Reviews

Toshiba Satellite U400 review

I remember when laptops were the preserve of well-heeled business men and my first laptop was a Texas Instruments DX400-100 with 8MB of RAM. It cost £3500 back then and was state of the art. Fast forward a few years and the £480 that the U400 costs buys many times the power. Laptops are now so common place that they are becoming almost disposable items in the way that portable TVs are. Such is progress. In a market place saturated with any number of competing models how does a manufacturer stand out and how does the U400 fare?

The Toshiba Satellite U400 (click to enlarge)

Introduction

The U400 is one of a new range of variations upon the same chassis. Depending upon which model of U400 is selected there’s differing specifications so I will not go into too many specifics here. Suffice to say, it comes with a hardware specification that would have been inconceivable just a year ago and I doubt any normal user would ever stretch its capabilities. There now so many laptops now on the market with what I would consider to be very ample performance that performance is no longer such an important issue as it once was – how many of us realistically need 3 gigs of RAM and a dual core processor for web surfing and e-mail? It is now more a case of how good does it look and how much does it cost.

What’s in the box?

1. U400 laptop.
2. Mains AC adapter.
3. Drivers/utilities/restore CD.
4. Manual and documentation.

General

It’s probably fair to say that Toshiba are one of the leading brands of laptop manufacturers. They make a wide range of machines to suit business and consumer needs and, in my experience, they are solidly made, reliable and come with decent performance. This machine does not disappoint.

There’s enough ports and options to meet most expansion needs. The designers have obviously put some thought into layout with some neat little touches all around such as locating most of the USB ports together and away from the DVD drive door to avoid snagging. This might seem trivial, but believe me it’s not when the DVD pops open, snags a cable and drags your portable hard drive off the table. Other nice touches are the bright white LEDs illuminating the softkeys and the “Satellite” logo on the fascia. It all helps to create the feeling of a machine that has been designed rather than thrown together as is the case with some of the competition.

Controls and layout:

· On the left: VGA out, cooling vent, HDMI port, 2 USB2.0 ports, PC Express card slot, FireWire port, headphone and microphone sockets.

Toshiba Satellite U400 left side

· On the right: modem jack, Ethernet port, USB2.0 port, DVD-RW drive bay

Toshiba Satellite U400 right side

· On the front: SD card slot, volume control

Toshiba Satellite U400 memory card and volume control

· On the screen: 1.3Mp webcam

Toshiba Satellite U400 webcam

· On the keyboard surround: On/Off switch, left/right speaker, various softkeys for media playback and application launching.

Toshiba Satellite U400 controls

· On the back: access to the battery

Toshiba Satellite U400 bottom

Highlights:

• Speedy performance
• Bright and sharp screen
• Ample connectivity
• Good hardware specification
• Elegant design

Lowlights:

• Glossy black finish shows up fingerprints
• Glidepad was not always easy to use

REVIEW

The U400 uses Microsoft Vista Business Premium with an option to “downgrade” to XP. In use it was very fast and I noticed no lag at any time despite the reputation Vista has for this. I consider myself to be a power user, editing music and video, and encoding the same – used for these tasks the little Toshiba never broke into a sweat. Only the most demanding of users would test its mettle and it’s not aimed at them anyway.

The glidepad took some getting used to because it’s slightly unconventional in the fact that it is ultra-low profile, on the same level as the facia and quite small. There is no distinct edge to it so, I often found myself trying to move the cursor without success because my finger tip was on the facia and not the glidepad. No doubt with more practice it would be less of a problem.

Toshiba Satellite U400 glidepad

The keyboard performance was acceptable. I can’t say much more than that. I was less impressed with the glossy black finish though which very quickly ended up looking terrible – it’s a magnet for greasy fingerprints and reminds me that I must stop eating greasy burgers! I think a conventional matt black finish would have been better.

