Sunday 31 July 2011

Tablet - ebook reader, tablet


Having spent some serious time with Apple's iPad since its release, it's easy to see how the device can stir up so much excitement and so much disappointment from all different angles with much less middle-ground. People tend to either love it or hate it. I hope I can shed some light on the details of real-world iPad usage, not just blind claims like several non-iPad users seem to be screaming. I'll detail all the benefits and the caveats of owning the device I've found so far, with hopes that you'll get a clear picture of whether or not the iPad really is for you.



For those interested, I've also compiled two iPad listmania lists:



Must-Have iPad Accessories:

http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1M3AJDBR2BCA7?tag=1pad-20&ie=UTF8



iPad vs. Other Tablets:

http://www.amazon.com/lm/R3QLZ307253XU6?tag=1pad-20&ie=UTF8





===== Background and Initial Reaction =====



I'm a mobile app developer who's created apps and games for the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. Leading up to the announcement of the iPad, several rumors surfaced about Apple's new tablet device within iPhone development circles. The big rumor was that it would likely be based on the iPhone OS (the operating system built for the iPhone/iPod Touch). I had a lot of mixed feelings about that though. Part of me wanted the iPad to be able to run standard Mac apps (which the iPhone OS simply cannot do), while the other part of me saw the potential for app developers to take full advantage of the iPad's bigger screen and multi-touch interface on a whole new level, as iPhone/iPad apps generally aren't available for the Mac or PC specifically. What this meant for future iPad users was the potential to do more with the iPad than you would be able to do with an ordinary Mac or PC, though there would be some compromise therein until Apple or other developers could create an app that would fill any gaps in functionality.



When announced, I was fairly critical about how similar the iPad was to the iPod Touch. Indeed it does seem like an oversized iPod Touch, especially with the overly huge icons (and excessive spacing between them) on the home screen. Only 4 additional apps per-screen are permitted on the iPad (24 total) than the iPod Touch (20 total). But while iPad isn't without flaw, nor is it a complete laptop or desktop replacement by any means, it's still certainly more than just a glorified iPod Touch. After spending some time with it, the differences quickly become evident.



Neither is it a "Kindle killer" though it is certainly a great e-reader that will have a lasting effect on the future of digital books and publications. Moreover, there is a definite potential for the device to be useful beyond everything it is currently being touted as by Apple. Consider what the iPhone can do now compared to its first version with nothing but Apple's standard iPhone apps (before the app store was created).





===== First Impression =====



Taking the iPad out of the box for the first time, you'll come to realize just how touch-worthy the device really is. The slick screen reflects your glossy-eyed likeness as you gaze upon it and inhale in that one-of-a-kind scent synonymous with brand-new electronic gadgetry. Wrapping your hand around your new baby to embrace it for the first time, you find new meaning to the term "baby" because the back feels smooth like a baby's butt. And there's no doubt that this is exactly how Apple wants you to feel when unboxing the iPad for the first time.



Right away, you'll probably notice that it's heavier than you might expect for such a slim device. For a real-world reference, the weight is comparable to that of two 200-page magazines (or 400 pages). Why so heavy? This thing's got two massive batteries which give it that touted 10 full-hours of life with wifi, though I got eight full hours out of constant Netflix streaming. Either way though, such a great battery life is something the iPhone/iPod Touch can't, uh... touch! Another contributor is Apple's signature glass touch-screen. However, the glass screen is phenominal at preventing scratches and ensures the display will always be crystal clear... at least until you lay your greasy mitts all over it.



Smudging of finger oils is an issue with just about any touch screen device, but the iPad is special. It has an "oleophobic" coating that should repel the greasy smears, streaks and fingerprints. After using it a majority of the first day, it became evident that the coating doesn't work 100%. It resisted much better than the iPod Touch, which has no such coating, but you can expect there will still be some traces of oil residue from the skin contacting the screen. Washing your hands frequently helps reduce this, but you'll really only notice it if you try to notice it (by either reflecting light off the screen, or turning the screen off). So ultimately your experience interacting with the iPad will hardly be affected by such smearing--there won't be any blurriness or ill effects. However, do note that oleophobic coatings usually start deteriorating after a few months, so expect it to degrade over time, and eventually wear off completely, resulting in more pronounced smearing.



One of my bigger grievances with the iPad is the utter waste of screen real-estate. I'm specifically talking about the excessive 1" black margin around the sides. What is the deal with that? Surely Apple could have thinned that out and either made the actual screen slightly bigger, or made the iPad itself slightly smaller. It really disheartens me for Apple to have squandered such valuable space on rubbish like that. The margin should have been the size of the margin used for the 13" or 15" MacBook Pro or the iPhone/iPod Touch--about half an inch.



While on the subject of wasted space, I'm also equally disappointed with the excessive spacing (padding) between the app icons on the home screen. Just like the much-smaller iPod Touch, you can only have four apps per row (i.e. four columns) when in portrait mode (orientation in the upright position), though an additional row has been added. On the other hand, flipping the iPad to landscape mode (on its side) enables you to have one additional column of apps, though you lose the additional row that you get with the iPad's orientation set to portrait mode. Meanwhile, the iPhone/iPod Touch cannot show apps in any orientation other than portrait/upright.



Either way, in both iPad orentations, it seems like Apple could have fit an additional column of app icons between each other, though five or six columns in portait mode (and six or seven columns in lamdscape mode) would satisfy my preferences. In any case, at least the iPhone OS 4.0 update (scheduled for the iPad this fall) will bring "folders" to the iPad, a feature that allows you to better-organize apps on the home screen by grouping them into a single icon whose app collection is revealed in a popup region.





===== So What Can This Thing Do? =====



When Apple first announced the iPad they didn't tout it so much as an ebook reader as they did a "netbook killer" (due to its ability to surf the web, check e-mail, watch videos, listen to music, and do a lot of the simpler tasks that netbooks were originally designed to do. Thus Apple had put less weight on the iPad as an e-reader in their announcement, which is still very apparent now that the iPad has been released.



Despite the fact that it has begun to spark a revolution in the publication and delivery of full-color magazines and news, in addition to its support for reading e-books, Apple has taken a low-lying strategy with their iPad as an e-reader or "Kindle killer" as some iPad users have touted. When you go to Apple's website, and browse the guided tours that Apple has made for the iPad, you'll see that the guided tour for Apple's e-book reader app "iBooks" is near the bottom of the list. (Just below it is Apple's guided tour for its iPad productivity suite "iWork" which lets you edit Microsoft office documents such as Word files, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations). What they don't exactly tell you outright is that iBooks (or iWork) is not included on the iPad out-of-the-box. They're extra applications that you have to download from Apple's iPad app store.



Having not bundled the iBooks app with the iPad, Apple seems to be positioning the iPad as more than just an e-book reader. Despite the fact that you have to download iBooks, the app itself is indeed free, though the books themselves aren't (of course). As a courtesy though, and as a sort of demonstration, Apple decided to throw in a Winnie the Pooh book for free. What a nice gesture, Apple!



On the other hand, to use the iPad for editing office documents, you'll need to download Apple's productivity suite iWork, a trilogy of apps which consists of: Pages, for word processing; Each of the three apps can be downloaded separately for $9.99 each. Completely reworked for the iPad, the complete iWork suite will set you back a whole thirty bucks. So be aware of that before you go ahead and grab the iPad for use with work-related document editing, and so forth.



Also note that if you do intend to use the iPad for heavy writing or word-processing purposes, you'll find that your ability to type quickly will be greatly inhibited by the virtual keyboard. Thus, you should snag the external keyboard as well (Note: I'll also explain some typing techniques below). Either way, be prepared to pay more than merely the price for the iPad alone. There's clearly more than meets the eye if you intend to transform the iPad into something a little more productive than it might be for you out of the box.





