Kindle DX

Kindle DX

Bigger is not always better. Although Amazon has added some new features to it’s over-sized Kindle, I found several things that I didn’t like about it. Most noticeably is the fact that it is not as easy to handle as the smaller Kindle 2. Second (which may be first to many), it is very expensive. Third, it has a really crummy keyboard that’s difficult to use and even harder to see the letters on. Here’s a chart that compares the Kindle DX to the Kindle 2.

Everything that was great about the Kindle 2 is still great in the Kindle DX. The device is sleek, thin, and attractive. The Amazon’s Whispernet service allows you to download books (and browse the Internet) over the Sprint cellular network without any monthly fee. The screen is bright, clear, and easy-to-read. It has excellent battery life. You can make the text larger or smaller. There is a speech-to-text option that can read the text to you. You can play music while you read. There are over 300,000 books and periodicals available in the Kindle Store.

Although the larger screen is great and it requires less page turning, the device itself must be held with two hands and is a bit heavy for extended reading. Where the Kindle 2 could be handled and read like a paperback book, I found the DX gave a whole different feel.

The DX does have native support for PDFs and you can turn it to read the text horizontally as well as vertically. Yet the auto-turn mechanism is a bit too touchy and it often turns when you don’t want it to.

Amazon has lowered the price of the smaller Kindle 2 to $299 while the DX is $489. Even $299 is expensive for an ebook device. I can buy a whole netbook computer for that price. As you know, I am usually the first one to fall in love with a new device, but if I were to purchase a Kindle right now, I would go for the Kindle 2 rather than the pricer DX. Here are my pros and cons of the Kindle DX:

Pros

• Excellent design
• Large screen
• Less page turning necessary
• Good  battery life
• No monthly fees for wireless
• Excellent text quality
• Large library of content
• Good in bright light
• Easy to buy books, magazines and newspapers
• Speakers and headphone jack for audio
• Compatible with PCs and Macs
• Can be used without a computer
• Native support for PDFs
• Useful text-to-speech feature

Cons

• Very expensive
• Not as portable as the Kindle 2 with 6” screen
• Very poor keyboard
• Grayscale only. No color.
• You cannot change the size of the type in the Kindle Store
• Stiff scroll button
• Somewhat heavy and slightly awkward for lengthy reading
• No zoom for PDFs

You can read my detailed review of the Kindle DX with pictures on HardwareSecrets.com.

The BlackBerry Storm is BlackBerry’s answer to the iPhone — a touch screen smart phone. Although it is a viable option for business users, anyone who has had a previous BlackBerry will miss the keypad. This phone has some called SurePress. When you press a key or icon on the Storm’s screen you feel an actual sensation. There is a subtle click as if you were actually pressing a key. This gives you a reassuring confirmation that your input has been received, but I found it too much like typing on an old typewriter. It seemed to take a little more effort than typing on an iPhone.

The Storm has good call quality, cut & paste, excellent email functionality, an adequate media player, and a nice 3.2 megapixel camera with zoom, flash, and stabilizer. It can also take videos. It actually has a lot of great features, but over all, I’ll take a BlackBerry with a keypad or the touch screen on the iPhone. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

• Excellent call quality
• Good navigation
• Enterprise email access
• Good pictures and camera features
• Included 8 GB memory card
• Replaceable battery
• Good battery life
• Voice dialing
• Set up wizards and online tutorials

Cons:

• Text input somewhat difficult
• Poor auto correction
• Commands often too close together to press
• No Wi-Fi
• Slow camera focus
• Browser not as good as some others

You can read my more detailed review with pictures at HardwareSecrets.com.

The small Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder took the market by storm in the last two years. And why not? It’s a small camcorder that fits in the palm of your hand. It is very easy to use. The quality of the videos is good for showing online (640 x 480) and the Flip makes it easy to upload the videos to YouTube.

There are now many Flip imitators, but the Flip was the first in this market area, and it still holds up well against the competition. The Flip now also comes with a better resolution in a Flip appropriately called the FlipHD (1280 x 720).

The Flip has a pop-out USB connector, so there are no clumsy cables. Just insert it into your computer. The included software is also easy-to-use.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

• Simple, easy-to-use controls
• Self-contained, easy-to-use software
• Easy uploads
• Quick start-up
• Good video quality
• Good in both high and low light conditions
• No cords
• Small and light
• Tripod mount
• TV playback

Cons:

• Plasticy feel
• Low resolution
• Few editing options
• Doesn’t always fit in USB port without hub or extender
• No optical zoom

You can read my more detailed review with pictures at HardwareSecrets.com. Although it a great little camera, the Flip is getting a lot of competition from cell phones whose video hardware is getting better and better! Buy one now if you want to have a small video cam and want to upload to Youtube quickly. Else, wait a while — these things just keep getting better and better.

