Understanding Why View-Master is Among The Greatest Toys Ever Designed

Do you want to date yourself with beautiful classic toys reimagined in contemporary styles? If view master is part of your choices, then it is possible! If you have never seen the original view master classic toy that whisked kids with its reels that held photos, you missed a lot. With the classic 1960’s toy, kids had tons of reels containing space, nature, cartoons, etc., to change and observe different images per session. It was the best moment ever!

Let’s leave the past alone and fast forward to 2015, when classic toys made a symphonic return. Mattel, in conjunction with Google, reinvented old toys into view master classic or entertainment spots. These seemingly old toys collaborate with virtual reality and smart devices to transport you into an endless entertainment space. With all these changes, how does the view master classic stand out?

Design

There is no doubt Mattel used their own design to come with a modern-day toy. The design was focused on internal components since the exterior carcass had not changed much from the first viewfinder toys in the 20th century. The virtual reels emulate the traditional reels. However, the virtual reels are born from intensive coding operations and using Google cardboard in the production process. That is why these viewers are sometimes called Google cardboard viewers. For those who have used one, they understand the glorification and happiness one gains from it!

The ergonomically designed rubber handle perfectly fits your hands, preventing the toy from slipping out your hands even after a sudden twist or shake. If you move to the inside, the optically designed lenses maximize the visibility of the picture and eradicate blurriness. Don't forget that these lenses were designed with the utmost care and eye-friendly procedures to avoid them damaging your delicate eyes without affecting their performance.

Just in front of your right arm on the viewer, you will find a lever- a copycat of the original design. When triggered, the lever rotates the image on the disc hence changing your scenery. The strategic position of the lever- on the right-hand side of the toy is best suited for the majority of the population because over 90% are right-handed.

The front of the viewer has a smoky plastic with a latch on the top, which is used to open and close the smartphone compartment. The latch has a small knob that is not only for aesthetic reasons but it also mimics the original toy’s classical design.

On the left side of the toy is a wrist wrap. The main purpose of the wrist wrap is to improve portability and comfortability when using the toy. This wrap also protects the toy. When wearing it, the viewfinder can’t slip and fall.

Opening the latch lets you into the mobile pocket to slide your phone and use it to view pictures. Not all phones that slip into the compartment works with these toys; currently, the toy only uses iPhone, specifically 5,5c and 5s. The phone configures with a QR code in the toy with cardboard app to form the connection.

Software

The view masters have four sets of reels developed by IT experts divided into a single starter pack and three experience packs. The starter pack has preview reels, while experience packs come with three reels, too, for the destination, space, and wildlife. All three units are available, and you can test them with your view master any time you wish at a small cost.

To use the experience pack, you will be required to download a companion app for respective reels. For instance, if you are using a destination reel, the Google Play store has its respective app. All the apps consume less than 300Mb of storage space but to be on the safer side, make sure your phone has at least 1GB of free space.

You can use Google cardboard to download the apps without using Google Play as long as your device is compatible with it. But the content of the experience pack is payable via in-app purchase, as already mentioned above. Let’s explore the experience pack and understand how it works;

?�? Wildlife

National Geographic developed this pack, and it contains Savanna, the wild Amazon, and Outback sections. With this pack, you can virtually visit any natural ecosystem, from the African Savanna’s unforgiving environment to the untamed wilderness of Amazon rainforest. Each scene is panoramically placed, and you will explore the stunning surrounding the comfort of your bed. Also, suppose you are planning to camp in the Amazon or Savanna. In that case, this wildlife pack in view master classic toys allows you to get acquainted with the environment hence learning what you are most likely to encounter before setting your foot in the wilderness.

?�? Space

If you plan to be an astronaut or are enthralled by the space vastness beyond our planet, you better warm up your skill using this reel pack! With it, you can virtually access the entire solar system. The pack has three tantalizing options any space explorer will love to be associated with; solar system, spacecraft, and star maps are visible in the toy.

While looking at the stars via this toy, you get an opportunity to learn how they are arranged, and you can even move to the other side by simply rotating the picture. On the other hand, the star map allows you to study constellations, and if your phone has a GPS, you will be able to see the groups of stars near you.

?�? Destinations

The destination experience pack is adventurous, as well as enjoyable. With it, you can travel to France’s Eiffel Tower and interact with this magnificent historical monument. Travel around London and experience the beauty of London Tower and move across the glorious London Bridge, all with a simple click and at the comfort of your home. You don’t need expensive travel visas and accommodation money; instead, a view master classic toy is enough to take you around the world after buying the pack. Like other packs, the destination pack allows you full-circle view, you can click on different sites, and the picture will rotate like in real life.

Performance

These toys perform very well and produce good scenes and pictures, but they aren't compatible with many devices, as mentioned earlier. Installing the apps is very easy, and they run smoothly on any phone. Just download with your phone as long it has enough space and starts experiencing the magic of view master classic toys.

It is worth noting that the phone heats up after prolonged usage.

Price

After reading through the view master classic’s properties, you may be thinking about how high the price of these toys is! The view master's price isn't high, but if you add up everything, including the purchase of packs, you will spend almost $100. The experience packs are sold separately, each at $ 15. Though the content of the experience pack is limited, there are enough pictures on space and wildlife packs to keep your loved ones entertained.

They are cheap and copied their design from traditional reels; view master classic brings the nostalgic feeling people felt while using old reels when there was no other entertainment option. With three major experience packs, you can travel virtually everywhere, from Savannah to Amazon and from City squares to space, and each time you move, a new travel experience awaits you!

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