Product Description
With the Apple iPod touch, Apple has married the iPhone's revolutionary multi-touch interface to their popular digital media player. So instead of a Click Wheel, you just use your fingers to flick through your music, photos, and video. Two fingers can be used in a pinching or spreading motion as well, which zooms in and out of photos and web pages. That's right, the iPod touch is the first iPod to offer web access. It does this via built-in Wi-Fi support. There's even a special iTunes Wi-Fi Store, so you can browse and purchase new music and video while you're on the road. Connects to a PC or Mac through USB (using the dock connector) 802.11b/g Wi-Fi Charge Time - about 3 hours (1.5 hours fast charge to 80% capacity) Audio Support - AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, & 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, & AIFF Photo Support - Syncs iPod-viewable photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats Video Support - H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in. m4v,. mp4, and. mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in. m4v,. mp4, and. mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in. m4v,. mp4, and. mov file formats Unit Dimensions - 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.31 Unit Weight - 4.2 oz.
Amazon.com Product Description
The iPod touch features Apple's revolutionary multi-touch user interface that enables you to find and enjoy all of your music, videos, and more on its gorgeous widescreen display with just the touch of a finger. First introduced on iPhone, the multi-touch interface uses pioneering new software to present the perfect user interface for each application.
Glide through albums with the iPod touch's amazing Cover Flow technology. View iPod touch dimensions. |
Browse the Web with the included Safari browser. Or fire up a YouTube video and enjoy the show. |
The iPod touch responds to your movements; turn it sideways and your video is presented in widescreen mode. |
Incredibly thin at just 8 millimeters. |
The iPod touch also includes Wi-Fi wireless networking, the first on any iPod, and three amazing applications that use it: Safari, the most advanced browser on any mobile device, lets you wirelessly view web pages just as they look on your computer, and features Google Search or Yahoo! oneSearch; Apple's YouTube application lets users wirelessly watch over 10 million free videos from the Internet's most popular video website; and the new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store lets you wirelessly browse, preview and buy songs and albums from the most popular online music store in the world. And to top it all off, the iPod touch is an unbelievable eight millimeters thin.
Music
If a picture says a thousand words, think of what all the album art in your collection might say. With Cover Flow on iPod touch, you can flick through your music to find the album you want to hear. And when you do, a quick tap of the cover flips it over to display a track list. Another tap starts the music.
Video
The 3.5-inch display gives you video like nothing you've seen before on a portable device. Watch your favorite movie. Catch up on television shows, anywhere. Enjoy video podcasts. Play music videos. All using multi-touch technology that lets you bring up onscreen controls and go widescreen (or back to full screen) with a tap.
Photos
iPod touch holds up to 20,000 photos you sync via iTunes. Flick to scroll through thumbnails. Tap to view full screen. Rotate for landscape format. Or perform some sleight of hand by opening two fingers to zoom in. You can even play slideshows, complete with music and transitions. Set any photo as your wallpaper to personalize your iPod touch...with a touch.
Safari
With Apple's Safari browser built in, iPod touch is the only iPod that gives you wireless access to the web, everywhere you go. See websites the way they were designed to be seen. Sync your bookmarks or add a few as you go. Search the web using the touchscreen keyboard. Zoom in and out by tapping the multi-touch display.
YouTube
Got a bit of a YouTube addiction? iPod touch feeds it from anywhere with a special YouTube player built right in. Watch featured videos, check out the most viewed, search for something specific, then bookmark your favorites for future reference. It's all the fun of YouTube--pocket-size.
iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
With iPod touch, you can discover new music anywhere. Built-in wireless capability gives you access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, where you can buy songs with a tap. Browse New Releases, What's Hot, and Just Added lists. Or find exactly what you're looking for with a quick search. Tap a song to preview it or tap Buy to purchase it. From anywhere.
Starbucks Music
You walk into a Starbucks. Order your latte. While you wait, you hear a song wafting from the loudspeakers. You love it. So you get out your iPod touch and buy it over Wi-Fi. Just like that. The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store on iPod touch tells you what's playing in select Starbucks and lets you buy it along with other featured Starbucks content. So you can sip, shop, and listen.
Multi-touch
iPod touch features the same revolutionary interface as iPhone. Built to take full advantage of the large 3.5-inch display, the multi-touch interface lets you control everything using only your fingers. So you can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flick through photos and enlarge them with a pinch, or zoom in and out on a section of a web page. And iPod touch features a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard perfect for browsing the web in Safari, searching for videos on YouTube, finding music on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, entering calendar events, or adding new contacts.
Ambient Light Sensor
The iPod touch display has an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness to suit the ambient light in your surroundings. The result? A better experience for you and battery-saving efficiency for iPod touch.
Accelerometer
An accelerometer detects when you rotate iPod touch from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display, so you immediately see the entire width of a web page, your music in Cover Flow, or a photo in its proper aspect ratio.