===== Interaction Experience =====



The iPad is fast and responsive, and touch interface is phenomenal on the same level that all of Apple's other touch-screen devices have been to date. With the iPad, Apple brings a whole new meaning to the term "multi-touch". The iPad touch-screen supports up to ten simultaneous touches, assuming there is ever a need for that, and given that the developer of whatever app needs that many touches has integrated support for that many touches. For example, the most common app supporting ten simultaneous touches is the piano app.



Being touted more as a Web browser and email device than an e-book reader, plus with the added potential that you'll be using the iPad to edit office documents, typing on the device can quickly become a concern. First off, realize that the iPad is not a laptop in the sense that you aren't going to be typing at a speed that I would consider fast enough to be conducive for heavy usage like writing a book, posting articles on blogs or typing lengthy emails. With that in mind, there are a couple approaches you can try to determine what' typing method is right for you. The ideal method might also change depending on where you are and how the iPad is oriented when using it.



Typing Method #1:

The most common and most flexible approach is to type with your thumbs, which can be done whether sitting or standing. To do this effectively, the iPad should ideally be in portrait mode--I'll explain why in a bit. Grasp the bottom of your iPad with your palms facing each other, and your pinky fingers towards you for the iPad to rest on. To stabilize the iPad and prevent it from flopping over and falling out of your hands, stretch both of your index fingers upwards towards the top of the iPad as much as is comfortable. Proceed with using your thumbs hunt and peck the keys on the virtual keyboard to your heart's content.



This typing method works best with the iPad in portrait orientation (tall/upright position). It can also be used like this in landscape orientation (wide/sideways position), though I find it much harder to reach the central keyboard keys with my thumbs without the edge of the iPad interfering (constantly hitting the web of skin between the thumb and index finger).



Typing Method #2:

I've found this next method to be even more useful, though it requires you to be is best used while seated, with the iPad in resting in your lap, or on something soft, preferably with the iPad in landscape mode. With the iPad situated securely on your legs, you'll find it becomes easier to type with your full range of digits (fingers), like you would on a full sized physical keyboard.



I found it slightly awkward, though, to hit the spacebar frequently with the side of my thumbs as you typically would on a physical keyboard. Still, whether you use your thumbs for the spacebar, or decide to use your fingers instead, you'll still find yourself typing slightly faster than with the thumbs-only hunt-and-peck method.



Also, this typing method doesn't work well with the iPad resting any anything hard and flat like a desk or table, as the rounded backside of the iPad causes it to wobble uncontrollably while trying to type. However, if placement on a hard surface is a must, you might try putting something soft under the iPad to stabilize it.



Other methods of typing on the iPad include the aforementioned external keyboard, as well as speech-to-text transcription apps. The latter includes the Dragon Notes app from Nuance, but I've found its quality in transcription to be laughable at best.





===== Web Browsing =====



Alongside email, and spending money in the app store, Web browsing is one of Apple's biggest suggestions for using the device. The iPad was born to surf the Web, and its screen resolution of 1024x768 tends to concur, especially in landscape mode. Most websites are around 800-1000 pixels wide, so when the iPad is in landscape orientation, Apple's Safari Web browser will render any sites that are less than 1024 pixels wide at their intended original size, meaning you see them at their true size, rather than seeing a smaller, more compressed version of the site.



In general though, I tend to prefer browsing the Web in portrait mode, since web pages are almost always taller than they are wide. Still, even in portrait mode, the iPad allows you to see more content at a decent size, Of course, even in portrait orientation, the compressed pages rendered are still easily readable without squinting your eyes, which isn't often the case for Web browsing on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Plus, you can always zoom into any section by double tapping any region of the active page. Even zoomed-in regions are displayed with crisp clarity, and working within the Safari browser interface is swift and responsive.



However, not all your sites will work desirably on the iPad. Apple is closed-mindedly refusing to support Adobe Flash on the iPad (as it has with the iPhone/iPod Touch). Regardless of whether you like it or not, Flash is being used around the Web, not only for advertising and video but for many other uses from graphs to product comparisons. The same lack of support is true of Java, AIR, Silverlight and others. So expect some of your sites to only be supported to a certain degree, if not entirely in rare cases. This can be a bit of a bummer until Flash starts being replaced with other technologies like HTML5's canvas technology, which is poised to take on some of Flash's most familiar capabilities.





===== Email =====

Email on the iPad's Mail app is best viewed in landscape mode, as it allows you to see both your list of messages on the left as well as the selected message itself on the right. It also makes managing emails easier, such as moving messages to other folders (or to the trash). Another reason for landscape mode is to make typing those lengthy emails easier (using typing-method #2 mentioned above).



You can have multiple email accounts, including Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange and other custom POP3 and IMAP accounts.



Overall, The Mail app is fairly simple to use. It's easy and quick to read and answer your emails, but in general it's not very powerful. For example, there is currently no support for a unified inbox, but support for that will be added in the fall with the iPhone OS 4.0 update.



Important Note: With the growing number of portable web connecting devices, there is one concern I want to express on your behalf. When you close the Mail app, it continues running in the background, even after disconnecting from one WiFi hotspot and reconnecting to another. My concern with this is that if haven't set up your e-mail with a secure connection, and you connect to a public WiFi hotspot that a malicious user is monitoring, then the instant your mail app connects to the hotspot to check your e-mail, your e-mail credentials may be suddenly compromised. To avoid this you definitely want to be using some kind of secure connection for your e-mail if at all possible. Web-based email such as Gmail typically support this out of the box, and Gmail accounts are the easiest to setup on the iPad.





===== Media =====



If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, it's comforting to know that you audio/video experience will be similar on the iPad. You can watch videos via the YouTube app, which has been updated for the iPad to show YouTube HD videos beautifully. While the 1024x768 resolution of the iPad is a standard 4:3 ratio, not a widescreen 16:9 ratio, the HD videos as well as other video (including downloads from the iTunes store) display just fine.



The Netflix app was also a pleasant and much-welcome surprise, as I'd been waiting over a year for Netflix to put out an app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. While it isn't that, it is indeed just as good. Netflix videos stream quickly and even moving the play position back and forth in the timeline, the movie starts playing very quick without much time rebuffering the video.





===== Photos =====



Two words: No camera!



But thinking seriously about this, would you really want to take pictures/video with this device? You might look kind of awkward. I can't say that I've felt the urge to whoop out my iPad and shoot a photo yet. On the other hand though, logically speaking, Apple should have put the camera up front (as a webcam) instead of on the back, to make the iPad more versatile as a video-chat device for use with apps such as Skype. Ultimately, though, I think Apple couldn't make a decision on exactly where to put a camera. Even on the front, they would have to put it either at the top (optimized for portrait mode) or on the side (optimized for landscape mode). I'll admit, such a decision would be tough, which might explain why Apple decided to nix it all together.



Of course, that left an open market for iPad apps that could help bridge the gap. Now, there are a couple apps that allow you to pair your iPhone to your iPad, take pictures with the iPhone, and then subsequently send them to your iPad. First, download an application called "Camera A" on your iPad. Then on your iPhone and grab the "Camera B" app. One of the apps will be free, the other is 99 cents, but for that 99 cents you will get the ability to take pictures with your iPhone and save them directly to your iPad through the Bluetooth connection.





===== E-Reading =====



Whether it's books, magazines or news, the iPad isn't just making history, it's making an impact on the future of media reading on a whole new level. Apple has been under-emphasizing the e-book and e-publication reading capabilities of the iPad to date, but I feel it's one of the iPad's greatest strengths, regardless of how heavy it is. Fact is, the iPad is still a game-changer. After all, it's lighter than 98% of other laptops with the same sized screen. It is becoming crystal-clear just what the iPad means for the publication industry. This goes far beyond simply reading e-books. Magazine and newspaper publishers have been jumping onboard the iPad bandwagon by creating their own custom apps that take their publications to a whole new level, but interactively and financially.



My experiences interacting with some of these new digital representations of magazines and newspapers have been a breath of fresh air. Being able to read them on a screen simply isn't enough. The ability to still touch them, combined with a rich interactivity on a level that can't be matched by their printed counterparts has really given new life to what I feared was becomming a dying trade. Of course, another big perk for me has been the ability to save space because now I can keep all my magazines around without ever taking up more than the size of a single magazine (since the iPad is comparable in size to a single magazine).



