Kingston 4 GB Class 4 SDHC Flash Memory Card SD4/4GB Review.

 "Kingston quality, massive storage, what's not to love?" 2008-12-03
By Nathan Beauchamp (Oak Park, IL USA)

There are some things to consider before buying this particular card or any other 32gb SDHC card on the market:

1. This is NOT an ideal card for a digital SLR like a D80, D90, Rebel XT, etc... That is because it is a class 4 device. The class of a SDHC cards has to do with how fast they read and write files, not how much storage they have. For a digital SLR, you should purchase a class 6 SDHC card most of the time. Class 6 cards will allow you to take 'bursts' of photos and not be limited by the card's capacity to write them. Also class 4 cards are slower reading data, meaning they will take longer to upload files to your computer. Upload speed is convenient, especially when loading large batches of files.

2. This card has far more storage than most people will need for their digital camera. Unless you like to keep all your photos on a SDHC card and never move them to your computer, or are a high volume photographer, there is very little need for more than about 8gb of storage space for most caeras. The possible exception to this is if you have a professional SLR that shoots files in the 16-20mb range--but if you do, you'll likely want a class 6 card anyway. If all you intend to use this card for is a digital camera, save yourself a lot of money and buy a PNY 8GB SDHC Card. If you're worried about running out of space on a vacation, buy a few of them. Otherwise you run the risk of having 'all your eggs in one basket.' If one card fails, you lose all your pictures instead of only a portion of them.

This card is fantastic for use in a video camcorder capable of writing to an SDHC card. (Check with the manual first to insure that a class 4 card will be fast enough first). It is also perfect as extra storage for an ultra portable computer or net book like the Asus EEE pc. Another great application would be as added storage to a personal media player or MP3 player equipped with a SDHC slot such as the Cowon D2.

There are other good 32gb SDHC cards on the market, some at cheaper price points than the Kingston card. IMHO, brand matters very little with something like a SDHC card, since they all are made pretty much the same way. None of the brands currently offering them (Transcend, PNY, Kingston) have high fail rates with their other products, so I believe they are all pretty similar. What you decide to buy will depend on whether you trust a particular brand, or who has the lowest price. All of them will work equally well.

 "Very Big" 2008-09-08
By Robert S. Ambrose (USA)

PREFACE:

I bought this card for extra disk space on my Asus EeePC netbook. I needed as much space as possible to supplement the very small SSD hard drive. I needed something with large capacity and relatively fast file transfer time.

PROS:

It shares the largest SD capacity on the market today with few others (Panasonic, Sandisk, and PNY) and is a quality name that I have had a good history with in the past. Its file transfer time is similar to the SSD drive in my machine so it basically acts as a second SSD for me at less than a quarter of the price!

CONS:

Its not the cheapest 32gb SD card(PNY) nor the fastest(Panasonic) but its good quality with a decent transfer rate.

CONCLUSION:

I'm very happy with its performance and capacity. I would like to see the price come down a bit, but that's the price of getting electronics of this caliber.

That's my input, take it or leave it :)

 "Fast Card" 2007-11-22
By Biju Vaderiyattil (South Brunswick, NJ USA)

I have this card. This is extremely fast card. I did a test on my laptop sd slot writing 6 gb files onto the card. Average speed was 5mb per second. that was more than it rated for.

 "If it was a little faster..." 2008-01-19
By D. Bermejo

I contemplated a 4 star rating, but when you buy the card, you know that it is a "class 4" card, which means it's supposed to transfer files at at least 4GB/s. If it's crucial and you can afford it, you could get the "class 6" card, which would make a difference when transferring large amounts of data.

In short:

*Pros:*

- Capacity. You can get more capacity, but this is a bout the best size/price ratio.

- Price. Again, 8GB and 4GB cards have the best size/price ratio.

*Cons:*

- SDHC. This is not really a con if you have new equipment, but SDHC is a newer standard, so you have to make sure you have the right equipment - SDHC IS NOT THE SAME AS SD!!

- Speed. It's not "slow", but if you've had fast cards you'll notice the difference. Of course, you know this from the "Class 4" rating, so it's also not really a con.

I've owned 2 Kingston SD cards. The oldest of them is about 3 years old and is still as reliable and good as when I first got it, so I have reason to believe this card will last for a while.

My older Kingston 50X SD card is about twice as fast as this card, but it's only 1GB, so I needed more GB's to capture more video. This card would be just about perfect if it was faster. When I say that, I don't mean that the card is slow - my Vista machine can use it for ReadyBoost and camera performance is good. Just know that ReadyBoost can only use 4GB of memory, so you'll have 4GB of memory just sitting unused if you use it for this purpose.

Primarily, I use this card for recording video clips and pictures with my Canon cameras, SD800IS and A710IS. For that purpose the card is great. I haven't noticed any lag when taking 7.1 Mega-pixel pictures (which range from 1MB to about 4MBs) or full screen VGA video (640x480). Here's some general advice for these cameras in particular, but it applies to most cameras:

1. Don't record more than about 10 minutes of video at a time because the file size goes over 1GB, but this depends on the camera and video format, not the card itself.

2. You might want to get an external card reader, if you don't have an internal card reader. You'll be fine transferring files directly from the camera if you only take a few snapshots and short videos. But if you plan on truly using all 8GB and transferring them at once, do yourself a favor and get a card reader. Most cameras are not meant to read/transfer files at fast speeds (even if they're USB 2.0 capable), and at least with the SD800IS, I could not transfer files over 500MB. Once I used a memory card reader, transferring was a breeze.

Although reading times are fast enough (between 4-8MB/s), writing is a bit slower - it tops out at about 4MB/s, which is good enough for the "Class 4" rating and fast enough to capture pictures without (noticeable) lag in my cameras.

It's a great card for the price; just make sure you understand what you're buying.

 "Don't be swayed by idiot customers.." 2008-02-25
By A. N. Shiau (San Gabriel, CA United States)

The Kingston 4gb SDHC memory card, like all other Kingston products, is an exceptional piece of equipment. I use it with my Canon SD1000 and I get nothing but blazing fast write times and no headaches. Make sure your device supports SDHC because if not, it will not work. This is a key reason why people are left "unsatisfied" by what they get, not because of the product, but because they did not do their homework.

Buyers, you should really take note that, most reviews on any site about not only Kingston, but other great brands, is heavily altered by idiot customers leaving comments to attack the site that sold them the items. So don't quickly judge an product based on how many stars it has, because honestly, you cannot take that into consideration unless you have read every review posted.

Kingston 4 GB Class 4 SDHC Flash Memory Card SD4/4GBET Review.

 "Kingston quality, massive storage, what's not to love?" 2008-12-03
By Nathan Beauchamp (Oak Park, IL USA)

There are some things to consider before buying this particular card or any other 32gb SDHC card on the market:

1. This is NOT an ideal card for a digital SLR like a D80, D90, Rebel XT, etc... That is because it is a class 4 device. The class of a SDHC cards has to do with how fast they read and write files, not how much storage they have. For a digital SLR, you should purchase a class 6 SDHC card most of the time. Class 6 cards will allow you to take 'bursts' of photos and not be limited by the card's capacity to write them. Also class 4 cards are slower reading data, meaning they will take longer to upload files to your computer. Upload speed is convenient, especially when loading large batches of files.

2. This card has far more storage than most people will need for their digital camera. Unless you like to keep all your photos on a SDHC card and never move them to your computer, or are a high volume photographer, there is very little need for more than about 8gb of storage space for most caeras. The possible exception to this is if you have a professional SLR that shoots files in the 16-20mb range--but if you do, you'll likely want a class 6 card anyway. If all you intend to use this card for is a digital camera, save yourself a lot of money and buy a PNY 8GB SDHC Card. If you're worried about running out of space on a vacation, buy a few of them. Otherwise you run the risk of having 'all your eggs in one basket.' If one card fails, you lose all your pictures instead of only a portion of them.

This card is fantastic for use in a video camcorder capable of writing to an SDHC card. (Check with the manual first to insure that a class 4 card will be fast enough first). It is also perfect as extra storage for an ultra portable computer or net book like the Asus EEE pc. Another great application would be as added storage to a personal media player or MP3 player equipped with a SDHC slot such as the Cowon D2.

There are other good 32gb SDHC cards on the market, some at cheaper price points than the Kingston card. IMHO, brand matters very little with something like a SDHC card, since they all are made pretty much the same way. None of the brands currently offering them (Transcend, PNY, Kingston) have high fail rates with their other products, so I believe they are all pretty similar. What you decide to buy will depend on whether you trust a particular brand, or who has the lowest price. All of them will work equally well.

 "Very Big" 2008-09-08
By Robert S. Ambrose (USA)

PREFACE:

I bought this card for extra disk space on my Asus EeePC netbook. I needed as much space as possible to supplement the very small SSD hard drive. I needed something with large capacity and relatively fast file transfer time.

