting on cell phones.

What I don't like: When my kids are IMing on the centrally located family PC, I know where they are and (generally) how long they are IMing. With another little, very portable device in the house, it's hard to know where it is, who's got it, and how much time they are spending messaging friends.

To answer parental concerns, there is a parental portal on Zipitwireless.com, where you can set some IM limits.

Ralph Heredia, Zipit's co-founder and vice president, said the company will be adding features to the Zipit 2 very soon. Among them will be more options for delineating times of day the Zipit 2 can be used and the ability to block specific messagers. Right now, parents can shut off the IM ability and/or establish a total number of hours a week or certain days the Zipit can be used. But you can't deem 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. as an off time, for example.

Heredia says the Zipit team worked with cyberbullying expert Robin Kowalski to design educational info for kids and to make the Zipit a safe communications tool. At the same time, he hopes it allows kids to socialize easily with friends the way they like to communicate.

"We want to give kids the freedom to socialize and communicate with friends but then give them the tools to understand what's going on," he said.

In the end, it's a good purchase for families with lots of IMing kids, an overtaxed PC, and far-from-unlimited text-messaging plans on cell phones.

But you tell me. Is it worth $150 to add this gadget to your kids' lineup?