Cowon O2 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

I've always been a fan of Cowon. I think they typically make great mp3 and video players, and their D2 is my favorite mp3 player of all time. When the O2 was announced, I knew I would be buying one. Overall I'm satisfied with the O2, but there are a few rather glaring problems with the player that cannot be ignored.

Cowon has always been better at making hardware than writing firmware to support it, and this trend continues with the O2. Things that should be there aren't, and things that should work better don't. There is a lot to love about the O2 anyway, but it just feels like Cowon keeps just missing. I'm still waiting for that perfect PMP that I know they're more than capable of producing. I'm hoping that as the firmware matures for the O2 that they fix some of the problems and make this a good PMP into a great one.

Before addressing what makes this player good but frustratingly imperfect, here are a few technical details from my experience using the O2:

File upload speed: internal memory, using provided USB cable plugged directly into the computer (no hub) is about 6.5 - 7.4mb/second. I tried large batches of files (3-4gb) and small batches (200mb - 500mb) and they all uploaded at approximately the same speed. Single large files like movies upload slight faster, in the 7.5-8mb/second.

Firmware updates have been made much easier than in previous Cowon players. No more Copy file, reboot device, copy in 2nd file, reboot device, etc... The firmware can be updated with a single collection of files uploaded to the main directory. Reboot the O2, the system loads the new firmware and you're done. Updating from 1.9A (preloaded when received from Amazon) to 1.4b took about 20 seconds tops. This is a great improvement from the D2.

A strange difference between the O2 and the D2 is that when connecting to the computer via USB, you can only access the internal or external memory at one time. When you plug in, the O2 will give the option of selecting internal or external. This is different from the D2. The major disadvantage to the only being able to access internal or external in isolation is that you cannot transfer files from one directory to the other.

Now lets get on with the good:

1. 16gb of flash memory (about 14gb accessible).

2. Support of many audio and video codecs, including FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) which is what I use for all my music files.

3. Slick, sexy design. Understated cool. The O2 feels solid in your hand and is just quality all the way around. Has a very thin bezel. Almost the entire device is touch screen.

4. Expandable via SD or SDHC card which is PERFECT for a PMP because you can add movies to an SDHC card and swamp them in and out as needed. This is especially nice if you're taking a trip and want to have a good number of movies available.

5. Great resolution and very pretty screen. Movies look nice on the O2.

6. Very fast boot up. My O2 starts in about 8-9 seconds, which is 3 times as fast as my D2. That is an excellent improvement.

7. Simple, intuitive GUI (Graphic User Interface). The O2 uses icons sort of like what you would find on a smart phone to navigate through menus, select media files and play them. There O2 also allows multitasking; you can simultaneously listen to music while using the notepad for example.

8. 10 band EQ. This is simply fantastic, and easily the best EQ I've ever had in a PMP. You can adjust to your hearts content and make your music sound the way it should. I love this feature!

There are some real problems with the O2 however, a few of which are beyond silly in a PMP of this caliber.

1. No support for meta tags. Seriously Cowon, what were your designers smoking when you decided to leave out support for tags? Especially since Cowon has offered support for them in every other PMP they've put on the market! The D2 supports tags (albeit after several rounds of firmware to get it to do it correctly) so why the heck doesn't the O2? Because my media files are all tagged perfectly (download mp3tag if you need a great tag editor) and also organized very logically in files, this doesn't affect me that much, but it could be devastating for someone who keeps their files all in one big mix and relies on meta tag information to keep them sorted.

2. No support for DRM files. While I don't personally own any, this is a bit of a travesty considering how many people have extensive libraries of DRM files.

3. No FM receiver. The D2 has it, and the O2 should as well.

4. Finicky GUI in certain situations. I have larger fingers and find touch screens to be a pain. The O2 is no exception. The size of the some of the menus, and especially those in the audio and video playing area, are small and hard to access.

5. Firmware bugs. Even the most recently released firmware has bugs. Check out the official O2 forum (google search iaudiophile) for details. Since Cowon changes firmware for their players like most people change socks, it would be pointless to point out the current bugs. As time goes by, they will evolve. Fortunately, Cowon also has a history of steadily improving their firmware, so if you have a bug now, chances are it will be fixed in the future.

6. Flap that covers the SDHC card slot and USB access is connected by two flexible plastic bands. I hate when phone makers do this (Razr2) and its even worse on a media player. They always wear out, especially since they have to be used ALL THE TIME when charging the device, and once they break off they are impossible to repair. They should use steel bands (or anything other than plastic!) to make sure these covers don't wear out!

Conclusions:

The number of files supported, over all excellent GUI, sexy design, and high quality audiphile touches like the 10 band EQ make the O2 a great PMP option. Sadly, it isn't perfect, and while firmware updates may improve it, they can't add an FM receiver nor replace the plastic bands that hold on the SDHC card slot cover. If they manage to fix my other complaints and provide support for meta tags, tweak the GUI, and add support for DRM files, the O2 would be unchallengeable as the best PMP on the market. Here's hoping that happens.

