Showing posts with label apple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apple. Show all posts

7/25/2012

Logitech 967562 diNovo Media Desktop Laser Keyboard/Mouse Combo Review

Logitech 967562 diNovo Media Desktop Laser Keyboard/Mouse Combo
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I bought this combo for comfort and ease. I don't have any trouble with dropped connection or peeling mouse covers! This is a MEDIA keyboard and should be bought for that purpose or the media pad will go unused. Other then doing some equations once in a while I never use it anymore. I do use the volume controls on the keyboard itself, but once the novelty wears off with the media pad in particular, you just won't use it anymore. One thing I do want to mention is that the white identifying letter, number or symbol have worn off allot of keys on my board making it pretty difficult to identify a key or type if you are not the advanced typist we all would like to be! I, personally, tend to look at the keyboard to type, most of the time, and when the N looks like the M, or, O like the P and so on, it gets very confusing and time consuming to always go back or stop and make the necessary corrections. Other then that, it looks and feels great, and works effortlessly! I have experienced no other problems other then the one I've mentioned. I am overall pleased with the product and it's performance. It also is a VERY quiet keyboard! This to is a big plus not to have the annoying tapping, continuously, whenever you hitting keys! I have severe Carpel Tunnel Syndrome in both hands and not because I want to, but because I have to, I am going to switch and buy the cordless desktop comfort laser with the waved board so there isn't so much stress on the wrist and hands to get in the right position for use. But, I am very please with Logitec's products and their performance. I have always turned to Logitec products to go with a name that I know and trust for a great product!


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6/10/2012

Logitech diNovo Mac Edition Keyboard Review

Logitech diNovo Mac Edition Keyboard
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I ordered this keyboard and was notified by Amazon that its delivery would be delayed. I went back to review the keyboard again to see if I wanted to cancel or continue the order. After reading a couple of bad reviews I almost cancelled the order. I had previously purchased and returned the Matias Tactial Pro keyboard which truly was unacceptable, and was about ready to forgo anymore mail order keyboard purchases. Fortunately I decided to continue the delivery and try this keyboard for myself. This is by far the best keyboard I have ever used. I have found none of the issues that previous contributers have cited. The F keys are set up in a logical and useful order that all but the most contrarian users would object to. I have been a Mac user for 20 plus years and find that this keyboard lends itself to all everyday requirements and is flexible enough to allow for customization when special requirements are necessary. Also the tactile response is first class.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech diNovo Mac Edition Keyboard

Designed to complement your Mac in every way, this elegant, ultra-slim keyboard brings a high level of comfort and convenience to your Mac. Precision micro-scissor keys and a standard Mac layout let you type faster and more comfortably, and dedicated one-touch controls give you easy access to your favorite applications.

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6/06/2012

Android 2.1 Tablet PC X220 flytouch2 with GPS and Webcam Review

Android 2.1 Tablet PC X220 flytouch2 with GPS and Webcam
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I ordered this tablet, my first Android device, and I was kinda wondering what I would receive...
So far I'm really pleased with this thing!
Being a Palm and iPod Touch user and early adopter of what people call "smart phones", I wasn't sure if I wanted a large-format device. I have friends who are pushing their Apple tablets at me and I'm an iMac user myself... but I just wasn't sure if I needed (read that as wanted) a tablet.
I bought this on "speculation" to see if I could have a little fun and perhaps learn something new.
I'm having the fun part right away and I can see that some learnin' is headed my way here with the Android operating system this tablet uses. Not hard learning, but with the "open-ness" of Android I expect to be finding new stuff to do for a good while.
Out of the box I received a durable-feeling device with a nice large screen. It turned-on first try and responded to the battery charger just like the (little) owner's manual predicted. There is a great deal more going on with this thing than the little booklet speaks of, but the manual is complete enough for anyone to realize all but the nuts and bolts of Android... I believe the manual was not intended to tech Android to a user but to simply expose the buyer to the capabilities of the tablet. The manual is a translation, but a good one with pictures and diagrams. Easy to read and understand.
I haven't done much with it yet, but I have connected to the net using my WPA-2 WiFi "Apple Airport Extreme" and had no problem with the setup. It reminded me of getting a Nintendo DSi connected... it was that easy. I am using MAC address filtering and that posed no problem after putting the tablet's MAC address in my list.
The Localization settings were easy with the only "snag" as yet being the temperature display in the Home screen is in Centigrade and I can't (as yet) figure out how to switch to Fahrenheit. It even "found" my little home town to use as the target city :)
The only other thing I haven't figured yet is if the operating system is consuming part of the 2 gig of memory, leaving only 1 gig free or if the device shipped with only 1 gig of memory.
I think this problem is my lack of familiarity with Android :)
I will attempt to provide a better review as time allows, but for now I'm happy.
One final note, the device is called a "MID" in the Owner's Manual and the following information appears in the "About Device" screen on the device it's self;
Model Number: deb
Firmwear Version: 2.1-update1
Kernel Version: 2.6.32.9 hzhao@emma #1
Build Number: deb-r2.1.1170
There is another tablet listed on Amazon called a "MID" but it does not seem to have a camera or a GPS receiver. This unit's GPS "antenna" is external and I think the little hocky-puck is both an antenna and receiver combined.
Update: (12/26/2010)
Liking the tablet! The hardware is working great, no problems at all, no glitches or silly business from the device or the Android "build" as is installed.
The only things I'm watching are;
- The "Home" button on the front is not indexed exactly right under the front cover. Not a problem but there was a moment where it was trying to get stuck.
- One of the tiny little "plugs" covering the cabinet screws has fallen out. This is no problem at all as there will come a day when I want to take those screws out myself and those plugs are going away on that day. As a side note, this tablet survived a drop from my desk top to the plastic carpet protector under the desk without a glitch.
- The Android "build" has a little trouble when rotating the screen. Two issues so far 1.) When you use Google's Star application, the Horizon is oriented incorrectly and does not correct even when you try the adjustments for screen rotation in Android or in Google's application. Weirdly, the names of planets and stars continue to rotate (to the wrong angle) even if you turn-off all the rotation controls. 2.) When you use the device in the "Landscape" orientation there is a very useful "Back" button in the screen in the top right... when you rotate to "Portrait" orientation that button goes away and you have to use the hardware buttons. Not really a big deal but the behavior of the on-screen "Back" button and the hardware button are not exactly the same in all applications.
- About keyboards, mice, and memory devices. USB supports all these but does not recognize anything else. I am using a Bluetooth "dongle" and my Apple "Magic Mouse" but my HID Bluetooth keyboard and Bluetooth GPS are not recognized. So far I have not found an application that can pair any Bluetooth devices that are not physically incorporated in the device (that's none so far). The Bluetooth dongle I have states it is a wired equivalent of a mouse and keyboard.. but that HID keyboard is not working.
That's all for now. It's worth the $230 to me so far but I'm new at this so I might not have the expectations a more seasoned Android user might have.
Update: (1/7/2011)
The people I got my tablet from are fantastic! I used email to talk to them about getting a registration number for the Android release on my tablet and they were really warm and responsive. It was like they actually liked the product!
I no longer see them listed as sellers but I will look for them the next time I want something from China.
(Beijing Ning Rong Technology Development Co. Ltd)
I Learned some stuff.
- There are a lot of "Widgets" and "Gadgets" that fail when used on a tablet... perhaps it's just this one, but I suspect the large screen is giving them trouble.
- You can use an Apple Magic Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard (Retail Packaging) by first pairing them on your desktop machine and then moving the Bluetooth "dongle" to the Flytouch. I use an IOGear USB 2.1 Bluetooth Micro Adapter GBU421
- The "Escape" key on the keyboard functions like the "Back" button on the screen.
- F4 seems to first, put the device into "sleep" then shortly it will re-boot.
- F1 acts like the "Menu" button.
Still have not found any applications that provide USB support for other than keyboard, mouse, and memory. I hope the developers of Android see the tablet as a "future" for Android and start providing full support for USB attached peripherals.
The display is really nice indoors. Outdoors it's washed-out but usable.
Price jump. What's this about?!?
I'm a little disturbed that this tablet has jumped in price. I kinda was thinking about a second one for a friend but at this rate, she's probably going to get something else. Too bad, we like this one. :)
Update: (01/19/2011) - Sorry if this is turning into a "blog"...
An update to the Android OS has come out, not a big change like version 2.2 or anything, but it allowed me to see what and how upgrades look like and are done.
It did not go so well. I had to go onto the Internet and find the proper file myself and load it again using a micro SD card. After that everything was back to "normal". I had to find and re-load all the applications I had loaded and every setting had to be re-entered. I later found out that you can back-up these things and save yourself some time. Considering the changes to the Android OS, I will wait for a major update before going with another minor one again... too much hassle for not so much gain.
The tablet is still a winner! I have it running for several hours a day and am even now watching a DVD TV show (converted using "Handbrake" for the Mac). Playback is smooth at 720 x 400 and around 1100 bits per second (m-peg4). See, this thing is making me learn about stuff like Android OS and video data rates :)
Still can't set the Weather widget to Fahrenheit, but otherwise I'm still happy with the purchase.