As far as e-books go, you're not losing out by passing up on the Kindle, because you have full access to Kindle books on the iPad via Amazon's Kindle app. That's not to say that the iPad is a Kindle killer by any means, as the two devices are distinctly different, and both offer a very unique experience. If you read a lot of novels, or prefer to read outdoors, and you don't mind reading in shades of gray rather than in full-color, then the Kindle was indeed made for you, as the Kindle is lighter and the display is easier to read in the sunlight. However, that doesn't mean the iPad would serve no purpose to you, even as an e-reader, because it can read Magazines, News and even the Web on a level that cannot be matched by the Kindle (at least not yet). Besides, no one said your choice was limited to one device or the other. Get them both, if it tickles your fancy!



All physical aspects aside, the iPad is definitely a great e-reader, just on a whole new level. Those touting that the iPad is just a glorified iPod Touch, however, probably don't realize this important distinction: the apps being put out by publishers are iPad specific and cannot be used on the iPod Touch nor on the iPhone.





===== Gaming =====



If you're like me, you probably don't have time for games. Ultimately, I still se the iPad as a productivity device more than as a gaming console. Regardless, it may still be high-time to let the kid within you roam free from time to time, as I do. Alas, it may just be time to



Without a doubt, millions of people use their computers for gaming, and with the iPhone and iPod Touch having taken on a clear role as a gaming console that has been as revolutionary for mobile gaming as the Wii was for living-room gaming, it goes without saying that the iPad is, and will continue to be, a decent platform for playing games.



I see board games and lap-friendly games being the most popular on the iPad. Meanwhile, I suspect that games heavily dependent on rotation and other accelerometer-based interaction may quickly wear you out do to the weight of the iPad. I got tired of playing EA's Need For Speed: Shift after about 5 minutes. Resting the iPad on my knee didn't help much.





===== Productivity =====



Productivity carries numerous definitions. Usually its "getting something done" though some people tend to believe that it's the ability to focus without being distracted, which I see as one of the iPad's strengths considering it currently does not support multitasking (yet). In the context of software though, applications that allow you to edit office documents are commonly referred to as productivity software. Apple's own suite of productivity apps, collectively called "iWork", has been re-created from the ground up just for the iPad. (Previously it was only available for Macs.) For work-minded individuals, it will probably one of the most popular uses of the iPad. There are three apps in all: Pages is a word processing app that allows you to create and edit word processing documents. Then there's Numbers, which allows you to create and edit spreadsheets. Finally there's Keynote, which lets you create or edit presentations and slideshows (including PowerPoint files). So far, I've found the latter to be pretty invaluable in giving personal presentations within small groups or one-on-one meetings.



However, there is a whole category of iPhone and iPad-specific apps dedicated to productivity, and are consequently located under the category titled "productivity" in the categories section of the app store. Remember, any app that works for the iPhone will run on the iPad, but do note that there are some exceptional productivity apps made or updated for the iPad specifically. Some notable iPad-specific productivity apps include Bento (personal organization/information management), Things (project management), iTeleport (remote desktop/VNC), Layers (drawing/painting), and GoodReader (best PDF+ reader around).





===== Printing =====



Notice that I haven't said much about printing so far, as there is no perceived way to print from any of the iWorks apps, nor from email, nor Web pages in Safari. This is a potentially huge flaw, especially for people who want to use the iPad for editing office documents. This, if nothing else, is what I think sets the iPad apart most from desktops, laptops, netbooks and even other (Windows-based) tablets. There are apps that support printing, but they have been quirky to use and typically require a printer that supports them and the details of what you can and cannot print varies widely between the available printing apps.





===== Security =====



With portable devices, there should always be some level of concern regarding the safety and protection of your data. The iPad deliver surprisingly well in the area, providing several layers of security to protect your data. You can require complex passcodes to securely access important information, encrypt data whether stored or transferred over WiFi, and even remotely wipe everything from your iPad instantly in the event of theft or loss (with subscription to Apple's MobileMe service).





===== Technical Specifications =====



Amazon's product descriptions tends to be a bit lacking so here's all the technical jargon geeks have come to expect when researching new gadgets. Feel free to breeze on through!



Size and weight:



Height:

9.56 inches (242.8 mm)

Width:

7.47 inches (189.7 mm)

Depth:

0.5 inch (13.4 mm)

Weight:

1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model;

1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model



In the box:

* iPad

* Dock Connector to USB Cable

* 10W USB Power Adapter

* Documentation



Display:

* 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

* 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

* Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

* Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously



Wireless and cellular:



Wi-Fi model:

* Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)

* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology



Wi-Fi + 3G model:

* UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)

* GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

* Data only

* Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)

* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology



Location:

* Wi-Fi

* Digital compass

* Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

* Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)



Capacity:

* 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive



Processor:

* 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip



Sensors:

* Accelerometer

* Ambient light sensor

* Magnetometer



Audio playback:

* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

* Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

* User-configurable maximum volume limit



TV and video:

* Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable

* H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format



Mail attachment support:

* Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)



Languages:

* English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian



Keyboards:

* English (U.S., UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian



Dictionaries:

* English (U.S., UK), French, French (Canadian, Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian



Accessibility:

* Support for playback of closed-captioned content

* VoiceOver screen reader

* Full-screen zoom magnification

* White on black display

* Mono audio



Battery and power:

* Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

* Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music

* Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network

* Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system



Input and output:

* Dock connector port

* 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

* Built-in speaker

* Microphone

* Micro-SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)



External buttons and controls:

* On/Off, Sleep/wake

* Mute

* Volume up/down

* Home



Mac system requirements:

* Mac or Windows PC with USB 2.0 port

* Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later or Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later

* iTunes 9.1 or later (free download)

* iTunes Store account

* Internet access





===== Praise =====



* iPad continues Apple's trend of creating the best multi-touch experience around

* Wireless-n support, means faster and farther-reaching WiFi connections (if your router supports 802.11n)

* Battery life: I was acheiving about 8 hours of battery life with constant Netflix streaming over that span of time





===== Dissappointments =====



* Would have preferred a higher resolution such as 1280x960

* Less wasted space, including thinner black margins and more columns of apps on the home screen

* Weight could have been closer to a typical magazine (12 ounces)

* Wish it were a smaller 8" version with a 163ppi resolution, like iPhone

* Still no multi-tasking (though this will be added in the fall iPhone OS 4.0 release)

* Crippled Bluetooth stack, lacks support for BT file transfer and DUN profiles

* No memory card slot (or maybe this was a ploy to get users to buy the camera kit)

* No perceived ability to print. There are apps for that, but there should be a universal method for printing if you're going to use this for productive purposes.





===== The Bottom Line =====



Despite several disappointments, the iPad is a device worthy to be in a class of its own. This is a good and a bad thing, as it's certainly no laptop nor netbook replacement. But there is a lot of potential. Apps from the app store, built especially for the iPad, will be what makes the iPad shine, as more and more developers see its potential and start coding world-class apps for the device.



It may not leave your pockets or wallet happy, but if you want to take the iPad from good to great, there are plenty of "apps for that". Given all my tips, I think you'll find the iPad to be a usable device, with a deceptive price (given upgrades, apps and AppleCare). And just like every other Apple fan, you'll get over its flaws. There's always hope for Apple to improve on the iPad 2G in another year or two.



I hope you've found my hands-on review helpful. :) Apple iPad (first generation) MB292LL/A Tablet (32GB, Wifi) - Tablet - Apple - Apple Ipad - Ebook Reader'


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Ipod Earbuds - earbuds, coby


I purchased these headphones and the JBuds headphones at the same time, just so I could compare the two. (I figured I could keep the one I don't like when the other ones go bad...) They both had very good reviews, and these (the Coby's) were 1/3 of the price, so I was kind of hoping they'd turn out to be better than the JBuds. But I was wrong. You really do get what you pay for, I guess. The Coby's were fine, don't get me wrong. But you could hear a noticeable difference between the sound quality in the JBuds and in the Coby's, and the sound in the JBuds was without a doubt more clear and more crisp. The Coby's also had problems with staying in my ear. Finally, the JBuds come with 3 different sizes; the Coby's only have one size.