Additional thoughts:

I've added a few photos to the Amazon page. One is a size comparison to several other PMPs (Ipod 4th generation, Cowon D2, Iriver Clix), on of the included accessories, and the last a picture of the SDHC and USB port and its cover.Buy Cowon O2 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)!

Transcend T.sonic 650 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Received the product as stated. This is the second transcend voice recorder/MP3 player that I have ordered. No complaints and delivered goods as stated.

Buy Transcend T.sonic 650 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)!

Samsung P2 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Bluetooth 2.0 (Burgundy)

One of the main reasons I purchsed the P2 was the fact that it had Bluetooth and an FM radio built in. My intent was to use this on my motorcycle which doesn't have a built in audio system. THE FM RADIO DOES NOT WORK WITH BLUETOOTH. However, you don't find that out until you've wasted time trying to make it work with a severe lack of printed documentation. After looking at the manual on CD it clearly states that it doesn't work. Samsung what were you thinking? I purchased this unit from Best Buy. They advertise that you receive a 30 day free trial of Rhapsody. What they don't tell you is that at the end of the 30 days all the songs you spent hours downloading become inoperative unless you pay them $15/month. The sound quality, in my opinion, is only fair. My wife has an IPod. We played them both through the car stereo system and the IPod is clearly better sounding. My conclusion is either save your money and get an MP3 player for about half of what this one costs without either or both FM and Bluetoth or spend a little more and get the IPOD.Buy Samsung P2 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Bluetooth 2.0 (Burgundy)!

Transcend T.sonic 630 2 GB MP3 Player (White)

The one feature I bought this mp3 player for is the line-in recording. The mp3 player can record directly from anything with a headphone jack, like a radio, a computer, or a cd player. The thing that really suprised me were the other features that came with it. The features I really enjoy are the FM radio, the mp3 player, and the easy to use file system. I can find any file quickly and easily. The thing is nearly weightless, and I get at least 10 hours our of a recharge if I play at moderate volume.
The only things I would like to see improved is a more selective FM tuner (sometimes stations overlap) and a little less bass in some of the eq settings (there are ways to adjust this, but I'm becoming a bit of a luddite). I would certainly recommend it.Buy Transcend T.sonic 630 2 GB MP3 Player (White)!

Samsung Q1 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (Black)

When I read the reviews on this product I did not pay attention to those who cited the control function as being poor. I thought how hard can it be to press a directional control up or down? It is a beautifully stylish player, however upon trying to use it I exclaimed OMG...you have got to be kidding me!!! No matter hard I tried to precisely press the directional control it just failed to do what it was designed to do. I found that it was completely unusable and had to return it to Amazon. I did not even get a chance to judge it on all the other features that people loved about it.
Maybe next rev for this one!!!Buy Samsung Q1 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (Black)!

Samsung Q1 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (Black)

When I read the reviews on this product I did not pay attention to those who cited the control function as being poor. I thought how hard can it be to press a directional control up or down? It is a beautifully stylish player, however upon trying to use it I exclaimed OMG...you have got to be kidding me!!! No matter hard I tried to precisely press the directional control it just failed to do what it was designed to do. I found that it was completely unusable and had to return it to Amazon. I did not even get a chance to judge it on all the other features that people loved about it.
Maybe next rev for this one!!!Buy Samsung Q1 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (Black)!

Samsung Q1 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (Silver)

When I read the reviews on this product I did not pay attention to those who cited the control function as being poor. I thought how hard can it be to press a directional control up or down? It is a beautifully stylish player, however upon trying to use it I exclaimed OMG...you have got to be kidding me!!! No matter hard I tried to precisely press the directional control it just failed to do what it was designed to do. I found that it was completely unusable and had to return it to Amazon. I did not even get a chance to judge it on all the other features that people loved about it.
Maybe next rev for this one!!!Buy Samsung Q1 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Lighted Touchpad (Silver)!

Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Yellow)

I was always a cannon girl but after my kids destroyed my last two cameras I was looking for something more durable! I have had this camera for a month now and have been nothing but satisified with the picture quality indoors and out! You have to change the settings for indoor lighting to get the best quality but it has many options for that. I also like the high speed shooting option, wonderful for sport shots and two little boys on the run! Buy Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Yellow)!

Transcend T.sonic 630 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)

This is a wonderful digital voice recorder. Four sound recording qualities available. Dedicated line-in for your external microphone or your disc player. Integrated microphone. FM Radio with 20 presets available. Recording from radio available. 4 Gb flash drive memory. Mp3 player with drag & drop feature to move/copy files from your computer (Mac or PC) back and forth. Nothing of this any iPod can do. Highly recommended.Buy Transcend T.sonic 630 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)!