PROS:

It shares the largest SD capacity on the market today with few others (Panasonic, Sandisk, and PNY) and is a quality name that I have had a good history with in the past. Its file transfer time is similar to the SSD drive in my machine so it basically acts as a second SSD for me at less than a quarter of the price!

CONS:

Its not the cheapest 32gb SD card(PNY) nor the fastest(Panasonic) but its good quality with a decent transfer rate.

CONCLUSION:

I'm very happy with its performance and capacity. I would like to see the price come down a bit, but that's the price of getting electronics of this caliber.

That's my input, take it or leave it :)

 "Fast Card" 2007-11-22
By Biju Vaderiyattil (South Brunswick, NJ USA)

I have this card. This is extremely fast card. I did a test on my laptop sd slot writing 6 gb files onto the card. Average speed was 5mb per second. that was more than it rated for.

 "If it was a little faster..." 2008-01-19
By D. Bermejo

I contemplated a 4 star rating, but when you buy the card, you know that it is a "class 4" card, which means it's supposed to transfer files at at least 4GB/s. If it's crucial and you can afford it, you could get the "class 6" card, which would make a difference when transferring large amounts of data.

In short:

*Pros:*

- Capacity. You can get more capacity, but this is a bout the best size/price ratio.

- Price. Again, 8GB and 4GB cards have the best size/price ratio.

*Cons:*

- SDHC. This is not really a con if you have new equipment, but SDHC is a newer standard, so you have to make sure you have the right equipment - SDHC IS NOT THE SAME AS SD!!

- Speed. It's not "slow", but if you've had fast cards you'll notice the difference. Of course, you know this from the "Class 4" rating, so it's also not really a con.

I've owned 2 Kingston SD cards. The oldest of them is about 3 years old and is still as reliable and good as when I first got it, so I have reason to believe this card will last for a while.

My older Kingston 50X SD card is about twice as fast as this card, but it's only 1GB, so I needed more GB's to capture more video. This card would be just about perfect if it was faster. When I say that, I don't mean that the card is slow - my Vista machine can use it for ReadyBoost and camera performance is good. Just know that ReadyBoost can only use 4GB of memory, so you'll have 4GB of memory just sitting unused if you use it for this purpose.

Primarily, I use this card for recording video clips and pictures with my Canon cameras, SD800IS and A710IS. For that purpose the card is great. I haven't noticed any lag when taking 7.1 Mega-pixel pictures (which range from 1MB to about 4MBs) or full screen VGA video (640x480). Here's some general advice for these cameras in particular, but it applies to most cameras:

1. Don't record more than about 10 minutes of video at a time because the file size goes over 1GB, but this depends on the camera and video format, not the card itself.

2. You might want to get an external card reader, if you don't have an internal card reader. You'll be fine transferring files directly from the camera if you only take a few snapshots and short videos. But if you plan on truly using all 8GB and transferring them at once, do yourself a favor and get a card reader. Most cameras are not meant to read/transfer files at fast speeds (even if they're USB 2.0 capable), and at least with the SD800IS, I could not transfer files over 500MB. Once I used a memory card reader, transferring was a breeze.

Although reading times are fast enough (between 4-8MB/s), writing is a bit slower - it tops out at about 4MB/s, which is good enough for the "Class 4" rating and fast enough to capture pictures without (noticeable) lag in my cameras.

It's a great card for the price; just make sure you understand what you're buying.

 "Don't be swayed by idiot customers.." 2008-02-25
By A. N. Shiau (San Gabriel, CA United States)

The Kingston 4gb SDHC memory card, like all other Kingston products, is an exceptional piece of equipment. I use it with my Canon SD1000 and I get nothing but blazing fast write times and no headaches. Make sure your device supports SDHC because if not, it will not work. This is a key reason why people are left "unsatisfied" by what they get, not because of the product, but because they did not do their homework.

Buyers, you should really take note that, most reviews on any site about not only Kingston, but other great brands, is heavily altered by idiot customers leaving comments to attack the site that sold them the items. So don't quickly judge an product based on how many stars it has, because honestly, you cannot take that into consideration unless you have read every review posted.

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

 "WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review" 2009-09-11
By Hassan B. Bn Hadhram

Before i start let me just tell you "what's New" with the iPod touch Third generation" :

-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)

-Double the storage for the same old price

-Voice control (I'll explain it in a second)

-Latest firmware for free

-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.

You can play your music/watch your videos/play games, even read your kindle books/etc "you can read amazon big description of what it's capable of if you do not know yet, it's better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.

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

Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch

Pros:

-Slick,small and light device

-Great touch screen

-The BEST web browser on a portable device

-Amazing video/music playback

-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)

-Display screen is clear and bright

-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware

-64GB Flash based mp3 player

Cons:

-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)

-Weaker battery, only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback

-Expensive for the 64GB version

-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications

-Bluetooth is still half locked

Update : one more reason to avoid the 8GB ipod touch, Apple announced today "April 09 2010" that iPhone 4.0 OS will be released this summer and it will bring many new features to the iphone and ipod touch, however some features like Multitasking will only be available for iphone 3GS and higher or Ipod touch third generation and higher (As i said before the 8GB is second Generation only, a third generation 8gb ipod touch do not exist! so you wont be getting multitasking if you buy the 8GB ipod touch),

I hope my review was helpful :)

 "So Much **MORE** Than Just An MP3 Player!" 2009-09-30
By Alex Honda (Los Angeles, CA USA)

This is my first iPod and MP3 player. So far I've had the iPOD TOUCH (32-GIG/3RD GEN) for two-weeks and I'm loving it.

It's does so much more than just play music, which is why I wanted one. I'm not a Mac person at all but the iPod Touch...I love it.

Out of the box it found my Wi-Fi connection and had me surfing the net (the real Internet and not the cell phone web pages like the one on my Verizon phone). It was intuitive to use and I'm finally getting accustomed to using the touch screen to scroll and type away.

This review is mostly for other iPod newbies like myself. Here's what it comes with:

***The iPod Touch- slick and smooth and very thin

***A USB Cable- this hooks your iPod to your computer to recharge the battery and to sync it with iTunes.

***Plastic Docking Thing- this is a small plastic part that allows you to dock the iPod to an external device (I'm not sure what).

***Head Phones with Microphone and external volume control.

***Teeny-tiny insert- with bare-bones info. You have to access the full manual, which is available for free download in PDF format, at the apple website.

My advice is to buy an external cover for the iPod--the 2nd Generation iPod Touch skins/cover fit the new 3rd Generation ones because the body is the same--and buy a screen protector so you keep the screen free from scratches and such. I already scratched the shiny back of my iPod just by placing it down on the table so be careful when you first get it if you don't have a cover for it.

As long as you have Wi-Fi (wireless Internet connection) in your house/apt you can get full use out of the iPod Touch. You can also access free Wi-Fi hotspots in stores, restaurants, and other areas, so you can get on the Internet and download applications (apps) etc., check your email, go on facebook, youtube, even Amazon has an app, that can be downloaded onto the iPod.

The iPod Touch is configured to automatically search for Wi-Fi networks, it looks for both either locked (need a password) or unlocked (no password) networks, and displays them in the settings for "Wi-Fi." You really don't have to know anything about Wi-Fi to get it started. You just pick one of them and it connects to it.

I've tried my iPod at some hotspots like a shopping center with a Starbucks and it found the Wi-Fi and connected but since a lot of people were using it, it took a while to connect.

You need the program iTunes, which is a free down-loadable program for Windows or Mac, and an iTunes account to purchase and download the apps (most are free but you still need an account to download them). If you've used iTunes before for buying song downloads or just to register then you already have a login account...if you haven't used iTunes before it's free to download and easy to install. Then you sign up for an account which is also free, unless you plan on purchasing songs or videos.

The pluses on the iPod Touch:

===== Applications (Apps) =====

The apps are a plenty on the iPod Touch and there's an app for everything (practically). They're arranged by category like games, news, productivity, etc., and are furthered displayed by best selling, top-free, and release date. You can also search by keyword or check out the most popular and featured apps.

Some apps are free and some cost a one time fee of between $.99-$4.99 and up. If you're a news junkie like me, you'll really love it. I've downloaded Time Magazine, NPR (radio and print stories), BBC READER, New York Times, USA Today, AP (Associated Press) and ABC News...all for free!

I really like that the BBC Reader will download their stories into the cache memory, once you connect via Wi-Fi so you can read the articles offline (when Wi-Fi is not available). NYT and AP will allow you to save articles that you can read offline as well. And the AP will deliver breaking news as long as you're connected... ALL FREE!!!

I've downloaded a dictionary, spell checker, facebook, Grimm's Fairytales and Alice In Wonderland books to read...all for FREE! I also got this free app called "Pandora" which is a radio station that will only play songs by artists that you want to hear. Too cool!

