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Garmin Oregon 550 3-Inch Handheld GPS Navigator with 3.2MP Digital Camera Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #646 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: 550
• Brand: Garmin
• Model: 010-00697-10
• Released on: 2009-07-20
• Dimensions: 4.50″ h x 1.50″ w x 2.30″ l, .50 pounds
• Display size: 3

Features

• Capture locations and memories with a 3.2 megapixel autofocus digital camera with 4x digital zoom
• Tough, 3-inch diagonal, sunlight-readable, color touchscreen display
• Built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass shows your heading even when you’re standing still, without holding it level
• Barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude, and can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions
• Comes preloaded with a worldwide built-in basemap with shaded relief; add more detailed maps with a MapSource microSD card

Customer Reviews:

Garmin Oregon is to GPS as Apple iPhone is to cellular.
I recently just bought 2 new Garmin GPS units to upgrade my aging Garmin Legend (Original Model). I was hesitant to purchase the Oregon due to the mediocre reviews on Amazon, but ultimately I decided to take a chance.

First I bought the Garmin Dakota 20, and I really liked it. Small, Battery Efficient, Easy to Use, and Paperless Geocaching using the touchscreen. Good stuff. I called my friend who likes to have the latest and greatest, and he told me he had purchased the Oregon 400t when it first came out last year. I took a drive to his house to compare it to my new Dakota 20… Very similar in capabilities, only smaller and less resolution on the screen. After seeing his unit, and how well it ran I found myself craving the higher resolution screen, and 3D Terrain features, so I went up and bought another one, this one, the Garmin Oregon 550. I decided against buying the Oregon 550t because the 550 had a little deeper discount than the “t” version. Ultimately I chose to purchase the 550 since it was around $60 off retail, VS. only $1 less than retail on the 550t. I figured I could add the TOPO maps later. Plus I had also just purchased the Dakota 20, and the $160 difference in cost was sounding pretty good. I have completely busted my mad money for now.

Ultimately I find this unit to be right in line with all of the other Oregon models software wise… it works exactly the same way. So go and read some reviews on the other Oregon models sine this unit doesn’t have many reviews yet. It is VERY similar in capabilities, but this one has a few added goodies.. 3 Axis Compass + 3.2MP GEOTagging Camera (Good stuff)…

Another observation between the new 550 and 550t models… Garmin’s specs say the these models have equivalent storage, but in fact this is not the case, the 850MB seen in the specs relates to the free space after taking into account the included maps. In reality it is more like 550 = 1GB, 550t=4GB internal memory. Mostly a non-issue since both have a Micro-SD slot behind the battery, which happily accepted an inexpensive 4GB SDHC card, and since SDHC was supported I would expect you could add an even larger one.

Like the other reviewer stated I noticed that the roads on Garmin’s 2008 TOPO maps are slightly off.. this is easily recognizable if you load a driving map, calculate a route, and then disable the driving map, you will see the driving route is not exactly on the road. To me this is all the more reason to just get the 550 model (at this point) without the TOPO maps. You can add them later once the road data is fixed. On second thought, the TOPO features themselves on the 2008 map seem fine, only the road data is a little off, so if you are using the maps as they are intended this is probably a non-issue. At the time I just felt like the 550 was a better bargain, only $90 more than the Dakota 20 I had just purchased, which also was still at the full $350 retail price since it is still a brand new model.

The only other glitch was with the Compass calibration, which went haywire for a moment, but resolved itself after a reset, and hasn’t happened since. We’ll see if it becomes an issue.. but I doubt it. The reset was very fast as this unit boots up very quickly.

I decided to make these purchases since my girlfriend has expressed an interest in “Re-Taking Up Geocaching”, we really haven’t done it in a while (Since ’02), and its such a great outdoor activity. The original point in making these purchases was the ease at which you can add Geocaches into the unit directly from the website with a single mouse click. She was having trouble getting used to adding the co-ordinates into the old Garmin Legend with that tiny joystick, it was VERY TEDIOUS.

So now she has the Dakota 20, and I have the Oregon 550, and we can easily transfer geocaches back and forth wirelessly, and it is easy as pie to download them from [...].

To me, these new Garmins are a huge upgrade from my old “Legend”, and they are waterproof and rugged as ever.

I would have given this product 5 stars had it not been for the couple of small glitches, which I expect will be fixed in the future via a firmware update / map update from Garmin.

Truely.. the new touchscreen Garmin units are to GPS’s, as the iPhone is to mobile phones. In a class by itself.

Worth the money
My wife and I have heavily used our Garmin 76CSx and loved it for the last 2 years. Long story short, we sold it and bought this one after a lot of research. Even after the research, I was very surprised by how great the improvements were over the 76CSx.
* The touch screen made navigation a night and day experience, especially typing in addresses or other POI.
* The calculation time for routing is very much improved. The boot time is longer than the 76CSx but it can lock in satellites much faster and in areas with more interference (ei. in a basement of a house).
* One of the biggest improvements that I didn’t realize with my research is the resolution of the screen. Having twice the resolution made viewing maps much easier. You don’t need to zoom out to see the detail you need. This is very clear with topo maps.
* The coloring schemes are also much better for City navigation maps.
* When you take a pictures it marks it location on the map and comes with GPS coordinates which my dad would love for his snowmobile trips.
* Enabling and disabling maps is so much easier. On the 76SCx, when you loaded topo maps and CN maps, in menu under map setup it would list every image map that you loaded, which with topo maps there could be hundreds listed. To see the topo maps you need to disable/enable the CN maps, to do this you would have to scroll through a very small window to find the CN map image then disable it. This was a huge pain and time consuming. On the Oregon 550 it lists the maps in map packs, not images. This is a improvement.

Another point of information, the sdhc memory uses fat32 memory type which is the type of memory this GPS uses can hold can only have files sizes of 4 gigs. This is a requirement/limitation of the fat32. Also, Garmin has a restriction of only 4,000 (it might be just over 4,000) map images per map transfer. In topo maps, it is common to reach the 4,000 map images than the 4 gigs limitation. However, the Oregon 550 can handle at least 2 map packs images. I haven’t tested for more. You just load on map pack to the GPS or memory card. After it is done, rename it from gmapsupp.img to gmapsup1.img. Then transfer the other map image pack. It will read both map packs as one. So, you can have 8 gigs of maps on your GPS. You just need to do it the right way. You might be able to add more map packs, but I haven’t tested it.

The only down side is the battery consumption is noticeably higher than the 76CSx. But with a car charger it makes it much easier on the batteries. I also love how they include rechargeable batteries with the GPS.

Sadly unimpressed….
I have had this for a couple days now and have to admit, I’m “underwhelmed” by it so far. I had very high expectations of the 550 and ordered it with the 24K Topo maps from Amazon. Here’s my issues:
1. This is my first Oregon unit, but the screen seems small….I’m a big guy, it feels like my thumb covers half the screen when navigating.
2. Compass accuracy is questionable, or at least it seems very “jumpy”. If I move an inch, it rotates way more than I did.
3. Not sure why, but it’s hard to see in the shade. Outside on bright sunny days and it’s easier to see in direct sunlight than in the shade.
4. Having map problems….can’t display a 3-D view of my map (open case with Garmin support).
5. All the manuals are on CD and the CD had issues loading in my computer. Had to find a PC that would read the CD and copy to my hard drive.

What’s good about it…
1. The camera. While 3.2MP is not “hi-def” by any means, it is nice to only carry one device and have my pictures geotagged. The resolution and quality is respectable.
2. Unit feels very durable….I fish a lot so it’s nice that it’s somewhat weather / waterproof.
3. Comes with some nice accessories….I was surprised that Garmin included NiMH batteries and a charger.
4. Battery life is good. Although I’m using 2700mA batteries (not the included batteries) I get almost 20 hours from a set of AA.

Maybe I’m being a little too hard on Garmin and I generally like their products. However, for $600 (Oregon 550 and the Topo Map) I was expecting an iPhone like experience….an oohhh ahhhh kind of moment……hasn’t happened so far. Not sure if I’ll keep it…it’s not a “bad” device, just don’t know if it’s worth $600. I was on the fence about giving it two or three stars….I gave it two because of the price and some of the frustrations I’ve had getting the maps to work right.