Olympus Stylus 7000 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Silver)

I just started using this camera and like its features. Lightweight, yet 12 MP, very easy setup and operation. the 7x zoom is excellent and the super-macro is amazing. You can take photos from less than an inch. The 3-in viewer is crisp and bright, the controls are well positioned and I was able to start using most features without reading the manual. The in-camera editing is nice and the quality of the images is excellent. The only thing necessary that is not in the box is a memory card. You will need a xD picture card (Olympus, Fuji, Sandisk) or a microSD card that fits into the adapter. Versatile camera, highly recommend it.Buy Olympus Stylus 7000 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Silver)!

Olympus Stylus 7000 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Blue)

I just started using this camera and like its features. Lightweight, yet 12 MP, very easy setup and operation. the 7x zoom is excellent and the super-macro is amazing. You can take photos from less than an inch. The 3-in viewer is crisp and bright, the controls are well positioned and I was able to start using most features without reading the manual. The in-camera editing is nice and the quality of the images is excellent. The only thing necessary that is not in the box is a memory card. You will need a xD picture card (Olympus, Fuji, Sandisk) or a microSD card that fits into the adapter. Versatile camera, highly recommend it.Buy Olympus Stylus 7000 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Blue)!

Transcend T.sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

I am comparing this to a video iPod and the multimedia features of a Blackberry 8820 (which are similar to those in the 8300 series, Curve). For a beginner's video/music player and picture viewer (i.e., mother-in-law), this is a great unit at a great price. The software is ok (no way as good as iTunes, or even Roxio (BB)), the features on the unit are good, and it is enjoyable to use, especially for someone who is not sure they want to use such a player.Buy Transcend T.sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)!

Cisco Linksys 500 GB Media Hub with LCD

What can I say? This product is great for people who want a little more than the standard external hard drive. Here is what I found so far to be excellent:

The Good:
1. Included Software - Set-up choked the first time. I followed the process and tried again - everything worked as planned.

2. Support - The unit comes with a CD-Rom, unfortunately I do not have a CD-Rom drive on my laptop. No problem, hit the linksysbycisco.com website and download the CD image. Good to go!

3. Remote Access - Enabled the remote services. Got to work - started showing off my pictures to a co-worker while listening to my music and then downloaded the picture to their laptop. They asked "Is this picasa?" and I answered "No, this is running at my house." As Darth Vader said "Impressive - Most Impressive..". I will admit that in slide show mode, the way the pictures bounce around the screen is a little annoying. I am sure they will clean this up in a software release.

4. Coolness Factor - Not one person I showed to was not impressed. Granted, the software could use some improvements - this thing is awesome - loving it!

The bad:
A. It appears that after one year you will need to pay $9.99 for remote access. Only reason why this is bad is because it is not explicit when you buy the product.
B. Remote video access pretty much does not work. If you are buying this for this feature look elsewhere.
C. If your music is in the itunes m4a format - no web based play out for you! You will need to launch in quicktime outside of the browser.
D. It is next to impossible to locate a file on the server unless you know where you uploaded it from.

Nice job Linksys/Cisco. Not a game changer yet - but definitely a strong start.

Well Done!Buy Cisco Linksys 500 GB Media Hub with LCD!

Olympus Stylus 7000 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD (Black)

I just started using this camera and like its features. Lightweight, yet 12 MP, very easy setup and operation. the 7x zoom is excellent and the super-macro is amazing. You can take photos from less than an inch. The 3-in viewer is crisp and bright, the controls are well positioned and I was able to start using most features without reading the manual. The in-camera editing is nice and the quality of the images is excellent. The only thing necessary that is not in the box is a memory card. You will need a xD picture card (Olympus, Fuji, Sandisk) or a microSD card that fits into the adapter. Versatile camera, highly recommend it.Buy Olympus Stylus 7000 12MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-inch LCD (Black)!

Latte iVü 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Built-in Camera and FM Transmitter (Black)

I have been a Samsung fan for a long time and I always tend to buy the Samsung products if there is not much of the price difference. But, for the MP3 player, I decided to try the other ones since the price point for the Samsung MP3s are very high.

I gave 5 stars because of the several advanced features on this latte.

-Builtin fm transmitter: The frequency is not pre-set to the certain channel. I can set any free frequency in my car and set it on this mp3. No need spend extra $ to buy an external fm transmitter for this.

-camera: The camera is about the same quality as the cellphone camera but I think it is a good feature for the company to include the camera since this mp3 claims to be the multimedia device.

-Speaker: 2 speakers are very useful. SUpports 3D sound. Demo 3D sound files are actually amazing.

-earphone: nice looking earphone. decent sound quality.

Overall, I like this latte mp3 which has many features already builtin even though some features are not everyday use. Lack of bluetooth capability is a minus for me if I compare with the Samasung mp3s. But I am satisfied with my purchase.Buy Latte iVü 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Built-in Camera and FM Transmitter (Black)!