I know that I sound like a broken record with the "free" stuff but being a Verizon Wireless user, I'm sure other VZW customers feel me, I'm amazed that one can download and install quality, portable applications onto a device for no charge or subscription plan.

===== Other Fun Stuff =====

Calendar for appointments etc., contact phone book, clock, weather, calculator (you can download a free tip-calculator), notes and maps. These all come with the iPod Touch.

iTunes will keep the stuff (music, apps, videos) on your iPod, backed-up on your computer so you'll always have a copy of those things. And you can tell it which play-lists to sync so that you don't have to carry around your entire music/video library from your computer on the portable.

Anyway, I'm loving my iPod Touch and it was the perfect birthday gift to myself. It really is like having a mini-computer with you at all times. The only thing that's missing is a camera, but that's not a big deal at all. It's great for people who want an iPhone, but don't want AT&T's lousy service. I also love not having to pay a monthly subscription charge to Verizon for apps on my cell phone, now that I have the iPod Touch!

The only thing I would advise getting--in addition to the iPod--is the cover protector skin and screen protector mentioned earlier, and the Apple USB Power Adapter which will allow you to plug the USB cord into an electrical outlet (though it isn't necessary, it charges a lot faster than when it's charging from your computer).

Since this is my first iPod, I don't know how it stacks up against the previous versions. But this one is great and really addicting! So if you've been wondering if you should get one and you don't have an iPhone, have access to Wi-Fi, then I'd say...yes! The iPod Touch has so much to offer the user that you can find something to do with it even if you don't plan on using it as an MP3 player all that much.

*** A Note About iTunes ***

Even if you don't buy MP3s--I've only purchased about three from iTunes; the rest was from Amazon through credits from special purchases and iPod can play them--iTunes is really handy because it makes taking songs from CDs so easy by capturing them and turning them into MP3s. The program will even retrieve song and artist information for you so you don't have to label the file once you import it. From there you can make your own playlists and burn your own CDs from those playlists, not to mention carrying them on your iPod, so it's definitely worth it and really easy to use.

 "Just Shy Of Perfection" 2009-09-15
By C. Franz (Zurich, ZH Switzerland)

This review could be summerd up in a short sentence: You are looking at the current killer appliance for personal entertainment. But I never, ever, do short reviews... So here's the long story. Grab a cup of coffee, as this review answers questions you never knew existed.

I have to admit that there have been few items that have captured and kept my enthusiasm for as long as the iPod Touch. Two years ago, I purchased the original Touch, last year I upgraded to the 32 GB, and now I have the 64GB version. Was the upgrade worth it? And what are the things yet to be imroved? Because even though the Touch is close to perfection, there are still many small things that can be improved.

Hardware

Physically, the new (64GB) Touch is identical to it's 2nd generation brethren. It's polished crome backplate is slightly curved, making it fit your palm perfectly. As before, the fact that it's made from polished chrome will guarantee that it attracts fingerprints and scratches almost magically. I'm no friend of any kind of protective covers, and my last (32GB) Touch had to live in my pocket with my keys, coins, and other stuff I threw in with it. After a year, the backplate did pick up a lot of scratches, and I expect that the 64GB to fare no better. Personally, I would have preferred a brushed finish for the backplate. This may have caused problems with the readability of the customized engraving that Apple applies to the Touch on the backplate for no additional charge (a nice 'touch' that becomes increasingly important as the Touch becomes more ubiquitious). This custom engraving you can only get if you order the Touch through Apple (it's also not available in the Apple Stores).

The front plate is made from one of the most impressive glass enhancements I've ever seen. After a year of heavy abuse, my old Touch's glass front has not a single scratch - not one. I don't know how Apple does it, but this is really impressive. Remember, I don't use any protective covers or films. The screen itself is brilliant, bright, and can easily be read outside, wich is a feat in itself. The Touch has an ambient light sensor, so it can dim the screen when the surroundings are darker.

This time around, the screen's color temperature has remained unchanged (the 2G shifted all colors from a blueish to a more golden tinge). Movie playback is simply astonishing. The image is crisp, and the on-screen controls natural. Again, there are niceties such as double-tapping the screen to change aspect ratio, or placing bookmarks etc. You still can't set a movie's contrast, but beyond that small issue, movie playback is perfect. Viewing movies on the Touch simply works great, but personally I think that the screen is too small to watch a full movie. Last week, I tried watching a TV episode while on a plane enroute to Hamburg (a 75 minute flight), but quickly decided against it, opting instead to play a game of 'Luxor'. Somehow I prefer a larger screen for consuming video, while I have no problems doing something interactive on it. Still, video plays great on the Touch.

Button and interface lay-out has remained the same from the last generation: volume controls on the left side, top holds the 'exit/on' button, buttom has dock and phones connectors, and the front holds the single home button. There is one thing that can be improved here: I would have preferred the audio connector to be on top (or either side), as the current configuration precludes the use of many applications (e.g. News- and eBook readers) when you want to place it upright -- for example in the Gym. Some apps do use the accelerometers and can be used positioning the Touch upside down, though.

The built-in speaker is unchanged from the last version. It's weak, tinny, mono, produces horrible sound, has no volume to speak of -- and yet it's one of the best additions to the Touch (the original didn't have it, the 2nd gen did). It simply makes casual gaming so much more fun. I don't care about the bad sound quality, I just love the fact that it's there.

The signatory white earphones that Apple sells with the Touch may look good, but I don't like them. In my ears they are too uncomfortable. Since I'm no audiophile, I can't comment on their audio quality other than that it's good enough for me. Anyway, I replaced them with my favorite non-Apple version. The hitch here is that Apple now delivers the 64 GB (and 32 GB) with earphones that sport a built-in mic and remote. And my head phones don't have that. While the remote is nothing much to write home about (the way it works is just too complex), the mic works well, and has just the right fidelity to pick out voice over the background noise. So, for now, I keep the white buds with me in case I want to use the IP-telephony capabilities.

Battery life appears to have been reduced somewhat from the 2nd gen - at least on paper. During the past few days the new 3rd gen Touch certainly performed as well as or even better than my 2nd gen - but then again, that one's battery is already one year old. One fact that I've become very fond of is the quick-charge ability, which works really well.

The built-in wireless connectivity is really nice, with astonishingly well executed integration. The touch does all it's wireless networking over WiFi and Bluetooth. WiFi works really well (especially here in Switzerland where Hotspots are particularely dense), and Bluetooth integration (which I tried on the 3rd gen for the first time) is flawless. WiFi reception (range) lags somewhat behind that of a Wintel laptop (no doubt due to the metal backplate) and is pretty much on par with that of a 15" Macbook Pro (which is also somewhat lacking in WiFi reception range). WiFi is still the 'g' variant though [interestingly enough, the built-in hardware does support 11n, but so far Apple has chosen not to activate it, presumably to conserve battery. This is interesting also from the fact that in the 2G Touch, Apple initially included Bluetooth capabilities, but only activated it with a later OS release. Perhaps the same can be expected for 11n]. Bluetooth now also works with headphones and BT-based car integration kits (works well in mine). I would have loved to try out BT-based printing from the Calender or Addressbook app, but hit a snag: it appears no Touch app supports printing...

Missing Hardware

There is some hardware that I expected, or whished that it was included in the Touch - especially as (some) of them are now present on other iPods:

No camera. I was somewhat ambivalent about this. No camera means no pictures and/or movies. But it also means that I can keep handling it rough, as I do not have to worry abou the lens. Also, I don't have to worry about taking it to the Gym (my Gym has very strict rules towards camera-equipped items). All things being equal, the addition of a camera (still and/or video) would have been nice, but I don't miss it much (truth be told, I yet have to use the camera on my mobile phone).

Unfortunately, there is also no built-in mic. This is much a more significant omission than having no camera. The Touch is a first class audio voice recorder and (more importantly for me) a first class Skype client. There are third party solutions for this (a mini-micro that directly plugs into the headphone connector), but if the touch had a built-in mike, it would make using world-class applications like Shazam (and Skype) so much easier

Likewise, there is no compass, nor a GPS receiver present in the touch. I understand that these are left out to better differentiate the Touch from the iPhone, but I would have welcomed them in the top-of-the-line (64GB) version of the iPod.

And, finally, there is no radio receiver. I'm definitely not a radio man, as I next to never listen to it. Still, some people do (as the ton of nicely selling IP radio applications shows), and anyway, the Nano has it now - even with a nice Tivoesque pause feature! Why not the Touch? Strange design choice.

iPod & iTunes

The original iPod's strength was the sheer brilliant ease of use - and the touch-based interface represented a mile-stone in improving on that. To date there simply is no better multimedia interface than that of the Touch/iPhone. It's natural after just a few seconds. It's drop-dead beautiful, with muted highlights, and cleverly accentuated by small (if flashy) animations that convey the different metaphors of the interface (e.g. the rubber-banded bouncing when you reach the end of a playlist). Like no interface before you can instantly use it to accomplish even complex tasks with just the flick of a finger. Using it is sheer, unadulterated fun. The 'Coverflow' album browsing may be one of the least useful, but it's definitely the most natural (and fun) way to flip though you music. And it is jaw-droppingly well executed (note: when you use coverflow you should make sure that you have installed the all cover art from any music you did not purchase from the iTunes Store).