** Update (8/16/09): I did get the map issue resolved….turned out to be a software glitch with the Topo maps, but I did get it corrected. Took this unit on a 3 day trip to the Pike National Forest in Colorado. I would upgrade my rating from two stars to three stars as the GPS was extremely accurate when geocaching….but I didn’t even get a full day from one set of batteries and the pictures I took with the 550 were hardly usable. It was cool that they were geotaged, but pretty poor in quality. Because of the price, picture quality and low battery life, it’s going back. There are better options for less money.

Amazon.com Product Description
The navigator with the photographic memory–Oregon 550 combines rugged outdoor touchscreen navigation with a 3.2 megapixel digital camera. Add high-sensitivity GPS, barometric altimeter, 3-axis electronic compass and microSD card slot. The result? A multipurpose device that will make your biggest adventures even more memorable.

Oregon 550 combines rugged outdoor touchscreen navigation with a 3.2 megapixel digital camera. Click to enlarge.

3.2 megapixel autofocus digital camera with 4x digital zoom. Click to enlarge.

Preloaded with a worldwide built-in basemap with shaded relief. Click to enlarge.

3-inch diagonal, sunlight-readable, color touchscreen display. Click to enlarge.

Take Pictures and Save Locations
Capture locations and memories with Oregon 550′s 3.2 megapixel autofocus digital camera with 4x digital zoom. Each photo is automatically geotagged with the location of where it was taken, allowing you to navigate back to that exact spot in the future. Snap and view pictures in landscape or portrait orientation. With 850 MB of internal memory, you’ll never miss a photo opportunity. To store online, simply connect Oregon 550 via USB and log into my.Garmin.com to upload and store your photos at Picasa, a popular online photo sharing community for friends and families around the world. For more storage, insert a microSD card; you can even view pictures from other devices on microSD with Oregon’s picture viewer.

Touch and Go
Oregon 550 makes rugged navigation effortless with a tough, 3-inch diagonal, sunlight-readable, color touchscreen display. The interface is easy to use, so you’ll spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time searching for information. Both durable and waterproof, Oregon 550 is built to withstand the elements. Bumps, dust, dirt, humidity and water are no match for this rugged navigator.

Get Your Bearings
Oregon 550 has a built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, which shows your heading even when you’re standing still, without holding it level. Its barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude, and you can even use it to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions. And with its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, Oregon 550 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons.

Add Maps
Oregon 550 comes preloaded with a worldwide built-in basemap with shaded relief. Adding even more detail is easy: just insert a MapSource microSD card preloaded with detailed maps. Oregon can accept a variety of maps for any navigational need. Add detailed street maps to get turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Add select topographic maps to take advantage of Oregon’s 3-D maps and elevation detail. Or add BlueChart g2 maps, which provide everything you need for a great day on the water, including depth contours, navaids and harbors.

Find Fun
Go paperless with Oregon 550 by quickly downloading information from Geocaching.com for up to 5000 caches, such as location, terrain, difficulty, hints and description. No more manually entering coordinates and paper print outs. Slim and lightweight, Oregon is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.

Share Wirelessly
With Oregon 550 you can share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly other Oregon and Colorado users. Now you can send your favorite route to a friend to enjoy or the location of a cache to find. Sharing data is easy. Just touch “send” to transfer your information to similar devices.

What’s in the Box
Oregon 550, AA battery charger, 2 AA NiMH batteries, carabiner clip, USB cable, owner’s manual on disk, and quick start manual

Epson Artisan 50 Color Inkjet Printer C11CA45201 Product: Buy Epson Artisan 50 Color Inkjet Printer C11CA45201 At Amazon! List Price: $129.99 Amazon Price: $99.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

Compare Prices on Epson Artisan 50 Color Inkjet Printer C11CA45201

Bring your imagination to life with the Artisan 50 from Epson. This compact and stylish printer ignites all your creative inspirations. Print Ultra Hi-Definition photos with amazing richness, depth and clarity. Print your own images and text onto CDs and DVDs. Create colorful greeting cards with ease. Print documents, e-mails and itineraries quickly and easily. Get maximum print speeds up to 38 ppm color and laser quality speeds of 5 ppm color. An affordable, high performance ink jet, the Artisan 50 is ideal for all your photos and everyday projects.

• Color: Black
• Brand: Epson
• Model: C11CA45201
• Dimensions: 7.40″ h x 17.70″ w x 11.10″ l, 16.00 pounds

Features

• Ultra Hi-Definition prints ¿ Claria 6-color ink for images with richness, depth and clarity; great for photos and everyday printing
• Professional looking CDs/DVDs ¿ print right onto ink jet printable CDs/DVDs (software included)
• Individual ink cartridges ¿ replace only the color you need
• Better than lab quality photos ¿ photos are smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant
• Fast print speeds ¿ maximum speed up to 38 ppm color, laser quality speeds of 5 ppm color; photos in as fast as 11 sec

Epson Artisan 50
This is my first Epson printer. I’ve always owned HP but I was particularly interested in being able to print CD/DVD labels. I’ve owned this printer now for a couple of days and am totally pleased. The directions for getting started were easy, and I was able to begin use immediately. The quality of the labels are excellent, good color, looks professional and it prints quickly. I am not one to usually review products but this one, I found well worth the money, value, and am happy that I made the purchase. The only thing I’d change would be for the software that comes with the CD/DVD printer format, I wish it did more but I find it sufficient. I’d definitely recommend. Does well with documents as well.\\

Good but way to quirky
This is a fantastic printer for the casual user, but can be problematic for critical uses.

This is the 6th Epson printer we’ve used. When printing out from Adobe Illustrator on all previous models, the size of the printout exactly matches the design.

When trying to print CD inserts on our new Artisan 50, booklets that are designed to be 119.5mm, end up being almost 125mm. May not sound like much, but once they’re cut, they don’t fit in the CD box. It’s very slow and tedious to modify all our layouts that are on file.

Previous models capable of printing on CD’s (such as the Stylus Photo R300) were dead on accurate.

The other annoying problem is that you can’t print from Illustrator directly to CD any longer. That was a great feature of the R300. In the Artisan 50, you have to use their amateurish CD print utility.

Love it!!!
I bought this printer to replace my dymo discpainter that has been nothing but trouble, and I’m thrilled with the quality of the direct print DVDs. The software isn’t the best, but I can export my designs from my other software as a photo file and the epson print disc software prints it beautifully. I tried photo printing for the first time today and LOVE IT! I love the 5 ink concept – the images are so crisp. I’ve only had the printer for a week now, but so far I’m completely happy with it. The price was great too.

Coby TFDVD7051 7-Inch Portable Tablet Style DVD/CD/MP3 Player, Silver Description:

Experience the ultimate in portability with the Coby TF-DVD7051 7″ widescreen TFT portable tablet DVD/CD/MP3 player. Its compact, portable tablet design allows you to take it anywhere. Available digital and analog AV outputs allow for use with home theater systems.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #697 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: silver
• Brand: Coby
• Model: TFDVD7051
• Dimensions: 1.50″ h x 7.15″ w x 6.50″ l, 4.50 pounds
• Display size: 7

Features

• 7″ widescreen TFT portable tablet DVD/CD/MP3 player
• DVD,DVD+R/RW, CD,CD-R/RW, JPEG and MP3 compatible parental lock control, silver
• anti-skip circuity, dolby digital decoder, digital and analog AV outputs allow for use with home theater systems
• audio/video input jack for video games,VCR’s, or other AV sources
• headphone jacks for private listening (x2), multiple language,

Customer Reviews:

Amazing set of accessories
We’ve owned 3 portable DVD players over the past few years. They tend to last a couple of years and for

This player is a no-name “Brand” – Coby. We got a Coby DVD player for free with a purchase a year ago and I gave it to my mother-in-law. She watches movies 3-4 nights a week with it and loves it. So, when I saw this tablet version from Coby that had all the features I wanted and was around $100, even though its a no-name brand, I bought it.

Wow, the description did not cover what comes with the player:
- remote w/ batteries
- 2 corded sets of headphones (the player has 2 headphone jacks!)
- AC power
- Car charger power cord
- headrest bag with attachments
- Cassette connector and cords for running audio through the cars audio
- A/V cords

It started right up, played without a hitch, has a nice picture, remote works like a charm, headphones both work and inserting them (in either outlet) cuts off the speakers (plus), easy controls on front, and the case is built to hold the player while revealing all the essential buttons-knobs-controls.