Samsung P2 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Bluetooth 2.0 (Black)

One of the main reasons I purchsed the P2 was the fact that it had Bluetooth and an FM radio built in. My intent was to use this on my motorcycle which doesn't have a built in audio system. THE FM RADIO DOES NOT WORK WITH BLUETOOTH. However, you don't find that out until you've wasted time trying to make it work with a severe lack of printed documentation. After looking at the manual on CD it clearly states that it doesn't work. Samsung what were you thinking? I purchased this unit from Best Buy. They advertise that you receive a 30 day free trial of Rhapsody. What they don't tell you is that at the end of the 30 days all the songs you spent hours downloading become inoperative unless you pay them $15/month. The sound quality, in my opinion, is only fair. My wife has an IPod. We played them both through the car stereo system and the IPod is clearly better sounding. My conclusion is either save your money and get an MP3 player for about half of what this one costs without either or both FM and Bluetoth or spend a little more and get the IPOD.Buy Samsung P2 16 GB Video MP3 Player with Bluetooth 2.0 (Black)!

Cowon O2 16 GB Video MP3 Player (White)

I've owned this device for about 3 months and I use it daily. It's reliable and very easy to use.

The equalizer settings differ greatly and can be used to enhance everything from music to speech. Unfortunately, there is no EQ support in Video mode.

My favorite features are the "boot resume" and "recent files" options. If you decide to turn off the player, when you turn it on again, you will return to the exact spot you left (boot resume). You can also resume any file (mp3, text, video) where you left off by simply navigating to it in the recent files folder. This is very convenient if you are listening to a podcast and decide to switch to a music, video, or text file and then back again.

The player is also capable of multi-tasking, which I use to listen to music while I read text. I'm finishing my second book in the text format. The screen is backlit, and displays text in a lined page format, which makes reading easier. There are font options - including size, ratio, color, attribute and brightness settings. And of course, it automatically remembers where you left off. I read .txt versions of books from Project Gutenberg and Manybooks.net.

The stylus is very easy to use (I attached it to the device with the elastic cord provided for this purpose) and the screen is very responsive. The stylus also doubles as a 2 position stand, although most of the time I dock the 02 in a small metal picture display stand - a perfect angle for viewing videos.

The 02 will play almost any audio & video format. It has no problems decoding FLAC and AVIs look terrific. There are options for auto aspect ratio, as well as manual overrides for 4:3 and 16:9.

I really appreciate the easy drag and drop and the ability to create my own folders and sub-folders.

The SD card also works flawlessly. Just be sure to access it through the main folders (Music, Videos, Pictures, Documents). The SD card slot and TV out are protected by a hinged door.

I made a leather pouch to carry the device around, with a neck strap that allows me to wear it. Push the power switch up and it locks the device so you don't inadvertently change settings, but you can set the device to allow volume change in the locked position. The only negative here is that the volume control is on the right side and the headphone jack is on the left side. If you want to wear the device in a pouch or in your pocket, you won't be able to access the volume control unless you have the phone jack pointing down (I use headphones, not earbuds, and my cable is too rigid to fit; a more flexible cable may work).

You can also manually set the LCD and system power off. This allows you to pause a file, go do something else and return within a reasonable amount of time without having to reboot.

ID Tags are NOT supported so you must search by folder - not by artist, genre, etc.

I also own an Ipod Touch. Although in certain aspects it is prettier than the 02, I'm often frustrated by how controlling its OS can be. With the 02, I feel I'm in charge of the player, not the other way round. I rarely use the Ipod for music or videos, because I hate that I can only sync with one computer; with the 02 I can drag and drop any file from anyone's computer via USB (unless the file is DRMed, of course).

All in all I am really enjoying the 02.

Buy Cowon O2 16 GB Video MP3 Player (White)!

Cowon O2 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

I use the Cowon O2 as a replacemrnt for a CD changer in our home audio system. I rip CDs in FLAC format and use compression level 4. The connection I use is an analog audio cable. The sound is almost identical to the sound I get when playing a CD on my blu-ray player. Fantatic sound and even with FLAC I can get about 100 CDs on the 32 GB memory card.

My set up begs the question: Why don't audio receiver companies make an audio amplifier with memory built in to play compressed digital music? Maybe next year.Buy Cowon O2 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)!

Cowon O2 8 GB Video MP3 Player (White)

I bought the Cowon O2 because I was looking for something with a good size screen (4.3 " in this case). I previoulsy had a sankey player with a 2" screen.When I got the cowon O2 I was amazed at the quality of the picture at 480 by 272 resolution.It was crisp and clear and when they say 16 million colors, they mean it !!