Toshiba Satellite U400 closed

I was surprised to find that there was no screen latch locking the lid down. Although the screen hinge action was stiff and secure, making it unlikely that the screen would be opened accidentally, I consider the lack of a latch to be a bit of an omission for what is a portable machine. The 13.3” screen itself was fabulous. Capable of WXGA resolution up to 1280×800 pixels it was bright, bitingly sharp and capable of displaying photos and video with great clarity. I’ve always been impressed with my own Toshiba laptop’s screen, but the U400’s was better again.

As you would expect with this level of hardware specification the little Tosh had no trouble at all with video playback whether it was DVD or MPEG-4 so, it makes a fine portable entertainment centre. MP3 playback through the built-in speakers left a bit desired, but this can be said about virtually all laptops. By contrast, playback through headphones was just fine. To assist with media duties there’s a row of white led illuminated softkeys below the screen fascia for functions such as play/stop/pause/fast forward etc.

The machine was equipped with a 3700mAh battery, but I was not able to properly test battery life because the review machine had trouble holding a charge. Previous experience has taught me that most Toshiba’s have good battery life as they have some excellent power management utilities so, I have no reason to believe that the U400 would be any different although 3700mAh does seem to be a bit on the light side.

The 250GB 2.5” SATA hdd was fast and quiet, this level of storage should be enough for even the largest mp3 collection and Toshiba have done well to include such a large disc that provides some level of future-proofing.

Networking is taken care of by a gigabit Ethernet card or 802.11/g wifi. There’s no Bluetooth built-in, but as small low profile USB Bluetooth adapters can be bought for less than £10 this is not a deal breaker. The inclusion of the gigabit Ethernet is somewhat curious though given how few consumer switches and routers are available that can make use of it. I would have rather have traded that for Bluetooth.

I was pleased to see a built-in memory card reader capable of a wide variety of formats including SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, MultiMediaCard and xD-Picture Card. This is ideal for backing up PDAs or transferring photos from cameras. Having a card reader also means being able to use a relatively large capacity and low-cost SDHC cards for the routine backup of important documents.

Software

As already mentioned this machine comes with Windows Vista. You either like it or you don’t, but if you don’t then Toshiba thoughtfully allow a downgrade to Windows XP. Toshiba also bundle a number of extra utilities for power managements, CD burning etc.

The Toshiba Satellite U400

Conclusion

At this point I will own up to having a preference for Toshiba laptops. Whenever anyone asks me for a recommendation then these are on the tip of my tongue and for good reason. Toshiba support is excellent, the quality is decent and the performance usually dependable. The U400 is no different in this respect. It’s fast, compact, light, looks good and is more than powerful enough to handle any computing task thrown at it with perhaps the exception of games (I don’t play games). I found few faults with it and I would be happy to own one as my everyday computer. The size is a halfway house between the ultra-portables like the EeePC and the more desktop oriented machines with 15.4"-17" screens. In this respect it meets all the requirements of a good general purpose portable computer which, is all one can ask for. You can do a lot worse for a lot more money.

Review by: Nigel

Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones

GENERAL

Do you find that as soon as you get on a bus, train or plane that you have to turn the volume up on your MP3 player because the surrounding noise is too loud? Maybe you can not ever get a long enough sleep on the train because you have that person making plans with there friends sitting next to you. Well doing the long commute to work everyday I’ve come across this and a lot more. This is where Sony’s Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones (MDR-NC500D) come in. If you have never heard of noise cancelling headphones the easiest explanation I can give you is a microphone is placed near the ear, an anti noise sound wave with the opposite polarity of the sound is created and arrives at the microphone and this cancels out the external noise (and that was the simple explanation).

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Excellent build quality
• Very comfortable
• Great range of accessories
• Better for your hearing
• Nice styling
• Built in battery
• Good sound production

LOWLIGHTS:

• Expensive
• Size of carry case
• No way to turn the noise cancelling off

TECHNICAL SPECS

REVIEW

Headphone Case

I will start with a few of the disadvantages of those headphones, firstly the biggest complaint I have is that you cannot run the headphones with the noise reduction turned off. You might ask why you would want to turn it off! Its not necessarily you that wants it turned off but if you are on a long train journey and the battery dies you cannot use them anymore I had this happen to me once whilst testing them and it is very annoying, not to mention the really loud set of beeps that the headphones emit just before the power runs out.