Only downside, so far, is that the cords are a wee but on the short side.

Can’t be beat
Can’t be beat…even though that’s exactly what my special-needs son does to it. And it lasts for at least 6 months of daily abuse. Imagine how many years of service it would provide under normal conditions. The picture is gorgeous and there is more volume available with this version than with some earlier models. It’s super easy to use and comes with more accessories than you can shake a stick at! Travels great. Can’t imagine anyone not loving it.

Very very happy
Well, this is the first review I have written, so sorry if it is to long or short. The reviews I read on this portable DVD/CD player convinced we that it would be worth a try. It was/is worth every penny. I use it to play CD books from the library and my wife uses it to play DVD courses from the Teaching Company. I was happy when my wife said the really liked the unit. One note, if you use the headphones, the sound is great. But the built in speakers are just what you would expect for the price. Also, the headphones that come with the unit are the type that have the bridge across the back of the head and not the top, so some people will want to use their own headphones for comfort. Also the FF and REV control is just a little different than I am use to, but I will attribut this to me, not the user interface design as this is my first DVD player.

Jon T.

Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module Description:

Every day, you rely on your computer to make your life easier. A Crucial DRAM upgrade can help your system run faster, and it’s one of the easiest, most affordable ways to improve system performance. Reap the benefits doing everything from everyday system tasks to mission-critical applications. For over 12 years, Crucial has been recognized as a leader in DRAM upgrades. Our products help people achieve greater system performance through improved productivity, reliability, and speed. As part of one of the world’s largest DRAM manufacturers—Micron Technology—our long tenure of engineering and manufacturing expertise allow us to build high-quality, system-specific memory solutions for customers. We back our products by guaranteeing system compatibility, limited lifetime warranties, and outstanding service and support. At Crucial, we’re the Memory Experts.

• Brand: Crucial
• Model: CT12864AA667
• Dimensions: 1.25″ h x .13″ w x 5.25″ l, .7 pounds

Features

• 1GB DDR2 PC2-5300, 240-pin DIMM memory module / Model no. CT12864AA667
• DDR2 PC2-5300, CL=5, Unbuffered, NON-ECC, DDR2-667, 1.8V, 128Meg x 64

Customer Reviews:

Good RAM, lifetime warranty
What’s not to like? Crucial RAM is good stuff and you can depend on it. If you’re not sure exactly what is the right ram for your computer, check out the crucial ram web site. They make it easy. Keep your receipt, they do offer a lifetime warranty!

Easy Improvement
Very nice. I replaced the 2 256MB cards I had in my Dell Dimension E310 with 2 of these 1 GB modules and have noticed a great difference.

It used to take several seconds for sub-menus to open on the Start menu, now they open immediately. The whole system feels smoother and cleaner. I wish I had done this upgrade sooner.

Installing them was easy. Someone wrote it took incredible pressure to snap them in.
I suppose it took some extra pressure, but it wasn’t a big deal. Using both hands to grasp the card by its sides, I dropped the card in place. The first ‘snap’ seated it in the slot, but wasn’t enough to lock the clips. I positioned myself directly over the top of the card, using my thumb I applied downward pressure on one end, then the other. Click,click both ends were secured by the clips and the memory was recognized on the first try.

Highly recommend this RAM, especially if windows and menus are sluggish.

a must for HP Slimline PC’s
I bought one of these when I first upgraded my HP Slimline PC last year ’08. It was very expensive back then ($40+), maybe I got took by HP. Nowadays, purchasing one of these is a lot cheaper than I expected. My HP Slimline came with a factory RAM of 1.0 GB but in overall of .5 GB (due to installed programs used), the PC was a bit slow when I stored some pictures, videos & games. I decided to upgrade & purchase one of these Crucial 1GB’s & installed it myself. It went well with a 1.5 GB overall & My PC ran a better performance on a DSL. Now, currently it has 2.0 GB when I purchased another 1GB here in amazon with a very low price tag. I wish someday these memory module will be available in 2GB models.

Brother TN-115M High Yield Magenta Toner Cartridge Compatible with Brother HL-4040CN, HL-4070CDW Series Description:

High Yield Magenta Toner Cartridge for HL-4040cn, HL-4070cdw, MFC-9440cn, MFC-9840cdw

• Brand: Brother
• Model: TN-115M
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 5.90″ h x 7.90″ w x 14.20″ l, 2.45 pounds

Features

• Yields approx. 4,000 pages @ 5% coverage on letter size paper

Customer Reviews:

exactly what it claims.
These toners are easy to install. One thing though, after the first warning of these toners being low I take them out and check the little round window to see if there is still toner. If there is, I wind back the gear with a peg on it back to its original position. I recently did this with all three colors as it was reported they were going low. After winding back the gears, the printer performed perfectly for another month with a moderate amount of color printing. Finally, the low toner warnings went off again and since there appeared no more toner, I installed new ones. I have a closet full of these consumables and look forward to many great years printing with these printers. (We have 6 of them)

Yield is much lower than Brother is claiming
The yield claimed by brother is contrary to my experience with my printer.

I’m getting a bit less than half the life claimed per toner cartridge by Brother.

Before you buy a brother printer, calculate the ink cost. My estimate is about 20 cents per page to use this printer just for ink when doing color, about 6 cents when doing black and white.

Brother Color Toner
This is the OEM High Yield toner for some Brother printers. Do not buy refurbished or re-filled toners from other sources. Don’t be tempted to save a few dollars with these inferior toners. Print quality and toner life are not the same, not to mention possible printer damage. Don’t be too quick to replace your OEM toners when the printer tells you to. These toners use a timing wheel that count down based on the number of pages printed, not the amount of toner left in the cartridge. There are many articles on the web on how to reset the cartridges. Do a google search on Brother Toner Reset to find an article for your printer.

Transcend 32 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS32GSDHC6 Description:

Transcend¿s SDHC card is based on the new generation of SD cards (SD 2.0) that support the FAT32 file system format. Fully Class 6 compliant, the card features fast data transfer speeds (guaranteed minimum write speed of 6MB/s) and satisfies the high-capacity demands of today¿s new SDHC devices such as high-end digital cameras or digital camcorders. You can store your entire music or picture collections, video clips, or even complete full-length high quality movies.Transcend¿s SDHC card also includes special features such as a mechanical write protection switch that keeps your important data safe from accidental deletion or over-writing. Transcend¿s SDHC Class 6 series features ECC (Error Correcting Code) to automatically detect and correct errors during data transfer, preventing data corruption and missing files. Transcends manufactures all of its SDHC cards using brand name NAND Flash chips and premium quality components to ensure robust, long-life durability and performance. For further peace of mind, all SDHC cards are comprehensively tested for compatibility and reliability, and carry Transcend¿s renowned Lifetime Warranty.

• Size: 32 GB
• Brand: Transcend
• Model: TS32GSDHC6
• Dimensions: .8″ h x .94″ w x 1.26″ l, .0 pounds
• CPU: AMD Athlon 1 GHz
• Memory: 128000MB DRAM
• Hard Disk: 32GB
• Processors: 1
• Native resolution: 640×480
• Display size: 669.2913385827

Features

• Fully compatible with SD 2.0 Standards
• Compatible with all SDHC-labeled host devices (not compatible with standard SD)
• Easy to use, plug-and-play operation
• Built-in Error Correcting Code (ECC) to detect and correct transfer errors
• Complies with Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) portable device requirements

Customer Reviews:

Great affordable SDHC card
In the past, I bought a Transcend 8GB SDHC card for my Canon SD1000 camera. I recently bought the Transcend 16GB SDHC for my new Canon SX20IS. Both cards work very well and I’ve had no problems with it so far. I wanted to take this opportunity to update my review since my original review was also posted (by Amazon) for the 16GB card. This is because the only difference between these two cards is the different capacity. So, if you’re in the market for an affordable high quality SDHC card, this may be the one for you. Sorry, I kind of sounded like a used car salesman right there, didn’t I? I assure you that I don’t work for Transcend. But, here’s why I think this card is awesome:

Pros:

-Affordable!

-Large capacity

-Class 6 read/write speed (which is very fast… but is no longer the fastest class available)

-Lifetime warranty (at least that’s what the package says

-Transcend is a reputable company that’s been making memory products for a very long time. ( I swear to the tech Gods that I don’t work for them!) Other reputable and reliable memory card companies include Kingston and PNY. All three of these companies have been making memory chips for many, many years.