Customer Reviews:
Best Ipod to Date, and that is saying alot.......2007-12-28
Hello Prospective Ipod users,
I do not understand why people give the ipod 3 stars, 2 stars, or even 4 stars really. What you are paying for is an Ipod Nano + $100 of well worth it features. Comparing this to a Nano is not quite fair because it makes the Nano look far inferior. Instead people compare this to the Iphone, which is not quite fair either. I will compare the two for those who are wondering
Iphone- $400
-EDGE network with AT&T --> Normal people do not want to pay $60 a month so they have a GPS and internet (slow as dialup internet). I would argue that this really isn't that great of a feature.
-8gb - Ipod costs $100 less and you can get an 8gb increase for $100.
-Better applications such as Calender, notes, and Google Maps
Ipod - $300 or $400 for 16gb (I got that one)
-Fully useable Ipod with flawless features such as coverflow
-Accessable Itunes store from anywhere
-WIFI internet - its free and most places have wireless internet anyways such as starbucks and any wireless network.
My take? If you want a phone as well as an ipod, go for the iphone, but you will pay a hefty fee. Once you get the Ipod, you will not be dissapointed. The features are flawless and beautifully integrated, an Apple tradition. I think this might be the first device that Apple will not update physically for a while because it already is so beautiful. Go out and get one, it's the next best thing from Apple!
Jailbreak gives this 5 stars.......2007-12-28
If you get it jailbreak it. The big screen is nice if you want to watch movies but otherwise this is an expensive low capacity ipod. UNLESS it's jailbroken, then you can install all kinds of applications, games, etc. I've pretty much made mine into a handly little computer this way.
Disappointing music quality.......2007-12-28
Like the Iphone, the Ipod touch is an amazing device in terms of UI and overall user interaction and screen quality. Unfortunately, the actual music quality is inferior to the previous Ipods. Specifically, you can definitely hear a hissing sound at low volume ,for example when listening to books. Not sure if this was specific to my model, but I have since read that others have encountered this issue. I was using high end Shure earphones, and did a straight comparison with my 2nd gen Nano. personally, the quality was unacceptable to me, so I am returning it, and getting a last buy on a 2nd Gen 8Gb Nano. My recommendation is that you try this in the store and see if it bothers you, if not , then it's a great product, but for me it was a probelm
iPhone Substitute.......2007-12-27
What can I say about the 16GB iPod Touch that hasn't already been said? It's an amazing little gadget, and I'm more than thrilled with it.
I didn't want to get the first version of the iPhone, because I want to wait for a 3G version, so I opted for the 16GB iPod Touch. I use it for music, movies, surfing the web, and "spreading the gospel of Apple" to the non-believers.
The only thing I can add is to check out a free product called Handbrake. Search for it on the web, and you'll easily find it. You can use this program to "rip" your existing DVD collection to movie files you can play on your iPod Touch. Handbrake is what makes the product worth while for those of you with a decent sized DVD collection.
great potential but hobbled.......2007-12-27
This is a brutally honest review.
First, as is, I don't recommend the iPod Touch because it is seriously hobbled. It lacks Mail, Google Maps, Notes, Weather and Stocks -- all highly useful apps that come w/ the iPhone and _could_ have come w/ the Touch.
It's Apple's decision to hobble the Touch. Either out of complete incompetence (doubtful -- Apple's not dumb) or more likely product positioning (not wanting it to compete w/ the iPhone).
Here we see (again) the strength and great weakness of Apple. They make great, even revolutionary, products. But, they also lock them up and try to keep total control.
Early Apple computers were better than PC's, but PC's were open -- and we saw what happened. I hope they wake up and don't repeat the same mistake.
In any case, for those technical, there is apparantly a "modification" for the Touch easily found on YouTube or thru a google. I'm not promoting that -- just stating what's out there.
I'd rate a Touch w/ it's potential unlocked at 4 stars; as is, at 2 stars -- so, the 3 stars given. For the non-technical it should be avoided. Apple is supposed to release a Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow 3rd party apps. I'd wait to see how that turns out and if the Touch becomes un-hobbled. Or wait for the next generation of the Touch or competing products (its design will get copied).
There are also a number of weaknesses w/ the product (beyond the hobbling).
1. There is no internal speaker -- there should be. There are times when you may want to share or not carry headphones. Even a tinny sounding speaker would suffice.
2. Safari, the web browser, is excellent, but on such a small screen, and w/ touchpad input, it's still barely usable. This isn't Apple's fault... it's about as good as you're going to get on such a small device. It (Safari) is also slow and this isn't because of wireless bandwidth. It's much slower than on a laptop connected to the same network.
3. There is no volume control.
4. Touchscreen keyboard input is difficult. The keys to be touched are too small. A touchscreen only works well when it's easy to touch a specific key or button. With the Touch, your finger (even a small one) will be bigger than several adjoining keys. So... one has to guess the exact point the underside of your finger will contact the screen. It's frustrating trying to type anything in, even a url.
5. It has no bluetooth (again, hobbled) and can't be accessed directly from a computer through USB or wireless. It can only be accessed indirectly through iTunes.