The features for music was terrific. Cowon has MAch3bass, 3d surround, BBE enhancement and MP3 enhancement and each feature has 10 levels of adjustment. Also there is a 10 band equaliser and for each band there is a 2 level adjustment for frequency and a 3 level adjustment for bandwidth. Putting all this together, this little device really does a whole lot of sound processing and thus it sounds excellent. i was really surprised and absolutely pleased with the sound and not to mention the awesome audio codec support, including lossless formats.

The video is awesome. Cowon supports a whole lot of video codecs. In general if you like encoding your own videos and words like "virtual dub", "subrip", "mkvtoolnix","xvid","dvd decrypter","H264" and "matroska" sound familiar to you, then the O2 will meet your needs happily.
I played matroska and avi files with no problems.The O2 will not allow you to access subtitles or chapters embedded in the mkv container,but it will play the movie. However if you have the subtitle ( in srt format) saved in the same directory as the movie and with the same name, The subtitle is loaded with the movie and you can adjust the size, position and color.I find this to be a very good compromise.If you have multiple audio tracks (up to 8 tracks ) embedded in the mkv, ogm or avi container, the O2 recognises it and allows you to choose which to play.

The O2 has decent battery for a 4.3" lcd device. It is about 6 to 8 hours when watching videos. The touchscreen interface is very cool. My suggestion is to dabble with it a little so you can get a feel for it.

Overall the O2 is great especially if you're a video buff. I haven't checked all the music features, but if you like good quality music, then I do think that the O2 and (I guess) other Cowon products do a whole lot more audio processing than other portable audio products out there. The sound is amazing.You will not be disappointed.Buy Cowon O2 8 GB Video MP3 Player (White)!

Cowon O2 32 GB Video MP3 Player (White)

Pros: Great screen, Sensitive touch controls, audio quality, tons of file support, SDHC slot, battery life, 10-band EQ, expandable extras

Cons: No EQ during video playback, gaps between audio tracks long, no playlist support, interface navigation slow, audio output less than previous Cowon players.

When the Cowon O2 was released, I was saving my pennies to pick up perhaps the answer to all my portable needs - a large screen for video viewing, excellent sound quality, and a SDHC slot. Granted, it does everything that it was advertised to do (minus poor MKV support, but I can live with that since the majority of my video files are XviD), but its the minor annoyances that prevent this player from being the ultimate PMP.

First the positives: The screen is excellent, although not as sharp as some would want (480x272 resolution), but for video viewing, it is more than acceptable. The touch screen is very nice and sensitive. Audio quality is standard Cowon stuff, you get the BBE, Mach3Bass, and 3D enhancements, along with the crystal clear reproduction that you would expect from them. The SD slot is a must-have for me, as I have tons of stuff archived on SD cards that I can just carry along with me, rather than move stuff around if I wanted something new. The 10-band EQ is excellent, as you can precisely tailor the audio output to your tastes. Battery life is rated at 8H Video / 18H Audio. My personal real-life performance shows that it's pretty close to that, provided you bump the brightness of the screen down and set the screen to shut off as fast as possible when playing audio.

The negatives: The interface is extremely slow and unresponsive at times, especially when browsing through your files. Sometimes the screen will register a touch, but the actual command is not recognized, sometimes needing a second touch. The interface reminds me of Windows Mobile, with X buttons, scroll bars, and non-finger-friendly lists. The included stylus is fat and not exactly helpful when trying to press some of those small buttons on the screen. The audio output is noticeably lower on this player than previous Cowon offerings, for video output (especially with no EQ settings for video) the volume has to be maxed out, there are no exceptions to this rule, and its STILL not loud enough for some situations. My audio volume is 35-38 (out of 50) and anything under 25 is not very audible. The lack of playlist support is not a big deal-breaker for me as I have all my audio sorted perfectly in folders, but for others, it could prove to be quite annoying. There is a "favorites" list that you can add tracks to, but it shares that list with video files as well, which negates any benefit you may have or want for playlist support.

My complaints regarding this player seem like they can be remedied with a firmware upgrade, and if Cowon gets around to fixing these issues, this could very well be the perfect PMP... however, until they do, these small nagging issues prevent it from being exactly what I was looking for. Buy Cowon O2 32 GB Video MP3 Player (White)!

Cisco Linksys 1 TB Media Hub with LCD

I really like this NAS. It was very easy to setup and very easy to use. The web based media player is a great feature which easily let me queue up music from any web browser in my house. The remote access feature just simply rocks! I live in California and during a recent trip to the East coast I was able to easily login and stream music across the country without any buffer delays (my friends back East didn't believe I was streaming music from my NAS in my house back in California). I bought a second 1TB WD green technology drive and was able to easily use the configuration page to configure raid for data protection. This is by far the best NAS I've ever purchased and used!Buy Cisco Linksys 1 TB Media Hub with LCD!

Transcend T.sonic 850 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

Transcend has really done a nice job in creating a small mp3 player with a good amount of both memory and features. The things I like and dislike about the 850 are all really just preferences, as there are no real "problems" with it at all. Transcend might not be a well-known brand, but I highly recommend the T.sonic 850.