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I've used plenty of earphones in my day. I've used headphones, I've had the ones shaped like circles that you have to stick in your ear (with our without that piece that wraps around your ears), and I've used big MONSTER headphones that look like those ones that plane traffic engineers use.



Never have I had a pair of earphones that are as comfortable as these. Many times, you get those earphones that you stick in your ear and they are VERY uncomfortable. Not so with these. They are so gentle. Comfort aside, these earphones are EXCELLENT. I can't hear a thing when I have them both on (which I think is a BIG PLUS). And the sound quality is excellent.



And you just can't beat the price for earphones of this size and quality. I highly recommend them.

I gave this product 4 stars cause I rated the product based on price/value, product quality and sound quality. Based upon all these I believe for $10 after shipping, you just can not beat the sound of these earphones. Yes, they are bass heavy and tend to muddy the overall sound spectrum a bit because of this fact, but it is easily overcome with an EQ setting on the ipod. The sound seems tight and crisp to me listening to pop, rock and some jazz on a EQ setting of treble booster. I couldnt listen to it at full volume to see where I could head distortion in lower or higher freq. The cable lanyard going into the buds seems kind of fragile. The silicon tips feel much cheaper that the tips on my Sennheiser CX-300's. Yet, these babies play the music on my ipod much louder than the CX-300's and do not seem to distort as easy as the CX-300s in the lower freq from what I have seen. Bottom line-5 stars = price/value, 4 stars = product quality and 4 stars = sound quality. If you are rough on earphones, keep your $10. But, if you are looking for a replacement earphone for your ipod and you are on a tight budget and arent an audiophilist, these may be for you.

As a regular I-Pod user, I've never been that unhappy with the standard Apple I-Pod earbuds -- they don't sit terribly well in the ear, but I find the sound and design to be adequate. I've wondered if there is a low-cost alternative, and my wife doesn't like them because they are too big and uncomfortable.



Here is a review of five low-priced alternatives bought on Amazon in March 2010. The story in a nutshell -- all the $8-$10 earbuds are a slight step up from the Apple buds, all the $6 earbuds are a big step down.



JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds (Black) (paid ten dollars) (Four stars)

Positives: Good sound, decent comfort, long cord

Negatives: Too long cord, no "slider"

A very solid sound -- much like the Apple buds. These are a great low-cost in-ear alternative to the Apple buds. The sound balance is similar to the Apple's, but a bit crisper and clearer, perhaps due more to the in-ear design than the actual technology. The JBuds ship with three sizes of silicone ear-inserts for different size ears, though I personally find the fit to be awkward and a bit slippery (see SkullCandy review below). A 54" cord was the longest of the ones I tested, and arguably too long. Also, there is no "slider" on the cord to hold the buds together when you are storing them (A very nice feature of the standard Apple buds and others).



Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds (White) (paid ten dollars) (Four stars)

Positives: Great bass, very comfortable, long cord

Negatives: Too much bass, line-rustle noise in cord

How it is possible to get so much bass into a tiny and cheap earbud I cannot imagine, but there it is. Really impressive, but it's actually a bit too much bass -- the balance is off. If you are listening to bass heavy music, it's overwhelming -- I had to try to adjust the EQ on the I-Pod to bring it down, and even then a bit too heavy. The sound is not mushy or distorted, just like the equalizer is shifted too much. These in-ears come with three sizes of silicone ear-inserts for different size ears, and I find the fit to be great. A long 52" cord, with a "slider" to hold the buds together when storing. A BIG concern -- there's a fair amount of cord-noise that rides in the line -- if the cord is brushing against your shirt or jacket when moving, you hear the rustling right in your ear. I've had worse cases of this in the past, but it is very noticeable in these, and makes them less ideal for walking or moving situations. (Is this a problem with all in-ear buds that have a snug fit?)



Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit (paid eight dollars) (Three stars)

Positives: Good sound

Negatives: Even bigger than Apple buds, poor packaging, short cord

To my ear, the Sony's had the best sound of the five low-cost buds I tried -- a solid step up from the Apple buds, for people who don't like the in-ear style of bud. But a note of caution -- these are slightly *bigger* than Apple earbuds, even without the foam covering. In my ear, the foam cover makes them comfortable enough, but they are rather large. At the same time, the Sony Fontopia has an unusually short 40" cord (even shorter than the Apple 45" that bothers some people), but it's plenty long for typical uses (walking, etc.). There is no "slider" to hold the earbuds together when storing, which is a feature I like on the Apple buds. I have one big beef with these though -- the earbuds have a thin foam cover over the speaker that helps it hold in your ear more firmly and comfortably. I have no problem with that, but you have to put the foam pads on yourself, and it's very difficult. I ended up tearing one of them before I could even try them out. It's very frustrating to buy a new product that breaks before you can even use it. These deserve four start on performance, but gotta ding them on the design and packaging.



Panasonic RP-HV21Portable EarDrops Earbud Headphones (Black) (paid six-dollars) (one star)

Positives: None

Negatives: Huge earbud, terrible sound

I liked the look of these when I got them out of the package, but they are a bigger and worse alternative to the standard Apple earbuds. A very "tinny" and shallow sound compared with others at the same price point. They're too big for comfort in my ear, though that's always a personal consideration -- these Panasonics are larger than the Apple buds and equally hard surface.These Panasonics are about the same size as the Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia earbuds, but those have a foam pad that helps hold them in and provide a little comfort. the "Clip" feature on these (the two buds can clip together, or clip to clothing or cords when not in use) is nice, but doesn't override all the performance downsides. I'm tossing them -- way worse than the basic Apple buds.



Coby CVE92 Isolation Stereo Earphones (paid six dollars) (one-star)

Positives: None

Negatives: terrible sound

These are cheap and I like the packaging (just in a plastic ziplock, not clamshells and fluff), but the performance is simply substandard for the pricerange, These Coby's have a very muffled sound, and don't come with different size silicone ear inserts (most people know these really aren't one-size-fits-all). I'm tossing them -- way worse than the basic Apple buds. - Cheap - Coby - Earbuds - Headphones'


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First Day Of School - uni-ball, office supplies


I am an office supply nut. I order imported pens from Japan, know all different paper sizing and weighting measures, and own more than a handful of no-staple paper binders. I offer this as my credentials to evaluate this mechanical pencil.



I cycle between using a mechanical pencil or a modern gel ink pen as my daily writing implement. When I saw the Japanese version of this product, I jumped at it, making it the most expensive mechanical pencil I ever owned (I said I am a nut, not that I am a _rich_ nut). This is an "Americanized" version of the same thing. As with many foreign imports, the resulting mass market product is a bit bland and not quite as nice. Plastic housing feels cheaper (compared to metal on the Japanese version), rotating mechanism is a little bit noisier (compared to silent: it is hardly noticeable), and the pencil is a touch bulkier in my hand.



The plastic is a touch too slick (it doesn't feel properly gripped, like it might pop out of my hand) but otherwise it is comfortable to use (haven't used it for long periods yet). The rotating mechanism works, just as advertised. It makes it easy to write tiny little messages. The 0.5mm lead really does feel like 0.3mm most of the time and I never have a slanted edge that cuts through the paper.



So, 4/5 for not being quite as nice as the one I have been using, but again 4/5 because it is affordable and the mechanism really does improve the writing experience. Honest. uni-ball KuruToga Twist and Turn 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil Starter Set (1751934)

I've had this pencil for about 3 weeks now. I'm taking calculus and chemistry this quarter so I do a lot of math and thought this would be the perfect pencil for the job. The kuru toga engine is neato and keeps the tip sharp always. However, after just a few days I noticed stress cracks forming up the clear plastic grip area. Today It broke off right at the base of the clear plastic grip. Its ruined.