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder - White/Orange

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder – White/Orange Flip Video Ultra is the easy-to-use, pocket-sized camcorder that allows you to shoot and share high-quality video anywhere and everywhere. Its flip-out USB arm and built-in FlipShare software make it simple and fun to view and save your videos, e-mail them, or upload them to popular video-sharing sites, including YouTube, MySpace and AOL Video.

As you may know, I love tea. I find it a relaxing little pleasure that can be inserted into a hectic high tech day. I love many different kinds of tea, especially flavored teas. Although I often drink Red Tea because it seems to help my rosacea, I also drink white, green black, oolong, etc.

So I was excited hear about Teavana’s new contest, called Tea Master’s Challenge. You create and submit your favorite blends of their various teas, then you can vote on all the submitted variations. It could be fun. Click on the logo below to check it out!

Tea Masters Challenge - Teavana.com

I love the Nintendo DS, so it was with great anticipation that I opened the new Nintendo DSi. The size and shape were very similar to the old DS, but Nintendo has added two cameras, support for a removable storage card, and added audio capabilities. This new hand-held gaming device has a great new interface that is easier to use than the old one. And it now supports WPA, so you can use it with your home wireless network. Unfortunately you still cannot play online with others on a WPA encrypted network.

The new DSi plays all of the DS games, so I didn’t have to give up the Nintendogs game that I love to play with my grandchildren. We each have a DS with a Nintendog game so we can send gifts to each other’s dogs and our dogs can visit each other. It’s great fun. I simply substituted the new DSi for my old DS and everything worked as before.

Playing with the cameras on the DSi was great fun. Not only can you take pictures, but you can easily add frames, stars, kisses, and other nifty objects. You can also manipulate the photos in fun ways….make a nose bigger, make a mouth turn down, etc. Yes, for grown-ups it can get old quickly, but it is still provides an occasional smile.

The DSi also lets you record your own voice and manipulate it just as you do the photos.

There are not yet a lot of games out that take advantage of the DSi’s new cameras and microphone. I can’t wait for them to start appearing, as they should be really fun. The DSi is currently $30 more than the DS. I think it is worth the price.

Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

• Two cameras & software add to the fun
• Can be used to play music
• Audio recording
• Excellent new interface
• WPA support
• DSi Store
• Can play large selection of DS games
• Replaceable battery

Cons

• Games can currently run only from internal memory
• Audio clips are limited to 10 seconds
• Pictures can’t be easily emailed or posted online
• WPA support doesn’t allow online play
• Supports only unencrypted AAC files

You can read my full 7-page review with pictures at HardwareSecrets.

Nintendo Nintendo DSi (Blue)

Nintendo Nintendo DSi (Blue) Experience a world of sleek and powerful portable gaming and so much more. Nintendo DSi builds on the DS Lite with a succession of new and enhanced features designed to appeal to both gamers and casual users. At a mere 18.9mm thin, the almost effortlessly portable DSi fits conveniently into your pocket and your life, making it easy to play games on the go, take a quick mental break in the middle of your busy day or even share favorite photos and music with friends. The 3.25″ screen of the DSi brings images to life with even greater depth and clarity for intense gaming or convenient photo showcasing. Two built-in cameras, one on the interior and one on the exterior, make it easy to snap photos of yourself or your friends, and a variety of photo-related functions let you compare facial photos, edit colors, distort shapes and other fun activities. Indulge in your favorite music with the DSi music player, which lets you play favorite music saved on an SD card, adjust the pitch or speed, view imagery generated by the Music Visualizer, edit audio files you’ve recorded using the DSi microphone and more, and the improved speaker volume and sound quality make music and gaming audio even more immersive. You can even use Nintendo DSi Points to download DSi-exclusive software, such as the DSi Browser (which lets you browse the Internet) and Mini DSi Brain Training (which offers fast and convenient mental challenges) for additional fun and convenience.

Microsoft has just announced a Windows 7 Upgrade Option program. This allows PC makers and retailers to offer free upgrades to Windows 7 for any PC purchased with Windows Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate, or Vista Business. The program starts June 26 and ends January 31, 2010. The upgrade will be provided by Microsoft when Windows 7 is released on October 22, 2009.

This will allow you to buy that new computer now, and still get the newest operating system when it is released. The upgrade should be relatively easy, so I wouldn’t hesitate to get in on this offer. Just be sure that the place you purchase your new computer is offering this option and be sure to inquire about what paperwork you need to keep and/or to process now for your upgrade.

Microsoft is already striving to get through its Vista debacle and to create widespread acceptance of their new operating system, Windows 7. This is apparent in their new offer.