The next is the size of the carry case, now there is keeping your headphones safe and then there is this. I have seen laptop bags smaller, if you where going away on a business trip for a couple of days you would have to take a large case just because of the headphones, although it does come with a shoulder strap.

Now I’ve had my little moan I have to admit these are the best headphones I have ever used. To start with when you open the case up you can see that everything has its place, even the aeroplane converter(which is included) has a little pocket.

You can either power the headphones using the internal battery which Sony claims 16 hours of usage or you can use an additional two AA batteries and this takes it up to 28 hours. From my first charge I only got around 11 hours but I am sure once the battery had been used a few times this would increase.

Once you put the turn the headphones on its very hard to explain the feeling, I passed them around at work to see if anyone could describe the sensation and after I managed to get them back the best description we could come up with would be when you go diving and your ears block the water out. If you’ve never been diving then it could also be when you take off in an aeroplane and the pressure builds in your ears (but without the uncomfortable feeling). Its very weird your ears are working but don’t hear anything. I was wearing these headphones for 2 hours at a time and they are so comfortable that you forget you are wearing them, well apart from the flat line across the top of your hair. They feel very sturdy and are finished to an excellent quality, even the carry case has a good finish.

I tried these on in the office and on the train, in the office they took out the noise of the air conditioning and most of the chatting. On the train most of the noise was reduced by a substantial amount and made it a pleasant journey. Just a warning to all you train commuters, because the noise is reduced this also means the station announcements are reduced as well and if you happen to fall asleep then you are most likely going to end up waking up at the end of the line. I had a few lucky escapes waking up just before I pulled into the station. Also walking to and from the station all the background noise is taken away this means that where ever you go wearing your headphones you can have the volume on your MP3 player lower. This is great when reports are showing slight deafness in younger people due to loud music. Finally there is a ‘monitor’ button which while held allows you to turn off the anti-noise and mutes the MP3 player and listen to the surrounding noises whether it is a train announcement or to listen out for cars if you are about to cross a road.

CONCLUSION

These are the best headphones I have ever put near my ears. The build quality and style of the MDR-NC500D is second to none and they come with all the accessories you could ever want.

Would I buy a pair? Unfortunately not, to me the £200 price tag is to expensive for a pair of headphones, even if they are as good as the MDR-NC500D. If you do a lot of travelling and money isn’t so much of a decision maker then you’ve got to have to buy these headphones.

Review by: Russell

MWg Zinc II Review

This is the new device from MWg the Zinc II, judging by the specifications this high end device is directly head to head with the like of the Tytn II, Touch pro etc. Can it cut it in this highly competitive market?

Introduction

Not the most well known of manufacturers, Mobile & Wireless Group (MWG) is a Singapore based start-up company founded by the team responsible for O2’s ground-breaking range of PDA-phones. Previous models being the likes of the Atom Life and V, and also the UBiQUiO range most of which we have covered previously. The MWg Zinc II is the successor to the O2 Xda Zinc launched by MWg.

The MWg Zinc II

What’s in the box?

• Windows mobile 6.1 device
• Mains charger with 4 detachable socket adaptors for worldwide use
• USB to MiniUSB connector
• Stereo Headset with MiniUSB connection
• Start up CD and user manual

MWg Zinc II Specification

• Windows Mobile 6.1 professional.
• UMTS Tri-band, GSM Quad-band, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
• Samsung 500MHz Processor
• 1.9-megapixel CMOS camera
• 2.8-inch 340×240-pixel LCD with 65K colours
• ROM: 256MB Flash + 64MB SDRAM
• SDIO, miniSD expansion slot
• GPS: SiRF Star III
• Bluetooth v2
• WiFi 802.11b/802.11g
• Sliding QWERTY keypad
• 109.5 x 59 x 18 mm
• 185 grams

General

The MWg Zinc II is an attractive looking devices with a sliding QWERTY keyboard.