6. This is a judgment, but for the capabilities the Touch could offer as a PDA or even shirtpocket notebook, it's too small. I know, small is good, but there comes a point where too small isn't.
The Garmin Nuvi GPS 600's have a 4.3" screen; the Touch a 3.5" one. That extra screen size makes a big difference.
Apple, perhaps, doesn't realize that the Touch is (can be) much more than an iPod or music player. For those who just want to listen to music, get a cheaper iPod. But, there are _many_ who don't want to listen to music constantly, who will be interested in the Touch because of it's web enabled and pda potential.
It's not there. An all-touch screen is interesting, but it's not enough. There does need to be other controls. And, it's too small.
An ideal device would be the merger of the Nuvi, w/ GPS capability, and a more functional Touch. In another generation or so, this'll no doubt occur. But, the Touch is certainly a step in the right direction w/ its excellent engineering and interface.
For the technical, who are willing to take the time and effort to unhobble, want to play an underground cat and mouse game w/ Apple, and have disposable income, it may be worthwhile. For the rest, just wait.
Average customer rating:
- Garmin NUVI 360
- Great Product
- LOVED IT!!!!!
- Bought as a gift, Now I want one!
- Gets it wrong quite a bit
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Garmin nüvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
Manufacturer: Garmin
ProductGroup: CE
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Product Features:
- Bluetooth wireless technology, built-in microphone, and speaker for hands-free calls with compatible phones
- MP3 player with pre-loaded sample songs and audio books, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, and currency converters
- 2D or 3D views; pre-loaded with most recent Navteq-driven maps for United States, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Canada
- Turn-by-turn directions with actual street names; real-time traffic and weather info
- Super-bright 2.8 x 2.1-inch sunlight-readable color screen
ASIN: B000EXS1BS
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Amazon.com Product Description
The Garmin nüvi 360 GPS Navigator and Personal Travel Assistant is a GPS navigator, personal translator, multi-media entertainer and tour guide all wrapped into one. In addition to all the advanced features of the Garmin nüvi 350 -- including automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, an MP3 player and audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, and much more -- this pocket-sized personal travel assistant comes with hands-free Bluetooth wireless technology, making it the hands-down go-anywhere travel companion.
The nüvi 360 comes with hands-free bluetooth wireles technology. See side view.
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Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer. |
The device sports a handy MP3 player, letting you play songs stored on SD memory cards. |
Make Hands-Free Calls
The nüvi 360 integrates wireless technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls using your compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone. Simply dial numbers with the nüvi's touch screen keypad to place a call, and to answer calls, just tap the screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone.
In addition, you can easily look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone's call history log. Don't know the phone number for your destination? Simply find and dial it from nüvi's database of more than six million points of interest -- including hotels, restaurants, stores, and attractions.
Navigation and Entertainment with Ease
For starters, the nüvi 360 includes a high-sensitivity integrated GPS receiver that offers exceptional performance and reception. The unit's flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection. Preloaded software features maps of Europe or North America, and it includes automatic routing, 2D or 3D map perspective, turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names, and a fingertip touch screen interface -- making navigation as easy as it gets.
But navigation is just the beginning. Like the nüvi 350, the nüvi 360 also includes many entertainment and travel tools including an MP3 player, audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, and currency converters.
The nüvi 360 features a bright, 2.8 x 2.1-inch TFT display with white backlight for easy readability. At 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87-inches (WxHxD) and just 5.1 ounces, the unit is small enough to be placed on the dashboard with the included suction mount, or into your pocket for easy transportability. The unit also features Garmin Lock -- an advanced anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific four-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location. A built-in lithium ion battery will give you up to eight hours of power, and an included 12/24 volt adapter cable will let you run the navigator off your vehicle's power. An AC battery charger is also included.
A built-in Travel Kit that includes sample MP3s and audio books will get you started with entertainment, and with the unit's SD memory card expansion slot you can add optional software, such as language and travel guides. A USB port is also included for loading and updating data.
What's in the Box
Gamin nüvi 360, Preloaded City Navigator NT North America or Europe (full coverage), vehicle suction cup mount, AC charger, 12/24 volt adapter cable, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, carrying case, owner's manual, and quick reference guide.
Customer Reviews:
Garmin NUVI 360.......2007-12-28
It tells you the street names to turn onto & it's small enough to fit in a pocket or purse. The screen adjusts well for day or nighttime driving. The hands-free phone capabilities are great! Has an echo when you use it for phone use but people tell me that they can still hear what I'm saying easily enough if you're close enough to it as you speak. The NUVI can sometimes even improve upon my best routes to get where I'm going. It does make mistakes, although I haven't found any that could not be corrected. After all, it's only as good as the maps that are in it & it does remember routes that you took it on as it protested. It will begin to take you your preferred way, after that, time & time again.
Great Product.......2007-12-28
Great product. Accurate maps. Recalculates quickly when you deviate from the set route. Announces what lanes to be in and gives plenty of warning to cross traffic and get where you need to be. We highly recommend the Garmin nuvi 360.
