'laptop, PC, ipad, tablet, itouch, ipod, nintendo DS, wii, xbox, leapster, leappad or playstation?'
Between us here we have iPods, Wii, Xbox, DS, PC and laptops. There also a tv.
The DCs have had access to PC and now laptop since they first came out. We had an old Mac before DD1 was born in 1990 and she played with it, just typing and using paint or whatever feature there was available back in the pre internet days.
Throughout the childhoods of the first three all we had was the PC and tv. Since they became teens, DD3 and DD4 have lived in a home with all the other stuff I mentioned. Like MrsRhettButler, I never limited screen time and let them follow their interests. It didn't rot their brains or make them obese or unfit. I never discouraged them from getting their own gear when they could afford it; I made them research their prices to make sure they got the best value. I saw it as the equivalent of saving up for a bike in the olden days. The only things I bought were the TV, the PC and the Wii.
DD1 and DD2 bought themselves iPods when they felt like it and as their own income from babysitting allowed. DS (19) never wanted one. He had a Playstation 2 and Xbox, bought with his own money, and I got a wii for the family when DS was about 13; DD4 was used to it from age 4ish; DD3 would have been 7. A friend gave DD4 her old DS two years ago.
DS, DD1, DD2 and DD3 also have a kindle each; the kindles were all acquired in the last couple of years, so age 20, 18, 16, 13ish. They also have their own laptops. DD1 bought her own laptop when she was about 16 or 17 using babysitting money. DS bought his when he was about 17, and DD2 bought hers about the same age, then gave it to DD3 when she upgraded after ruining the windows operating system; DS fixed it somehow.
DD1 and DS are what I would call extremely computer literate and they keep on top of every trend and development. DD2 is heading the same way. DD3 doesn't have the same big picture knowledge or confidence that the older ones somehow developed and depends on me (lol) and her older siblings for troubleshooting. DD4 navigates to the sites she likes (playing with puffles, etc.) and she also had her maths book and history book online last year in school.
You're not really computer literate if you use a wii at age 7. You can just use the wii. Same goes for the things I would call toys more than useful tools. I don't think you do a child a favour by keeping them from learning to use the tools and becoming familiar with them. However, I think it's your emotional relationship with the PC, etc., that your child picks up on and that you have to be careful about. If you are a Luddite, try not to be. A child can be taught to use a washing machine, a microwave, hairdryer, hoover, electric kettle, etc. Mastery of appliances and gadgets and ability to take part in chores can boost confidence.
While I agree with you on the question of children being pushed academically too early in the UK, I don't think there is an advantage to creating a gap between children and their peers for the sake of keeping them children. Children will play with these things as much as they are interested in, just as they would play with Lego as much as they feel like playing with it. If the others in his class have items from that list at home and he plays with them at their homes maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a few at your home. The wii I found to be the best value of them all as toys go. It gets taken out when friends come around and when they are on their own, and there are fitness things you can do on it -- fun for all the family.
Children need the company of other children and they need a little in common with other children. What they do or talk about when they are together is immaterial, but having nothing or very little in common to talk about or play with can be a negative. Therefore I think a little of 'When in Rome' is a good thing.