Honestly, it felt kind of cheap from the beginning. I was pretty unimpressed for 10 dollars. I'll be keeping my metal zebra from now on.

The kurutoga mechanical pencil has actually been out for a while in Japan. I've ordered a few about two years ago. When I first used them I took notice of the clear grip. As you press the pencil and lift it up from the paper, the kurutoga logo revolves around the barrel's axis, confirming the lead actually rotates.



This pencil will not work as advertised if you write in cursive, and you must lift your pencil between letters or numbers in order for it to work. This was engineered to how you write in japanese, but translates decently to writing in english or other languages. I found this most useful when I was in either japanese school or in calculus class.



The nanodia lead has also been out for a few years. It is great lead, hands down. Its slightly stronger than normal lead; however, it takes longer to wear it down. A full pack of 40 leads lasted me for about one and a half years in school.



The only reason I gave this pencil 4 stars instead of 5, is that the mechanism that rotates the lead can get worn out if you mess with the end of the pencil. Also, you must replace the eraser before it becomes flush with the end or it will become extremely difficult to insert lead.



That said, this is a great mechanical pencil that keeps a uniform thickness.

DOWNS: The first time I started to write with this pencil -I'm not kidding- I felt all the plastic creak and give way under my grip -and I'm a female, physics student; I work in a precision lab all day and I do not have a heavy hand. This pencil simply won't fly with me and the amount of "pencil work" I do all day.



This pencil's engineering might be new and innovative but it's production is weak, cheap and I really expected more out of world renowned, Japanese precision and quality.



If you want, this pencil in a non- plasic, High Grade, high quality (metal) form, do a search for "Uni Kuru Toga HG" and you'll see what I mean. 'comes in at least 2 colors, blue and black body.



UPS: That being said, I'm totally sold on the lead. I got this pencil because it's apparently one of the most celebrated mechanical pencils on Amazon and because I was interested in its revolutionary lead design. And yes, this "Uni-ball Diamond Infused Lead" is TOTALLY worth all the hype and price. I LOVE IT. It does stay sharpe longer; it does provide a cleaner, clearer script and it is very firm and does not break easily. The lead is an Epic, super Win.



MORE DOWNS: But as for the pencil it's self, no way; it's a total Fail. Again, the pencil is all plastic and has no weight to it. It does have that interesting "Twist and Turn" engineering (to keep the lead fresh) but it's value gets lost in all the plastic. Oh, and did I mention the eraser *rolls eyes... -if you can't call it an eraser- It's soooo small and weak! A total after thought, as in, "Hay guys you think we forgot a vital element to this pencil? *crickets chirp.... OH YEAH!!! The eraser!!! ...it's an embarrassment.



Did I mention that this pencil made of mostly plastic?



I must add that I might be a bit spoiled because for the last year or so, I've been using the GraphGear 1000 family (.3mm, .5mm, .7mm and .9mm) of mechanical pencils made by, Pentel from Japan. These are my true lab partners! I use them and love them. They have better weight and balance; have better erasers; have retractable tips; are longer and are all, super sweet metal alloy. -and they will be even better now that I will be re-filling them with "Uni-ball Diamond Infused Lead".

The Kuru Toga engine is a really great idea. I've used it for several days, and I've yet to face some dull lead. The tip stays nice and sharp.



However, what makes this pencil a dealbreaker is the overall design. I felt that uni-ball has really cheaped this one out. Maybe some people will appreciate the design, but I for sure don't. The pencil does come with an eraser, but the eraser is extremely small; it's smaller than the standard eraser that comes with the wooden pencils. Secondly, there is no grip, at least as far as I'm concerned. There is a little circular ring at the bottom, but it's impossible to use it as a grip. It's way tot small and is positioned too low on the pencil. Finally unlike most premium pencils, which have metal clips, the Kuru Toga pencil has a plastic clip. The clip broke off of my pencil within a few days of use.



The bottom line is: If you absolutely NEED a Kuru Toga engine, buy this pencil. Otherwise, avoid it. It is definitely not a premium pencil, despite its price, and I advise others to find a different pencil to use. If uni-ball had put some more thought into this pencil, it could have been a hit product. - Uniball - Uni-ball - Office Supplies - Pencil'


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Exotic Apparel


I am a small-busted size 12 and feel self-conscious in many tight fitting pieces of lingerie. I purchased a size large and it fit nicely, stetching easily over my curves. My husband loved it, and I felt sexy wearing it. I was just disappointed it didn't stay on longer! Dreamgirl Women's Stretch Lace Dress, Black, Large

This dress is pretty amazing. Fits great. I got it in black (medium). The dress runs true to size.



When I ordered it, it ended up being on back order- I wish someone had told me. The dress was ordered on 08.10 and I received it on 09.01.



I opened the package it came in and the dress was wrapped in purple tissue paper. Very nice!



[...]

My boyfriend got it for me for christmas...but I think it was more for him ;)



I'm not a skinny person..and this (large) still fits me so comfortably...I almost didnt want to take it off...definitely worth the money...

I first ordered the black and it was great, but the red was really, really pretty. Now, if they made this in a teddy style, it could definitely be worn even more -- my guy loved both and the lace is very good quality -- not cheap stuff.

This is BY FAR the sexiest thing I have ever put on! It snugs your curves in all the right ways - creating a suuuuper sexy shape on the body. My best friend recommended it after her bf went nuts for it on her, and she was right!! My husband confirms that this is the most alluring lingerie I own! Skip the garter belts and thigh highs - this negligee will outshine them all!! MEGA HOTNESS!!!

This was my very first piece of lingerie that I had ever bought. I absolutely love it! It is my favorite piece to this day! For a gril that doesn't have that Victoria's Secret Model body, (like myself) it still makes you look SMOKING HOT! Definitely a good buy!

I was worried about the length, im 5'8" but it fits perfect. It does stretch so it can really fit so many different body types. Im at 34DD with a little waste and it isnt loose at all in any spots. I got the medium in the red, and it is super sexy without being trashy!!'


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Outdoor Camera - outdoor camera, night vision


I'll preface my review by saying that I am an advanced computer user and have a pretty good understanding of networking, modem tweaking, etc. That said, it took me nearly 6 hours to get this camera set up! There are plenty of searchable forums for helping you get it set up but it will take time! Lots of time.



The directions are very difficult to understand and written in very poor English. Don't bother with tech-support because, as their website says; "Foscam.us does not provide support or warranties on behalf of ANY Amazon, Ebay, or other resellers, whatsoever". To get Foscam's help, you MUST purchase ONLY directly from Foscam. That's an odd stance for a legitimate company to take, especially when I assume that Amazon is not selling a knock-off Foscam product. But I digress . . .



The camera itself seems to be of decent quality. I did have a problem with blurry images after it was all up and running but then found out that you can focus the lens by unscrewing the face of the camera and twisting the lens until the picture comes into focus.



The only other issue is the brightness/contrast controls. You can set them up so the picture looks perfect in the daytime but then dawn, dusk, and dark pictures all suffer in image clarity and quality. I haven't found a happy medium yet for those settings. The pictures are acceptable, but not great.



The email alerts are awesome! Anytime the camera senses motion, it captures 6 images and uploads them to your email. I set mine up so that I receive the email immediately on my smartphone and I can see what's going on. If I want to watch the live action, I just open the ip-camera app and I can see the live feed from my camera. Can't get much better than that!



Overall, for a 100-bucks, you're not going to find anything comparable. This is a fair camera for non-critical outdoor surveillance. I'm happy with my purchase, despite having to spend quite a bit of time getting it set up. Foscam FI8905W Outdoor Wireless/Wired IP Camera 12 mm Lens (22° to 40° Viewing Angle) - Silver

State of the art hardware as well as software.

Great pictures, long range with Auto-Infrared at night.



Although the English in the manual is not the best, you definitely will be able to set up the camera, IF YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP.