LOVED IT!!!!!.......2007-12-28
I purchased this GPS unit for myself and I love it. I've used it frequently in the past few weeks and it works for me.
Bought as a gift, Now I want one!.......2007-12-28
This GPS system is really awesome. I bought two, one for my dad and one for my mom. My mom, who was a bit directionally challenged loves it! Instead of just saying "turn in 500 ft," it says the exact street to turn on. It gives plenty of warning ahead of time and automatically reroutes when one misses the turn. You can change the voices to speak other languages or you can have australian, american, or british english in a male or female voice. There are plenty of extras as well, such as setting spots where there are red light cameras or speed limits, there are tons of hot spots to find restaurants, entertainment, gas stations, hotels, and every other thing you would want. You also can update it every year or every couple of years with the software that Garmin puts out each year with updated roads and hotspots. Additionally, you can buy extra little add ons to the system. It is also completely portable and you can change the system to work for a car, bus, pedestrian, biker, etc. It fits right into a purse or pocket so it can be carried around and not left in the car where it will be potentially stolen. You also can buy software to navigate other countires, therefore its portability pays off if you travel a lot. Great system! I want one now!
Gets it wrong quite a bit.......2007-12-28
I've had my 360 Nuvi for a couple of weeks now and although I intend to use it mostly for out of town use where I don't know the area at all, I tested it out on familiar streets near home and was surprised to find that it didn't seem to know about a few of my most local streets (and these are NOT new streets!). One time I was coming home, and I just had it on the "map" function approaching a 4 way junction near my house. I was to go straight, however the map showed the junction as a T only. As I drove up the branch it said didn't exist, the pointer was in no-man's land. It stayed like this until I reached my house a couple of minutes later.
On a separate occasion, I set it to lead me to a destination I know, and it had no knowledge of one smallish street I always take which is a very obvious short cut.
Finally, another trip we made recently, LA to an address near Palm Springs just north of Palm Springs - the direct way is Interstate 10 pretty much all the way - I have no idea why it was trying to make me take I-15 South when we got to that junction. I really wonder what would have happened had I followed it without knowing better. After it said "recalculating" as I disobeyed it, it tried a couple of times to still steer us back onto I-15, then gave up and announced that I should proceed another 48 miles on I-10, after which it got the rest of the trip 100% correct. I found this a bit troubling somehow.
These incidents have given me pause to think that although it's neat, it's not foolproof. I'm an old fashioned map guy at heart, and can't imagine blindly relying on this without looking at a map for the big picture. In general though I think it's an amazing package and great value.
Product Description
Package Includes: Forerunner 205, docking cradle, expander strap, AC charger, PC/USB interface cable, Quick start guide, Garmin Training Center CD & owner's manual
With the Garmin Forerunner 205, form meets function with a sleek and stylish personal trainer. Designed for athletes of all levels, this running partner and personal trainer tracks your every move with a super-sensitive GPS. The GPS tool even works on tree-covered trails and near tall buildings. It continuously monitors your speed, distance, pace and calories burned so you can train smarter, more effectively. Don't let their good looks fool you -- these taskmasters will continually push you to do your personal best. Virtual Partner lets you train against a digital person at specified time, distance or pace goals AutoScroll cycles through data pages during a workout Auto Pause pauses and resumes training timer based on a specified speed Easy to use - No calibration required, just turn it on and go Multi-sport capability lets you transition between sports without resetting -- you can use it for running, biking, and more Customizable screens let you view up to 12 data fields on 3 data screens for immediate feedback Lap Memory - 1,000 laps Rechargeable internal lithium ion battery - life of 10 hours (typical use) Waterproof - Submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 mins. Transfer data from Forerunner to your PC for a detailed analysis of your workout Create, schedule and download workouts to your Forerunner View data for each workout, including your heart rate, time, distance, speed, pat Display Size(WxH) - 1.3 x 0.8 (33 x 20.3 mm) Physical Size(WxHxD) - 2.1 x. 7 x 2.7 (53.3 x 17.8 x 68.6 mm) Weight - 2.72 oz. (77 g)
Amazon.com Review
Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 205. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn't just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 205 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we've ever tested. Yes, it's that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 205 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. While the 205 doesn't offer heart rate monitoring, or connectivity with Garmin's wireless speed and cadence sensor -- for that, you'll need to step up to the Forerunner 305 -- but it's a great way to get basic GPS location and performance data.
View Garmin's Forerunner demonstration video.
Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305's screen. View larger. |
The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the sky when you're running or walking. View larger. |
The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive. View larger. |
Choose from three workout modes that help you target your training goals. View larger. |
The 305 features rudimentary mapping and location marking functions. View larger. |
Design
The 205's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn't quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it wasn't much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.
Not so with the 205. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 205 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners. View button layout.