Cons:

- I can’t think of any right now. The closest thing to a “Con” that I can think of is that if you buy this card now, it will definitely become cheaper in the near future

IMPORTANT SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT SDHC MEMORY CARDS:

-SDHC cards are not compatible with most older SD cameras, SD devices, or SD card readers.

-SDHC cards are rated by speed using different “classes”. There are currently 4 data transfer speed classes available for SDHC cards. These classes are “class 2, class 4, and class 6, and the new class 10. For example, “Class 2″ would have the slowest read/write speed while “Class 6″ has the fastest read/write speed. So if you have a device in which speed may play a crucial role, make sure you buy a higher “class” SDHC card. Please note that this SDHC card no longer has the fastest read/write speed available. There is now a new class, called “Class 10″. Class 6 has a minimum read/write speed of 6mb/sec… while Class 2 has minimum speed rating of 2mb/sec, and Class 4 is 4mb/sec. Starting to see the pattern?

SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SD CARDS” AND “SDHC CARDS?

SDHC is basically an upgrade to the older SD cards. The reason they upgraded it was to achieve greater data transfer speeds AND capacity than previously possible with normal SD cards… and to do this, they had to redesign the card (which is why it’s not compatible with normal SD devices). This was necessary because digital cameras and digital video cameras these days have higher resolutions, which equate to larger file sizes and faster data transfer needs.

Now that many digital cameras also can record HD video, you may consider getting a larger capacity card because video takes much more space than photos. The size of the video varies from camera to camera depending on what resolution and video compression the camera uses. If you plan on taking lots of video (especially HD video), I would consider getting at least a 16GB card. Check your camera specifications to see how many minutes per Gig of memory your camera can capture …to gauge how big of a memory card you’ll want to get to meet your needs.

Special Note on regular SD Cards:
If you primarily take casual photos and don’t need a exceptionally fast read/write capable card, you should know that newer cameras that take “SDHC” cards will also work with older normal “SD” cards. These older cards are cheaper than the new SDHC cards, so this may be something to consider. So the sum things up, newer cameras will take SDHC and regular SD cards, but older cameras that use SD cards may not be able to use SDHC cards. This is because newer technology is usually made to be compatible with older technology… but older technology may not have the hardware necessary to run newer tech.

I hope I haven’t confused everybody by going into this much detail, but I can’t help being the nerd that I am. If you are confused, don’t hesitate to comment on this post and I will try my best to answer your questions. Also, any feedback is always welcome!

Conclusion: Buy the card if you have a new device that uses SDHC. It rocks! (This message has been approved by the “Duke of New Mexico”)

Transcend 4 GB Class 6 SDHC Card – Good Card for SDHC Compatible Devices
UPDATE – March 2, 2010: This review was originally written for the 4 GB class 6 SDHC card, but the reviews have been grouped for all class 6 SDHC cards in the 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB sizes. All the cards should perform similarly since they are all class 6 and all made by Transcend. However, I will have to check which cards I have used hands on. I believe I only own the 4GB and 8GB cards. I will update the review further. If you have concerns regarding the 16GB or 32GB sizes, you should seek out the reviews tagged with the product links from those cards.

The Transcend 4GB SDHC CARD (Class 6) is a great card for the price. I was at first a little skeptical about the brand, but I buy way too many memory cards to ignore a good price when I see one. And I’m happy to report that I’ve experienced decent performance and reliability issues with this card. That’s as compared to other cards I own including SanDisk, PNY and Kingston.

As long as your devices are compatible with the SDHC format, this card is a good buy. 4 GB is a nice size though I do prefer 8 GB capacity for high capacity storage.

The class 6 speed is the fastest speed available in mass market SDHC cards. Class 6 guarantees minimum transfer speeds of 6 MBs, but I’ve gotten speeds up to 20Mbs! That makes this card perfect for storing pictures in RAW image formats.

The Class 6 speed is on par with the Sandisk Extreme III cards that on average are about $15 to $20 more per card. If you don’t have an SDHC reader, you may opt to get the package with a reader included to download your pics. If not you can just transfer your pics directly from your camera with your card still inserted. An SDHC card reader can be bought separately if your PC doesn’t have a compatible slot.

General SDHC and SD Card Tips

There are a few tips that I’ve learned the hard way through buying TOO MANY different memory cards.
1. Make sure your device is compatible with the card! Even in regular SD cards, some older electronics aren’t compatible with that large of a size (2 GB). In terms of SDHC cards, make sure your camera or other device is SDHC compatible. SDHC is different from regular SD and only newer devices tend to have built-in compatibility
2. Once you install this in your camera or device, you will generally want to format the card with your compatible device’s interface. That is because the standard formats for certain devices, particularly Canon, are different from the factory installed format
3. Just like your devices, most computer SD card readers are not compatible with the SDHC format. So use a card reader or download the pictures via USB connection to the camera with the card still installed.
4. For some reason, placing the card in the locked position allows some older laptops to still read it. This is just to be used in a pinch however, and it won’t apply to all systems
5. If you did not properly format your card, you may be able to save things to it and then have them “disappear.” If this happens to you, make sure you use the software recovery tools BEFORE you try to save anything else to your card. That way, you can retrieve your images without over-writing them.
6. Make sure you know what you are going to use this card for. Once you have set up everything and ensured it’s all compatible, you still have to decide on speed. If you are using this for storing RAW images instead of JPEGs or HD video, step up to the faster class 6 speed format if you can afford it.
7. If you are going to pay more for a faster speed, make sure your device can benefit from it. I’ve read, for example, that Kodak cameras are set to a fixed voltage and cannot go faster than standard speed. So the extra cash spent on Class 4, 5, or 6 is basically wasted.

Conclusion

It’s great to have several extra cards on hand just in case. This 4 GB card is a nice performer. If you have a high capacity camera (10 Megapixels or more) and are storing videos or RAW images, the extra cash for the 8GB card is worth it. Or you may want to step up to the larger 16 GB size that is now available.

Enjoy!

Transcend 32 GB SDHC Review
Before you drop 120~$ for a SD card ask yourself, Do you really need 32GB card? because the card itself with same specs costs only 35$ for the 16GB version, anyway here is info that might help you

Pros :
1- Class 6 Card the(guaranteed minimum Read/write speed of 6MB/s)
2- My Test Results 18.2-18.5MB/S Read – 11.6-11.8 Write (very stable)
3- Faster than average cards and almost close to top speed SDHC cards
4- 32GB in a single small chip is awesome(You can use it as a portable HD once in a while, i share some stuff with my friends with it sometimes

Cons :
1- Expensive
2- You can get two 16GB cards for around only 70$ and save yourself 50$~
3- Slow write speeds for a 32GB card (Takes forever to fill it with DATA from PC, its not the card fault though , its just the SDHC technology is getting old and slow for 2009 standards , time for newer Tech)

* Important Info

Avoid the Sandisk Ultra Series they never reach the true marketed speed “15MB-20MB/S” its just in theory speed like how everybody knows that USB2 is much slower than its specs, and they are only Class 2 for the 32GB version which will drop frames from your HD video (Plus Class 4 is minimum requirement for shooting in HD ) if you plan to get San disk Card then get the Extreme III Series (but again from my own Tests there read speed is about 20MB not 30MB and the write speed is 14MB/s~ instead of the transcend 11MB/s write speed (Unless you spam shooting pictures with your DSLR you don’t “need” faster speed)

I bought This card because i plan to take videos with my HD camcorder that last more 2 Hours, if you do not plan to shoot for longtime then you are better with getting the 16GB card HOWEVER, if you are lazy like my mom and do not plan to transfer DATA from the card to Your computer HD after every trip, then get the 32GB card.or you gonna end up on a trip and a message pops “No memory”

If you plan to shoot for longer time, check your camcorder battery too does it even last that long? so be sure about that before you drop over 100$ for this card

ViewSonic VX2433wm 24-inch WideScreen LCD Monitor Product: ViewSonic VX2433wm 24-inch WideScreen LCD Monitor Lowest Price! List Price: $229.99 Amazon Price: $199.00 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