At the base of all iPod music playing is the Playlist, and using playlist on the Touch is a joy. The interface whileplaying is also mature, offering niceties such as displaying a song's lyrics on a single tap, along with singularily simple controls for repeat and shuffle play. Unfortunately, this playlist feature also still has one of the most glaring shortcomings: the Touch is unable to play playlist groups. I usually group a small bunch of songs into very short playlist (e.g. '10 best Springsteen'), and then mix these playlist into larger ones by simply dropping a playlist into a group. Although iTunes supports this, all versions of the Touch have stubbornly refused to do that.

Also somewhat strangely missing on the Touch is the ability to search for an Artist or music title. Considering the fact that more than 10'000 songs fit onto the device the need for an ability to search for something would seem obvious (note: the Touch *does* have a global search function, which will also turn up songs - along with contacts and mails that match your search phrase. Having to leave the iPod app simply to look for a song is against everything Apple's ease of use is about, and it's not what I would expect). And while we are at it, I'd love the ability to also search the lyrics, but that would be the icing on the cake.

What is present, and what continues to amaze me is a function that I initially dismissed as some way to sell song: Genius Playlists. What it does is that given a song it finds other songs you already possess that would play nicely together. Since I have lots of songs (else I wouldn't be purchasing the 64GB), this feature has helped me to get an incredible amount of additional joy out of my music. There are lots of gems hidden that mass of music I never knew I owned. Of course, if you want to, Genius will also recommend songs you don't have but can buy right now on iTunes. That, of course, is the 'sell song' angle. But at least it's incredibly well executed (and yes, I've used it)

The 64GB now also supports voice recognition - and I'm sure it's a marvel of technology. But (much like the auto-correction system for text) it mostly only works in English. If you have set your system to German, you must pronounce english band names as they would be read aloud by a german-only speaker. Do it once, and everyone in the room stares at you. You'll never do it again. Plus, due to the greater complexity of the german language (I am german speaking), the commands only work half the time. A nice idea, and a boon while driving or typing. But *only* when set to english.

Rounding out the audiovisual feature set is the Touch's photo presentation ability, really showcasing the touch-based gesture interface. It was the pinch and flick gesture that originally sold me on the Touch, and it still does today. On the Mac, iTunes ties into iPhoto's image management, greatly facilitating the task of sorting out which images to synch to your iPod (on windows, this task is slightly more pedestrian, as you'll have to manually manage the 'My Pictures' folder). A strange quirk, though, is that during synch iTunes seems to downsample your images to a (to me unknown, but definitely) smaller size. Since I'm a photo nut (shooting with DSLR) this 'feature' annoys me somewhat, as iTunes currently does not provide any means to control the downsampling of photos.

The success of the original iPod has left some competitors scratching their heads, while it is blindingly obvious to most users: the tight, seamless integration with iTunes. Now in version 9, iTunes has become somewhat complex and not always that intuitive to use. It now also tries to manage Photos and Movies as well as Music and Applications. But iTunes is still very easy to use, and synchronizing the iPod Touch with iTunes is quick and simple. A small disappointment is the fact that you still can't synchronize your Touch wirelessly, and that it still refuses to mount as an external disk. Another disappointment is that although iTunes now allows you to share your music over the net with multiple Macs, it can't stream your Music to the Touch (A small, brilliant app from the AppStore can do this for you, though).

And while we are speaking of iTunes - there is one feature that I'd love to have on the Touch: the visualizer. iTunes' visualizer is really beautiful, and I would have loved the same functionality on my Touch.

Internet

While by itself the iPod Touch is an impressive and fun device, it comes into real swing when connected to the internet. The always-on nature and graceful handling of connection drops make the Touch one of the best internet devices I've used to day. The included Safari internet browser performs great - unless you try to load Flash-based content, which is not supported. The email client works great for receiving and viewing mail. Writing anything but the shortest of email is annoying, as the Touch is simply too small for comfortably entering any significant amount of text. Calendar and Address Book are well executed (even if entering a new date and merging multiple calenders is slightly more convoluted than necessary). Mail, Calendar and Addressbook can (if you have that service available) synch live to either mobile me (which Apple loves to sell you) or Exchange (which your employer loves to force on you) through a feature that is very similar to 'push' notification. In the past, using Exchange has been somewhat spotty, and mobile Me has had it's own share of problems. All in all, though both work nice, and exceedingly quick. You do need to be in range of a hotspot for this to function, though. Somewhat disappointing is the fact that notes are not synched. Another nice addition is 'Voice Memos' which is an audio recorder. Had the Touch an internal mic, this app would have been even better...

Applications

Next to the 'productivity' or 'PDA' suite (Mail, Calendar, Contacts) the touch comes with some other nice (but somewhat dull) apps (e.g. Maps, Stocks, YouTube) and two killer Apps: iTunes and App Store. While the former gives you instant access to all songs and movies that are currently available on iTunes (Warning: that, plus the incredible 'Shazam' can lead to unintented gross music spending), the latter (App Store) gives you equal instant access to an incredible number of applications that you can instantly download and use. The quality of applications on the App Store is quite uneven, and tends to cluster around some rather puerile topics (as a veritable, uh, heap, of Fart applications proves). That being said, there are a number of jaw-droppingly good applications that are able to utilize the touch interface (and other capabilities such as accelerometer) in new and surprising ways. Just to name a few are the aforementioned 'Shazam' that can identify a song being played and instantly link to iTunes (you have to see it in action to believe it), Flight Control, where you manage an airport by drawing the flight path for each plane, Bloomberg that provides stock information in an exhaustive way, and Wemlin that shows an up-to-date timetable for when the next tram arrives at my station. No matter what, there probably is an application that supports you with it.

And then there are games. Apple had quickly recognized that the Touch represents an immensely attractive and powerful game platform. Performance, screen, connectivity and control capabilities make it the ideal casual gaming platform. Accordingly, games represent by far the largest category in the App store. While inevitably there are some truly awfully executed, or simply dull games, the majority of the available games are at least somewhat entertaining, while some rival and exceed those that can be had for thrice the price on dedicated gaming platforms.

In the past, my Touch quickly filled up with app after app that I simply couldn't live without any more, and an unforseen limitation of the Touch's design surfaced: app management. Applications are arranged as icons on a 4x4 grid per page, with multiple pages that you can flick left and right to navigate. Unfortunately, re-arranging apps, although possible (and quite ingeniously implemented) is still a chore. Apple has done the right thing, and integrated a much nicer app manager into the (PC/Mac) iTunes application.

Speed Improvement

The iPod Touch, although seen by some as the 'iPhone's smaller sibling' was always either as nible as the phone, or even faster. The new, 3rd gen Touch is said to be 'up to 50% faster' than the previous generation. To be honest, I'm not sure that I see that speed improvent translate to much performance increase. That may be due to the fact that my Touch seldom maxes out on processor throughput or (for example when browsing) that WiFi bandwidth is the limiting factor. Some apps appear to be 'snappier' during start-up (smaller apps) or execution (games, mostly), but all in all, the Touch pretty much seems to be as fast as the last generation. This leads me to believe that the real bottleneck is it's internal execution memory (i.e. not the 64 GB storage, but processor memory), and ony applications that are specifically written to take advantage of new technology (e.g. OpenGL ES). Or in other words: the overall speed has not been improved that much.

SDK

So you want to be a geek? Already are? You can write your own applications for the Touch if you like. I've taken the plunge and downloaded the SDK. Note that you can download the SDK and develop for the Touch/iPhone without actually owning one. The development system comes with a iPhone simulator that you can use to test your applications without downloading them unto an actual device (it does have some limitations: for example, the accelerometers are not simulated, and you have no indication of the true execution speed). Well, you do need a Mac for this (although it can be a few years old). The SDK is impressive - overwhelming even if you are not used to Mac programming (and almost prohibitively complex if you are not used to frameworks like Cocoa and object-oriented programming). Still, crunching out your first (very basic) appliction is surprisingly easy, and if you roll that way, you'll get addicted quickly.