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5/28/2012

Logitech diNovo Edge Mac Edition Cordless Keyboard Review

Logitech diNovo Edge Mac Edition Cordless Keyboard
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While it certainly isn't a cheap keybooard, the diNovo Edge for the the Mac is a beautiful keyboard and will compliment your mac. I used to have a msft bluetooth keyboard that I used and it stuck out like a sore thumb next to my iMac (in addition, it didn't have the Mac specific keys like cmd). Once I got my Edge, all was harmonized in the world again. Only con for this product is that if your keyboard power dies, it takes a few minutes to do a quick recharge. Therefore I try to put the keyboard in the cradle at the end of each week to prevent this from happening.

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Logitech diNovo Edge Mac Edition Cordless Keyboard

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5/25/2012

LG KC910 Renoir Touch Screen 8MP Camera Wifi GPS Unlocked Tri Band (Black) Review

LG KC910 Renoir Touch Screen 8MP Camera Wifi GPS Unlocked Tri Band (Black)
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I've had the LG KC910 Renoir - Unlocked QuadBand Cellular Phone - 8 MP Camera, GPS, WiFi, FM Radio - International Version with No Warranty for about a week, and it's been a relatively good experience. At first, there was a bit of a learning curve; however, in the end, I have decided that this is a great phone. The problems I encountered dealt with the charger I received, setting up the Internet, and the auto-lock feature.
First, the charger. When I received the phone last week I discovered one fatal flaw with my purchase, the wall charger was made for charging this phone in another country (I'm in the US). Fortunately, you can charge your phone via a USB cable to your computer. I also ran into trouble with this, but as it turns out, I was using the wrong USB slot. The USB slot on the right only kept the phone alive (it wouldn't charge the battery); fortunately, the USB slot on the left would charge the phone. Whatever. You can easily find a wall charger for this phone at a retail store if you want.
The auto-lock feature isn't a bad idea; sadly, it can be incredibly annoying. I suppose this was made to keep you from accidentally dialing 911 or something. But it doesn't really work right. The solution? Just turn it off; your touch screen will go into sleep mode when you're not using it, and it will not come on if you touch the screen. It will come on if you push one of the three buttons on the bottom of the phone. Still, it would be incredibly difficult to accidentally dial 911 or something even without the auto-lock feature. Unfortunately, if you have to call and push buttons on your phone during your conversation, then the auto-lock still comes on. You just have to push the auto-lock icon, and it will go away (at least for a while). I don't know if that part of the auto-lock system can be turned off. Strange, I know.
Ah, the Internet settings. I'm using AT&T, and transferring the sim card into this phone was easy. The phone immediately worked when it came to calling people. By the way, reception was great for me. I've read about people who said the call quality was lacking. I don't know about their experience, but I had no problems. Anyway, the Internet is the one part of the phone that wouldn't work. I finally stumbled upon how to do it the other day, and it works great now. Here's how I got the Internet to work:
Phone Setting>Connectivity>Access Point: (Data Setting)
Title: Att
Bearer: GPRS
Auth: PAP
User: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM (all caps)
Password: CINGULAR1 (ALL UPPERCASE)
APN: wap.cingular
Browser>Settings>Profiles: (Internet Setting)
Service Name: Media Net
Homepage: http://www.google.com
Connection mode: TCP without proxy
IP: (blank)
proxy: (blank)
Security: (blank)
Access Point: ATTI can't guarantee that the above code will work for you, but it's worth a shot.
Other Thoughts -
The camera phone is great (not dslr quality but good), the battery is okay, the touchscreen is decent, the eight gigabyte chip (microsdhc class 4) works well, sound quality is good, the included headphones are worthless; wifi works well. Is this phone an iPhone killer? Probably not, but it's definitely close.
Week Two Update -
It appears that the LG wall charger I bought at the retail store may have ruined my battery. It was exactly the same as the one that was sent with my phone, other than the fact that it works in the US instead of England. I managed to find another battery online, so hopefully this will correct the problem. It does seem that the battery I've been using has been problematic. I've only successfully charged it with the usb port on my computer, and that was tricky as well. So be careful when you charge this phone in the US.
Final Update -
The battery is working properly now. Not sure what happened but I wont be using that wall charger again. Everything else is good.

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5/14/2012

Apple iBook Laptop 12.1" M9164LL/A (800-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) Review

Apple iBook Laptop 12.1 M9164LL/A (800-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)
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Let us raise the glass: long live the G3 processor, for it is dead. Apple's iBook was the last holdout to G4 processor. It is G3 no more.
Despite some rumors, iBook's G4 processor is a true G4 processor with Altivec fully on-board. While it runs slower (800 MHz vs. 1 GHz) and features smaller L2 cache (256 KB vs. 512 KB) than 12" PowerBook, it comes remarkable close in most performance parameters. They share the same 133 MHz front-side bus and PC2100 (266 MHz) DDR SDRAM.
Even their feature sets come remarkably close. Both sport sharp 12.1" 1024-by-768 LCD, 256 MB memory and 32 MB graphics memory, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports, and 100/10 fast Ethernet. Both lack the PC Card (PCMCIA) slot but can accommodate AirPort Extreme wireless network.
Other than faster G4 processor, just about the only reasons to consider 12" PowerBook are:
- Larger memory capacity on the PowerBook (1.25 GB vs. 640 MB)
- Larger hard disk (40 GB vs. 30 GB)
- PowerBook can drive an external display (dual display) up to 2048-by-1536 via DVI port; iBook can only mirror up to 1024-by-768 via VGA port
- SuperDrive (DVD burner) is optional on PowerBook; it is not available on iBook
- Bluetooth is standard on PowerBook; it is optional (built-to-order) on iBook
- Marginally faster GeForce FX 5200 graphics card on PowerBook (vs. Radeon 9200 on iBook)
- PowerBook is slightly lighter (4.6 lbs vs. 4.9 lbs) and slightly smaller (10.9-by-8.6-by-1.18 inches vs. 11.2-by-9.1-by-1.35 inches)
- You like the PowerBook's anodized aluminum allow chassis better
There are sufficient reasons to get the iBook instead:
- Costs almost 50% less
- It is not dramatically slower
- Longer battery life (up to 6 hours vs. 5 hours)
- Polycarbonate plastic chassis is more scratch proof and offer better wireless network (AirPort Extreme) reception
How is the iBook in itself? For a little over a grand, you get a beautifully designed notebook (similar to iPod) packed with features: combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, optional 802.11g AirPort Extreme wireless network, beautiful LCD, sensible keyboard layout, snappy performance under included Mac OS X Panther 10.3 -- all in very portable form factor. This little book represents a serious bang for the buck.
Pros:
- Very high bang for the buck: good performance and high in features
- Looks beautiful
- Includes almost everything an average computer user needs
- Very portable and durable
- Fantastic wireless reception
Cons:
- Cannot drive external display higher than 1024-by-768 resolution
- To get built-in Bluetooth, you must order from Apple (built-to-order option) -- unlike the AirPort Extreme, you cannot add it later on
- Standard 256 MB memory is based on two 128 MB RAM modules. To add more memory later on, you will need to toss out one of the memory modules (the other memory module is soldered onto the motherboard)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple iBook Laptop 12.1" M9164LL/A (800-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

Those who've considered Apple's amazing new PowerBook G4 series of portable computers but can't quite justify the expense would do well to explore its less expensive, slightly less capable sibling, the iBook G4. Available in three flavors, the iBook G4 doesn't sport PowerBook amenities such as DVD burning and massive widescreen displays, yet all three models feature superb connectivity, subcompact dimensions, and impressive battery life. This particular unit, the entry-level iBook G4 12-inch M9164LL/A, is the most affordable mobile computer in the entire Apple roster. Featuring a spry power section consisting of an 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor and 256 MB RAM (expandable to 640 MB), the system packs enough raw muscle for most typical mobile computing tasks. However, the real surprise comes in its 3-D rendering capabilities. Unlike many comparably equipped notebooks, the iBook G4 12-inch features an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 video chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory. Thusly, it will efficiently handle demanding applications such as 3-D drawing and even some 3-D gaming. At just 11.2 by 9.1 by 1.3 inches and a scant 4.9 pounds, the iBook G4 12-inch is downright tiny. Yet when you flip the lid you'll find such desirable perks as a full-size 77-key keyboard with 12 function keys and four arrow keys, a trackpad with double-tap and drag capabilities, a smallish but crystal clear 12.1-inch display capable of 1024x768 resolution, and a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive through which you can burn audio CDs, archive files and play the latest Hollywood blockbusters. For storing your files, Apple has installed a serviceable 30 GB hard disk -- enough space for general use but too little for serious multimedia archiving. Connectivity options include an integrated 56K modem for dial-up communications, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for LAN and high-speed Internet and email, and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for external high-tech toys such as scanners, digital cameras and digital camcorders. Users can also purchase an Apple AirPort Extreme Card for wireless communication and an internal Bluetooth module to interact with future cordless Bluetooth devices such as cell phones and PDAs. Bundled software includes Apple's newest operating system, Mac OS X v.10.3 Panther, and a broad range of highly useable multimedia utilities. Under ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at a stunning six hours.