The underside of the 205 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 205's embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 205 is that it features an integrated, high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 205's ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, our product tester had the 205 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 205, satellite acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn't faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap (Forerunner 305 model shown). |
While the Forerunner 205 isn't billed as a GPS navigation device, it does have some rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and routing capabilities. In addition to marking locations along your journey, you can zoom in or out of a simple map that displays your current direction and path. There's also a "go to location" feature that routes you back to your starting location, or to any location you have defined. Once you have defined several locations, you can save this information as a route, allowing you to travel the same path in the future. As you'll see below, the 205's new "Courses" feature gives you new levels of control over how you define your favorite runs and rides.
Training Functions
The 205 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's worthless. When it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the 205 -- this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 205 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it.
Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the 205. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 205 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
PC Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now -- a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 205 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the PC (Sadly, Training Center is not Mac-compatible).
In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your PC that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you're on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software's ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.
The 205 is also fully compatible with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren't able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you're a serious endurance athlete, you'll be glad to know that the 205 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.
Pros
- Radically new design is better in every way
- Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
- So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it
Cons
- No Mac OS compatibility
- Okay, it's bigger than a sport's watch -- but so much more powerful
What's in the Box
Forerunner 205, Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner's manual, quick start guide.
Amazon.com Product Description
Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 205. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn't just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 205 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we've ever tested. Yes, it's that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 205 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. While the 205 doesn't offer heart rate monitoring, or connectivity with Garmin's wireless speed and cadence sensor--for that, you'll need to step up to the Forerunner 305--but it's a great way to get basic GPS location and performance data.
View Garmin's Forerunner demonstration video.
Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305's screen. View larger. |
The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the sky when you're running or walking. View larger. |
The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap (Forerunner 305 model shown). |
The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive. View larger. |
Choose from three workout modes that help you target your training goals. View larger. |
The 305 features rudimentary mapping and location marking functions. View larger. |
Design
The 205's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn't quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it wasn't much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.
Not so with the 205. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 205 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners. View button layout.
The underside of the 205 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 205's embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 205 is that it features an integrated, high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 205's ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, our product tester had the 205 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 205, satellite acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn't faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
While the Forerunner 205 isn't billed as a GPS navigation device, it does have some rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and routing capabilities. In addition to marking locations along your journey, you can zoom in or out of a simple map that displays your current direction and path. There's also a "go to location" feature that routes you back to your starting location, or to any location you have defined. Once you have defined several locations, you can save this information as a route, allowing you to travel the same path in the future. As you'll see below, the 205's new "Courses" feature gives you new levels of control over how you define your favorite runs and rides.
Training Functions
The 205 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's worthless. When it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the 205 -- this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 205 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it.
Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the 205. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 205 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
PC Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now -- a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 205 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the PC (Sadly, Training Center is not Mac-compatible).
In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your PC that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you're on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software's ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.
The 205 is also fully compatible with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren't able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you're a serious endurance athlete, you'll be glad to know that the 205 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.
Pros
- Radically new design is better in every way
- Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
- So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it
Cons
- No Mac OS compatibility
- Okay, it's bigger than a sport's watch -- but so much more powerful
What's in the Box
Forerunner 205, Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner's manual, quick start guide.
Customer Reviews:
AWESOME!.......2007-12-28
This watch rocks! It's small enough to not become bothersome. Plug into computer and it tracks the route and pace of your run, (walk, bike, etc.) which is ideal for serious athletes and training marathon runners...which is why my husband uses it.
For those that like to change their route often...you can set it to the distance you'd like to go and it will alarm you when you've gone half-way so you can just turn around wherever you are and head back.
Garmin Forerunner 205 wrist GPS.......2007-12-27
This is an excellent training partner. It keeps you on pace when running alone and is a must for anyone that runs in new places where you are unsure of the distances and don't ant to run for just time. I recently ran a 1/2 marathon and it was absolutely 100 % responsible for keeping me on pace, never going too fast or too slow. If you have ever run a marathon or 1/2, you know how seldom the mile markers are exactly where they are supposed to be.
I am not a 'techie' so I haven't mastered all the things that it can do, but it is wondeful, with just the things I know how to do now. You can use it on your bike, hiking, running, roller blading and so on. It is a great toy, even for an old guy like me.
FANTASTIC.......2007-12-26
I have been using the NIKE+ that works with my iPod for my training. I never knew how inaccurate it was until I got my Forerunner. I am VERY pleased with this unit and the accurate feedback I get.
Fantastic Device.......2007-12-26
Here in flat Florida - we've never had a problem with satellite reception. The data is amazing to have and I've found free software to plot coordinates onto google maps. My wife and I both use it and love it. That revealed probably the only weakness that we have found. Personal data can only be configured for one person. It is unfortunate.
And if this thing could hold a couple gig of mp3s I could ditch my nano. I bought that originally for the nike+ system, and still run with it for music, but the garmin provides more accurate information and much more of it.
makes running even more fun.......2007-12-23
I have had my garmin for only three weeks and already I can tell it has helped me run faster. Knowing my pace at each point in time really pushes me. I usually train at an eight min per mile pace but having the garmin makes me want to keep my pace in the seven minute range. Beware if you live in an area where you get poor cell phone reception because the satellites will take longer to load. This is one annoying feature. Sometimes the satellites are loaded as soon as I step out the door and other times, I have run a couple minutes before I pick up a signal. The "current pace" is a little delayed, but as long as you are aware of that its not so bad. I was afraid of becoming dependent on using the garmin, but it really hasn't been like that, I still enjoy just going out for time. I recommend this product for any one who likes knowing how fast and far they run and likes to push the pace on their run sometimes and get the reward of knowing what they accomplished.