If you buy an upgrade copy of Windows 7 between June 26th and July 11th in the US and Canada, you can get a 50% discount over the estimated retail price for the two mainstream consumer editions. In the United States, you’ll be able to buy a Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade for $50 or get Windows 7 Professional upgrade for $100. Microsoft just announced the retail price for those two versions to be $120 and $200, respectively. There are varying dates and prices for other countries.

The offer is available online from Best Buy, Amazon, and Microsoft’s own website. In case you’re wondering. The official release date for Windows 7 is October 22, 2009. I’ve been trying the pre-release versions for a few months and am loving it.

If your computer is currently running Vista, you should be able to upgrade to Windows 7 with little difficulty. If you are running Windows XP, install and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft’s website.It will scan your PC’s system, programs and devices and show you whther or not your computer meets Windows 7 requirements. It will also pinpoint any known compatibility issues with your programs and devices.

I am disappointed to see a retail price of $100 on Windows 7 Home Premium. I think it is too expensive. But I guess that Microsoft expected many of us to say that — so they have thrown us a bone with this offer.

A few weeks ago Apple announced that it would charge just $29 for its newest operating system, Snow Leopard, which is due in September.

Many of us were holding our breaths, hoping that Microsoft would follow suit. But they didn’t even come close. Today Microsoft announced the prices for their new operating system, Windows 7:

Windows 7 Home Premium will cost $120 for an upgrade, $200 for a full version

Windows 7 Professional will be $200 for an upgrade, $300 for a full version

Windows 7 Ultimate will be $220 for an upgrade, $320 for a full version

Reuters and others have reported that Microsoft has lowered the price of the new OS. That is true. Currently an upgrade version of Vista Home Premium costs $130. The upgrade for Windows 7 will be only $120. So they lowered the price a whopping $10.

When you look at Apple’s prices for a comparable operating system, you will also see, that, as in the past, Apple will offer a family version of Snow Leopard. This will include five licenses to use the operating system on five different computers. The cost for that will be $49. Apple also has only one version of the software that does everything. Microsoft instead has a the complex system of multiple versions that do different things. Only the Ultimate version of Windows will do it all.

So, a family who want to upgrade their five computers running the current Apple operating system to the best (and only) version of the new Snow Leopard operating system will pay $49. A family who is currently using five computers running Windows, will have to pay $1,100 to upgrade to the best version (Ultimate) of Windows 7.

Let’s face it. That makes Microsoft’s prices outrageous — 22 times Apple’s price. So, as usual, Microsoft makes a $$$ statement that will ire many. It certainly has made me mad.

The G1 is the first of Panasonic’s entries that is a cross between a digital SLR and a point-and-shoot camera. The G1 is smaller than most digital SLRs and looks more like a professional camera than one you can put in your pocket. However, besides the usual black, the G1 comes in red and blue, making it truly distinctive.

It is smaller because they have removed the mirror box that is typically used to reflect the picture into the view finder in a digital SLR. Instead Panasonic has added a live electronic viewfinder. While previous electronic viewfinders leave a lot to be desired, this one is terrific! The camera also has a 3″ flip-out rotating LCD display.

The G1 is based on a Micro Four Thirds lens system that also uses smaller lenses. All-in-all, the camera is more complex to use than a simple point-and-shoot, but it takes great pictures and may be a good entry into the semi-professional world of digital photography.

The G1 has a big brother called the GH1, which also takes high-def videos. Here are my Pros and Cons on the G1:

Pros

• Very good image quality
• Sturdy build
• Excellent electronic viewfinder
• Small & lightweight
• Snappy performance
• Automatic Settings
• Great dust reduction technology
• HDMI output
• Excellent LCD screen that flips out and rotates
• Comes in body color choices
• Good selection of features like digital red eye reduction, face detection
• Good image stabilization

Cons

• Limited lens selection
• Complex controls
• No movie mode

You can read my full review and view pictures on the Hardware Secrets website.

Today I had the privilege of speaking with Ian Fette, the Product Manager for Google Chrome. Rich Rushforth and I spoke with him earlier this year on a podcast that you can listen to on the Compu-KISS website.

Google Chrome is a relatively new web browser that some are turning to because of its simplicity, speed, and security. Chrome has the cleanest, most uncluttered interface of any browser that I’ve seen. It also has some power features that I’ll talk about later in my full review.

Ian gave me a little insight into the goings-on at Google. They are working hard at taking Chrome to the next phase. This phase will include an extension system for Chrome. This is a system that will allow users to take the simple interface of Chrome and to add only the icons, features, and tools that they feel they will use. This is very similar to what Firefox calls “add-ons”, and it has made Firefox very useful and very popular. Firefox, however, has a pretty complex interface. When you choose additional add-ons, it can get fairly crowded-looking. With the simplicity of the Chrome interface, the addition of extensions could make it a very appealing web browser.

I’ll keep you posted as I hear more, but if they do it right, you can expect Chrome to give both Firefox and Internet Explorer a run for their money.