Pros:
1)Price. You can't beat this amount of quality/features for this price.
2)Battery. Has a good battery life, but even better is that it will fit my cell charger (Motorola Razr)!
3)Solid build. It's very light, durable, and even comes with a protective sheath. It's also small enough to not take up your whole pocket but big enough to get a comfortable grip on it. All the buttons feel sturdy and well made.
4)Features. It's got music, video, radio, voice recording, photos, and a text reader. The music has very good highs and mids. I don't have great headphones yet so I'm not sure how the base is. It does have customizable EQ though. The video is OK, but if you want something this size you really can't be too concerned about video. The radio gets decent reception and has plenty of presets. The voice recorder seems good though I haven't really tried it out. The picture viewer works fine and has zoom. The text reader only reads .txt files and wraps words to fit them on the screen, but it's still a great feature that many players like this don't have. It reads in 3 font sizes.
5)Easy to use. It only takes a few trys to learn the buttons, which all have sensible functions.
6)Interface. Some people might be turned off by its simplicity but I like it. Parts of it are purposefully retro (I think).

Cons:
1)Earphones. They're passable in sound quality but aren't comfortable at all.
2)Can't listen to music while reading text.
3)Can't customize the interface.
4)Doesn't show album art.
Buy Transcend T.sonic 850 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)!

Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (White)

I was always a cannon girl but after my kids destroyed my last two cameras I was looking for something more durable! I have had this camera for a month now and have been nothing but satisified with the picture quality indoors and out! You have to change the settings for indoor lighting to get the best quality but it has many options for that. I also like the high speed shooting option, wonderful for sport shots and two little boys on the run! Buy Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (White)!

Kensington Slimblade Trackball Expert Mouse USB 2.0 for PC and Mac, K72327US

The Slimblade Trackball is really a missed opportunity for Kensington. This device has so much potential but the software limitations make this device just barely usable.

The two major components of the Slimblade Trackball are the hardware design and the software affordances. Let's start with the good.

THE HARDWARE

In order to understand what is amazing about the Kensington Slimblade Trackball, one should be aware of the last redesign of the Expert Mouse. That design is quite horrendous. The steep angle of the plastic housing strained the wrist tendons so badly that the device shipped with a faux leather pad that attached to the trackball to elevate the wrist. Besides being ugly, the pad kludge didn't work very well. Strained wrists are a common symptom among users of the Expert Mouse Trackball.

The Slimblade Trackball rectifies this situation. Big Time.

The low profile of the trackball housing is not only aesthetically pleasing, it also allows users to interact with the device with the hand and wrist only moderately angled. The ball rolls smoothly (though it is an ugly color) and the buttons are very sleek as they are cut out of the housing. Clicks are unfortunately hollow-sounding, but the tactile response is superb, the buttons requiring a firm but shallow press for activation. The new device is a pleasure to handle physically.

The engineering of the trackball well is clever. Plastic bearings similar to those in the Expert Mouse Trackball keep the ball gliding smoothly, with the difference that these bearings are sealed in their sockets with only a portion of the bearing visible. The holes which contain the electronics that register ball movement do not appear to emit light. When the ball is rotated around its Y-axis (running through the top and bottom of the device), the electronics make an audible clicking noise. Think iPod scrollwheel sound. The faint sound could be a problem in quiet office environments, especially for users who do quite a bit of scrolling or zooming.

In all, the hardware of the device is excellent. The thought and care which went into the engineering shows, and if look and feel were all that mattered, Kensington would have produced a pointing device worthy of admiration and celebration.

Unfortunately for Kensington, there's also the bad and the ugly. Namely . . .

THE SOFTWARE

(I'm testing the Slimblade Trackball software on a PowerMac G5 2 x 2.5 GHz running Mac OS X v. 10.5.6. Windows users may have an experience different than mine.)

First off, I want to say that the software seems also to have received quite a bit of attention from the designers at Kensington. Unfortunately, what those designers produced seems to be the victim of poor market analysis.

Some Slimblade Trackball users have forgiven Kensington for omitting the ability to program the buttons. I am not one of these users. The inability to reprogram the buttons is arrogance at its worst. When Steve Jobs and Jon Ives give users an extra-strength dose of designerly arrogance, they often succeed in curing ailments users didn't even realize they had (hockey puck mouse excepted). I'm here to assure you that the software designers at Kensington are neither Steve Jobs nor Jon Ives.

At all.

First, the drivers for the Slimblade Trackball do not have any user-accessible interface. Period. OK, that's not entirely true. The installer places a pointer-shaped item in the menubar. Clicking on that item reveals two items. 1) A dimmed line reporting that the Kensington Slimblade Trackball is active, and 2) a link to Kensington's online tutorial. As we all know (as of 5 March 2009), that online tutorial is not yet available. So, the link sends users to the promotional microsite for the Slimblade Trackball as if advertising will convince them that nothing's wrong. I suppose one can navigate one's way to the sparse FAQ which contains 8 items as of this writing.