Internet access gets more complicated for the average user, since one has to do "port-forwarding".

I recommend [...], click on your router and follow the steps. SHOULD be easy.



I also have the FI8918W Foscam FI8918W Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt IP Camera with 8 Meter Night Vision and 3.6mm Lens (67° Viewing Angle) for indoors.



I installed IP Cam Viewer Lite ([...]) on my Sprint EVO 4G, easy setup; now I am able to monitor both cameras on my EVO.



In summary:

This camera as well as the FI8918W are highly recommended for the computer savvy. The average computer user should consider asking the neighbor's Computer Wiz Kid for help.

I have been looking for a weatherproof wireless camera for a long time and was surprised to find such a capable camera at such a low price. Was extremely easy to set up and access from the internet and my phone with the free Android App IP Cam Viewer Lite. It was also easy to set up the camera to send an email to me whenever it detects motion. The night vision was also much better than expected. You do need to have some basic understanding of your router/firewall and email server to set all of the features up but the examples are pretty good.



Overall the product was a pleasant surprise and I plan to order another one. My only concern is how long the camera will last in outdoor conditions.

First of all, I just have to say; you need to actually look at the dimensions of this baby. I really expected it to be much small, but then, what would I be able to tell from a picture of just the camera?



As others have said, the pigtail on this thing is VERY cumbersome. The Ethernet cable/Rest switch/Power leads make securing this camera a challenge. I will try to post some pics to give you an idea...



I of course refuse to use the windows software, so this review is for Linux or Mac users.



Once you unwrap the camra and get it set up someplace inside, connect the Ethernet cable to your switch or router then check the DHCP log for the new device. Open Firefox and put that IP into your browser location field. The camera will display a login screen. If you do not get the login screen for that IP, you might need to push the rest button and wait about 1-minute for the camera to reset. Then refresh your browser. Ignore the ActiveX portion at the top and select the Login button at the bottom of the display. You will get a login popup. Enter "admin" for the userid and lease the password blank. This will get you to the device status. You will also see the "Live Video" and "Device Management" tabs which you can Read The Fun Manual for.



One BIG gotcha that took a while and some googling. You can thank me later. The camera works great inside and the night vision is amazing with the Eye of Sauron LEDs shining brightly, but when you take it out into the sunlight, the live image goes totally white. On the "Live Video" page, find the "Mode" button, click on the pulldown selector and select "Outdoor". Poophtah! You have an image again. You may need to adjust the brightness and contrast a bit.



It won't do wireless and wired at the same time. Set up the wireless, unplug the wire, and reset the camera. If you leave the wire attached, it just seems to disable it.



An annoyance: the camera seems to always have a component of IR sensitivity. If you want true colors, don't even bother. Warm colors seem to work, but blues and greens are washed out to a night-vision look. For me, I can deal with it because I plan to enjoy the night vision component for watching deer and raccoons around my LakeShack.



Pros:

Good price

good nightvision

Fairly good resolution

Works with Firefox and Linux

Works with my MiniCam Android App. (You'll need to set up dynamic DNS and a port pass-through on your router...google it)

Supposedly works with ZoneMinder on Linux...Hope to try that.

I tested the FTP portion and it worked fine. (Wish it would let me change the names it uploads like Trendnet cameras)

live video without ActiveX



Cons:

Really big! It won't be discrete

IR LEDs are very red in the dark. Again not discrete

Mounting bracket is barely usable.

Poor color rendering

VERY narrow field of view. Good for distance, not great for covering a wide area close to the building.

Did I say it was big?

Power supply is one of those wall-ticks and it gets really hot.



TL/DR: Good for the price, great for night vision, works without Windows and Internet Exploder. - Outdoor Camera - Night Vision - Wireless - Wireless Camera'


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37 Inch


Our television was terrific until about the third month when it started flashing, regardless of what channel was being viewed (DVD, Roku, cable, etc.). We looked on line and this is not an unusual problem apparently. Vizio offered to send out a serviceperson, but we decided to take it back to the store. That's too fast for a problem to occur. VIZIO E371VL 37 Inch Class LCD HDTV

Okay this tv is great, the picture quality is better than my LG and Sony, the sound is equal to any other tv. Better than my lg my Sony has it beat in that department. I bought one of these my mother has one and my best friend has one. I have had mine for over a year no problems and as far as I know nobody else has either. My only complaint.... not a complaint really, its the amount of hdmi hook ups this tv has only two. I would like three but again that's just nit picking! For half the price and equal quality you can't beat Vizio! I also think anyone who gave a bad review is nuts, I have friends like that if it's cheaper they look for anything they can find wrong, but try as they might Vizio makes a solid product!

This is our second VIZIO flat screen TV and we love it! We think it is a great TV for the price, clear picture, great sound, all around good quality. Also, there is another review about the lighted VIZIO logo, it really isn't that bright and certainly does NOT interfere with TV or movie watching. We would highly recommend this product!

After powering up this television, I was shocked to discover it has an eye piercing, illuminated "VIZIO" nameplate right below screen.



This is a big distraction for most television viewing, especially movies. I don't object to the name being on the product, but holy Neon Sign Batman!



In addition, this television has NO S-Video input! This locks out billions of devices currently in use.



I have no quibble with the picture and sound of this television. However, deleting the S-Video input in order to save VIZIO $0.50 is a poor design choice.'


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37 Inch 37 Inch 37 Inch

Ipod Car Mount - dash mount, car mount


I was looking for a mount for my iPhone to keep it from sliding off the area where my cup holders are (and often it would slide between my seat and center console...a complete hassle to retrieve it!). I saw a few basic mounts, but was intrigued when I saw this Kensington version that increases the sound.



I have to say...it actually does work. The sound is noticeably louder when in the mount. I'm not sure how people will use this, but I've sometimes used it to listen to music or even take phone calls...both of these when I'm parked and waiting for my kids to finish practice. The sound isn't quite enough when I'm driving on the freeway, but in low-noise environments it works great.



The only con on this item is that the arm length is about 10-12", and my windshield is too far for that. But the vent mount option works great for my situation.



Highly recommended. Kensington K39255US SoundWave Sound-Amplifying Car Mount--Compatible with iPhone 4 (Black)

I've used it for a few months now. The suction mount is very strong. The arm is long enough that you can twist and bend it to fit your needs. I feel the arm clips don't really grab on to my iPhone but I'm satisfied it won't slip out. The big thing is the sound amplification which is why I bought it. Honestly I don't notice a huge difference whether I'm listening to Pandora or turn-by-turn directions.



UPDATE 6/6/2011: This doe NOT work for the iPhone 4. The sound on the iPhone 4 comes out of the bottom right speaker. The mount only takes sound coming out of the bottom left speaker. Other versions of the iPhone will work for the sound amplification.

I spent a lot of time reviewing a dock for my new iPhone for use in the car. After a few hours, I went with this one. When I received it and "installed" it in the car, I was impressed at first... I was able to flex the neck in a good position... and everything seemed really easy on it. But then I drove. There was way too much vibration and movement going on for me.... and even worse, the suction didn't stay. Luckily, Amazon has an awesome return policy. Now I just purchased a different brand so we'll see if it's any better.

I only used the vent mount so I can't speak to the quality of the windshield mount although it seems very sturdy.



I love the vent mount because it works so well. It's sturdy and fits well, even in my 2006 Civic which has very angled vents. The mount can swivel 90º left or right so I can use my iPhone in portrait or landscape mode easily. I also like that the mount allows cases to be used with it. It basically clamps down on the phone so you can have your iPhone in any case.



The bad thing about this mount is that it doesn't really amplify the sound of the speaker UNLESS you have a no case, or a case that doesn't break the seal between the speaker port and the speaker hole on the mount. You have to have your iPhone pressed down on the speaker hole, which is made of hard rubber, in order to get a good seal for the sound to be properly amplified. I have a feeling a lot of the negative reviews stem from the fact that users did not have this seal. When I ran my iPhone naked, the amplification was great. When I had my case on, it sounded a little louder than normal but it wasn't very effective.