Summary:

It's the killer personal entertainment device. Buy it. You know you want it -- especially if you have read this far. If you have the 2nd gen iPod, you may need to ask yourself if the slight speed bump and the additional storage is worth the hefty price tag. To me it was, but your mileage may vary.

pros

+ world class touch/gesture interface

+ best iPod audiovisual experience around (music, video, photos)

+ killer feature: app store and application availability

+ killer feature: internet integration (browsing and push technology)

+ great movie playback

+ really good casual gaming device

+ slightly improved speed (allegedly, only for some games)

+ great integration with mobile me (calender, mail sync) or Exchange

+ really good SDK if you are geeky enough to roll your own apps

cons

- no built-in mic (headphones do have them)

- polished chrome backplate (I would have preferred a brushed finish)

- no gps, camera, compass

- no radio (nano has it?)

- no sync of notes, no wireless sync of music/movies

- spotty voice recognition in languages other than english

- no control over downsampling of photos

- no search function for music inside the iPod app

- no visualizer

 "64GB: even more Touch to love!" 2009-09-20
By Alan E. Moore (Sanford, FL)

I bought a 64GB Touch direct from apple on the day it came out -- I find it often takes longer to get newly released stuff from Amazon. I replaced my 32GB 2nd generation -- and to tell the truth, the extra 32GB is the main difference I notice. Now I can fit all of my music and video/tv shows and apps besides with room to spare, I love it!

A little about me, I'm a diehard mp3 player fan so I have owned a broad variety of iPods and iPod alternatives: Archos 604/605/5, iRiver Clix2, Sony Walkman X, iPod Classic/Nano/Touch 1,2,3,4,5, Creative Zen/X-Fi, Cowan U2, Samsung P2 etc. I will be comparing the iPod Touch 3rd Generation to all of these other players.

Let me just say that I'm not rating the quality of the update, but rather the unit as a whole. Admittedly, this is a pretty weak update especially if you were hoping for GPS or a camera. I am a little envious that the Nano gets a camera and the Touch doesn't, what's that all about? But ultimately, this is not a video camera for me (I have a Flip for that!) so I really don't care. I am rating the whole package as an MP3 and video player. I am considering how the Touch compares to competing products.

One other comment -- as to sound quality, I can't say that is either pro or con. If you want really good sound go get yourself a Sony Walkman! However, I find the sound (through my UE11 Pros) to be respectable, especially if you tweak the sound settings to your tastes. Neither remarkably good nor remarkably bad so I don't list SQ on either pro or con list.

Lets get to it then, what I loved about my Touch:

1) Beauty -- just raw esthetic pleasure, the Touch is without doubt the sexiest looking MP3 player I have ever owned! And it feels darn good in my hand too.

2) Software/iTunes -- what's the point of even mentioning an iPod without discussing iTunes? iTunes is for sure the best media player/store interface that I have ever seen. Definitely gives every iPod a leg up over the competition -- although Media Monkey is pretty good in many ways and that's what I use for my other players.

3) Apps -- nobody can compare with apple's App Store and the amazing assortment of Apps now available for the Touch.

4) Firmware/updates -- the apple firmware is probably the best out there. Sony Walkman is pretty good too, but I think apple gets top honors. The update process through iTunes is the smoothest software update process of any MP3 player I've ever seen -- although Archos comes close.

5) Play screen -- the Touch play screen really sets the standard that everybody else is aspiring to. I love how they fill the entire screen with the album art. The only other one that even comes close is the Walkman.

6) Accessories -- in the apple happy place there are accessories galore and readily available at your local store. Most of my other players require online shopping to find cases and whatnot.

7) Dedicated volume, home button, power button -- much as I love touch screens, its really nice to have a few dedicated buttons that you can hit without being able to see the screen.

8) Browser -- The Safari is one of the better browsers for an MP3 player, especially the pinch multi-touch interface for zooming is really nice. Keyboard is a little hard to use but can be done with practice.

9) Apple support -- these guys are fantastic about fixing/replacing faulty units. I should know because I've had to send a few items back over the years.

10. Speed -- they say its faster and I do notice the difference when playing with my apps which seem a bit snappier now. At this rate, the Touch is going to replace my laptop...

10 solid marks gives the iPod Touch 5 stars for being top of its class in so many categories! However, being an engineer, I always see room for improvement (I sure hope apple is listening!)

Things I don't like so much:

1) Play button? No dedicated play button means this is almost impossible to pause/play by touch. My first Sony Walkman had the best play button ever, the Archos 605 had a nice dedicated play button even though it was a touch screen. I just don't think touch screen should have to mean everything has to be done with the touch screen!

2) Battery -- its not pretty if the battery goes bad on this thing. Unfortunately, removable or even accessible batteries are becoming a thing of the past with MP3 players! Luckily they keep putting out new ones every year so I never use the battery up :)

3) Dock -- seems to me that the apple dock options are pretty weak compared to the Archos DVR dock.

4) Video cable -- if you want to watch those tv shows/movies you buy on iTunes on your TV you're going to have to buy a special video cable -- mine cost like $50!! Just keep that in mind...

5) Stylus won't work -- since this is a capacitance touch screen you can't use a stylus as much as you (or I) might like to. Looks shinier, but hard to use -- I like Archos better here.

6) Onscreen keyboard -- not great, Archos is definitely better for me partly because you can use a stylus if you have to.

Well there you have it -- 9 big pluses, 6 small minuses makes for about 4.7 stars by my calculations! If you don't need huge storage space or HD video resolution this is a great MP3/video player, not necessarily the best in every category but I would say it is the best overall unit available today.

My recommendations depending on your personal preferences:

- iPod touch if you just want an all around great music player, browser, video player, game playing, or if you are an App head (I'm rapidly becoming one myself!). It does everything!

- Sony Walkman if you want really good sound (the best I think) and/or you like Rhapsody

- Archos 5 if you want a big HD screen, great DVR capabilities, stylus friendly touch screen, and/or a big hard drive (500GB coming soon!)

- iPod Nano if you want a really small sleek player in fun colors and a @$*()^)# video camera!

 "The revised ipod touch despite new competition is still the best in the market" 2009-10-18
By Ben HT (New York, NY)

the ipod touch 3rd generation is definitely the best multi-functional music player in the market. I got the first gen. 16GB ipod touch when it first came out 2 years ago but I ran out of space but I decided to skip the 2nd gen. because ipods are expensive so I got the 32GB 3rd gen. when it came out. But if you already have the 2nd gen. ipod touch you should save yourself the money and wait for the 4th. when hopefully a camera and a built-in mic would be standard features because this is not such a major update besides a faster processor, new stock headphones, and lower prices.

However, this ONLY applies to the 32GB and 64GB versions as others have noted. The 3rd gen. 8GB version is exactly the same as the 2nd gen. except it is repackaged so even with the reduced price, the 8GB is an inferior deal.

The first thing I noticed was how much the price of the ipod touch has dropped since its debut. The 16GB was $399 when it first came out and now this 32GB is only $299 ($279 on amazon). This does makes sense because that is how the market works but this is a very good deal.

Obviously $300 is not money to be thrown around, but the ipod touch is well-rounded and offers many features other than just being a decent music player. I personally could not tell any difference in sound quality from my 1st gen. and my 3rd gen. touch, which is a major disappointment because the basic function of an ipod is a music player and improvements are always welcome if not necessary.

The 3rd gen. offers really shoddy and quiet internal speakers, which is better than nothing on the 1st gen. and the stock Apple headphones are just terrible. Note that the 32GB and 64GB versions come with headphones that have a built-in mic and music player controls, but they are basically the same. So you should factor in the cost of buying new headphones.

Some respectable brands for headphones or earbuds are Klipsch, Shure and Bose. I personally use Bose overear headphones because the noise that they block off really makes a difference on the crowded subway. While looking for headphones keep in mind that like all things out there, price and quality (and warrenties) have a direct correlation. But really, the ipod touch sound quality is not bad at all as much as I bash it.

What makes me give 5 stars to this 3rd gen. ipod touch is the fact that its overall package is unmatched in the market today, even with the new Zune HD (the Zune has a much inferior internet browser and limited apps). I am not going to make a comparison between them because both music players attract different audiences, where ipod touch users prefer the apps and the interface while zune users find the Zune Marketplace to be much better than itunes (Marketplace prices for music are cheaper and are a better value especially for heavy downloaders). But for the casual music listener, both are the very similar in form, function, and price.

The 3rd gen. ipod touch has a terrific internet browser that is superior to the Blackberry, but its limitations are that it requires a wifi connection and it does not support adobe flash. I use it to jot down notes quickly, to view my documents on my subway to study, check my mail, look up something quickly on the internet, and obviously to listen to music. There is a plethora of apps that can be downloaded and many are free and quite useful like AIM and SportsTap, and Remote. Apple advertises the ipod touch for the games that it can play and you will not be disappointed if you want to play something on the go.

Th 3.5 inch screen is crisp and watching videos is a pleasure. And the ipod touch does look great with clean lines but if you don't want to get the backplate scratched, you must by a case. The screen itself on the other hand is very scratch-resistant.

