iQuest Handheld (iQuest)

IQUEST HANDHELD is a small interactive device for preteens and early teens that offers test preparation help as well as organizational tools typically found in handhelds. Not only can kids prepare for tests, but they can keep their calendar, address book, notes, calculator, and a dictionary in their iQuest. It comes with a starter cartridge featuring over 1,000 questions covering math, science, and social studies material for fifth to eighth grades. One way to expand the material is to purchase the $24.99 Mind Station Connector, which syncs the iQuest to the Internet so kids can print outlines from textbooks and download textbook-specific audio quizzes (yearly fee of $24 after the first six months). A

Additional cartridges are sold separately for $14.99, and kids can select their textbooks so that questions are based on the same material. Students can set up the iQuest to quiz them on chapter-specific material to prepare for tests. There is also a cartridge set to study for the PSAT/SAT/ACTs.

Tweens and early teen testers liked the iQuest because it was easy to use and it was "cool" to own. Its sleek blue-and-gray appearance made these adolescents feel like they were grownup. A minor gripe was that the iQuest talks to them too much while in the study mode. Nonetheless, kids liked the interactive nature of the studying, and found the Merriam Webster's School Dictionary to be very helpful.

IQuest is a comfortable fit for children these days, because it allows them to study in a manner similar to the way they play video games.