Compare Prices on ViewSonic VX2433wm 24-inch WideScreen LCD Monitor

ViewSonic¿s 24″ (23.6″ viewable) VX2433wm 16:9 widescreen LCD delivers Full HD 1080p performance and ultra-fast 2ms video response for unsurpassed HD viewing on your desktop. The impressive 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio enhances your movies, video and games with greater detail and definition especially in darker images. Multiple inputs including HDMI with HDCP give you extensive connectivity options for high-def data and entertainment. Integrated SRS WOW HD® speakers complete your multimedia desktop with amazing sound. Aspect ratio adjustment ensures your images are never distorted regardless of signal source. Ecomode automatically reduces power consumption and can extend backlight life. The VX2433wm is ideal for gamers, HD enthusiasts, and graphics professionals.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in Personal Computers
• Color: High-gloss piano black
• Brand: ViewSonic
• Model: VX2433WM
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 16.14″ h x 22.44″ w x 9.06″ l, 11.02 pounds
• Native resolution: 23.6
• Display size: 23.6

Features

• Full HD 1080p display with 1920×1080 resolution, tilt-only adjustment
• OptiSync® digital/analog inputs expand your connectivity Multiple input technology supports both digital (DVI,HDMI) and analog (VGA) signals for ultimate compatibility and configuration
• ClearMotiv® 2ms video response time Ultra-fast 2ms video response enables digital HD broadcast-quality video
• © 20,000:1 dynamic contast ratio Provides darker black levels and better overall front-of-screen performance
• SRS WOW HD sound and high quality stereo speakers

Awesome Monitor at a great price
I too purchased this at a club store for a discounted price ($219 with a coupon) and it is truly a beauty. I use it at work for documents mostly. Do not be put off by the earlier review’s comment about text–it is perfectly fine and the text is actually sharp and easy to read. Took five minutes to set up, and I’m back to work right away. Excellent product, and ViewSonic’s reliability is well known.

Loved it but had to return it anyway
This was the best monitor I ever bought. The picture is crisp, colors vivid, etc. The only minor gripes are:

a) The blue power LED on the front is too bright. I had to cover it with something for viewing the screen in a dim room.

b) The 1920×1080 resolution is fine for movies but is vertically challenged for normal computer use. For example, my 1600×1200 20″ LCD monitor can fit more text on the screen (and is vertically taller despite the lower diagonal measurement) and is thus better suited for business work such as reading annual reports, etc.

This was all very minor. The monitor quality is just excellent. I, like the others here, bought this at a warehouse retailer at an extremely attractive price. They sold like hot cakes! When I went to return mine, there were none left for sale.

Why did I return it? XP Professional could produce this resolution fine. However, Ubuntu 8.04 and Ubuntu 8.10 both had troubles. I ended up having to drive it at a lower resolution in Ubuntu, which resulted in annoyingly fuzzy text. Later, I discovered that Ubuntu 8.10 is quite happy with 1920×1200 but cannot seem to do 1920×1080–at least with my hardware. Fedora 10 also only worked properly with 1920×1200 and had to drive the monitor at a lower-than-native resolution. Since I need to use Linux (Fedora or Ubuntu) for scientific work, the monitor had to go back. It was emotionally difficult to return it: so much screen real estate; so much quality! Viewsonic has produced an excellent monitor.

If you’re using Windows, it’ll work just dandy. But for business use (reading vertically oriented documents) consider a 1920×1200 also before selecting.

Excellent Monitor at a Great Price
I purchased the ViewSonic VX2433WM from a warehouse retailer for an extraordinarily low price, which made it irresistable!

This monitor has vivid, crisp colors and is excellent at displaying graphics and video! By default, it is exceptionally bright, so I adjusted both the contrast and brightness to about 50%. This is a very responsive monitor with no ghosting present. It also came with zero stuck or defective pixels, which made me very happy.

The one area where this monitor could be improved is related to text display. At times, text can be a bit fuzzy on screen, but this is something I’ve noticed on other 24 inch displays before (notably Samsung). It’s not a show-stopper, but text is not as clear as on my 19″ monitor at home or at work.

The built-in speakers are awful, with a really cheap sound. Fortunately, I don’t plan to use them much. I think it has to do with function following form where, for beauty’s sake, the speakers are on the back and downside of the monitor, creating an indirect sound. The sound is much worse than on my old 19″ ViewSonic monitor.

LaCie Rugged All-Terrain 320 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400/800 Portable Hard Drive 301832 Description:

The LaCie 320GB Rugged Hard Disk is your solution because the best protection of your data requires handling with care, but you live in the real world full of bumps, spills and adventures. The ultra-portable LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is your data¿s best protection for the real world. If you care about protecting your valuable data on the road, this drive is your durable, dependable solution at an affordable price. Take it with you on business trips, vacations or use it for transferring files from one desktop computer to another. It¿s perfect for users who need backup, storage and large volume exchange for office files, photos, music and even video clips. This external storage solution offers the supreme speed of FireWire 800 along with FireWire 400 and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interfaces for true universal connectivity. Exchanging data between Macs and PCs is easy with LaCie¿s Triple Interface solution. It even comes with a power-sharing cable for low powered USB hubs/computers. Its unique varnished, scratch-protected aluminum shell and shock-resistant rubber sleeve make the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk especially resistant to harsh elements for extra protection wherever you go. The exclusive creation of world-renown designer Neil Poulton, the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is essentially our award-winning, popular PocketDrive with a new and improved design.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #560 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: 320 GB
• Color: Silver
• Brand: LaCie
• Model: 301832
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.00″ h x 3.50″ w x 5.70″ l, .50 pounds
• Memory: 8000MB DRAM
• Hard Disk: 320GB
• Processors: 1
• Native resolution: 640×480
• Display size: 669.2913385827

Features

• 320 GB external hard disk with rugged, shock resistant case
• Triple interface including FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0 for speed and universal connectivity
• Bus-powered so no bulky power adapter required
• Includes one-year online backup service providing unlimited off-site backup storage
• Measures 3.5 x 1.0 x 5.7 inches (WxHxD); backed by a 3-year warranty

Customer Reviews:

LaCie Rugged Hard Drive 250 GB – The Fire wire And USB Ports Are Great!!! Great HD!!!

The LaCie 250 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB2.0 is a great unit that is ideal for those with fire-wire ports built-in to their laptops and computers. Unfortunately while most Macs have fire-wire built-in, right now the majority of Windows based laptops do not. That is changing as more PCs are getting them built-in. I need drives for several computers, including Mac, Windows and Linux boxes. Suffice it to say that this drive is definitely a must own if you have a Mac and may even be worth installing a fire-wire card if you have a PC.

While it is no secret that I love my WD hard-drives, the LaCie drive definitely outperforms it in a few key areas. So depending on your needs, it may be well worth the small premium to pick up the LaCie.

Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to value and best performance for your buck the Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive (Intense Blue) is a great option. Like the LaCie, it has a variety of color options including black, red, white and blue. Of course changing colors on your LaCie is much easier than buying a different color WD drive when the mood strikes. The rugged color bands are interchangeable. The WD also doesn’t have the “rugged” edges of the LaCie, and it only has USB 2.0 which makes it impractical for certain situations.

Namely, if you want to run something off your external drive, such as a program or a media library, the performance of USB alone is just not as good. Just ignore the specifications and numbers, because from first hand experience I can tell you fire-wire definitely performs faster for large backups or regular data access. It’s just faster.

The LaCie is also more versatile. Even if you are planning on using it for USB only right now, having the fire-wire means that if you get another computer that is capable you already have the option built in. That may be a stretch, but if you are planning on getting a new laptop within the next year from one of the big brands you can pretty much plan on them having fire-wire.

Now there are a few slight advantages that the WD has over the LaCie. The LaCie is definitely slightly bigger and thicker, and it’s also more expensive. Still, the difference is small enough that the pros will probably outweigh those small cons, especially for Mac users.