If you can't read the sign that says Things are Not Good(tm) then look over yonder. Yup. That's the milestone for Here Comes Ugly(tm)

UGLY LIKE KENSINGTON'S MAMA

Users not only cannot program the device's buttons, but they also cannot customize the speed and acceleration of the device outside of the operating system software provided by Apple or a piece of third-party software.* This is a problem of gargantuan proportions.

I have a 23" Cinema Display and a 17" Studio Display hooked together in a single extended desktop. I need my pointing device tracking to be set high. Setting the mouse tracking to high is possible with Apple's "Keyboard & Mouse" System Preference. The problem comes when moving the device slowly, as one might do when selecting text. The differences in slow and fast cursor tracking in Apple's Keyboard & Mouse System Preference settings render the Slimblade trackball practically unusable on medium-to-large desktops.

By removing the ability of users to customize slow and fast tracking speed--something that the Expert Mouse Trackball software does provide--Kensington has effectively turned what should have been a magnificent product into something only a mother could love, or at least a committee of marketroids who got their way over the tearful objections of old-skool Kensington software devs. Don't worry devs, having bought this device I feel your pain and then some.

At present, Kensington has no plans to offer programmable buttons for this device. One can only hope future software releases will enable users to customize the acceleration settings for the Slimblade Trackball just as users of the Expert Mouse Trackball are able to customize their settings.

CONCLUSION

The hardware engineers at Kensington deserve raises and your first-born. This is a beautiful device.

The managers of the software design team should have their computers confiscated and be forced into a pit full of snakes. Barefoot. They should also have all their hair shorn. From around their belly buttons and other really awful things like getting raisins for dessert.

The Kensington Slimblade Trackball is like a gorgeous date who has a nothing personality. You don't mind a night or two but you know something better will come some day.

* My limited testing of USB Overdrive as a third-party driver has been unable to access the media buttons at all, suggesting to me that the Slimblade Trackball are not normal mouse buttons.Buy Kensington Slimblade Trackball Expert Mouse USB 2.0 for PC and Mac, K72327US!

Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

I sold my nuvi 750 to purchase the nuvi 855.
Garmin changed the on/off switch from something you could use to something you have to fumble to turn on and off.
I didn't think they would dump the SD memory card, so I didn't give it a thought when I bought the 855.
Garmin switched to a Micro SD memory.
The volume on the 855 is lower than the nuvi 750, even on max.
Garmin told me that the nuvi 855 included life time maps. NOT TRUE. You have to pay another $119.00.
I think Tom Tom would have been a better choice.
Good luck.
Buy Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator!

Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Blue)

I was always a cannon girl but after my kids destroyed my last two cameras I was looking for something more durable! I have had this camera for a month now and have been nothing but satisified with the picture quality indoors and out! You have to change the settings for indoor lighting to get the best quality but it has many options for that. I also like the high speed shooting option, wonderful for sport shots and two little boys on the run! Buy Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Blue)!

Transcend T.sonic 840 2 GB Video MP3 Player (White)

The T.sonic (the 8GB, black version) is my 12 yr. old's first MP3 player and, so far, he is happy with it. I would say that this little player is worth about what I paid for at one of Amazon's one-hour specials.

I will first summarize what I got for my money and then I will have some closing thoughts where I will explain my rating.

- The contents -
The little box includes the player itself with a rechargeable battery (up to 22 hours of music playback or radio play on a full charge claimed) inside, a protective silicone skin, neck lanyard, a multi-lingual manual with the English section being 6 or 7 very small pages, the headphones, a USB cable and a mini disk that has an extended version of the manual plus a video file conversion utility, a slide show maker and some utility that is supposed to password-protect files that one would save on the device.

There is NO charger. The expectation is that the person who owns the player will use a computer to charge it through the USB cable. For those of us who don't carry a charged laptop next to their MP3 player, I found that a Blackberry charger works. I suspect that other independent USB chargers work as well.

- Design, ergonomics -
The player itself is not too bad looking. The screen is small but bright.
The interface is basic and anything that's a bit more 'complex', such as organizing a playlist can be difficult to execute.

- Features -
Computer interface:
Any file can be loaded off a computer by simply connecting via the USB port, at which time the player becomes a 'removable drive'. .mp3, .wma, .jpg, .txt and other file types can be simply dropped into the 'drive' and they will be played or displayed as appropriate. Given that the device looks like a drive to the computer, one can create folders to better organize content.

Music player:
Play is adequate but accessing your favorite song once you have hundreds is a different matter. I am repeating myself but the fact is that the interface and ease of use leave a lot of room for improvement.

