Fuhu Nabi Big Tab HD 24"

Design and Features
At 24.6 by 16.2 by 0.9 inches (HWD) with a built-in metal stand, the Big Tab HD resembles a desktop all-in-one more than an Android tablet. The stand covers a useful range of viewing angles, including completely flat, and feels stable. That's important, because at 13 pounds, you wouldn't want the Big Tab falling over onto your young ones. The tablet portion can detach from the metal frame, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's equipped with a tiny 1,650mAh battery that's only meant as a 30-minute backup for moving from room to room. The Big Tab requires an included laptop-style, brick power adapter. This is strictly a stationary device, rather than a mobile one like the Fuhu Nabi 2 Tablet$179.99 at Kmart.

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The actual tablet is made from a matte white plastic with small rubber pads on the backside at each corner. You can separate it from the frame by pulling two release tabs on the frame itself. Volume and Power buttons are located on the top right edge. DC power and 3.5mm audio jacks are on the left and right edge, respectively. There are proprietary Nabi Connector ports on each edge of the tablet, which are used for file transfers over USB and Fuhu's own line of accessories.
Of course, the centerpiece here is the 23.6-inch, 1,920-by-1,080-pixel LCD. It's a reasonably nice display, though maximum brightness and color depth are nothing to write home about. Colors begin to wash out when viewing off angle, but the adjustable kickstand makes it easy to correct. The LCD appears slightly recessed beneath the glass, which adds to the screen's high reflectivity. I also noticed a weird trailing effect when scrolling on pages with black text on white backgrounds. The full HD panel and access to Android apps make the Big Tab a veritable connected TV, but the built-in speakers are underwhelming in volume and sound overly tinny.
For connectivity, the Big Tab supports dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC. It had no issue connecting to our corporate 5GHz network from about 50 feet away, showing reliably strong reception.
Performance, Android, and Parental Controls
Fuhu is one of the few kids tablet makers that doesn't skimp on performance or components. The Big Tab HD is no exception, equipped with a 1.6GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 T40S system-on-a-chip with 2GB RAM. It's not the latest Tegra K1, but that's only available in two high-end, full-featured tablets from Nvidia and Google. Performance is solid, especially for a kids tablet. I noticed a bit of intermittent lag navigating around, but nothing too concerning. Game performance is a strength, as the Big Tab had no issue with high-end apps like Asphalt 8 and GTA: San Andreas, not that you'd want your kids playing the latter.
See How We Test Tablets
The Big Tab runs Android 4.4 KitKat with a similar skin to what we've seen on older Nabi tabs. There's a sandboxed Nabi mode that restricts what apps you can use and how long you can use them for. This is the heart of the Big Tab experience and is one of the better executed kid-friendly environments I've seen. Apps are categorized into games, education, entertainment, and creation, with preloaded apps for all four. Parents can create custom time limits for specific groups or reward kids for using things like educational apps for a certain amount of time. The creation tools are a bit rudimentary, but include simple apps for animation, video editing, and drawing. Educational content covers Pre-K through sixth grade level math and reading skills with simple games and puzzlers. Parents can manage educational goals and reward their kids with "nabi coins" (purchased with real money) that can be used to download apps, movies, and books from the App Zone, Fuhu's own content store.

Fuhu has a deal in place with Disney, Dreamworks, and Cookie Jar Entertainment, which means many of your kids' favorite cartoon characters will make an appearance in preloaded content. A lot of that content is limited to things like YouTube movie trailers or short clips, but it's preferable to the no-name, low-production videos you'll find on some competing tablets. Amazon's selection is a bit more straightforward and easy to navigate, offering a lot of content in a more polished store. Amazon also offers a subscription FreeTime service that has an impressive selection from name brands like Disney.
Since the point here is collaborative playtime, Fuhu also separates out games between single and multiplayer titles. You'll find familiar titles like Fruit Ninja, but there are also some simple and fun four-player games that make good use of the massive screen. You can find and play multiplayer games on other tablets, including Android and iOS, but it's not quite as fun when you're crowded around a 10-inch display and vying for finger space. Multiponk, one of my all-time favorite multiplayer tablet games, is an absolute blast on the Big Tab with four players. I grew up in a family with four kids and we would have loved to have the Big Tab around.
Beyond the sandboxed Nabi mode, though, the Big Tab's next best feature is Parent mode, which unlocks the full power of Android. Aside from the built-in parental control features, Fuhu left Android relatively untouched. You get full access to the Google Play store, which opens up a world of multimedia options for grownups. You're essentially getting a 24-inch, streaming-only HDTV as a bonus.
Conclusions
There's an irony to the idea that the answer for tablet-wary parents is, in fact, more tablet. Yet that's exactly what Fuhu would have you believe. While I can't verify whether or not the Big Tab discourages anti-social behavior, Fuhu's execution makes that argument convincing. Playing games with friends is just more fun on a device this big, and the size makes it difficult for kids to grab the tablet and go off to some secluded corner of the house. Parental controls and content selection are also top-notch here, which is essential for any kid-focused tablet.
At $550, the 24-inch Big Tab HD is pricier than full-featured tablets like the Apple iPad Air 2$499.99 at Best Buy, but keep in mind that you're essentially getting a big, full HD monitor with connected services built into the package. With unrestricted Android on tap, that makes the Big Tab a compelling multimedia hub even if you don't have any kids in your life. Understandably, not everyone wants to drop half a grand on an entertainment device for their kids. The Amazon Fire HD 6 Kids Edition$149.00 at Amazon is a good low-cost option at only $150, and Amazon's FreeTime parental controls and content offering are excellent as well.