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5/02/2012

Logitech DiNovo Edge Rechargeable Bluetooth Keyboard for Mac Review

Logitech DiNovo Edge Rechargeable Bluetooth Keyboard for Mac
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I purchased this to replace the newer Apple keyboard. I was impressed with the build and extra features. However I think the integrated mouse is unnecessary and the device would be much better served with a dedicated number pad. The home, end, page up and page down keys do take a little while to get comfortable with. I'm not a fan of Logitech software and I set up the keyboard without having to install anything in OS X (though I did lose access to the custom function keys). I really liked the key action of the Apple keyboard and found the diNovo only slightly less enjoyable in that respect. Finally I absolutely love the audible feedback when the caps lock key is pressed. If you can get over the price, this is a very nice keyboard.
EDIT: In light of Logitech's newest diNovo keyboard, Logitech diNovo Mac Edition Keyboard, I feel I should adjust my review. Had I known that Logitech would release a diNovo Mac keyboard with a full numeric keypad I wouldn't have been as critical at the lack of said keypad on the diNovo Edge. After 4+ months of use with the Edge, I would still heartily recommend it.

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With an ultra-slim profile and brushed aluminum frame, the diNovo Edge makes a bold statement for your Mac. The PerfectStroke key system makes every stroke natural and fluid. The recharging stand charges the keyboard quickly. The innovative TouchDisc and one-touch buttons lets you control your Mac from across the room with Bluetooth wireless technology.

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4/19/2012

Pre-Owned iBook G4 1.33 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, 40 GB internal drive, internal Combo Drive, internal 56k modem, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth installed, 12.1" TFT display, OS CD is not included, OS 10.4.11 installed Review

Pre-Owned iBook G4 1.33 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, 40 GB internal drive, internal Combo Drive, internal 56k modem, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth installed, 12.1 TFT display, OS CD is not included, OS 10.4.11 installed
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I've had a 12" iBook G4 since 2005 and it's still my favorite notebook for browsing the internet, writing letters, and even reading pdf's. It's very lightweight and I consider the screen the perfect size. It's held up very well. One of the keys has a hairline crack and one of the rubber feet on the bottom fell off but I clean it every month or so and it still looks almost new.
My only criticism is that it gets a little warm so I keep it on top of a clipboard when holding it in my lap. No viruses, no crashes, no worries.
When netbooks started becoming popular a couple of years ago, I had to laugh because I already have a lightweight, handy netbook. In fact, I'm using it right now to write this review. Given a choice between a new Asus or Dell netbook or a used iBook G4 for the same price, I would take the G4 without thinking about it for a second.

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4/17/2012

Apple iPhone 3G 8GB - Black (Refurbished) Review

Apple iPhone 3G 8GB - Black (Refurbished)
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While item is in working condition, by "refurbished to manufacturer" standards, I assume the phone would look as if it had not been used. Unfortunately, the bezel of the phone is extremely scratched, as is the back. Also, the "home" button is harder to press than should be. Again, the item is functional, but don't be fooled by terminology of the seller. My item came in USED condition.

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4/13/2012

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL Review

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL
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Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :

-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)
-Double the storage for the same old price
-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)
-Latest firmware for free
-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)

And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.

*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.

About the new Voice control function, if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature "Voice control" is pretty cool, it does allow you to control your music via your voice, no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say "Next" to move to next song, say "shuffle" for shuffle , say "Pause" and music playback will stop etc, that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users, my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod "properly Nano" for his Gym, for me i use my iPod touch for the gym, it's so light that sometimes i forgot that it's even in my pocket.

After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It's supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus, however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster, same thing with boot time), you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.

I got the 64GB iPod 3G for [...]$, if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one), also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G,(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)

*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version, the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it's a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation, which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it's not cool at all, it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.

The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds), the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.

Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : """Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance, richer graphics and voice control"""

The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.
You can play your music/watch your videos/play games, even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet, it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.

The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device, i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch, if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one, the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on, it's super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!

Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch

Pros:
-Slick,small and light device
-Great touch screen
-The BEST web browser on a portable device
-Amazing video/music playback
-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)
-Display screen is clear and bright
-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware
-64GB Flash based mp3 player

Cons:
-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)
-Weaker battery, only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback
-Expensive for the 64GB version
-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications
-Bluetooth is still half locked
Update : one more reason to avoid the 8GB ipod touch, Apple announced today "April 09 2010" that iPhone 4.0 OS will be released this summer and it will bring many new features to the iphone and ipod touch, however some features like Multitasking will only be available for iphone 3GS and higher or Ipod touch third generation and higher (As i said before the 8GB is second Generation only, a third generation 8gb ipod touch do not exist! so you wont be getting multitasking if you buy the 8GB ipod touch),
I hope my review was helpful :)

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iPod touch is a great iPod, a great pocket computer, and a great portable game player. Listen to a mix of songs automatically put together by the new Genius Mixes feature. Watch a movie. Surf the web. Download countless apps. (Click here to jump down the page and learn all about apps.) View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Discover games and apps you're sure to love with new Genius recommendations for apps. And since iPod touch now comes with the latest 3.1 software already installed, you can start using fun, convenient features right out of the box. View an interactive demo on the iPod touch (opens a new window).




Next-Level Fun: The New iPod touch
Music Flick through your albums. Listen to a unique mix created just for you. Or watch the video for your favorite song. With iPod touch, it's more than just hearing your music.

Cover Flow What a song does for your ears, Cover Flow on iPod touch does for your eyes and fingers. It's a virtual party for the senses. Turn iPod touch on its side and glide through your music by album art with the flick of your finger. Tap an album cover to flip it over and display a track list. Tap again to start the music.

Genius Mixes Now the Genius feature is even more powerful. Introducing Genius Mixes. All you do is sync iPod touch to iTunes, and Genius automatically searches your library to find songs that sound great together. Then it creates multiple mixes you'll love. These mixes are like channels programmed entirely with your music.

Genius Playlists Say you're listening to a song you really like and want to hear other tracks that go great with it. The Genius feature finds other songs on your iPod touch that sound great with the one you were listening to and makes a Genius playlist for you. Listen to the playlist right away, save it for later, or even refresh it and give it another go. Count on Genius to create a mix you wouldn't have thought of yourself.

Shake to Shuffle Shake things up a bit. Musically speaking, that is. The next time you're listening to your tunes, turn on Shake to Shuffle, then give iPod touch a shake to shuffle to a different song in your music library.

iTunes Fill your iPod touch with songs and music videos from your iTunes library on your computer. Or buy and download new music on your iPod touch when you access iTunes over Wi-Fi. Songs you purchase on iPod touch transfer to your Mac or PC the next time you connect iPod touch to your computer.

Bluetooth Look, no cables. iPod touch includes the iPhone 3.1 software, so you can pair Bluetooth stereo headphones with it. Keep your iPod in your bag or charging on your desk across the room and still listen to your music.

Movies + TV shows A feature film. A video podcast. Your favorite TV show. Now appearing on a subway train or a plane near you.

Widescreen Viewing Carry hours of video with you and watch it on the crisp 3.5-inch color widescreen display. Shop the iTunes Store and choose from thousands of movies, TV shows, and video podcasts to load up your iPod touch. From Hollywood blockbusters to independent favorites, there's something for everyone. Download and watch movies with a few taps. Prefer TV shows? Get a single episode or an entire season's worth all at once.

Onscreen Controls While watching your video, tap the display to bring up the onscreen controls. You can play or pause, view by chapter, and adjust the volume. You can also use the volume controls on the left side of iPod touch. Want to switch between widescreen and full screen? Simply tap the display twice.

iTunes Need some entertainment for your next flight or road trip? With iTunes on your iPod touch and a Wi-Fi connection, you can buy movies and TV shows on the fly. You can also rent movies, in case you're not sure if that flick is a keeper. And of course, you can purchase movies and TV shows on your Mac or PC, then sync them to your iPod touch.



App Store Shop the App Store and discover over 75,000 apps that let you do even more with your iPod touch. Browse apps in categories from games to lifestyle, social networking to education, and more.

Browse Apps Shop the App Store a number of ways. Tap Featured and get a list of new apps and to see what's hot. Peruse by category. Check out the Top 25 apps. Or if you know exactly what app you're looking for, find it by doing a quick search.

Amazon-Related Apps Have Amazon at your fingertips with these applications:

Amazon Mobile: Buy millions of products from the palm of your hand
Kindle: Read Kindle books on your iPhone or iPod touch



Genius Recommendations for Apps There are tens of thousands of apps in the App Store, with more added every day. A new feature of iPod touch makes finding cool new apps even easier. It's Genius for apps, and it works just like Genius for your music. Tap the Genius icon and get recommendations for apps that you might like based on apps you and others have downloaded.

Download Apps When you find an app you want, buy and download it wirelessly to your iPod touch from anywhere over Wi-Fi, and start using it right away.

Update Apps iPod touch tells you whenever an app update is available, so you'll always have the latest versions of your favorite apps.

iTunes Discover and download new music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks with iTunes on your iPod touch.

