It doesn't seem all that long ago when everything I owned was powered by batteries that were forever dying and in need of replacement. Now, all my nifty gadgets can be charged easily by USB or AC adapter and without the need to spend a bottomless pit of money on AA's. However, it seems children's toys are not so easily powered and I have come to a conclusion that Fisher-Price and battery companies are in cahoots. How can it be possible to have a swing that is just powered by batteries? It sits next to a wall outlet anyway, I mean, do they not realize that the only moment of solitude I get is when Oliver is in his swing ad when that music stops and the mobile ceases to rotate, all realms of Hades are released?
It seems impractical to me, but looking around baby toys and all things that require some kind of electrical input it seems they're all battery powered when most of them could really do with an AC adapter. I assume that this is no error on their part and it seems more people than just I have been thinking the same thing. A quick browse around Amazon reviews tells me a lot of people believe that Fisher-Price in particular have a vested interest in getting you to buy batteries. Not the cheap ones either, Oliver's swing takes four (!) D batteries. Those are the big ones. They last about three weeks.
It's clearly not a safety issue. You could easily have an AC adapted out of the back and be done with it, offering the baby endless hours of entertainment. I'm aware there is a possibility of him grabbing cords and things, but let the parents worry about that, instead of worrying how to buy batteries in such bulk amounts that it makes Iran's attempt at cracking nuclear fusion look under funded. The funny thing is, that if you call Fisher-Price about batteries and ask whether rechargeable batteries work as well, you're told in no uncertain terms that they're not reliable enough.
Now I know why my parents tried to limit the time I spent playing with toys inside, I remember several of my favourites being taken away for a while through no other reason than I'd wear out the batteries too soon. I now share their pain.
I've worked out your little game Duracell. If I disappear from the internet, you'll know the Energizer bunny has paid me a visit in the middle of the night and had me iced.
It seems impractical to me, but looking around baby toys and all things that require some kind of electrical input it seems they're all battery powered when most of them could really do with an AC adapter. I assume that this is no error on their part and it seems more people than just I have been thinking the same thing. A quick browse around Amazon reviews tells me a lot of people believe that Fisher-Price in particular have a vested interest in getting you to buy batteries. Not the cheap ones either, Oliver's swing takes four (!) D batteries. Those are the big ones. They last about three weeks.
It's clearly not a safety issue. You could easily have an AC adapted out of the back and be done with it, offering the baby endless hours of entertainment. I'm aware there is a possibility of him grabbing cords and things, but let the parents worry about that, instead of worrying how to buy batteries in such bulk amounts that it makes Iran's attempt at cracking nuclear fusion look under funded. The funny thing is, that if you call Fisher-Price about batteries and ask whether rechargeable batteries work as well, you're told in no uncertain terms that they're not reliable enough.
Now I know why my parents tried to limit the time I spent playing with toys inside, I remember several of my favourites being taken away for a while through no other reason than I'd wear out the batteries too soon. I now share their pain.
I've worked out your little game Duracell. If I disappear from the internet, you'll know the Energizer bunny has paid me a visit in the middle of the night and had me iced.
2 comments:
Yes, batteries are awful on so many levels: expense, bad for the environment, they run out at inconvenient times... I'll be glad the day that they are totally phased out!
There was talk of wireless electric systems being developed a year or two back, but I'm still waiting.
They wont be phased out. Duracell is too powerful!
The wireless electric system is waiting in the same wings as the paperless office. If only Tesla was around.
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