Average customer rating:
- Nice camera!
- What could be better?
- Great camera
- Great Camera!
- Canon SD870IS
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Canon PowerShot SD870IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Manufacturer: Canon
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Product Features:
- 8-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
- 3.8x wide-angle image-stabilized optical zoom; 3.0-inch wide-viewing-angle LCD display
- Face Detection technology and in-camera red-eye fix
- 17 shooting modes, including 10 special scene modes; Print/Share button
- Powered by NB-5L lithium-ion battery (battery and charger included); stores images on SD memory cards (32MB memory card included)
ASIN: B000V1XICU
Release Date: 2007-09-10
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Product Description
8.0-megapixel effective recording * 3" LCD screen * 3.8X optical zoom (4X digital/15X total zoom) * optical image stabilizer * top JPEG resolution: 3264 X 2448 *
Customer Reviews:
Nice camera!.......2007-12-28
Love this camera, it replaced a Sony Cybershot and it's completely lived up to my expectations. I'm certainly nothing more than a casual user, typically I use it for real estate photos so the wide-angle and image stabilization have been handy. I imagine they'd be helpful to just about anyone who's the same as I am ... someone who doesn't need lots of bells and whistles. I've been very happy with it.
What could be better?.......2007-12-28
First, my apologies to the extreme photo enthusiasts out there who typically write these reviews. They speak of chromatic aberration, barrel distortion, noise at high ISO settings, the need for a view finder, and the like. I am not one of you. You are great and I love to read that stuff, but I needed a camera that had a big, clear display, was simple to operate, and takes great snapshots at family gatherings and on vacations.
If you are like me, then get this camera. It has a big, clear display, it is simple to operate, and it takes great snapshots at family gatherings and on vacations.
My wife and I were dazzled by the display. It is beautiful, even in bright sunshine. That is probably my biggest complaint with the reviews I read on this camera, that the LCD is not good in bright sunshine. Those reviewers are wrong. Even with my poor eyesight I have no trouble framing my shot and then viewing the resulting photo in any lighting conditions except the darkest of rooms, where even a view finder would have problems.
This camera has a LOT of options, but the options that I use the most are right there and as simple to find as any digital camera I looked at, and I looked at a lot of cameras. The options I need the most are:
1. On-Off. Sounds stupid, but on some cameras, this is not that easy.
2. Shutter button. Big and easy to find by touch.
3. Zoom. The toggle for this is small, but it is a small camera. On all small cameras the zoom buttons are small. I like the toggle right up there by the shutter button. You can easily move your finger from the shutter button to the zoom and back without looking.
4. Flash on-off. Done with the little round rocker on the back. The little round rocker on the back is small and the icons on it are hard to see for older people, like myself. However, this is a problem for all small cameras. It's just a tradeoff you make when you get a small camera. It has to be small to fit on the small camera. Once you find it though, it is easy to remember, plus when you touch this rocker, a larger representation of it appears on the screen. This will help you find the flash on-off function.
5. Timer. It is on the little round rocker also.
6. Reviewing the photos that you already took. This function is a little bit complicated on every digital camera I have ever seen. On the SD870IS, it is about as simple as any I have seen. It is something you have to practice if you want to be able to do it quickly and seamlessly.
7. Getting the photos off the camera. I have played with the software that comes with the camera and it is OK. No better and no worse than other software I have seen and tried to use. Rather than mess with it and also train my wife on how to use it, we just prefer to do it the way we did it with our old camera. Not real simple (certainly no more difficult than the Canon software), but we have a routine that works for us.
The picture quality is great. Some flash shots are a little over-exposed, but we adjust that with Picasa. Easy to do. Over all, the quality of pictures we get is better than we got with our old digital camera, a Panasonic. It would take some great pictures but it was inexplicably inconsistent. Still, it was a fine camera that took a lot of abuse. Still works but it has a too-small display and we were ready to change after 5 years with it.
One other little bonus...the camera is ready to go within a second or two of turning it on. That is a very nice feature. Some cameras take quite a bit longer. This is not a big deal for patient people, but it is nice.
Are there negatives? So far I have found one little quibble. I agree with other reviews that finding a way to hold this camera is not intuitively obvious. You have to work with it to find a way to hold it without getting a finger in front of the flash, or to hold it with one hand. I think that is the price you pay when you buy a small camera that has almost the whole back taken up by an LCD display. But for me, the huge LCD display was one of the big selling points. And I must say that I was not ready for how beautifully this display works.
I did not review the hundreds of other options with this camera because I probably won't use them much. But the Canon SD870IS fits my requirements very well. If your requirements are like mine, I encourage you to take a good look at it.