Shop Anytime, Anywhere The built-in Wi-Fi capability in iPod touch gives you access to the iTunes Store, where you can choose from millions of high-quality iTunes Plus songs and thousands of movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and free podcasts and iTunes U lectures. Browse New Releases, Top Tens, and Genres. Or find exactly what you're looking for by typing in a quick search. Play a preview of any song or video, then tap once to buy it. Not sure if that movie is worth owning? Just rent it. Everything you buy on iPod touch is the same price you pay on the iTunes Store on your computer.

Sync with iTunes When you connect iPod touch to your computer, the music, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and podcasts you downloaded on the go sync to your iTunes library on your Mac or PC. If you've partially downloaded something on iPod touch, your computer completes the download automatically.

Voice Control Voice Control on the new 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch gives you the ability to control music playback with spoken commands. You say it. iPod touch plays it. And shuffles it, pauses it, or names it.

Say and Play Voice Control knows the music in your iPod touch. Want to hear something specific? All you have to do is ask. For instance, say "Play artist Bob Dylan," and iPod touch does just that. Ask what song is playing and hear iPod touch answer. Tell it to play your favorite album, artist, or playlist. Speak simple commands such as "shuffle," "next song," and "pause." Even have iPod touch play more songs like the one you're listening to.

Speak into the Mic The new 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch come with the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic. So you can reap the benefits (and the fun) of Voice Control even when your iPod touch is tucked in your pocket or bag. To activate Voice Control using the headphones, just press and hold the center area of the remote that is built in to the cord of the headphones (see image at left).

Language Support Voice Control features support for the following languages: Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Dutch, English (UK), English (US), Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), Swedish

Photos With storage for up to 90,000 of your favorite photos, iPod touch lets you flick through and share all those remember-that-day moments.

Share Photos Show thousands of photos from the palm of your hand. Flick to scroll through thumbnails. Tap to view full screen. Play slideshows, complete with music and transitions. Email a photo to a friend or share it in a MobileMe Gallery.

Save Photos If you receive a great image in an email, save it to your photo library on iPod touch. Once there, it acts just like any other photo. You can set it as your wallpaper, share it on the web, or pass it on.

Sync Photos iPod touch uses iTunes to sync photos you have in iPhoto on a Mac or in Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop Album on a PC. Just choose which photos or albums to sync to your iPod touch, then you can look at them--and share them--anywhere you go.

Home Screen Maybe you want Maps as the first app in the second row. Or Mail down in the Dock. Whatever the arrangement, make iPod touch your own with customized Home screens.

Customize Your Home Screen Arrange the icons on your Home screen any way you want right on iPod touch or from your computer using iTunes 9. Move an app one row up, two apps over, or even to another Home screen. Create up to 11 Home screens for quick access to the games and applications you download from the App Store and to your Safari web clips.

Home Button No matter where you are on iPod touch, one press of the Home button at the bottom of iPod touch takes you to the main Home screen. You can also take a shortcut from any Home screen back to your main Home screen by pressing the Home button.

Spotlight Search Looking for something? Search the entire contents of your iPod touch, all from one place. On your main Home screen, just swipe to the right to bring up Spotlight. Once you start typing, Spotlight begins searching all of your music, videos, contacts, email, calendars, notes, and even your audiobooks and podcasts.

Add Apps and Web Clips Whenever you download an application from the App Store, a new icon appears on your Home screen. And if you check the same websites every day, just create web clips. They appear on your Home screen, and you can access the sites directly with a single tap.

Safari iPod touch features Safari, the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device. See the web in your hands the same way you see it on a computer. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection.

Browse Anywhere iPod touch is the only iPod with built-in wireless access to the web. Whenever you're connected via Wi-Fi, you can access your favorite websites to read news, check scores, pay bills, and go shopping. And if you're using the new 32 GB or 64 GB iPod touch, you'll notice that web pages load even faster than before.

Search the Web iPod touch syncs your bookmarks from your PC or Mac, so you can access your favorite sites quickly. It has Google and Yahoo! search built in, so it's easy to find what you're looking for on the web.

Web Clips If you check a website frequently--a favorite newspaper, blog, or sports site--why not create a Home screen icon, or web clip, for it? Make web clips with Safari, and your favorite sites are always just a tap away.

Zoom Get a closer look at any web page by zooming in and out with a tap or a pinch of the Multi-Touch display. View websites in portrait or landscape. Rotate iPod touch 90 degrees and the web page rotates, too.

Mail Email on iPod touch looks and works just like email on your computer. And it works with the email accounts you already have.

View Messages and Attachments iPod touch supports rich HTML email, so images and photos appear alongside text. And you see email attachments in their original formats, not stripped-down versions. Rotate, zoom, and pan in more than a dozen standard file and image formats, including PDF; Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and iWork.

Access All Your Accounts Access your email from popular providers--including MobileMe, Google Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL--and most industry-standard IMAP and POP mail systems.

Compose Instantly iPod touch recognizes email addresses in different applications. If you run across an email address on a web page or a map listing, for example, just tap it and iPod touch opens a new message and addresses it for you.

Type Smart With its built-in dictionary,* the intelligent iPod touch keyboard predicts and suggests words as you type, making it fast and easy to write email. And when you rotate iPod touch on its side, the keyboard instantly switches from portrait to landscape for larger keys and more room to type.

Search Your Inbox No need to scroll through message after message in your inbox looking for the right one. A quick downward flick brings up a search field that lets you find email by sender, recipient, subject, or all headers.

Maps Find your way and a place to eat. With Maps and a Wi-Fi connection, you can get directions, find local businesses, and check traffic.

Find Yourself iPod touch finds your location using known Wi-Fi hotspots. It also finds points of interest by keyword: Search for "coffee" and iPod touch shows you cafes nearby.

Get Directions Just type in an address and get directions from wherever you are. Choose the method of transportation--car, public transit, or on foot--and view a list of turn-by-turn directions. See a highlighted map route with estimated travel time. You can also mark specific locations and find the best route between them.

Switch Map Views Just like Google Maps on your computer, Maps on iPod touch lets you switch between views of Google map data, satellite images, and a hybrid of both. Multi-Touch makes the difference. Tap to zoom, pan, and change your view on the move.

See Traffic Maps on iPod touch shows you live traffic information, indicating traffic speed along your route in easy-to-read green, red, and yellow highlights.

YouTube Skateboarding moves gone wrong. Hilarious commercials from another country. Whatever the video, iPod touch has your YouTube addiction covered.

Share from Anywhere Email your favorite videos to your favorite people. Tap Share on any YouTube video detail page and iPod touch creates an email with the video link already in it.

Search YouTube Explore Featured, Most Viewed, Most Recent, and Top Rated videos. Or search for the video you want using a keyword search. Once you find what you're looking for, bookmark it to watch later.

Nike + iPod Compatibility Rock out your workout. iPod touch has built-in support for Nike + iPod. It's music and motivation rolled into one.

Tune Your Run iPod touch includes built-in Nike + iPod support. Just slip the Nike + iPod Sensor (available separately) into your Nike+ shoe and start your run. The sensor communicates wirelessly with your iPod touch, tracking your time, distance, and calories burned. It even gives you voice feedback on your progress.

Tune Your Cardio Workout This feature also works with new cardio equipment available in many fitness centers. Just look for Nike + iPod compatible treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and stationary bikes.

Sync with nikeplus.com When you get back to your computer, sync your iPod touch with iTunes and transfer your exercise data to nikeplus.com, where you can track your workouts, set goals, and challenge friends.

Voice Memos You might have a good memory. But sometimes, it's nice to have a backup. With Voice Memos, you can record little (and big) bits of information to your iPod touch.

Record Memos (or Any Audio) Record a simple to-do, your next big idea, or a bet between you and your friend. With Voice Memos, you can record any audio you want using the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic or an external mic. Voice Memos will record even when you're using your iPod touch to do things such as checking email or surfing the web.

Edit Memos You can trim recorded memos right on iPod touch. That way, you keep only what you need.

Manage Memos Keep all your memos organized by choosing labels from a predefined list or by creating custom labels.

Share Memos Send memos to your friends and colleagues via email. Memos you record on iPod touch sync back to your Mac or PC via iTunes, so you can share them later.



More Features iPod touch comes with the latest software already installed. And you also get convenient apps including Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Stocks, and Weather.
iPhone 3.1 Software Features

Genius Mixes This new feature acts as your personal DJ, searching your iTunes library to find songs that go great together, then organizing them into mixes you'll love. All automatically.

Genius Recommendations for Apps With thousands of apps in the App Store, how do you find cool new ones? Let Genius help. It looks at the apps you're using and recommends others you might like.

Peer-to-Peer Gaming Play the latest head-to-head games with a friend--whether your friend is sitting next to you or across the country.

Buy Movies, TV Shows, and Audiobooks via Wi-Fi Download movies, TV shows, music videos, and audiobooks over Wi-Fi from the iTunes Store on iPod touch.

Landscape Keyboard Want more room to type? Rotate iPod touch to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Notes, and Safari.

Cut, Copy & Paste Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications. Copy and paste images and content from the web, too.

Spotlight Search Find what you're looking for across your iPod touch, all from one convenient place. Spotlight searches all your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as your music and video.

Automatic Wi-Fi Login Log in to a Wi-Fi hotspot and iPod touch remembers your user name and password the next time you connect.