Photo display:
Pictures are displayed off a separate menu and, like the songs, can be difficult to organize. It can take 5 to 10 seconds to display a 4MB file. I have little doubt that, had I reduced the size/resolution of my photos, they would have been displayed a lot quicker but I didn't feel that the user was 'expected' to convert dozens or hundreds of picture files prior to loading them on the player.

Voice recording:
It works and the 'voice activated' trigger is useful. If one takes the time to meaningfully rename the voice files, they could become meaningful records.

Radio playing:
20 FM stations can be preset on 20 'channels' and one can listen to a preset channel or seek a station not yet saved. The controls are a bit awkward but this is becoming a 'constant' observation already. An interesting feature is its ability to automatically scan the spectrum and assign stations to each of the 20 channels. It's a nice idea but, in my case, the same stations were assigned to 3 or 4 channels and some of the stations 'found' were nothing but static hiss.

Video:
I did not test it yet and it's not something that we are going to use. My son wanted a 'music player'. To play videos we have big screen TV's and laptops that do a much better job. I will enter my impressions here, once I have a chance to test it.

E-book:
Yes, it opens text files but one must be irresponsible to attempt actually reading a book on a postage-stamp size screen. We only have one pair of eyes and they don't get any better.

Clock:
Apparently, this model was not meant to be sold in the US. When setting the clock, you will find that the 'Pacific' time zone is labeled 'United States' and 'Eastern' seems to be called 'Venezuela'. Daylight savings time is available as an option to check but, who knows when that kicks in, since my time zone is 'Venezuela' now.

File storage:
I suppose this is a possibility but, with 8Gb thumb drives available for about $10, it would be a waste of MP3 player to actually attempt to use it as a file storage device.

- Performance, quality -
The player is overall slow. It is slow to respond to commands, slow to display large files, slow to turn itself on or off.

The quality of sound is acceptable and the basic (as in cheap) ear buds could be easily replaced with something better.


To conclude, this is something that my first born is likely to use for a while until he manages to impress me (good grades or some new belt color in Taekwando) into getting him something better. It's also a good way for him to get used with the concept of an MP3/gadget.

This model's several shortcomings would normally earn it a 2-star but the not-so-high price pulls it up into the 3-star territory. I view it as a 'disposable' gadget and, as such, it can be considered a 'good buy'.

To be fair, my little guy would give this 5 stars without hesitation. He is very happy with what he got and, if he's happy, I'm not unhappy either :).Buy Transcend T.sonic 840 2 GB Video MP3 Player (White)!

Sony Webbie HD Camera

This camera was just too small for me to handle properly especially the zoom. Also was very difficult to transfer movies to computer.Buy Sony Webbie HD Camera!

Olympus Stylus 8000 12MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Silver)

Ok, I just got my new Olympus Stylus 8000. I already have the Stylus 770SW which I always have with me, rain or shine, and it works great. But, I thought it was time for an "upgrade" so, I now have the Stylus 8000. I have "no" "regrets". It is definitely a step up. The LCD is "brighter" and the "color logic" is better than ever. It makes "panoramas" right in the camera, and does a pretty good job if you do what you're supposed to do as you "pan". No, not just a "pretty good" job, an "excellent" job.
One of the new features of this model is something called "Tap Control". When I read the specs on that before I got the camera, I said, "I Don't Need No Stinkin'"Tap" Control"! Why would I want to "hit" my camera in order to make it do things? Boy, was I "Wrong". I love the "Tap Control". It's great. It's just that, a "tap". But, a "definite" tap. It doesn't just start changing settings for no reason, you have to "tap" it. The things that you used to have to "toggle" back and forth to access, you now just "tap" the camera sides or top or back. You know, the things you change on a regular basis like "flash" settings, "macro" settings, "picture review", all those can be controlled with "taps". If you don't want to "tap", you can turn that option off. However, I'll bet, once you start using "tap control" you will never go back to the "toggle". The "tap" is too easy, and too accurate. No more "fumbling" with the toggle. The overall feel of the Camera is just fine, and, as I'm sure you already know, it's "bullet proof". I have dropped my 770 on "concrete" from "eye height" and I had to "hunt" to find the "micro scratch" on it's corner. Water is a "non-issue".
When I told my cats that I was getting another camera, they said "Jerry", "You already have like "five" cameras. Why do you need another one"? I told them, "It's an "upgrade". "Besides, the next time the "dog pack" comes through, I will have this camera ready to "document" the "fear" in your eyes". They said, "Jerry, We ain't afraid of no stinkin' "dog pack". "Now, fill up our food bowls".
Cats, they don't worry about anything.
Yes, the Olympus Stylus 8000 with "Tap Control". You'll love it. Buy Olympus Stylus 8000 12MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Silver)!

Sony Webbie HD Camera

This camera was just too small for me to handle properly especially the zoom. Also was very difficult to transfer movies to computer.Buy Sony Webbie HD Camera!