I highly recommend the new 3rd generation ipod touch for those who are looking for something in this price range and want a balanced music player that can also play vidoes, surf the web, and play quick games. In a way, people are also paying for the Apple brand, which is not a bad thing considering you can bring your ipod to the apple store to get it fixed, you can purchase many different accessories, and you can have special compatibility features with other apple products such as with macbooks if you already own one or your school/business uses them.

HDMI TO HDMI 6 foot cable Review.

 "Why pay out the wazoo when you can get this cable?!?!" 2007-06-18
By Ten D (IL United States)

OK - here's the story. I was going to buy a Toshiba HDTV. I had picked it out already and was ready to purchase it and that was when I found a promotion at a local retailer that if I bought a Toshiba HDTV then I can get $200 off of any of the Toshiba HD DVD players. The HDA2 was normally $399 but was on sale for $299 and with the $200 off I got it for $99!! You can't beat that!

Well, I got that on Tuesday and it was an unexpected purchase. I asked the person at the store how much the HDMI cable would be so that I can hook it up as soon as I get home. He said, it's a Monster Cable and it costs $124.99! Whoa! I went up to the shelf and saw the sticker that said $124.99 on it and on the sticker it said "Financing Available"! What?! I'm not going to pay more for the cable than I did for the DVD player! These guys are crazy!

I told the guy "You are nuts if you think I'm going to pay that amount" and I logged onto Amazon and purchased this HDMI cable I'm doing the review for. I paid, with shipping, less than $9 for it. I was a little worried about it though - I'm sure that there must be a difference between the $124.99 cable and the $9 cable. So, I took the test. I went and purchased the $124.99 cable (mostly because I was too anxious to try out the new HD DVD player and couldn't wait for it to arrive). I plugged it in and of course the HD DVD I played looked absolutely amazing! The very next day I got the $9 cable (pretty fast shipping by these guys by the way) and I hooked it up. I was worried what I would find but when I started watching the same HD DVD that I watched the night before on the $124.99 cable I could notice NO DIFFERNCE WHATSOEVER between the two cables' results. So I returned the $124.99 cable.

You will not be sorry if you purchase this cable over the other ones in the major retailers. Don't let them tell you "it's a better quality cable" or anything like that. This cable is built very well - you can just tell when you hold it in your hand that it was made well. You don't get the fancy plastic packaging that you have to tear into with a knife and cut your fingers on though (oh what a bummer!). Get this cable. It's great!

The only thing you will want to research is that I have seen in some literature that there are two different kinds of cables. I think there is a special one for 1080p DVD players (dont' quote me on this). So do your research before purchasing just to make sure that this is the correct "type". As far as build quality - picture quality, for use with an upconverting DVD player as well as the Toshiba HDA2 HD DVD player, it's an absolute steal.

 "Price performer!" 2006-04-01
By J. Collins (Los Angeles, CA USA)

HDMI is a digital signal. That means it's all or nothing--not like analog where you may have degradation due to signal loss, crosstalk, radio frequency interference, etc. As long as you have a decent HDMI cable to transmit the digital bitstream from point A to point B, you're set. I just purchased the new Sony Bravia S-series 32 inch LCD TV. To go with it, I trashed my old Apex with the missing remote and got a deal on a Sony DVP-NS70H upconverting DVD player that can synthesize "extra" lines of resolution. The player can send 720p or 1080i signal to the TV. (Current DVDs are 480p; that standard will change eventually with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.) I knew that the upconversion feature only works through a digital connection, so I'd need to get an HDMI cable. Started checking prices and, no surprise, they were all over the place. Some were in the $100 range. Despite mild skepticism, I decided to try the cheapest one. This little beauty arrived in 3 days in a plain brown wrapper and a clear plastic bag. The cable is surprisingly robust, with nice build quality, supple insulation, and good connectors. I started to feel vindicated. So I plugged it in, put Harry Potter in the DVD player and WOW!! The DVD player and TV did their magic. Spellbindingly great picture and sound. I haven't tried a component analog connection--those cables are REALLY expensive and quality matters more there--so I can't compare component versus HDMI. Bottom line: this is an unbeatable price performer for around $10 incuding shipping. And no, this is not an April Fools joke.

 "great price...save $$$ buy this cable" 2007-06-07
By Living in Budapest (Budapest, Hungary (originally Ann Arbor, MI))

Living in Europe, I had to bite the bullet and buy an overpriced (approx $50) HDMI cable from the store that sold me my TV. I ordered this HDMI cable from Amazon and picked it up on a recent trip back to the US. As far as I can tell there is absolutely no difference in performance with this cable compared to the overpriced one on my other component. The spotlight reviews do an excellent job of explaining why this HDMI cable works just as well as the overpriced alternatives.

 "Now a believer" 2007-04-25
By Asad Ibric

You won't see a different in the quality of your iPod music when you use a gold plated gas injected USB cable to transfer the songs from your computer to your iPod! its a digital signal. Why should the HDMI be any different? Stick with this, clear and simple, if you want to read on, be my guest:

I purchased an HDTV 1080p TV with true color support about 2 weeks ago and a PS3 about 3 weeks ago. I had my PS3 hooked up with a $130 monster cable because the guy at the store convinced me it would make a difference in my picture.

While surfing the web, reading video and audiophile reviewers comment about HDTV related stuff, long story short I came across the cable debate and thought I'd test it out myself. I hooked up the PS3 with the monster cable, played clips of Black Hawk Down in Blu Ray, then hooked it up with this cheap cable. No difference at all. I guarantee you I am so picky with the picture and sound aspect of home theatre (well isn't that the point of home theater!) and would not subsidize quality to save a few bucks.

The picture is exactly the same as the monster cables picture. For those who complain about durability:

First off, the cables more durable then the monster cable. The monster cable was so thick it began to angle itself on the HDMI connection port. All that unnecessary crap was weighing it down and bending the connector port. Secondly, you don't say hey check out my super durable ultra quality HDMI cable that does the same thing as a $5 cable, you do that with cars and clothes, not cables. Therefore the performance is what should count not the brand name. Thirdly, digital signals have no loss, no matter how bad the cable is. This cables quality isn't bad, its actually very good, but assuming it was so bad that it was crap, the picture simply would not go through instead of going through poorly.

Injecting gas and having 10 coats of plastic around the cable won't increase the bandwidth of it, either. Only the HDMI version certification can do that. An HDMI 1.1 monster cable has the same bandiwdth as a $10 HDMI 1.1 cable because its meant to support the expected bandwidth requirements of an HDMI 1.1 unit/tv/ps3, etc. The same goes with HDMI 1.2, 1.3, etc.

 "Why pay more?" 2007-09-04
By Martin Anderson (Santa Ana, CA United States)

HDMI is the standard cable you would use to hookup your high definition cable box, satellite TV, and other HD sources to your television.

Circuit City charges between $40.00 and $100.00 for this same cable. Since digital is digital and this one costs $1.00, there's no reason to pay more.

Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation) Review.

 "263 Kindle 2 Reviews - Why Read Another?" 2009-02-27
By Doug Near Seattle

As I type this message there are 263 Kindle 2 reviews on Amazon's web site. Why bother with another? I'm not one inclined to writing reviews but I do examine them carefully before I make a significant purchase, here on Amazon.com and on other seller web sites. So on the chance that I might say something that helps a potential buyer make up their mind, particularly someone who has not owned the first Kindle, this is my small effort to give back to the process.

First of all, I loved Kindle 1 although I noted several shortcomings due primarily to the design of the hardware. I'm glad to learn that every shortcoming(except one) has been fixed beyond my expectations. When I received my Kindle 2 yesterday, I eagerly removed it from the shipping container, plugged it in and began to download my library. As I did I marveled at the new Kindle's fresh, sleek design. It is a beauty!

The main issue I had with Kindle 1 was the navigation button design and placement. My original thought was that I wanted to use my Kindle 1 without a cover but I quickly learned that doing so wasn't practical. I like to read holding the Kindle with one hand and it just didn't work well because I kept bumping the next, previous and back buttons. So I began to use the cover it came with so I could hold the Kindle by the cover, only to learn that this cover did not keep the device securely in place very well. So I bought an m-edge cover, which is bulkier and the front does not fold back easily. I was stuck reading using two hands and I didn't like that at all.

Kindle 2 solves all these problems. I'm not going to bother with a cover at all now. I love the way it feels in my hand without a cover. It is easy to navigate without any risk of accidentally changing the page I'm on. I will probably buy a Belkin sleeve to protect it when I take it out but that's all. Now my reading experience is complete! [Note added 3/5/09: instead of buying a Belkin sleeve, I did made my own protector. See the discussin thread and photos here: [...]

The Kindle 2's redesigned features are fantastic. The display is better and the 5-way button is a major improvement. I do a lot of highlighting and this design fix is huge. Looking up words is much easier and many times faster. One improved feature I haven't notice any comment on is the progress bar at the bottom of each book page. Now it shows the total number of locations and the percent already read. This is so much better than the old way of determining how far I'm into a book. Thank you, design team!