Accessibility The new iPod touch comes with standard accessibility features that help people with disabilities experience the fun of iPod touch.

Stereo Bluetooth Enjoy music and other audio wirelessly. Pair your iPod touch with compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones.

Shake to Shuffle Just give your iPod touch a shake, and it shuffles to a different song in your music library. You'll always be surprised by what you hear.

Parental Controls Decide what music, videos, and apps your kids can access.

iPod touch also includes these useful apps:

Calendar Calendar works with Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft Outlook, iCal, MobileMe, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for enterprise. Add events. Set reminder alerts. Subscribe to calendars for things such as national holidays and sports schedules.

Contacts Put names, email addresses, phone numbers, and more at your fingertips. Sync contacts on your Mac or PC to iPod touch using iTunes. Add new contacts on the go with a tap.

Notes Forget the pen and paper. Use Notes on iPod touch to write yourself a quick note and keep important information on hand. A built-in email function lets you send notes to yourself or others.

Stocks Stocks on iPod touch shows you performance information for any stock you choose. When you want more details about a stock's performance, tap the Y! for instant access to Yahoo! Finance.

Weather Check worldwide weather at home or away. Add the cities you want, then flick back and forth to get six-day forecasts for each. Tap the Y! to open a Yahoo! city guide that shows you what's happening, rain or shine.

Calculator Calculator on iPod touch does double duty. In portrait mode, you can use Calculator for simple calculations. Rotate iPod touch to landscape, and it becomes a sophisticated scientific calculator.



iPod touch Technology Pioneering hardware technology built into iPod touch is how you're able to flick, tap, and pinch. It's what makes that racing game feel so real. It's why you're able to tweet what you just overheard in the cafe. And it's the reason iPod touch is the most amazing iPod you'll ever own.
Multi-Touch The Multi-Touch display layers a protective shield over a capacitive panel that senses your touch using electrical fields. It then transmits that information to the LCD screen below it. So you can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flick through photos and enlarge them with a pinch, zoom in and out on a section of a web page, and control game elements precisely.

Accelerometer The accelerometer inside iPod touch allows it to detect when you rotate iPod touch from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display. The accelerometer really shines when you play games, because it immerses you in the action. It's perfect for racing games, where your entire iPod touch acts as a steering wheel, and for tap-and-tilt games such as Rolando, in which your movements control the action.

Wireless iPod touch has built-in support for 802.11b/g wireless technology. That means you can get online anywhere there's Wi-Fi. Send email from a coffee shop. Surf the web at the airport. Shop for games from your couch. Browse, buy, and download music and more from the iTunes Store. iPod touch locates nearby wireless hotspots, including protected networks. If you've never used a particular network, Wireless Icon it asks you to enter a password the first time, and it remembers the password from then on. So the next time you're within range, it connects automatically.

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a form of wireless technology that lets you use devices without the hassle of cables or wires. What does that mean for iPod touch? It means you can use iPod touch with Bluetooth headphones and listen to your music no matter where in the room your iPod touch is. So lounge on your bed, while your iPod touch charges on your desk. Bluetooth on iPod touch is also great for peer-to-peer gaming.

Design iPod touch is as remarkable outside as it is inside. Holding one is all the proof you need. With its curved design, iPod touch is a mere 8.5 mm thin. Its optical glass front and polished stainless steel back feel sleek and smooth in your hand. Turn it on, and instantly you're impressed by the brilliant 3.5-inch display. iPod touch is the perfect combination of stunning design and revolutionary technology--the total, beautiful package.



Read Kindle Books on the iPod touch
No Kindle required.
Get the best reading experience available on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you.
Automatically synchronizes your last page read between devices with Amazon Whispersync.
Adjust the text size, add bookmarks, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle.
Don't have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Shop for Books on the Kindle Store on Your iPod touch

Buy a book from the Kindle Store, optimized for Safari, on your iPod touch or iPhone and get it auto-delivered wirelessly.
Search and browse more than 400,000 books, including more than 103 of 112 New York Times bestsellers.
Find New York Times bestsellers and new releases for $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
Get free book samples; read the first chapter for free before you decide to buy.
Books you purchase also can be read on a Kindle.
Kindle newspapers, magazines, and blogs are not currently available on the iPod touch or iPhone.
Kindle for iPhone is currently available for customers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of, Mexico, Moldova, Republic Of, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam



What's in the Box Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation), Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic, USB 2.0 cable, Dock adapter, Quick Start guide

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3/31/2012

D-Lux Black Leather IPad Folio Case With Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard (Laptop Style Keys) Review

D-Lux Black Leather IPad Folio Case With Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard (Laptop Style Keys)
Average Reviews:

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4 days after receiving this product I found that several of the keys did not work properly; namely the Delete key, the T and Y keys. They would only work intermittently and it wasn't clear what actually caused them to work or stop working. My guess is a faulty connection within the keyboard itself. Which makes me think that many of these "keyboards in a case" may suffer from the same problem: namely that the keyboard is necessarily so thin that it is prone to these kinds of errors. This particular keyboard was expensive: approx. $114, so you would expect a reliable product, which in this instance was not the case. The concept is great, but I won't take another chance on one of these keyboards. I've returned the product to Amazon for a refund. Thank goodness for the Amazon return policy. Very easy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Lux Black Leather IPad Folio Case With Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard (Laptop Style Keys)



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3/20/2012

Jawbone ERA Headset (Silver Lining) Review

Jawbone ERA Headset (Silver Lining)
Average Reviews:

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I have used more bluetooth headsets than I can count from a range of manufacturers. Jawbone typically proved the most frustrating: excellent technology, good controls, and brilliant packaging marred by heavy weight, large size, use of proprietary chargers, poor fit, and weak sound. Over time, as the already incredible noise-canceling technology improved, the size and weight decreased, and output volume increased, leading to the small, featherweight Icon. The Icon also saw the first use by Jawbone of the micro-USB standard for mobile device charging. Sadly, the Icon still suffered from an unstable fit and tinny sound.
Enter the Era, and at last, Jawbone has reached perfection (almost). Most on-line reviews will gush over Jawbone's ability to pack a larger, fuller-spectrum speaker into the same-size housing, and it's true: it is louder, and voices sound more natural, now that they have the "warmth" lacking from the Icon. What they don't tell you is that the eartips are much improved. First, there are four of them now, not just three; what was the Icon's largest one, is now the second-largest packed in the Era's box. Interestingly, the second-largest eartip for the Era is also slightly larger than the Icon's largest, leading to - at last! - a stable, secure fit. One that also remains fairly comfortable for extended periods of time.
One will also read much about the built-in accelerometer. While it seems a bit gimicky, I have to admit, the "tap-tap" to answer and end calls is actually pretty slick. I can't wait to see what other control-ability Jawbone will devise for the Era in time.
Which is one more point you don't find in on-line reviews: through Jawbone's MyTalk site, not only do the Voices and DialApps continue from the Icon, but you can now adjust nearly a dozen of the Era's settings there, too. For example, I disabled the "double shake-shake" pairing function (still accessible via the multifunction button), and changed the button-hold behavior from volume adjustment to Noise Assassin dis-/en-abling. Very cool.
There are just two issues, both minor and not nearly worth the loss of 1 star. An extremely minor nit is the eartip design. I don't understand why no one uses the excellent design of the Plantronics Discovery 640 or Jabra EarGels, which fit more easily, naturally, and comfortably, and guarantee the proper pointing of the headset at the user's mouth. The other issue is Jawbone's insistence on including only one stupidly short USB charging cable. Yes, you can use your own USB/micro-USB one, or buy Jawbone's $15 "cable kit" (which includes a 5' cable and an additional 3" one). But given the $130 price tag and the inclusion of an A/C wall charger (aren't most outlets on or near the floor?), why not include the 5' cable as well?
The best headset I ever had to this point was the Jabra JX10, but now it is second-best - by a long shot - to the Jawbone Era. The fun starts with the very cool and eco-friendly box, and goes from there.
PS: My phone is an iPhone 3GS, for those that may be wondering, and both mono and stereo sound work flawlessly


Click Here to see more reviews about: Jawbone ERA Headset (Silver Lining)

Meet Jawbone ERA, the world's First Intelligent Motion Equipped Headset. Specifications: Talk Time: Up to 5.5 hours Standby Time: Up to 10 days Charge Time: 30 minutes (80%);60 minutes (full) Wireless Range: 33ft (10M) Bluetooth: 2.1+EDR, HSP 1.4

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3/17/2012

Samsung Infuse 4G Android Phone (AT&T) Review

Samsung Infuse 4G Android Phone (ATandT)
Average Reviews:

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You are going to hear a lot of opinions on how this phone isn't dual core, isn't the Galaxy S II, too big, blah blah blah. Unless you simply must have the "next generation" phone this fall, if you are looking for the BEST AT&T Android phone, the Samsung Infuse is it.
On paper, I didn't upgrade by much...I already had the pretty good Samsung Captivate. But after a few minutes with the Infuse, I could already tell this was a great phone. The performance is so snappy and quick. I don't have official benchmarks but for instance, I am a heavy Google Reader user. On the Captivate, when I would choose "Mark All Previous Read", it would take, on average, 10 seconds. Now, it is about 1 second. This is on both Wi-Fi and "4G". App loading and closing is also much faster. I did have my home menu in a long "spinning symbol" after running some apps and I even rebooted but it has since not returned.
The screen is absolutely beautiful. Bight, big and sharp. The screen size was the selling point for me and it feels good in your hand. Slightly larger feeling but I expected it to feel much bigger.
Multimedia is also a joy to use on this phone. The front facing camera is a nice addition and I like having the flash on the 8MP camera on the back. We did try a Tango video call and never could get it to work right. If we weren't sideways, then it wasn't displaying correctly. Someone needs to make a definitive video chat client for Android.
To me, this phone is ready for the future. Even with dual core processors out there, this phone should do you for at least the terms of a 2 year contract, if not longer. If you simply can't wait for the fall lineup of phones, this is an excellent choice.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung Infuse 4G Android Phone (AT&T)


Redefining the premium multimedia experience via the thinnest, biggest, and brightest smartphone yet from Samsung, the Infuse 4G connects to AT&T's ultra-fast 4G mobile broadband network and features a brilliant 4.5-inch screen with next-generation Super AMOLED Plus technology. Powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and the Android 2.2 platform, the Infuse 4G also comes pre-loaded with a version of Angry Birds with an exclusive hidden level plus a $25 credit to download movie content from Samsung Media Hub (available to the first 500,000 Infuse 4G units sold).