Pros
+ Great versatility with fire-wire 400, 800, and USB 2.0
+ Fire-Wire speeds give you better response times for online data access
+ Nice size with aluminum shell and “rugged” edges that hold up regular use
+ USB or FW powered, so no A/C required, which is great for portability
+ USB power sharing option allows you to hook up a USB hub, etc.
+ Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X and older versions too
+ You can set up your own disk encryption for security and privacy
+ Nice looks, and the brushed surface scratches much less than my WD drives
+ Other color options for your rubber bumpers are sold separately
+ Turns on and off with your computer or easily ejected via system tray
+ Easy driver-less installation really works!
+ Included backup software is less buggy than WD and may be useful for some
+ 250 GB capacity is decent for most users, but I hope a larger size is coming SOON!
+ The 2 year warrantee is good, but not as good as WD’s 3 and 5 year warrantees depending on model

Cons
- Priced higher than WD on a dollar per gigabyte basis
- Larger GB capacity drives not widely available from LaCie though they are offered by WD
- Form factor is slightly larger and thicker than the WD passport drive
- Warrantee is also shorter than WD
- The *rugged* thing may be oversold, and I don’t recommend dropping it
- Still no standard Linux drivers or software included, but there are workarounds
- Have to spend your cash to get a case that should have been included

Conclusion

This drive is great or those who want a portable drive for backups or running a media library application like iTunes or Media Center. I only wish they sold it in larger capacities. The premium price may be worth it for those who need that extra edge in speed offered by fire-wire connectivity.

Enjoy!

Firewire powered is a great feature
I’m using this with my macbook pro. I looked around a lot because the macbook only has 2 USB ports, so I wanted something I could plug in somewhere else. The Firewire 800 is fast, and it powers the drive, so no carrying around another power pack.

The drive comes with all the cables you will need firewire 800, 400, USB, and a optional power cord if you have an older laptop that might not be pushing enough amps through the USB (ie. you may have to plug 1 USB in for the data, and 1 for the power).

It was plug and play for me. No installing of drivers or any other monkey biz. Just started backing up data.

So far so good… so great!
After a couple of days with this drive, I kind of want to buy it flowers and take it to dinner, maybe introduce it to my parents, pick out china…

Partitioned to use on both Macs and PCs, the drive’s storage capacity is 268GB. Transferring about 50GB of data took 30 minutes and some change. Other drives have taken me upwards of 2 hours in the past with the same amount of data.

I use it for data backup, but also to play my music library.
Usually when I’ve tried to access music externally, it loads a bit slowly and there is some lag (especially when it’s a large library). It actually runs better off this drive than it did off my computer’s hard drive… granted, that was because my PC’s 75GB drive had 50+GB of music on it (like your uncle after Thanksgiving: full and slow). This is even with the USB cable, which, from what I’ve read, isn’t as fast as Firewire (yes? no?).

It’s super speedy, it’s reliable (so far), it’s small and light-weight. My one beef is: with interchangeable band colors available, did they HAVE to include the ugliest color with the product? I think they think that I’ll care enough to buy the other colors, but I only care just enough to whine about it.

Amazon.com Product Description
The LaCie 301832 320 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0 is designed to survive the harsh elements of the real world. This durable, portable storage drive offers 320 GB of storage with a triple interface for maximum compatibility and performance, and is built with a rugged, drop-resistant aluminum alloy shell and a shock-resistant rubber bumper.

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The LaCie 500 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0: Features a rugged drop-resistant and shock-resistant enclosure. Gets power from the USB bus so no extra adapter is required. Has 320 GB of disk space; 5400 RPM spin rate and 8 MB of cache for maximum drive performance. Doesn’t need any drivers for simple set up. Free one-year online backup service.

With three interfaces, you’ll have a fast connection with any computer. View larger.

World-renowned designer Neil Poulton is responsible for the stunning look. View larger.

The Rugged All-Terrain withstands bumps and shocks to keep your data safe and secure.

Ultra-Portable Data Shuttle
If you travel a lot with your data, the Rugged All-Terrain is the drive is for you. Perfect for users who need backup, storage and large-volume exchange for office files, photos, music and even video clips, the Rugged All-Terrain is bus-powered, which means that it uses the power of the connected computer to operate and doesn’t require an additional AC adapter or power cord.

Three Interfaces for Fast Connections
The Rugged All-Terrain offers speed and versatility with three connection interfaces, letting you use it with almost any computer. The FireWire 800 interface allows for a blistering 800 Mbps data transfer speed, perfect for video editing and other intensive work. FireWire 400 is also supported, which has long been a favorite of Mac users and provides 400 Mbps speeds. The nearly universal USB 2.0 interface is supported as well, which offers a transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps, and is backwards compatible with USB 1.1.

With its driver-free and plug-and-play functionality, exchanging data between Macs and PCs is as easy as it gets–simply plug it into any computer with a USB port and you’re ready to go. (The Rugged All-Terrain requires no extra drivers for Windows XP/2000/Vista and Mac OS X operating systems.) It even comes with a power-sharing cable for low-powered USB hubs and computers.

The drive features a spin speed of 5400 RPM, an 8 MB cache, and a transfer rate of up to up to 480 Mbits per second. Measuring a mere 3.5 x 1 x 5.7 inches (WxHxD) and weighing less than nine ounces, the Rugged All-Terrain is designed to travel and will fit easily in your briefcase or backpack. Take it with you on business trips and vacations, or use it for transferring files from one desktop computer to another.

Included with the drive are LaCie software bundles to enhance its performance and functionality, including LaCie’s 1-Click Backup Software (for Mac and PC) and SilverKeeper Backup Software (Mac).

Mobile, All-Terrain Protection
Designed exclusively for LaCie by world-renowned designer Neil Poulton, the Rugged All-Terrain is built like an off-road vehicle, ready to withstand the bumps and bruises of your travels. Its unique, scratch-protected aluminum shell and shock-resistant rubber bumper make it especially resistant to harsh elements. In fact, the drive is designed to withstand vertical drops of up to 35 inches while in non-operating mode. (Dropping the drive while it’s in operation, however, could cause damage, so be careful!)

For additional styling points, the Rugged All-Terrain can be outfitted with additional colorful bumpers that will keep your drive protected. Easy-to-change and durable once on, they are made of the same quality rubber as the original bright orange Rugged sleeve. The optional set of three additional bumpers, which is sold seperately, includes green-grey, blue-grey and black bumpers.

Free One-Year Unlimited Backup Service
With the purchase of this LaCie Hard Disk, you will also receive a full year of LaCie’s Online Backup service. With this service, the data that you store on your computer will be encrypted twice and uploaded to the offsite data center where they will remain encrypted, maintaining your privacy.

When you sign up for the service, software is added to your computer that looks for new and changed files to update. The service is completely automated and only backs up new and modified files when your computer is idle, so you don’t have to do a thing, and your computer’s performance will never be affected.

This service lets you upload an unlimited amount of photos, music, video, and documents for a full year. After that you can continue with the service for a low monthly fee. This is LaCie’s way of ensuring that should anything happen to your Hard Disk — should it get stolen or damaged, for instance — your invaluable data will remain completely protected and accessible.

The LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Portable Hard Drive is backed by a 3-year limited warranty.

About LaCie
Established in France in 1989, LaCie is a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for Windows, Apple and Linux users. With offices and plants in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, LaCie develops and manufactures external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs and leading-edge technology.

What’s in the Box
LaCie Rugged Hard Disk, FireWire 800 cable, FireWire 400 cable, high-speed USB 2.0 cable (USB 1.1 compatible), USB power-sharing cable, and quick install guide.

Optional bumpers let you easily change the look of your Rugged All-Terrain.

Apple iPod nano 16 GB Silver 5th Generation NEWEST MODEL Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #192 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: 16 GB
• Color: Silver
• Brand: Apple
• Model: MC060LL/A
• Dimensions: 4.10″ h x 1.80″ w x 2.20″ l, .30 pounds
• Display size: 2.2

Features

• 16 GB capacity for 4,000 songs, 14,000 photos, or 16 hours of video
• Up to 24 hours of music playback or 5 hours of video playback when fully charged
• 2.2-inch color TFT display with 240 x 376 pixel resolution
• Supports AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio formats; H.264 and MPEG-4 video formats
• One-year limited warranty with single incident of complimentary telephone technical support

Customer Reviews:

Very cool, handy and sleek new toy — but don’t throw away your Flip yet!!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3GCL7CCLCHZCY When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano, he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market, it’s not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano, but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent, and you don’t care much about music or you already have an mp3 player, I wouldn’t buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand, having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video, though, you’d be better off with an iPod touch.