Great camera.......2007-12-26
Just wanted to say that this camera has it all. It works out in any situation. If you are looking into purchasing this camera, well worth the money.
Great Camera!.......2007-12-26
This camera was the talk of our Christmas parties this year, as it is just so easy to use. The large display allowed even our old eyes to see if we needed to retake those important shots. This is a must-have camera for point & shoot folks like us!
Canon SD870IS.......2007-12-26
Crisp clear pictures, faithful colors. A big improvement over my old Canon S110. I miss the optical viewfinder.
Product Description
The SmartMount for 32" to 50" flat panel screens provides a versatile and secure solution for professional environments such as boardrooms, hotels and stadiums. This mount offers smooth, continuous one touch tilt, allowing for easy adjustment to achieve the perfect viewing angle without tools. The mount includes simple to align universal brackets and a unique wall plate that can be mounted to two wood studs up to 24" apart, or concrete. For easy installation the mount is preassembled and includes a Sorted-For-You baffle pack with all screen hardware and security fasteners.
Customer Reviews:
Peerless ST650P Tilting Wall Mount 32"-50".......2007-12-27
Bought two of these for 46" LCDs. Heavy Duty and very secure once mounted. Two considerations. Plug in all connections to tv before hanging on bracket. Need small hands to adjust manual thumbscrews for tilting.Looks great on the wall.
Easy Install, yet Disappointing Tilt.......2007-12-27
I bought this wall mount for my Sony Bravia 46" LCD, which I also purchased at Amazon. It was an easy install using the enclosed hardware and following the directions. Didn't take long before it was up.
The description stated tilting wall mount, so I bought it instead of the regular one, which was a little cheaper. I guess I should have read the description more thoroughly. It only tilts downward at a very slight angle, but more upwward. I would assume that most people tilt downward, as they probably hang them above fireplaces, etc. Therefore, I was hoping (assumed) to have a bit more tilt.
I'm not dissatisfied whatsoever with the product. But I could have paid less with the same result. Overall it was a good purchase.
Great Mount for Sharp Aquos.......2007-12-25
The mount worked very well. It was easy to install and had great instructions which covered every possible configuration.
Compared to the overly expensive models at the retail stores in my area this price could not be beat.
Great Bracket for your Flat Panel.......2007-12-25
I installed this bracket in about 2 hrs. with my dad's help. I put a 32" Sharp Aquos on it. It was really easy to get on the wall and then place the LCD panel on it. The only thing I regret is that it doesn't allow me to get to the back of my unit without having to uninstall it. Luckily all my component and HDMI slots were used up, so now when I get a new item, I just replace it with whatever I'm discarding.
Good Mount.......2007-12-25
I bought this to go with my Toshiba 47HL167 LCD TV. It hooks up easily, comes with an amazing number of bolts so it can hook up to any TV; but they are separated in nice little pouches so finding what you need is easy. It attaches to a stud wall with 4 screws and installation is quick.
This is the only mount I've used, but I can't see what a $150 mount would offer you. So long as it doesn't crash off the wall - that's really all you need. It also pivots but I set mine vertical.
The hardest part was deciding where to mount it. I used blue painters tape to layout a 'TV' on the wall and looked at it from lots of angles, chairs, sofas, etc. My first inclination was to go too high, I found that was uncomfortable on the neck. Final TV center height is 50". This is comfortable to look at from a chair, but also high enough to view while laying on a couch (and looking above your feet). But your room and furniture will be different - so try the "tape" TV for 30 minutes of so.
Product Description
Decked out in an all-black suit, the Creative ZEN is smaller than your average credit card and sits snugly right in your palm. With an attractive 11.3mm thickness, this sleek player weighs a mere 65g, allowing you to carry it around easily. It's got an 16 GB capacity and the ability to support different popular media formats. What's more, you can add as much capacity as you want with its SD memory expansion slot. With its patented ZEN user interface which offers more information to be viewed on the screen, navigating through mass content is simply a breeze Integrated FM radio with 32 preset stations. Get free video and audio podcast channels through your player from ZENcast Record important meetings or voice memos to yourself with the integrated voice recorder Built-in rechargeable battery for up to 25 hours of music or five hours of movies Creative ZEN comes with earphones, USB 2.0 cable, quick start Leaflets and installation CD (includes Creative Media Explorer software and ZENcast Organizer)
Amazon.com Product Description
Bring your media with you wherever you roam with the Creative Zen 16GB player. Watch 64 hours of videos, enjoy up to 4,000 of your favorite songs or share hundreds of photos with your friends. And do it all on a device that's about the width of a credit card.
A razor sharp 2.5-inch display makes your photos and videos come to life. See the Zen in detail. |
Small size. Big features. All in the palm of your hand. View larger. |
Add even more storage capacity via the SD card slot. View larger. |
Design
The Zen sports a 2.5-inch TFT color display with 320 x 240-pixel resolution and support for up to 16.7 million colors. This razor sharp display is packaged in a device that weighs just 2.1 ounces and measures 3.26 x 2.16 x .44 inches (W x H x D). The internal battery powers the Zen for up to 25 hours of continuous audio playback and up to five hours of continuous video playback. Use the Zen's SD slot to expand your portable media library with music, photos and videos stored on your SD card. There's also a handy built-in microphone for capturing notes on the go.