With AT&T's 4G network, you'll enjoy mobile broadband speeds up to 4x faster than AT&T's already fast mobile broadband network (learn more below). You also get the AT&T Mobile Hotspot service built right into the smartphone--enabling you to connect additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the phone's mobile broadband signal (requires appropriate data plan).

The Infuse 4G includes an 8-megapixel camera/camcorder with auto-focus and flash that shoots HD 720p video with incredible detail, and a front facing camera is perfect for self portraits or video chat. With Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, you'll be able to connect to home and office networks using the latest technology for super speedy downloads.

Other features include GPS for navigation and location-based services, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, 16 GB internal memory, an included 2 GB microSD memory card, wide compatibility with music and video files, HTML web browser with support for Adobe Flash, access to personal and corporate e-mail, HDMI connectivity (via microUSB port), and up to 8.8 hours of talk time.

Mobile Entertainment
Samsung's Media Hub enables you to rent or purchase movies and TV shows within seconds watch from the convenience of anywhere. With Media Hub's progressive downloading feature, you can start watching your content almost immediately as the rest of the file downloads to the Infuse 4G. Plus, all Media Hub content can be shared among five Media Hub-enabled devices on the same account. And the first 500,000 Infuse 4G units sold will include a $25 voucher for consumers to get started on downloading content from Media Hub.

In collaboration with Rovio, the Infuse 4G is pre-loaded with a special edition of Angry Birds. Players can unlock a special "Golden Egg" level of the game, and once the special level is completed, you can register to win Samsung prizes exclusive to Infuse 4G users.

The Infuse 4G is also compatible with the U-verse Mobile and U-verse Live TV services (additional charges applicable). Additionally, the included 2 GB microSD card with preloaded trailers for upcoming summer movies.

Get Social
Keep tabs on the people that matter most in your life with AT&T's JustUs app for Android. The app combines both social media and text activity from five favorite contacts into an animated wallpaper that appear right on your home screen (see example). You'll see messages, photos and updates from your friends' Facebook and Twitter feeds. You can download the app for free via the Android Market.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Infuse 4G weighs 4.9 ounces and measures 5.15 x 2.77 x 0.36 inches. Its 1750 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 8.8 hours of talk time, and up to 400 hours (16+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T's dual-band 4G network (850/1900/2100 MHz; HSPA+/HSDPA/UMTS).

What's in the Box
Infuse 4G handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD card, wired stereo headset, USB cable, MHL adapter for HDMI output, quick start guide

Android Operating System
The Infuse 4G runs the latest Android operating system--OS 2.2 (aka, Froyo)--which provides a faster overall Android experience as well as greater multitasking capabilities. You'll be able to receive notifications, listen to music, and even record GPS data without keeping the application open. And it features a plethora of new enhancements, including an improved onscreen QWERTY keyboard, full push corporate e-mail, and support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 for access to the full Web. It also offers enhanced Exchange support, with Calendar syncing, Global Address Lookup, improved security, auto-discovery, and more.

With integrated Google technology, the Infuse 4G brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, GTalk instant messaging (with presence capabilities), YouTube, and Picasa. The Infuse 4G also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you'll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets, and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.

Swype Keyboard
An alternative to the Android virtual keyboard, the Swype virtual keyboard allows you to input text by swiping the finger with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard. Based on testing, speed and accuracy are equal to or better than the traditional keyboard-tapping method. You can activate the Swype keyboard by pressing and holding in a text field, wait for popup to appear, click Input Method, and then select Swype.

In the image to the right, the word "quick" was generated from tracing the path shown above in a fraction of a second, by roughly aiming to pass through the letters of the word. A key advantage to Swype is that there is no need to be very accurate, enabling very rapid text entry.

AT&T 4G Network
This phone runs on AT&T's dual-band 850/1900 MHz 4G network (UMTS/HSDPA/HSPA+), and with HSPA+ you'll experience mobile data speeds up to 4x faster than ordinary mobile broadband--up to approximately 6 Mbps (download). AT&T has deployed HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of its mobile broadband network, which enables 4G speeds when combined with enhanced backhaul (via Ethernet or fiber).

Backhaul is one of the major pieces of a telecommunications network. Think of it as the limbs connecting AT&T's cell towers with AT&T's backbone network that provides access to the Internet.

Coming later in 2011, AT&T will deliver a second layer of 4G network called LTE (Long Term Evolution) that is even faster than HSPA+ speeds.

In areas where either AT&T's 3G or 4G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways.

Note: AT&T's 4G mobile broadband coverage is not available in all areas. 4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul; availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment.