Overall, buy this mount because you want a good, solid way to mount your iphone in your car. Don't buy it because you expect a monumental jump in loudness from your speaker phone. It's just a megaphone for your iPhone 4. - Iphone 4 - Car Mount - Dash Mount - Ipod Car Mount'


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Digital Frames - blueproton, digital photo


For anyone looking at getting a decent, mid-level point-and-shoot with the look and feel of an SLR, the Nikon Coolpix L120 is by far the best choice, even with its few shortcomings!



As a semi-professional photographer who primarily shoots film (but is slowly converting to digital) I always have kept at least a digital P&S camera with me to get those "quick" shots that I can't get because of the time involved in setting up the shot in an SLR. My previous camera, the Minolta DiMAGE S414 had been getting long in the tooth and was starting to glitch. A friend gave me his Nikon Coolpix E5200 and I was immediately hooked on Nikon's legendary imaging quality. However, the 5-megapixel sensor in the Coolpix E5200 was short of what I truly needed, so the same friend who gave me the E5200 also let me try out his Coolpix L110. I was blown away with how well the photos turned out! In my quest to buy my own Coolpix L110, I had heard back in February that Nikon was releasing the Coolpix L120, with a 2-megapixel increase over the L110 and several new features. Having read the first reviews of the camera, it seemed like a sure winner, so I took the plunge on March 14th of this year and secured one for myself.



Instantly, I was hooked on it. Right out of the box, this camera is a winner! The settings, user-interface, the sleek design and the nifty zoom selector on the lens barrel makes this camera worth every penny. In the short time I have owned it, I have already taken approximately 1,200 photos with it; everything from nature, bridges, even the sun! (with a solar filter, of course). And with its fantastic 21x optical zoom, I can photograph a car at more than a quarter-mile away and be able to clearly read its license plate!



The only drawback I can see is that Nikon has left out the ability to manually control your aperture and shutter speed settings (instead, leaving that for the Nikon Coolpix P500 which I was unimpressed with). However, those small shortcomings are overwhelmed by the simplicity this camera offers. Itching to get into Panorama photography, without the need for an expensive SLR with built-in panorama stitching? Consider it done! With this camera's Panorama-Assist feature (which overlays a small portion of the image onto the screen for the next shot to be composed), and the supplied Arcsoft Panorama Maker Pro 5 software, Panorama-style photography has never been more affordable. Looking to enhance photos with HDR-like color clarity? Consider that done, also! This camera supplies with it built-in D-Lighting that preserves the color intensity of an image yet bringing out the details otherwise hidden within dark shadows. Also supplied, incase you don't want to edit your images in-camera, is Nikon's own View NX-2, which not only includes D-lighting enhancement filters, it also offers a host of other image-editing capabilities!



In short, this camera has the competition beat! I would recommend it (I have the black version) over anything else. Nikon COOLPIX L120 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 21x NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch LCD (Black)

I recieved this camera just a couple of days ago. Wow what a fantastic surprise! My two previous digital cameras were a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 which I purchased in 2009 for a bicycle tour. While the camera had a lot of good things going for it a couple of problems stuck out which I could not tolerate. 1st and foremost it was very poor in bad lighting and the flash did not compinsate. 2nd..it really needed to be held steady any movement created a blurry picture. Declining light only made the issue worse. My other digital is a Nikon Coolpix 4300 which I bought 6 or 7 years ago to handle an online website. I love that camera, great pictures. good in bad light, not much zoom capability but could deal with that. The big problem...It was designed with an odd memory card which is hard to get and did not hold as much as comparable cameras today. I still use this camera for my website.



Good luck with Nikon and poor luck with Lumix I decided to chance another Nikon. Wow again..quick focus, Holds a common SD card, great zoom capabilities, and best of all it opperates very well in poor light conditions, in fact I forced a poor light condition under my desk with no flash and worked beyond belief! Add to those good reviews the fact they have redesigned the zoom key and placed it on the left side on the lens (can you say 35mm like)long, long, long over due.



If your thinking about one...make the plunge. A+A+A+

I couldn't wait until this camera was released and it was worth the wait! I love how it looks, the bronze is beautiful, and it sits well in my hand. It felt comfortable from the very first holding. I like how the lens cap attaches--can never get lost, but not in my way either. Easy to use right out of the box. After reading the comments on it's predecessor the Nikon L100 and L110, I did two things immediately. I used fresh lithium batteries instead of the ones it came with, and I, after a few too many blurry photos, upped the ISO. The photos are fabulous so far! I am enjoyed playing around with the black and white setting and got some stunning results, just from sitting in my chair indoors, focising on ordinary items and my dog in my living room! I'm having fun experimenting with the different settings in the menu and recently took some very interesting night shots on my street. Macro is stunning. I found some great cases at Target and Walmart, but the one I bought fits so nicely is a small Lowenpro, it was under $20 with room enough for the camera with strap, and a little pouch for an extra set of batteries. I cannot comment on the video, as I have not used this feature yet. I've only had this bronze beauty for two weeks but so far I am very impressed! - Digital Photo - Blueproton - Like It - Digital Frames'


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Mud Pie Birthday - 1st birthday, first birthday girl


This album is only 4X6 and it should be clearly stated. I was a little bit disappointed in the size, but it is very cute and will fit in your purse so you can carry it with you for bragging purposes. It matches my daughter's birthday decor and outfit perfectly which can also be found on Amazon. Mud Pie Baby Birthday Pink Chiffon Photo Album, Cupcake

I think this photo album is very cute. I was hesitant to purchase after reading some of the negative reviews, but I am happy with it for pictures of my daughter's first birthday. It matches the outfit she wore and the cupcake themed party.

I was very dissappointed in this photo album and found the quality that of a dollar store item! I would NOT recommend this item to anyone and had wanted it as a gift for my daughter and was too embaressed to give it to her. - 1st Birthday - Mud Pie Bib - First Birthday Girl - Birthday Hat'


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Garage Storage Platform Lift Hoist - garage storage, storage


After shopping for a garage ceiling storage system, I purchased this device. I was attracted to the ability to raise and lower the platform to load and unload items. This avoids the obvious pitfalls of using a ladder to hoist large or heavy items up from the ground.



In summary, I am reasonably happy with the overall product with some exceptions mentioned below. However, I will caution potential buyers that the design of this device is unforgiving. Unless your ceiling joists are EXACTLY 48" apart (they can be 1.5" less but not more than 48"), installation will be no where near as easy as the video on the website. You may need to mount this to a rigid board first if your joists are not 48" apart. The axle is not made to be adjustable and I find this to be a major design flaw of the device.



The foundation of the system includes 3 heavy metal grates that are secured to two metal cross beams with J hooks. I had a little trouble aligning the J hooks with the holes on the metal beams. However, by far, the most trouble I had was with securing the system to the ceiling. I really did not want to mount this to a board before securing it to the ceiling for aesthetic reasons. My ceiling joists were about 49" apart (instead of 48") and this created a VERY problematic installation. You need to secure this into wood (and not just the ceiling drywall) and you cannot mount the arms of the device further than 48" apart as the axle will not be long enough. I ended up lengthening the axle by a few inches by screwing both halves of the axle together with only the first set of holes. The two halves of the axle are supposed to come together with one inside the other aligning two sets of holes on each piece. I only went as far as the first set thus making it a little longer. Then I bought some aluminum 1/2 inch metal from a hardware store and reinforced the axle by screwing it to two sides of the axle. Keep in mind that the axle is not completely load-bearing so as long as it is rigid and reinforced, the system will work fine (see my uploaded picture of the lengthened and reinforced axle).



Problems continued when I used the included hardware lag bolts to screw the arms into the ceiling joists. Using a drill, I pre-drilled the holes as instructed and used a socket wrench to screw the lag bolts to the joists. I torqued 4 of the heads off of the cheap lag bolts. Do yourself a favor and go buy some better lag bolts at a hardware store before installing this device. The included lag bolts are totally inferior. After finishing the installation, it worked as described and I loaded it with a few hundred pounds of things I had previously kept on my garage floor. I will also mention that using the included crank device to raise and lower the platform, while not overly difficult, is a good work out.