The fact that Kindle 2 has no SD card capability and the battery is not user-serviceable is not an issue with me. Even with a few hundred books in my library, it will be a long time before the 2 gig memory starts to be a limiting factor and when it does (if it does) I'll just archive what I've already read. Amazon's design team has made it simple to pull archived books back to the Kindle 2 without having to go to a computer.

The only item on my wish list that was not addressed in Kindle 2 is the lack of an improved file storage system. It would have been nice to have that but it doesn't take away from my enjoyment. [Note added 3/5/09: Bufo Calvo came up with an inovative method of catagorizing books on Kindle that works great so this item is no longer on my wish list. [...]

Page turns are significantly faster and the page reloads are less intrusive to the reading experience. On/off buttons are repositioned to be easily accessible. The home page is easier to navigate. There are other improvements that many others have already noted so I'm going to stop here without repeating everything that's been said already. But the biggest thing about Kindle (both 1 and 2) is the Amazon store and how simple it is to browse and buy books from. I'm so impressed with the way they have seamlessly brought the store together with the reading device via Whispernet to make the digital reading experience such a wonderful thing to enjoy.

 "Soul of the e-reader; Kindle 2 gets closer to delivering the promise." 2009-02-24
By Joshua G. Feldman (New York)

I'm a great believer in the e-book concept; having been reading e-books since the Apple Newton (and down through various Palms, Sony Reader PRS505, and Kindle 1). The dream has always been a portable electronic device that could hold a ton of reading material, automate subscriptions and facilitate quick easy downloads, and be as portable, as easy on the eyes, and as intuitive as a book. The Kindle 1 was the first really practical device to get close to that dream. The combination of the reflective e-ink screen, effortless Whispernet wireless cellular connection to Amazon (and the Internet - without requiring hooking up to a computer, ever), and Amazon's tremendous ability to rope in a critical mass of book and periodical content made the promise of the e-reader real for the first time. But the Kindle 1 had some rough edges that got in the way of effortlessly reading. Things like the buttons that made it easy to accidentally turn pages; the separate cursor on the side that could only select lines and was sometimes hard to see; the occasionally awkward menus; the case which practically forced you to remove it to use it and sometimes pulled the battery door off. With the Kindle 2, Amazon has addressed all these issues and more. Each of the differences looks superficially subtle, but they collectively combine to make the Kindle 2 feel polished and comparatively effortless to use. It comes closer than any other device yet made to getting out the way and leaving the reader alone with the text, like a book.

The first thing that grabs you about the Kindle 2 is how elegantly thin it is. The Kindle 2 is THIN. It positively disappears in your briefcase. The second thing is the buttons. They are smaller, but well placed and critically pivot from the edge inwards towards the screen. This means that when you handle the Kindle 2 by the edges, the pages don't change even if you grab by the buttons. Yet changing pages is effortless when you do - the buttons are right between your thumbs and the slightest pressure on their faces is enough to activate them. The problem with the case was addressed by using a post-in-slot locking arrangement reminiscent of recent Palm organizers. The fact that you must buy the case now is disappointing but the silver lining is that you can opt to individualize your Kindle. The issue with the battery door opening is thus solved, but Amazon went further, eliminating the door altogether and wrapping the back with sleek stainless steel. It is tactile and elegant, but doing away with the door means doing away with the SD memory card slot that the Kindle 1 had, as well as the ability to change batteries. This is, undoubtedly, the most controversial aspect of Kindle 2. Frankly, I never used either the card slot or changed the battery on my Kindle 1 but I liked that they were there and I miss them on the Kindle 2, even though, I have to admit, I don't actually need them. In practice it's no hardship to live within a 2GB (1.4 GB available) limit, especially if you are willing to trust Amazon to archive items you are done reading. The screen is incrementally improved. 16 shades of gray is WAY better than 4. They say it's faster, but only a tiny bit. I notice the snappiness of Kindle 2's performance, but it's certainly not a dramatic difference. The e-ink screen's text quality is basically unchanged from Kindle 1. 40% white is pretty good, but the Kindle 2's screen looks just like the one on Kindle 1. Where the improved e-ink screen really shines is dynamic update - which is fast enough to allow a live cursor within the text area. This does away with the scroll wheel and side cursor of Kindle 1. In Kindle 2 this has been replaced with a 5 way joystick (4 directions plus click down to select). The joystick does plenty more than just allow you to actually select a word to get a definition on. It lets you quickly navigate periodicals - moving to the next article with just a click right or left, or up to the section or article list with a flick up or down. Losing the side cursor gives Kindle 2 a cleaner look - but it's the greatly improved navigation that's the real benefit. This ease of navigation is one of the most compelling new features of Kindle 2 for me. As for the text to speech feature, it is probably invaluable to some - but not me. I like Stephen Hawking a lot but don't want that voice to read me a book. Talk to me later and maybe I'll have changed my mind.

All in all, Kindle 2 feels like Amazon is getting to the soul of the e-reader. Most of the annoying things about Kindle 1 are gone, but almost all the strengths remain, or are accentuated. The trouble is, the differences are subtle. At first glance, Kindle 2's enhancements look very incremental; almost trivial. Clearly the future will hold color, and better contrast than 40% - but these enhancements are in E-ink's court, not Amazon's. I have other items on my wish list for the future - like being able to fold out a larger screen to better display bigger books. I'd like the content manager to allow me to create folders so I can organize my growing collection of titles. I really really want Kindle to be able to read PDF files natively (you still have to e-mail in your PDFs for conversion with Kindle 2). These thing will come, I'm sure, in time. Meanwhile, the Kindle 2 is currently the best e-reader on the planet. In terms of in-the-hand usability it blows Kindle 1 away.

Some of my colleagues and I at work have been talking lately about the implications of the Kindle on the future of the book. Kindle eradicates page numbers, loses the physical form, forces all books into a common size and shape, and homogenizes the typeface. Clearly something is lost compared with a printed book. Yet, what is gained is undeniable and as impending as the weather. The ability to carry whole libraries (like the iPod did for music), and the ability to get the daily paper, magazine, or a new book automatically - practically instantly - at a savings - is literally a dream come true. There's little doubt that Kindle has utterly transformed the book distribution model. The big divide seems to be Amazon's .azw, Kindle's file format, and .pdf, Adobe's Acrobat format which has become almost universal. PDF's universality has the feeling of almost being open source (which it is not) because the there's no copy protection or copyright features built into it. While .pdf-only format readers are around, and tons of .pdf titles are available, they tend to be composed disproportionately of public domain, technical libraries, and other arcana. That's because mainstream publishers don't want to sign on to a format that doesn't protect them. Amazon's .azw format does, and thus Kindle has that awesome selection of content. In the modern economics of increasing returns, early critical leads in technology tend to become dominant trends. Kindle's .awz format seems to be on the verge of having an unsurmountable lock on the e-book market as a result. When it comes to the actual book titles (and periodicals) you'd like to read, Amazon's Kindle has no competition. For me, the dream of a workable e-book is realized.

 "The Dinosaur & the Kindle" 2009-05-06
By Susan Tunis (San Francisco, CA)

I am not a gadget girl. I am not an early adopter. I am a dinosaur. I am in love with books. I like the feel of them, the smell of them, and I am a passionate supporter of independent booksellers. I am the last person in the world who would buy a Kindle. However, Amazon likes me. They gave me a Kindle 2 as a reward for services rendered. Well, who would turn that down?

Here's the shocker... I LOVE it! I can't even believe how much I love my Kindle. A friend of mine wrote a detailed critique of the first Kindle, and I have to say that the new design is a vast improvement. Aside from being slimmer and sleeker, there are plenty of places to hold the device comfortably without activating any functions. The screen is easy to read off of, and I honestly believe that I can read faster on a Kindle than I do with a traditional book. I'm not sure why. Faster page turns? What I can tell you is that it's exceedingly comfortable and easy to read off the Kindle anywhere, but especially when you have limited space--like on public transportation. You can easily hold the Kindle and turn pages with a single hand.

The Kindle has several features that could best be described as... cool. My eyesight is fine, but I can choose the font size that suits me best. Likewise, I love the text-to-speech feature. A big frustration in my life is that I can't work on my embroidery (I'm a dinosaur, remember?) and read at the same time. Now, I can have the Kindle read to me while I stitch. Yes, it's sort of tinny and mechanical, but it's still a really nice option to use occasionally. In addition to reading published books, I read a lot of unpublished manuscripts. It's not uncommon to see me schlepping around 600 pages of loosely bound paper. The other day I had the amazing experience of forwarding an email with a manuscript attached to my dedicated Kindle address. Within seconds, the entire MS was in my Kindle, formatted and ready to go. Amazing! I can even make notes on the MS in the machine.