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2/24/2012

Fujitsu LifeBook U820 Mini-Notebook Review

Fujitsu LifeBook U820 Mini-Notebook
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I love this little gem, but it's certainly not for everyone. First, let's talk about the basics. This is an ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) and not a netbook. They're different, though often confused because they are both smaller than regular laptops. The main difference with a UMPC is that it's a touch-screen device, so this is not only a tiny laptop, it's a tiny tablet PC. And that's what you should be thinking about first if you are considering this. If you just want to surf the Net on a small little notebook while sitting on the couch, then get a netbook. Their screens are larger, their keyboards are larger and they're very well-suited to that task.
If, however, you are looking for something to use as a tiny, and less expensive, tablet PC -- taking handwritten notes, freeform drawing, interacting with your screen with a stylus, etc. -- then this is a great option. For me, it's the perfect size and form factor for what I wanted out of it... a travel laptop that takes up almost no space, and a notetaker to carry to meetings in place of a paper notepad or a PDA.
You can read the specs for yourself, so let me talk about the things I wondered before getting it as that's where I think these reviews are really helpful.
Size. It's smaller than you think from looking at the pictures. The distance from the heel of my palm to the ends of my fingers is longer than this in both dimensions. That's good from a portability standpoint, but does have implications for the screen.
Screen. With a resolution of 1280x800 on a 5.6" screen, it makes a gorgeous, sharp and crisp image, but the letters in Windows are very small. I had to increase my system fonts to a custom size of 136dpi to keep from having to squint too hard. I'm 51 and my close vision isn't what it used to be. With those settings, the dialogs are small, but fine, though there are some programs whose dialogs end up overwriting some of the letters. Fujitsu built-in a zoom utility, activated by one of the buttons, that will let you see the screen if something is just too small. It works, but certainly isn't the same as just seeing something well in the first place. Still, it's all workable. In a perfect world, I would take this exact same computer with a 7-8" screen, but such systems cost over twice as much and it's not worth the difference to me.
Speed. You have to wonder with a 1.6 GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM under Vista how fast this thing will be. Well, the answer is not fast, but fast enough. Remember, this isn't your main computer and it's not for big-time number crunching or game playing. It's a companion for travel and notetaking, etc. It did tend originally to spend way too much time grinding away at the HDD. That's Vista. So I went to some UMPC enthusiast sites and found lists of things to turn off to speed it up (indexing, Windows Defender, etc.). That has helped a lot and it's really quite responsive now... not as fast as my desktop or large laptop, but perfectly fine for what I ask of it. I will probably put Windows 7 on here as soon as it's released as the word is that it's much faster than Vista. Some people on forums have gone back to XP, but then you have driver issues, some features don't work and you get a lesser tablet experience.
Battery life. It's everything they claim. I haven't actually run tests, per se, but I am easily getting 5 hours while set on high performance (poorest battery life) mode. In low power mode (a built-in setting that turns off wireless radios, CF/SD slots, etc.), it was right on track to last 8 hours, though I haven't ever actually asked that of it. This is a huge difference versus the netbooks out there. They're all still getting laptop-like 2-3 hour battery runs. It comes with a 4-cell battery; that's what's sticking out the back in the images. You can also order a 2-cell if you want the battery flush, but I actually find that the battery is the best 'handle' for this little computer. It's the easiest and most secure part to pick it up by, so I don't think I'd want the small battery.
Connectivity. This is a real strong-point. It came with 802.11b/g/n wi-fi and bluetooth 2.0. You can order a version with an AT&T wireless cell phone card built-in, but I didn't. AT&T doesn't do well in my area, and I wouldn't want another cell phone account anyway, plus it's dead easy to use my Windows Mobile 3G smartphone as a modem for this when I'm not in wi-fi range. About two clicks on each device and it's online.
Build quality is excellent. For all that it's a small little thing, it has a very solid feel. It's well fitted and finished with a shiny piano-black top. Of course, the top is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but it's still quite nice when it's clean. The tablet screen turns around a folds flat, so there's a tiny bit of play in the hinge, but nothing that you wouldn't expect given the function. You do want to be gentle as you turn it back and forth between the tablet and laptop modes, but that's just common sense for a screen that's attached by a single point.
Extras. Fujitsu has gone out of their way to add a wide variety of useful extras, but have left some opportunities behind. It has both an SD and CF slot. That's a plus, but a bit disappointing in the implementation. The SD slot is regular SD, not SDHC so you're limited to 2GB regular SD cards. That's a real letdown given how little extra it would have cost to bring that up-to-date. I've read some people question having the CF slot at all, but for those of us who travel with DSLR cameras, that's a very useful thing. It's a bit slow, though. There is only one USB port and it's really a pain sometimes not to have a second. However, if you make good use of the Bluetooth, you can find non-USB substitutes for things like mouses, leaving the USB port free for flash drives. (I got a nice MS Bluetooth Notebook Mouse from Amazon and it works like a charm.) The VGA and wired Ethernet both come out of a proprietary port on the front with a dongle sort of adaptor. I could live with the adaptor since those are not common things to need, but it's a terribly awkward place to put the port. The built-in stylus for the touchscreen is terrible. Since taking notes is a major part of what I bought this for, I bought a separate regular-sized stylus pen to use in meetings. The built-in one is okay for light stuff if you're out and around, but plan to get a decent stylus.
Using it. Fujitsu envisions you holding this in both hands, using your thumbs both to use the pointing stick / mouse buttons and to type. The pointing stick and left/right mouse buttons work very nicely, but the thumb typing idea simply doesn't work. Your thumbs just don't bend that way. You'll need to either set it on a table or your lap to use the keyboard (though I've done a bit of one-finger while holding it with the other hand) or use it in tablet mode. I'm finding tablet mode to be more and more useful as I get used to it. The handwriting regonition is excellent and it's integration with One Note is superb. Another little plus in Vista that has come in handy for this is the built-in speech recognition. I don't use it all the time, but I've started using it to dictate emails when in tablet mode. It also comes with a fingerprint reader for logging on. The fingerprint reader will also keep track of web page logins, but I found that didn't work as well as I'd like so I only use the login feature. They thoughtfully built-in dedicated scroll keys and I use those all the time for scrolling through emails, web pages, eBooks, etc. The fingerprint reader will also scroll pages, but I like the dedicated keys better.
Improvements from the U810. I had found the U810 at a fantastic price of just under $600. (As I write this, it is over $800 in the Amazon Marketplace.) I almost got it, but then went ahead and paid the extra for the U820 and I'm glad I did. If you read of some those U810 reviews, you'll find people commenting on deficiencies in the keyboard. Well, it's still small (and so I do four-finger typing and still hit some wrong keys), but it has all the keys you'd want now... two shift keys, a separate tab key, arrow keys, etc. that the U810 lacked. The RAM is the same, but the processor is faster and supports hyperthreading. The U820 also adds a built-in GPS with Garmin's MobilePC maps for the US. It works quite well, though it's not as comfortable in your car to use a small laptop or tablet as to use a dedicated GPS unit. Where do you set it that you can see it easily? Still, if you don't have a dedicated GPS, this definitely does the job, but what it will probably do is end up convincing you that you want a dedicated GPS. Given the difference in prices between the U810 and U820 as I write this (a bit over $100), moving up to the U820 is a no-brainer. Since the U810 is discontinued, it's price will fall and you'll have to decide for yourself when the difference is worth it. For me, the U820 was the way to go. The money will be gone and forgotten soon, but the irritating quirks in the U810 keyboard will be with your for the life of the computer.
Overall impression. Listen, I totally understand that the need for somethig like this is a niche and that most people would probably be better off with a netbook with twice the screen at half the price. But once you understand what this is for, and if you need that, then it's one sweet little computer. I've used PDAs for many years and while they have been really useful, there have always been times that I had to agnoize over whether to pack the laptop for a trip (so I could run some Windows programs) or try to get by with just the PDA. I've travelled both ways and neither is completely satisfactory. This solves that problem as I have the small size of a PDA (okay, a bit bigger) with a full Windows computer. I'm not saying that I would want to...Read more›

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2/16/2012

Apple MacBook Pro MC026LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop Review

Apple MacBook Pro MC026LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop
Average Reviews:

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I'm not a gamer so this review may not be helpful to those who want a computer to play games.
I have worked as a professional software developer/architect for 17 years. I started with MSDOS 2.0 and have ridden the Microsoft wave all the way through Vista 64 and I had a few years with UNIX. I have personally owned or worked with computers from Dell, HP, Compaq, IBM. I have heard of Apple products but for the most part dismissed them as more toy than tool. (I was not alone in this perspective.) I like Microsoft but after working with it for the better part of 20 year I decided to look at something different.
I never thought I would purchase an Apple yet here it is. I am impressed to say the least and I see Apple as a serious tool that also makes a cool toy.
Pros:
Lightweight - Probably the lightest laptop I've ever worked with or owned
Solid - Normally when you get laptops at 15.4 or larger, chassis flex becomes evident as you can see them bend and they creak. Yet because of its single piece construction and light weight aluminum the MacBook feels good when you need to move it. I doesn't creak and there is no noticeable bend when lifted.
Battery Life - It just keeps going, and going, and going... Actually I am seeing up to 4 hours life on the fully charged battery. My previous computer never surpassed 1.75 hours.
Size - It is very thin and carrying it around is very comfortable. I had a 17" and while I like the large display its uncomfortable to carry like a book.
Magnetic Clasp - When closing the lid the owner is rewarded with a very solid thump instead of a "creak" "clack" that you hear from so many other laptops that use a plastic display and mechanical clasp. Opening the monitor is equally a pleasing. You place you thumb under the lip and lift. The laptop may slide a little on smooth surfaces but the lid comes up smooth and controlled.
Keyboard - This is a great piece of work. Does it have "Home", "Page Up", "Page Down", the legendary "Any" key? No. Doesn't need it. A little research and practice and you will find that these "missing" keys are functions of the keyboard and I don't miss them at all. Secondly the keyboard "key-float" (that rattle you hear when you lightly stroke your finger back and forth over a laptop keyboard) is almost completely non-existent. So when you're typing it doesn't sound like your wadding up crinkly plastic and you don't annoy your neighbors. The key throw is short but very pleasant. Another thing I like about the keyboard is that you don't feel like you will break the keyboard if your touch is a little heavy.
Display - The display is a work of art. No only does it look good, but flex has been reduced to almost nothing. It feels very solid and you don't feel you need to worry about tilting the screen from the corner. The glass cover over the LED lit LCD display is awesome. You can actually clean the screen without LCD screen colors distorting. Not to mention that is automatically dims in low light and the key board lights up in the same low light conditions. that's a nice touch. The display brightness is every bit as bright as my desktop LCD display in strong light.
Touch Pad - Any who has tried to use the touch pads on other computers (I hate them generally) will love this touch pad. It works like the iPhone (except scrolling is reversed for obvious reasons - you're not actually touching the screen). The touch is light and very smooth. Making the entire touch pad the button is brilliant, it took me almost no time to get use to it and now I nearly push a hole through the Dell touch pad before I realize I have to click the buttons. I have no trouble with inadvertent touch that moves my cursor away from where I'm typing.
Quiet - I have yet to hear the fans. It makes me wonder if they ever work.
DVD Superdrive - Finally! No cup holder comes sliding out of the side of my laptop. Just simply slide the disc in and your done. It operates like the CD player in a car. It is easy to eject from the screen or a key on the keyboard.
Fit and Finish - The best I've ever seen. The only thing I've seen is a very slight misalignment of the Express Card/34 slot door. But you really have to look close to see it.
Operating System - WOW. Fast, no anti-virus, stable: it just works. I won't get too much into the OS but I will say that once I understood how Apple likes things done OS X is very appealing. Not to mention that it sleeps and wakes up faster than anything I have ever worked with. Open the monitor and it's sitting there saying "come on, I'm tired of waiting for you".
Built-in Accelerometers - Not sure what they're good for, but they're cool. Like the iPhone the MacBook Pro has three accelerometers. There is an Stanford Laptop Orchestra uses MacBook Pros to make music using these accelerometers.
No Fresh Air Openings - I really dislike fresh air ports on the bottom of laptops. They are easily plugged and they suck fuzz and dust into the heat sinks. With my previous computers the fresh air ports were placed underneath the computer right where it sets on your legs. The result was you ran a big risk overheating the computer. The MacBook Pro pulls the cooling air through the keyboard and therefore has a smooth bottom making it far better to place on you lap.
CONS:
Chassis - While it is a brilliant piece of engineering there are a couple very minor issues.
One: Always pick the computer up with both hands. While this is true of all laptops you want to last, it's a little more important with this one. The metal around the ethernet port has been machined very thin which was necessary to fit the large jack in the rather narrow side of the laptop. So if you have the monitor open and grab the laptop with you left hand and your thumb over that jack you could dent the metal around it. It doesn't warp or twist the whole chassis, it's too strong but you could see a small indention in a otherwise straight piece of metal.
Two: The metal in the Battery/Hard Drive Cover is very thin and sometime appears to hang below lip of the chassis. You really have to look to see it and it isn't all the time. I don't think is is warped or bent, but just the natural flexibility of aluminum.
Touch Pad Click - While I absolutely love the touch pad (in fact I only use a mouse anymore when I am programming on it because of the nature of the software). If you try to click at the top of the pad (nearest the screen) the force required to click goes up quite a bit.
Price? - Not really a Con. Some have complained about the price. Three and half years ago I paid $5700 for a Dell 9100 laptop (All the bells and whistles, Window XP Pro, Office Pro, the works). It has been a great computer that has been put to pasture and my family uses it. I've only had two problems with it. The dreaded mexican jumping keys (a key flies off the keyboard after you press it down while typing; AKA broken key) Dell replaced the keyboard without any trouble and the hard drive crashed and needed to be replaced. The Dell computer when new cost more than twice the MacBook Pro does today and the only thing it has over the Mac (old age and technology not withstanding) is it's 1920 x 1200 pixel display compared to the Mac's 1440 x 900 display. If I were to order the most power 15.4 laptop Apple sells today, I would still pay half the price of the Dell and the Apple does much more and has better quality overall.
To summarize this is an accomplishment that the engineers, designers, and developers should feel proud. There is some room for improvement but these improvements are at a level that other laptops have to improve a great deal just to achieve Apple's shortcomings.
I could go on further but I think this is enough. Apple has truly developed a great product in both hardware and software and I recommend it highly.