One thing you’ll notice in the footage, where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders, is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night, in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video, it also didn’t do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I’m not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting), but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano, I think it’s clear that for indoor and lowlight there’s no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer, but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there’s no comparison — the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV, the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with, well, a toy camera. In all fairness, that’s all it is at this point. (Note, by the way, that, like the Flip, the nano will only take video and doesn’t take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer, but you can’t use the onboard camera to capture stills.)

Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It’s nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen — exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners, there’s a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact, I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways — the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I’ll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I’m conscientious about avoiding it, and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I’d done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison — and I thought about doing it over, but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)

So, to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera, fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there’s something you want to shoot, but not quite the quality we’ve come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8, that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano, but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.

What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly, you get to listen to music, you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to, you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature, excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture), a decent quality mini speaker, a somewhat useful pedometer, decent game options for killing time. You don’t get any of that with the Flip! Sure, the new iPod nano is a toy … but it’s a very cool toy.

Awesome!
Let’s face it…we are not all clones and look for different features when it comes to an MP3 player. I wanted a small, portable player for the gym. The FM Radio feature is what I have been hoping for for a very long time! I don’t need apps. I don’t need to surf the web. I need to play my tunes. Genius is a great way to create a mix for the gym. The fitness tracker is incredible. And finally I can tune in to the TVs in the gym. Love it! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Perfect device for my needs.

Stay away. Far away.
When I received my new iPod, I was impressed with the sound quality vs. the old 1st gen Nano I have. (The original iPods were very “middy” sounding.)

But that is about all that is good with the unit.

The new 5th generation is incompatible with everything I own. My car’s radio has iPod integration which worked with my original iPod and my friends 4th generation unit, however, the newest iPods are incompatible. My home receiver also has an iPod dock which doesn’t work with the new unit. You also cannot add music for playback under Linux (at the moment. It’s being worked on.) Apple changed how they store music on the iPod, in what can only be described, as attempt to keep 3rd party applications form working. (Let’s face it, iTunes has become a horrible, bloated and slow application.)

If all this wasn’t bad enough, the thing keeps locking up. When I’m listening to MP3s or the radio, it just automatically resets and the music library is erased. I then have to refill the unit with the songs from my PC. And after a few more minutes of listening, it resets again erasing everything. I have sent it back twice and I still have the problem. (A friend of mine bought a new Nano and he is also having the reset problem.)

Apple, why would you make a product that is incompatible with the expansive collection of accessories that people have invested in? Is anybody there monitoring quality of your products anymore?

Amazon.com Product Description
iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you spontaneously shoot video wherever you are. And that’s just the beginning. It has a dramatic, polished anodized aluminum finish and a larger screen. The new Genius Mixes feature acts as your personal DJ, automatically searching your iTunes library, then making mixes you’ll love. Take iPod nano anywhere and the new Pedometer counts your steps. Also making its debut: a built-in FM radio with two amazing features–iTunes Tagging and Live Pause. So the world’s most popular music player now has more to play with.

The world’s most popular music player now has more to play with. Click to enlarge.

nano Shoots Video

Video a-Go-Go
iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you record fun as it happens. Then share it with friends on the Internet. It’s the video camera that’s small enough to take with you everywhere.

Video Recording–a Whole New Way to nano
A quick scroll through the menu takes you to the video camera. Then you’re ready to record video in portrait or landscape–perfect for emailing or posting on Facebook or MobileMe. A built-in mic lets you capture audio, too. And when you play back your video on iPod nano, you’ll hear the recorded audio with it. All of which means your indispensable music player is now your indispensable video camera.

Special Effects Department Included
Fifteen fun video effects let you add a little Hollywood to your video. Just scroll through, choose the effect you want–such as film grain or motion blur–and start recording. When you’re done, sync iPod nano to your computer and iPhoto (or your favorite photo software) opens. Then email your miniblockbuster or post on YouTube or Facebook.

Sync, Share, and Put More You in YouTube
Connect iPod nano to your Mac, and iPhoto opens and syncs all the video you shot on iPod nano to your computer. It’s just as easy on a PC when you use your favorite photo software. On a Mac, you can browse and edit your videos in iPhoto, too. The video file sizes are perfect for sharing on YouTube or emailing to friends.

Design Makes Rock More Glam
iPod nano now has a polished anodized aluminum finish in nine electrifying colors. And a larger 2.2-inch color display for your viewing pleasure.

Up to 2,000 songs, 8 hours of video, or 7,000 photos in your pocket. Click to enlarge.

Ultra-portable at 3.6 x 1.5 x 0.24 inches and just 1.28 ounces. Click to enlarge.

Available in an array of electrifying colors. Click to enlarge.

iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you spontaneously shoot video wherever you are. Click to enlarge.

This Is Genius
Control your Genius. Or leave it to its own devices. Either way, Genius explores your library and finds songs that go great together.

Genius Playlists
Say you have one song you really love and want to hear other tracks that go great with it. A few clicks on iPod nano, and Genius uses that song to find other songs in your library and makes a Genius playlist for you. You can listen to the playlist right away, save it for later, or even refresh and give it another go. Count on Genius to create combinations you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.

Genius Mixes
Now there’s another great way to get a customized set of songs on iPod nano–have Genius do all the work. Introducing Genius Mixes. All you do is sync your iPod nano to iTunes, and Genius automatically searches your library and finds songs that sound great together to create up to 12 Genius Mixes. These mixes are like channels programmed entirely with your music. It’s a great way to rediscover songs you haven’t listened to in forever, and some you even forgot you had.

Go with the Cover Flow
View your album art in Cover Flow for a faster way to find the song you want to hear. Or just press and hold the center button to flip the album cover art over so you can see the songs. When you find the right song, press the center button to add it to your on-the-go playlist.

Shake to Shuffle Your Music
Hear songs in a totally random way. Just turn on Shake to Shuffle, then give iPod nano a shake and it shuffles to a different song in your music library. You never know what iPod nano will spin for you next.

Don’t Just Listen to the Radio, Pause it and Tag it, Too
The new FM tuner lets you see the names of songs and artists. And two amazing features–iTunes Tagging and Live Pause–make listening to the radio nothing like listening to the radio.

FM Radio–it Gives You Yet Another Way to Rock
There’s always something great on the FM dial. And now the FM tuner lets you hear your favorite morning shows on your commute and discover new music while you work out. It even shows you what and who you’re listening to.1

With Live Pause, You’ll Never Miss a Beat
Say you need to take a quick break from listening to your favorite radio station. iPod nano lets you pause it with a click. Another click and you’re listening to your station again. You can even rewind as far back as 15 minutes, then fast-forward to catch up to the live broadcast.

iTunes Tagging–the New-Fashioned Way to Discover Music
It’s quite a dilemma: You’re listening to the radio and you hear a song you like, but when you go to iTunes, you can’t remember the name or even who sings it. Enter iTunes Tagging. Now, you can use the Click Wheel on iPod nano to tag the song. iTunes creates a list of all your tagged songs so you can easily preview or purchase them when you sync iPod nano to iTunes.

VoiceOver–the Talk of the Music World
VoiceOver tells you the title and artist of the songs you listen to. And does it so seamlessly, you’ll be surprised at how brilliant it is.

Let’s Talk VoiceOver
What if you’re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist? Just use the Click Wheel or the controls on the optional Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic and VoiceOver tells you the song name and who’s performing it without interrupting your music. So you’re never distracted from your ride or run by looking down at your screen.

The nano now includes an FM radio with iTunes Tagging and Live Pause functions.

Capture a thought, a reminder, a class lecture, or any audio recording you want with Voice Memos.

The new Pedometer counts every step you take. Or add Nike+ shoes and a Nike + iPod Sport Kit for the perfect workout partner.

How it Works
You’ll notice how smoothly and easily VoiceOver works. A lot of thought went into creating an iPod nano that not only talks, but says the right things. It all begins with iTunes and its seamless integration with iPod nano. First, iTunes reads your song information, then uses the VoiceOver Kit to generate the announcements for the songs, artists, and playlists. Just sync your iPod nano to your computer and it really speaks to you.

It Speaks Multiple Languages
Your music library has songs from all over the world–a love song from France, a bolero from Spain, a pop tune from Japan. Luckily, VoiceOver speaks fluent song.

iTunes selects the language and best voice for your song titles and artist names. It looks at song data, like the title, artist, and album information, then applies intelligent algorithms to choose the right language. For example, iTunes recognizes the song “Ya Viene el Sol� by Ozomatli as a Spanish song, so your iPod nano will automatically speak that song title and artist in Spanish. If you prefer to hear that information spoken in another language, you can change the designated VoiceOver language for that song in iTunes.