MWg Zinc – open and closed. (Click to enlarge)

There is nothing on the top of the device.

The right hand side houses the on/off power button and also the camera button. Just above this is the reset hole.

MWg Zinc II right side

The bottom has the miniUSB connector and mic. The miniUSB is also the connection port for the headphones so no ability to charge while you listen to your music etc. Also found is the stylus holder, which as Matt mentioned in the unboxing, is the smallest telescopic stylus we have seen.

MWg Zinc II bottom

On the left hand side there is, from top to bottom, + and – volume buttons, the MWg Zinc II quick start menu (more on this later), and finally an uncovered microSD card holder.

MWg Zinc II left side

The front of device there is the very bright and clear 2.8’’ 65k TFT QVGA touch screen, and underneath this is the minimal call and end keys also what looks like a dial but is in reality a 5 way up/down/left/right/enter navigation key.

MWg Zinc II controls

The back of the unit holds the 2.0 mega-pixel CMOS camera, self portrait mirror and the loudspeaker. No flash.

MWg Zinc II back

There is also a slide out blue backlit keyboard, as pictured again more on this in a while.

MWg Zinc II Keyboard

Inside the back cover, one handy adaptation on this device is a separate housing for the SIM card, meaning you can swap or remove cards without having to remove the battery etc.

MWg Zinc II SIM slot

Highlights

• Snappy and quick processor
• Camera use and quality
• Loudness

Lowlights

• Cluttered and overcomplicated Keyboard
• Heavy unit

REVIEW

I have to point out here that my review is hampered somewhat by what appears to be a faulty battery, having heard of 2-3 days standby from the 1530mAh battery, I found that after 6-8 hours from full charge my battery was completely dead, even left overnight with wifi, Bluetooth etc switched off, it would be dead by morning. So assuming the hefty battery was not at its best, it does mean a full day’s review wasn’t possible.

First impressions of the device was that it is well made and solid in the hand, but boy is it heavy, weighing in at 185g, it is in the same league with the Tytn at 190g. In this day and age I am under the impression that things are getting smaller and lighter?

The semi automatic spring loaded keyboard is also smooth and well made, I personally found that I used it very little, as for me it is overcomplicated and cluttered, not having had a keyboard before it is quite possible that I have found ways not to need to use one. I could not find any settings to allow extending the time on the back light and this meant that I was frustrated when it would switch off after a relatively short period especially at night, which again made it a little more unusable for me.

MWg Zinc II Keyboard close-up

The keyboard itself is flat with flat keys that are multifunctional with the use of the Fn button, at the top of the pad there, unusually, is the soft keys, missing from the front of the device. Another aggravation with this keypad is trying to find anything, I would need to spend a lot more time to get use to the layout and shortcuts to really appreciate it fully. I found I could cope just as well with minimal use. That said, for those of you used to a keyboard I still think that this one is not the best, the keys are not raised or separated in any way, as mentioned in the unboxing video the only thing that differentiates them is the raised print on the flat panel, due to this I think you will find that the wrong press rate is quite high.

MWg Zinc II open

The best bits for me on this phone are the Quick menu button on the left hand side of the device, which launches a TouchFLO like interface, which allows quick access to Media, Pictures, Camera and Games. A swipe across the screen launches an easily customisable phone book with dedicated tabs to separate your home, friends and work numbers, 12 name slots on each tab. Touch the names and another menu pops up with the options to call, SMS, MMS, EMAIL or open the contact in windows.

Further swipes bring a 14 application shortcut page and then another page holding a settings page as above. I found that I used this a lot and it appears to save a lot of time in accessing what you need quickly.

Another feature of the phone that surprise me was the volume, on more than one occasion it made me jump it was so loud and not set on the highest either. A notification will never be missed again!

The Samsung 500 processor works very well in this unit, I experienced no lag or windows timers at all, the applications load quickly and it was really trouble free, I haven’t even had reset the phone either which is uncommon for me.