Features
Load up up your favorite songs, as well as your album art, and get going with the Zen. The device supports iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes store and MP3 and WMA tracks. Subscription and pay-per-download music services are supported, as well. Discover, save, and play millions of songs when subscribing to services such as Yahoo Music Unlimited and Napster To Go. You can even tune into your favorite stations with the Zen's FM radio. The radio allows you to save up to 34 presets.
The Zen has you covered when it comes to video, too. The device supports MJPEG, WMV9 and--with transcoding--MPEG1 and 2, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4 and 5, and XviD. Enjoy purchased or rented movies and TV shows from online services such as Amazon Unbox and Walmart.com. Watch home videos. Even load your Tivo To Go movies and TV shows onto your Zen.
Additional features include a clock and alarm function, volume restriction, eight equalizer settings, and a USB hard drive mode, which allows you to drag and drop files directly to and from your Zen. The Zen can also function as a handy organizer, allowing you to synchronize with Microsoft Outlook and display your contacts, calendar, and tasks.
What's in the Box
Zen player, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, installation CD, and quick start guide.
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A slick user interface makes it a snap to enjoy your media. |
Customer Reviews:
IPOD Killer.......2007-12-28
By far the best MP3 / video player on the market. I absolutely love this thing. easy to use, great battery life. Expandable storage. Cant beat it!
Pretty cool, but ...........2007-12-28
I bought this for myself for Christmas. I was real excited to get an mp3 player and researched the heck out of them. The Zen got excellent reviews and so I made a purchase. The unit is really small, which is good and bad. I like it to fit into a pocket, but the buttons are small and when paired with neoprene case, they are difficult to use. I like to wear ear buds, but the pair that comes with the Zen hurts my ear.
The menu layout is goofy on the Zen and I played with customizing the menu, but I still didn't like it. The volume does not have its own buttons. This is weird and I had to set up a shortcut to the volume, which I thought was weird.
The bottom line is ... be prepared to spend a lot of time setting this up to your own needs (which is a great feature). I have a young baby and did not have time to dedicate. Also, I consider myself very computer savvy, but could not figure out the menu hiarchy of the Zen. I sent the unit back in less than a month and opted to use Windows Media Player on my laptop (which I always have)to listen to my music.
-J
Versatile Product.......2007-12-28
The SD card causes this item to have virtually an unlimited amount of memory. Great display. Did switch the ear buds for ones made by Bose.
Freezing Issues please read for help.......2007-12-27
As of 12/26/2007
Upgraded Firmware on website.
Upgraded all software on website.
PROS:
Good display - Nicely menus - Conversion software - Cheap - Music Good Quality - Pictures seemed fine.
CONS:
Button on-off seems weak like it will fall off in a few months.
Video Problems - Freezing - Must have everything convert using the software to put into the player's format (wmv) prior to use.
Found the problem for freezing in following.
If you convert any of following formats you could get a freezing issue no matter what you do when using the device so pay attention to what I tried.
How I tested I took a standard FLASH-FLV file which after converted plays fine on every player after converted.
Formats Tried:
Xvid - Mpeg-4 codec - .AVI - seemed unsupported
MOV - Quicktime - Converts and plays fine sometimes player gets out of sync with display but plays everytime.
Iphone - Video Mpeg-4 codec - .MP4 - Converts worked perfectly even syncs voice to video perfectly
WMV V.7 - I tried it worked on it was extremely jerky on video quality looked awful and the SOUND squeaked yes! squeaked!!!
WMV Unknown version Froze hard after about 15 seconds hard lock video.
Solution find formats Mpeg-4(Iphone), MOV over other codec before allowing the zen software to convert.
Believe me, I know what I am talking about.
Strange thing the conversion software converts every video into some WMV codec and yet it can't import WMV without problems every version of WMV codec I tried failed to play correctly after importing.
A little Do-it-all.......2007-12-25
After going through two ipods in a span of 2 years, I got fed up with this toy and purchased a Zen.
It is a powerful device and a hybrid of PDA, portable audio, and tiny DVD player.
It is easy to use, has a great sound and video quality and it's just as small as an ipod. It is also itunes compatible.
The only thing that prevented me from giving it a full five stars was the fact that purchased, and therfore copy-righted, songs from itunes cannot be downloaded. But I guess that is an itunes problem and not Zen's.
Average customer rating:
- Full of features and tons of fun!
- Awesome in the jungle!
- Never buy from this seller again!
- SONY: usually good, but NOT this time.
- best camera
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DLO Jam Jacket with Cord Management and Surface Shields for iPod touch (Black)
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Premium Apple iPod Touch Silicone Case Fits iPod Touch 8 GB, 16 GB iPod Touch Case for 8 G + 16 G Model
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![Runner's World [1-year]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005NIOR.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