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Redesigned with a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, the MacBook Pro is thinner and lighter than its predecessor as well as stronger and more durable. But Apple didn't stop innovating with the body's design. The MacBook Pro also includes a new 15-inch, LED-backlit glass display (instead of an LCD panel) and a glass trackpad that doesn't include a button (for larger tracking area) and features includes Apple's Multi-Touch technology.
Under the hood, the MacBook Pro is powered by a powerful 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (with 6 MB L2 cache and 1066 MHz front-side bus), which runs applications faster and more efficiently as well as helps to reduce power requirements and save on battery life. And the MacBook Pro includes two video processors for ultimate flexibility: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics for great everyday performance and NVIDIA 9600M GT discrete graphics for fast, smooth video--perfect for 3D gaming.
It's pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system, which enables easy backup of your most important data via Time Machine, a redesigned desktop that helps eliminate clutter. It also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications--including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes--and the newest version of the fast-loading Safari web browser. Other hardware features include a 320 GB hard drive, 4 GB of installed RAM (maximum capacity), an 8x combo Superdrive (for burning dual-layer DVDs as well as CDs), built-in Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), FireWire 800 port, Mini DisplayPort video output (for DVI and VGA connections), and an ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot for expansion solutions such as 3G wireless networking.
The New MacBook Pro Design Traditionally notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the new MacBook all of those parts with just one part--the breakthrough unibody enclosure. Every MacBook Pro starts its life as a single block of aluminum, which is precisely machined into the basic unibody design. Another pass and the unibody takes shape. Another, and the integrated keyboard emerges. When you pick up a new MacBook Pro, you immediately notice the entire enclosure is thinner and lighter. And it feels strong and durable--perfect for life inside (and outside) your briefcase or backpack.

The standard aluminum electro-static trackpad has been replaced with a new glass Multi-Touch trackpad, which provides 40 percent more tracking area than before. Use two fingers to scroll up and down a page. Pinch to zoom in and out. Rotate an image with your fingertips. Swipe with three fingers to flip through your photo libraries. Swipe with four fingers to show your desktop, view all open windows, or switch applications. The entire trackpad surface is also a button, allowing you to both track and click virtually anywhere on the trackpad. And you can easily enable multiple virtual buttons in software, such as right-clicking.
The keyboard has also been improved, with the rigid aluminum keyboard webbing cut precisely to hold the keys, which are curved to perfectly fit fingers. And it's illuminated, so when you're in low-light settings, such as airplanes or conference rooms, you can always see what you're typing.
The 15-inch display is made of edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass for a smooth, seamless surface and features LED backlighting for brilliant instant-on performance that uses up to 30 percent less energy than its predecessor. The ultra-thin displays provide crisp images and vivid colors which are ideal for viewing photos and movies
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Experience improved energy efficiency, expanded wireless connectivity, and amazing battery life with the 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which has a super-fast 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and an extra-large 6 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
The new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--conserves even more energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet. With 6 MB of shared L2 cache, data and instructions can be kept close to the two processor cores, greatly increasing performance and allowing the entire system to work more efficiently. And, because the processor cores share the L2 cache, either can use the entire amount if the other happens to be idle.
Video Processing & Output The new MacBook Pro combines the efficiency of an integrated graphics processor with the desktop-class performance of a discrete graphics processor thanks to the inclusion of both. Out of the box, it runs the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M processor, which provides plenty of performance for everyday use with up to 5 hours of battery life. But when you need turbocharged performance for the most graphically intensive tasks, the discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT processor delivers--such as for demanding 3D games like Quake, Call of Duty, and Spore. And thanks to a new graphics architecture, it's easy to switch between these two processors. The 9400M graphics processor shares 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM with main memory, while the 9600M provides 512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 video memory.
The MacBook Pro includes a next generation Mini DisplayPort, which delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is ultra-compact at just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector, and is compatible with Apple's 24-inch Cinema Display. Adapters are also available for using VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays
Hard Drive and Memory The 320 GB Serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0. The 4 GB of PC3-8500 DDR2 RAM (two SO-DIMMs of 1024 MB) has an industry-leading 1066 MHz speed, and it maximizes capacity for this notebook.
Wireless Connectivity The built-in 802.11n wireless networking provides up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g, but it's also backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g routers, enabling you to communicate with the a wide variety of Wi-Fi resources. It works seamlessly with the new AirPort Extreme with 802.11n. Use the built-in Bluetooth wireless technology to connect to your PDA or cell phone, synchronize addresses, or download pictures from your cell phone. You can also use a wireless headset for iChat audio chats and VoIP calls as well as quickly share files with a colleague.
Video Conferencing with Built-in iSight Artfully placed in the glass display is an iSight camera, which enables easy video conferencing as well as allows you to snap pictures of yourself and create video podcasts. Using the iChat AV application, video conferencing is integrated into your iChat buddy list, so initiating a video conference is a breeze. iChat also lets you hold audio chats with up to 10 people and provides high-quality audio compression and full-duplex sound so conversation can flow naturally. For video podcasting, you can record a short clip using the iSight camera, then use iWeb to create a video blog entry or post your GarageBand-recorded podcast.
Other Features
Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800, ExpressCard/34 slot
Mini DisplayPort compatible with DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI connectors (all optional)
8x slot-loading SuperDrive with the following write speeds: 8x DVD±R; 4x DVD±R DL (double layer); 4x DVD±RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW
Built-in full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement)
Internal omnidirectional microphone and built-in speakers
Combined optical digital output/headphone out (minijack)
Combined optical digital input/audio line in (minijack)
50-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery providing up to 5 hours of battery life using 9400M graphics (up to 4 hours using 9600M graphics)
Kensington lock slot
Measures 14.35 x 9.82 x 0.95 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 5.5 pounds (including battery)


Environmental Considerations The entire new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and RoHS environmental standards, and leads the industry in the elimination of toxic chemicals by containing no brominated flame retardants, using only PVC-free internal cables and components, and using energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass.
Preloaded with Leopard and iLife '09 The biggest Mac OS X upgrade ever, the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system features over 300 new features, including:
Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac
A redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs
Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application
Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them
A brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock
Major enhancements to Mail and iChat
Leopard's new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, a new way to organize files for quick and easy access with just one click. Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop, and you can instantly fan the contents of this and other Stacks into an elegant arc right from the Dock. The updated Finder includes Cover Flow and a new sidebar with a dramatically simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network.
Time Machine lets you easily back up all of the data on your Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac. In the event a file is lost, you can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file.
It also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications that make it easy to live the digital life. Use iPhoto to share entire high-res photo albums with anyone who's got an email address. Record your own songs and podcasts with GarageBand. Break into indie filmmaking with iMovie and iDVD. Then take all the stuff you made on your MacBook and share it on the web in one click with iWeb.
Included Software Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
iLife '09 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)
Certified Frustration-Free Packaging Amazon.com has certified this product is Frustration Free. A Frustration-Free Package is easy-to-open and comes without hard plastic "clamshell" casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It's designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging during shipping. Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without the need for an additional shipping box. Learn more about Frustration-Free Packaging.
What's in the Box MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, lithium-polymer battery, 85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

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