Overall, I would recommend this product IF you know your joists are no further than 48" apart (or you are comfortable mounting it to a board first) and you go buy some decent lag bolts before trying to secure it to the ceiling. Racor PHL-1R Pro HeavyLift 4-by-4-Foot Cable-Lifted Storage Rack

I just finished my install today. Plan on at least 4 hours for this project. The joist do not have to be EXACTLY 48" as other reivews stated. That is the MOST the distance can be. You can be as close as 46 1/2. There is play in the bar that attaches the two ends.



Here's my contribution to make this easy and keep it a one person job. Get a 4 foot piece of 1 1/4 lattic piece of trim. You can find it at any big box hardware store. This will be used as your template when drilling holes.



I have a finished ceiling Before getting started, I used the 4' lattice to outline the joist. Instead of using a stud finder, which doesn't always work, I just use a finish nail to find the edges of the joist which are 1 1/2" wide. I marked the joist at one end and measured 48" down then found the edges of the joist. I put the lattice between these marks on both ends, then traced the lattice with a pencil



In step 7, you notice the only indicate 7 bolts to be installed, but 9 in step 8. You have to remove the nylon rings in order to reach all 9 bolts, but this isn't mentioned. With the nylong rings off and the arm sitting on top of the lattice piece of wood, mark all the slots in the middle with a pencil. Make sure to mark the center of the T-bracket, too. This is critical for hanging the arms by yourself.



Since the pre-drill hole size is 1/8, make the template holes one size larger at 3/16 with a drill. With the template, use a wood screw in the center template hole to temporarily attach to the joist so you have both hands free to line up the lattic to the trace marks I mentioned before. Now drill the pre-drill holes with the 1/8 bit.



The manual doesn't mention this but there are those keyhole type of holes in the middle part of the arm. BEFORE you grab the arm in step 7, but the first lag bolt in the middle pre-driller hole, leaving about 1 1/2 inch. Now pick up the arm and angle it over the lag bolt in the middle. It takes a little wiggling, but it will eventually slide in. Now tighten the lag bolt, but not 100% Now the joist is hanging hands free from one lag bolt. Now, you are free to mount the other lag bolts by yourself.



The stock lag bolts are junk. I shredded two when installing. I did install the stock lags so I could line up the two arm properly, but came back later with high quality lags of qty. 12 5/16" with a 3 1/2 length lag bolts. Trying to enlarge this existing gaps don't work very well. What I recommend is drilling BETWEEN the existing slots. First use a smaller bit to get thru the metal easier and create a pre-drill hole. I think I used a 3/16". Then I used a slightly larger bit like a 7/16" to cut a hole to allow it pass thru the new hole in the metal. Make sure you use eye protection and cover your forearms. The metal shaving are burning hot! Don't attach the 5/16" lags until Step 9 alignment is done. - Racor - Lift - Storage - Garage Storage'


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Cheap External Usb Floppy Drive - external floppy drive, sabrent


Unit arrived promptly yesterday from Tiger Direct. First thing I noticed was the plastic flap door (which normally covers the hole where the disk goes) was misaligned. Thought I was going to have to break it out, but I was able to bend it and get it working properly without having to take things apart. Then I tried plugging it into the right side USB port of my Mac PowerBook G4 running OS X 10.3.9 (and put a floppy disk in). The drive made loud grinding noises on the disk, and wouldn't stop, but no icon appeared on the desktop. Then put it on a Dell Windows XP laptop I had, and it worked fine--well, almost. When I tried to Quick Format a disk, it said the disk was write protected (which it wasn't), but I put in a different disk, then re-inserted the first one, and it formatted it. I hadn't bothered to install the Windows drivers that came with the unit; by the way, there are no drivers necessary for Max OS X, and, apparently, not for Windows XP either. Took the drive back to the Mac and tried plugging it in to the LEFT side USB port, and suddenly it worked fine. Tried the RIGHT side port again, no luck. First time I've seen something like this.



Also, there is NOTHING on the unit with the name "Sabrent" that I could find. I wondered if I actually got what I'd ordered.



That's the extent of my use of this thing so far. Assuming it keeps working this way, I won't be sending it back.



[...] Sabrent SBT-UFDB USB External 3.5-Inch 1.44 MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (Black)

I recently purchased a Sabrent SBT-UFDB USB External 3.5 inch Floppy Disk Drive for my new Dell Computer. As you are well aware most, if not all, new computer systems do not include a 3.5 inch disk drive anymore. I have hundreds of 3.5 inch floppy disks with vital information on them that I need to access in my profession as a Pastor. This particular unit is just what I needed to get the job done. All I had to do was plug it into my computer's USB port and away I went. I experienced absolutely no problems with its installation, just plug it in and its done. I am not a computer savy person so I needed a fool proof system that works all the time. This 3.5 inch disk drive provided me access to my data and I can now use the files that I spent hours preparing before the technology changed. I highly recommend this item for other computer confounded persons like myself. Reverend George R. Sanderson M.S., MSRC, MSW.

With the onset of flash memory, the floppy disk, as a computer medium, has gone the way of the Dodo bird. On new computer systems, a floppy drive is usually an add-on. This USB floppy drive is exactly what you need to transfer any old floppy's to your new machine. It was recognized immediately by both my Vista and XP machines and has worked without any issues. In other words, it performs exactly as it should for a low price.

I have many photos on floppy disc and my new computers didn't come with a floppy drive. I will be using the drive with both my laptop and desk top. Shipping and setup were flawless. Would I buy this item again from Amazon? Yes, the price was right and the item was shipped promptly.

The product wont read disks when inserted if you have a Mac. You need to insert a disk then unplug the device and plug it back in. It also only read about one out of every four disks that I inserted. I only bought it because I found some old floppies and was curious as to what was on them. Mac users, if you need one of these drives I recommend one that Sony sells. I used it about a year ago then promptly sold it, a mistake on my part... The only reason I gave the Sabrent two stars is because it actually read a disk.

"It works good. I will tell everybody. When somebody has a computer without A Drive, I will tell them to buy this one. I don't know what I would do if I did not hear about this one. Thank you for air mailing my order to me, real fast."

I bought an external hard drive in order to backup the entire contents of my laptop. Unfortunately Windows XP won't let you create a restore disk on CD-rom, it has to be a floppy disk. That left me two options: 1) buy a full-fledged software package like Norton Ghost for about $70 or buy this cheap floppy disk drive. Given the price difference and the mediocre reviews for the fancy software packages, I went with the disk drive. The Windows software for backing up your entire hard drive could not be simpler, and it worked like a charm. The only trouble I had was that the floppy disc drive couldn't use or format some of my diskettes. I have yet to figure out why. Other old diskettes worked fine. They might just be so old that they degraded, but they were a type that it is supposed to be able to use.



Update: I haven't had any trouble with recently purchased disks. I think the others were just old.

My new laptop computer with Vista didn't have a 3.5 floppy dirve. I had a lot of files saved on 3.5 disks from my old computer and need an easy way to get them on the laptop. I plugged the drive into the USB port and Vista automatically recognized the drive, automatically set up the drivers, and it was ready to use. It does come with a disk and instruction book for loading drivers for other systems but the disk isn't needed for Vista. The USB cord is only 16 inches long, which could be a problem if you were connecting to the back of a desk-top computer, but you can buy a USB extension cable it needed.



I loaded files from 33 disks on my first try and didn't have any problems. The price for this item was only about half of what some of the brand name floppy drives cost. Be aware that this item is listed as a Sabrent brand drive but the box it comes in is marked Teac Corporation. When you load it on your system it shows up as a Mitsumi FDD 061M USB device. I don't know what all that means but it's an excellent buy for the price and it works well. - Sabrent - Usb Floppy Drive - External Floppy Drive - Floppy'


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