However, possibly the best thing about the Kindle is the fact that I can get internet access for free, almost anywhere. I use it to check my email all the time now. I wouldn't want to write a novel on the keyboard, but it's sufficient for brief communications. Now when I go away for the weekend, I can leave my laptop at home! It also works fine for basic internet surfing.

One last thing I was unaware of is how much free or nominally-priced content there is for the Kindle. I've got plenty to read, and I haven't purchased one $9.99 book yet. My first Kindle "purchases" were all free public domain titles. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle--how can you do better than that? I also read the Kindle Daily Post in the Kindle store religiously. You never know when you'll be offered free content like a back-listed Lee Child novel or some contemporary fantasy. Other authors such as Boyd Morrison and J.A. Konrath are offering novels at prices ranging from $1 to $2 dollars, as a way to find new readers. One more favorite is the free Amazon Daily blog, which is like a fun, timely magazine with short articles that update constantly. The perfect entertainment for brief snatches of time.

No, I never would have bought a Kindle. And "real" books will still be a big part of my life, but I will never be without a Kindle again. This dinosaur is evolving.

 "Kindling a Revolution" 2009-02-25
By Jonathan Appleseed

When the first Kindle was announced my Christmas list was immediately complete. It was populated with one request: Amazon Gift Certificates. My excitement was difficult to measure and probably difficult for people to tolerate. A device that carried 250 books? With an "onboard" dictionary? That's all I needed to know. What surprised me, though, was that none of my family or friends knew what I was talking about. "What's a Kindle?" they would ask, to which I would squint my eyes and reply, "Huh?"

How so many people could be unaware of what was to me a revolution - many of whom were avid readers - was puzzling. Even after receiving the Kindle (finally - after months of waiting) people who saw me with it would ask, "What is that?" When my answer, "It's Amazon's Kindle!" succeeded only in deepening the creases in their foreheads I was dumbfounded. This is the Kindle! Hello?

Apparently Amazon's website, one of the most heavily trafficked web sites on the internet, wasn't enough marketing. The Kindle wasn't close to being a household name, even a year after its release. And people to whom I showed the Kindle often weren't that impressed.

That has all changed with the release of the Kindle 2. Big change in the so-called impression department.

The Kindle 2 arrived about an hour before I left for a class and I took it with me intending to explore the Kindle 2 during the break. I arrived at class early and with the extra time started familiarizing myself with the new device.

I didn't have it out for more than ten seconds before someone asked, "Is that the new Kindle?" Another, "Is that the one that talks?" All seven classmates were keenly interested in this second generation Kindle, and all had heard of it - the Kindle 2, that is, not just the Kindle. They all knew that a second had been unveiled, and at least one wasn't aware of the first until they became aware of the second. Class started, and I had to put the new Kindle away.

When break time came, I thought I'd have a bit of time. Nope! People stayed in the room, demanding that I,"Make it talk!" or "Show me the dictionary!"

While I understand that there's been a good deal of time for word-of-mouth to advertise the Kindle, there's something else at work here. This device has caught people's attention; it's a head turner. The design is slick, attractive, thin and, I would say, sexy! That it doesn't have the quirky, clunky, annoying buttons that filled ¾ of each side of its predecessor, buttons that caused dozens upon dozens of accidental page turns makes it that much sexier. I found that the Kindle 2 is immediately appealing to the eye and once described in the barest of terms people want one for themselves. And I mean everyone. Every single person that has seen my Kindle and heard my thirty-second advertisement of its features has expressed a desire to own one NOW. That wasn't the reaction the first Kindle had, and my thirty-second advertisement was roughly the same.

Congratulations, Amazon. You've just invented the equivalent of the iPhone for e-books.

The biggest selling point for me is still the onboard dictionary. If you're a true reader then you know the value of having a dictionary at hand and the frustration you experience if one isn't. My vocabulary is better than average but I still run into unfamiliar words (too often for my comfort!) and I'm one of those people who want to know the meaning of every single word I read. But who wants to go to the doctor's office with their favorite book AND a dictionary? Well, I did. I wanted to bring a dictionary along when I went places where I'd have to wait forever, but I rarely did. Now I don't have to. Everywhere I go I'll have the book I'm reading and a dictionary with which to lookup any words whose meaning I've either forgotten or never knew.

What I like most about the Kindle 2 is the placement of the buttons and their inversion. It's very difficult to accidentally turn a page (a far too frequent occurrence with the first generation Kindle), yet simple and effortless to purposefully turn a page. Page turning is quicker and the text and pictures are crisper. The reading experience, already an excellent one, is greatly improved. I'll miss the scroll wheel, even though it wasn't exactly the height of design innovation and was vaguely Coleco-esque, and it's replacement, the 5-way controller will take a bit of getting used to. It has the feel of the mouse button in the middle of a laptop keyboard and I never liked those. Manipulating that button reminded me of something I'd rather not think about when trying to get work done. (I'll leave that to your imagination since this is a family show.)

Another huge plus for Amazon is that plugging the Kindle into your computer via the USB port no longer drains the Kindle; instead, it charges it. They were smart and designed a USB cable and wall adapter that work together so that you don't have to keep track of two cables. It's also easy to charge the Kindle in the car if you have a battery charger with a USB port (some Bluetooth speakers come equipped with those). Though I wouldn't recommend using the Kindle while driving.

If you were hedging on the first Kindle and decided to wait, now is the time to pounce. This is the real deal. You'll love it.

If you have the first Kindle and are deciding whether to upgrade, do it now while you can still get a good price for your old Kindle on Amazon's Marketplace, craigslist, wherever. This I promise: if you don't upgrade, you will regret it every time you accidentally hit one of the obscenely large buttons and advance or retreat one, two, three, or even four pages. And the longer you go, the less you'll get for selling your old Kindle, and that, without question, will be frustrating. Another tip for selling: if you bought a cover to replace Amazon's ridiculous original cover, sell it packaged with the Kindle. You'll sell it quicker and for more money.

My only complaint is that the Amazon looked a bit too much to Apple when designing this. It's like a large iPod with a keyboard, sans the 32gb storage. (They could only get 1gb of storage into that, and Apple gets 32gb into the much, much smaller iPod Touch? Then again, I'm not an engineer so this issue may be moot.) You can't carry an extra battery - though with the extended battery life and extra charging options it's almost a non-issue - and you can't replace the battery because of the iPod-like fixed backing. They also took out the memory slot, and the SD card was a big selling point for people who liked to carry their entire library around with them. While I do understand that concern, 1500 titles is a LOT of titles.

I'm a book lover. The smell of old books is almost an aphrodisiac. The feel of a book - it's difficult to describe. Even the word itself has some magic to it. I'm old school when it comes to books, and I love this device.

You will too.

 "Great in so many ways!!!" 2009-03-22
By Gina-Marie Hammer (Palm Coast, Florida)

There were many reasons I decided to purchase a Kindle - my hands ache when holding a book open, I get headaches from reading stuff on the computer, I wanted something I could throw in a bag and take anywhere, and it holds so many items that I don't have to carry three or four novels with me in case I'm bored or finish one. Nothing could prepare me for the actuality that is Kindle. It integrated seamlessly into my life. If I'm at the desk, it's beside me; if I'm in the bedroom, it's on the nightstand; I even take the silly thing to the john. It's so much easier than a book.

I expected it to be a little awkward at first, but it really *does* get lost in your hands. Suddenly, you look down after a couple of hours of reading, and realize you've been holding it all along and forgotten all about it. I expected to read novels and blogs on it. I never expected to be able to download all the .pdf technical manuals that I constantly have to weed through on the computer. I work effortlessly now, looking at the computer, working through a segment, picking up the Kindle, searching for what I need in the manual, even highlighting it, or putting a note in the manual about how well it works.



Note taking is my big thing. When I'm looking at a book, I always find note-taking to be an instinct I have to avoid. I see it as a destructive process. I don't want to ruin my books. Further, who can really concentrate on what they're reading with a pen in their hand? It's two different mindsets. Yet, with Kindle, I do just that. I read a segment, I find a passage, I underline it. I have an opinion, I drop in a note. A question equals another note. When I don't understand something, the dictionary is right at the bottom of the screen to define the word or teach me how to pronounce it; or I can surf to the web and find exactly what I need.

It's so much better than surfing the web on my phone - and far more practical. For one thing, there's no charge except battery power (no pun intended!). For another, all of my research is in one place. The book, notes, websites and highlights are all together - as they should be.

I know a lot of people complain that it should have a bright screen so that you can read it at night, or that it should have color. I say - nay! The main *strength* of Kindle is that it reads *exactly* like a book. No eye strain. No having to turn away every few minutes to relax your eyes; or ending a session of reading with a headache. No "hot lap" or mousing around to find the right page. It's just like a book. You hold it, you turn the page, it's effortless, you forget it's there. Only what you're reading matters, and that's exactly how it should be.