Hit the Ground Running–Or Walking
With the Nike + iPod Sport Kit (sold separately) and a built-in pedometer to help keep you motivated and track your fitness progress, iPod nano makes working out less routine.

Step it up with the New Pedometer
You take your iPod nano with you everywhere. Why not use it to stay fit? iPod nano now doubles as a Pedometer. It uses the built-in accelerometer to keep track of your steps and help you meet your fitness goals. You can create a daily step goal or set it to Always On so it counts all the steps you take, all the time. Which makes iPod nano the ideal exercise partner.

Rock and Run
Your shoes and your iPod nano team up to maximize your run. See the minutes tick by. Watch the miles unfold. Hear real-time voice feedback. All to your favorite music, including your chosen Power Song–that one song that always gets you through the home stretch.

Rock the Gym
Take Nike + iPod to the gym and minute by minute, mile by mile, you’re motivated by more than music. Connect your iPod nano to a Nike + iPod compatible cardio machine. Record your pace, time, and distance as you work out. With iPod nano, every trip to the gym becomes a new challenge.

Sync
When you’re finished, connect your iPod nano to your Mac or PC. iTunes automatically sends your workout data to nikeplus.com. Every workout and every run is there, ready for you to review. Get pumped for your next run with recommended challenges, custom training programs, and maps of new routes to try. Or share motivation with runners across the world.

Note to Self: Voice Memos Are Here
The built-in mic lets you capture a thought, a reminder, a class lecture, or any audio recording you want with Voice Memos.

iTunes: Your Greatest Hits
It’s even easier to organize, browse, grow, and share your digital music and video collection with the new iTunes. And now you can save items with a wish list and enjoy iTunes extras–bonus features on select albums and movies–like lyrics, photos, interviews, and behind-the-scenes media.

What’s in the Box
Apple iPod nano 16 GB Silver (5th Generation), Earphones, USB 2.0 cable, Dock adapter, Quick Start guide

TRENDnet 300 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-639GR Black Description:

The 300Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router offers unsurpassed wireless speed, coverage and reliability. Enjoy up to 14x the speed and 6x the coverage of a wireless g connection*. Gigabit Wide Area Network and Local Area Network ports transfer your data fast. Wi-Fi certification ensures optimal wireless throughput signal strength and compatibility. Advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology eliminates wireless dead spots. Wireless encryption and a manual on/off wireless switch keep your data safe. Wireless Protected Setup (WPS) integrates other WPS supported wireless adapters at the touch of a button. Seamlessly stream HD media, download files, surf and play games at wireless n Gigabit speed.

• Color: Black
• Brand: Trendware
• Model: TEW-639GR
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 905
• Dimensions: 3.00″ h x 8.75″ w x 11.00″ l, .77 pounds

Features

• 14x the speed and 6x the coverage of wireless g
• Seamlessly stream video, download files, talk online and play games
• Features one-touch Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) and manual wireless on / off switch
• Advanced wireless encryption and a firewall provides robust security
• 3-year limited warranty

Customer Reviews:

Just what I’ve been looking for!
I’ve spent the last few months dealing with a horrible wireless n router so I decided to go with this one. I also have a TREDNnet wireless n gaming adapter and it’s been fantastic so far. Anyways, this router runs cool even though I’ve been using multiple connections at the same time and using tons of traffic. My PC shows that I average 250Mbps and I see it peak at 300 constantly so the speed is as advertised. I have it running in mixed mode. It only took about 10 minutes to set the router up out of the box. Once I plugged in my cable modem and my pc it automatically configured the connection and I just had to log in and configure the wireless portion and security. In the 10 minutes I also configured my DDNS and my wireless IP Cameras to work with the router. It’s a super easy interface…..pretty much the same as any other router you can buy. When saving settings the reboot only took a few seconds and always went back into the setup. Most routers clunk out and you have to reset and log back in manually. I could go on and on but to keep this short I’d have to say that this router is awesome and it does EXACTLY as advertised. I’ve used most of the major brands of routers and I can’t say much for most. It’s very difficult to find a good reliable product but I think I’ve gotten lucky with this one. Don’t believe hype or buy something because you’ve heard the name before. The only other router I’ve ever been happy with was a Viewsonic believe it or not. That thing was rock solid and never gave me a single problem. If anything changes I will post it….otherwise you can count on this router. I love how people here are claiming they have advanced knowledge but can’t set this router up. It’s really very very simple just follow the quick setup in the manual.

*UPDATE 1/17/10*
Still no reset needed! I’ve been using tons of data with multiple devices. As a matter of fact Netflix is streaming to my living room right now. I have a torrent downloading on this pc @ 500kB/s and there are no hiccups. Just solid lightning fast connections!

*UPDATE 3/14/10*
Still no reset needed. I’m running in Mixed Mode and you MUST run 20/40 on the Bandwidth to get full speed. That must be the problem with others but this is standard with any N router.

Good buy if discounted
A basic wireless router which has features and functions that generally work as advertised, including port fowarding. Most home users wouldn’t need any more. The 3yr warranty is best in industry, just hope you don’t need to collect.

Simple to set-up & configure ( ignore CD):
First, plug in router, connect to modem and PC via ethernet cables; then disconnect power to modem and router. Then, re-connect power to modem and wait for about 30 secs., then connect power back to the router. Now re-boot PC’s and the router will have assigned IP’s via DHCP. You can type 192.168.10.1 into browser to access advanced router/wireless set-up & settings ( username:admin ; leave password blank ).
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User interface dumbed-down from prior model (633GR)

No QoS (contrary to some descriptions).

Even with these features DISABLED, router allows ‘WAN Ping Respond’ and ‘Remote-Management’. ‘Remote-Port’ assignment for ‘Remote-Management’ is ignored. These problems could be a security issue (use strong p/w).

Router REBOOT takes way too much time and did NOT clear a problem requiring a power re-cycle.

No activity log accessable to user.

LAN connection (RJ-45) sockets are too snug & too closely spaced & interfere with antenna motion.

Only connected device’s MAC address are reported, not the local computer “name”.

While Trendnet support is responsive, helpfulness decreases as problem complexity increases.
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Factory installed Firmware (v1.0.9.135, 9-Nov-2009) is NEWER than that offered at Trendnet.com for this model (v1.0.8.16 Sep/8/2009) …strange?

This router replaces a Trendnet TEW633-GR model I really liked except for one problem… which I had hoped the TEW639GR would fix…. it didn’t. I returned the 633 and kept the 639 ONLY because my cost for 639 was less than 1/2 that of my discounted cost for the 633 model.

Features I miss from my TEW633GR:
variable wireless transmitt power, local computer names, MAC address look-up for DHCP reservations, log file, Streamengine(i.e. QoS), much more advanced router controls, stand for vertical mount, unobstructed antennas motion, Bridge-Mode …

item is recommended if you can acquire at 40%+ discount although the TEW633GR is clearly a better router.

Drops wireless internet connection
Bought this router because of the good review that appear here. Setup and installed easily. Have 2 wired and 1 wireless computer. Wireless computer has a Dell wireless G board and a D-Link DWA-130C G/N adapter. When it works the range and speed seems pretty good. However when running in N mode the router drops wireless internet connection every 5 to 45 minutes. To get it to work you have to reset something or reboot. When in G mode it can stay connected for up to two hours with both of the adapters. I have to go into the room with the other computers to reset it, a pain when it is doing it every 5 minutes.
Customer support by email is ok but slow. Still have not got a resolution and my patience is shot. I have searched the internet and found other sites that sell this item. The reviews range from 1 to 5 stars. Pretty
many 1 stars, some who are experiencing the same problem I have. Interesting thing is that on some of them the
manufacturer responds.
As soon as I find another brand router and order it, this one is going back to Amazon.
Also the interface wants you to re-enter id like about every 5(?) minutes. Never could figure out how to
forward ports in DHCP mode. Now that it is going back I’m not going to take the time to set up static ips.
Also looking for new N router is tough, most of the popular N routers here have about 15-25% 1 and two star ratings. TREDNnet 300Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-639GR (Black)