The screen is bright and clear and nice to use, it is touch responsive and I have not had the double tapping problem to get a reaction that I have had with some recent devices.

The camera was a pleasant surprise as well, being disappointed with the fact that it is only 2 megapixel, it also was good and better than a lot I have seen, there doesn’t seem to be that annoying lag while the camera thinks about taking the picture, it is pretty much instant on the click of the camera button.

The GPS works well, no preinstalled navigation software, but Google maps worked great and loaded quickly and was simple to get around as the device once again proved snappy.

I couldn’t resist loading Opera on the phone which made the internet experience a pleasure due to the download speeds and processors capability.

Conclusion

Overall the device is solid and well made, I personally don’t like the keyboard although I am sure many will. The speed is impressive and I like using the device a lot. It is at the top end of the price bracket, in a fight with the likes of the TyTN II and the forthcoming Touch Pro, this device will lose but only because it is not well known, and many will not give it a second look. That is unfortunate as this PDA is well worth considering, not perfect but very capable and professional, and with some practice I sure I would even start to use the keyboard more.

You certainly won’t lose it easily in your pocket at these dimensions and with this weight you will know exactly where it is. If you should lose it the just ring it, the volume will be heard for miles! With its connections speeds and capability it certainly is an all rounder, that is good to look at, pleasant to use and definitely a consideration for any knowledgeable PDA user.

Now about this Touch pro is it here yet, Matt?

Review by: Steve

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 Review

Well, I’m sure by now you have all seen the adverts from Panasonic showing the Golden Gate bridge shrinking in size to allow people to take a picture with their “ordinary” cameras. Panasonic are pretty much singing the virtues of their wide angle lenses that adorn most of the new Lumix range.

I tested out the L10 quite a few months ago and today we will be looking at the camera seen in most of the latest adverts, The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4

Introduction

There are a whole host of pocket size high mega-pixel cameras on the market these days making choosing a new camera a very difficult process for many people. Most camera shops point of sale advertising seems to always go on about pixels, pixels and more pixels, without really explaining to users that for most of us printing out standard sized images, 3Mega Pixels is probably enough.

Although having a higher pixel value: The DMC-TZ4 has 8.1 Megapixels – (Compared to the older TZ3 with 6 and the TZ5 offering 9.1). The huge difference Panasonic have done with this new camera is drop in a massive 10x Leica Optical Zoom lens with image stabilisation in a very small hand held camera.

This should certainly offer a differentiator compared to the multitude of reasonably priced pocket digital cameras.

What’s in the Box?

Once again with Panasonic, a rather stereotypical camera box hides the TZ4 camera, slightly larger than many of the pocket handheld cameras at 5.9x10x3.6cm but with a 10x Optical Zoom lens packed in it’s a pretty small sized camera.

Standard battery, charger, leads and manuals accompany the camera. See Matt’s Unboxing video for more.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 specification:

• 8.1-megapixel effective CCD for images up to 3264×2448 pixels
• Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens 10x "Wide" optical zoom, covering 28-280mm (35mm equivalent)
• MEGA O.I.S. (Optical image stabilization) system
• Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction
• 9-point AF system with focus-assist lamp
• 2.5-inch TFT color monitor with (230k pixels)
• Program AE, Macro, Intelligent AUTO + 21 scene modes
• Burst (3fps @ 8M; 10fps @ 2M) and AE bracketing capture modes
• 640×480/320×240 (4:3) or 848×480 (16:9) QuickTime movies, 30fps or 10fps with audio
• Shutter speeds from 1/2000 to 8 seconds
• Built-in flash with auto, fill, slow synchro and red-eye reduction modes
• TTL Auto White Balance, 5 presets and custom set
• 27MB of internal memory plus SD/SDHC/MMC memory card slot
• Plug-n-Play USB, Mass Storage compliant
• PictBridge Direct-Print compatible

General

The look and feel of the DMC-TZ4 is pretty good, a sturdy looking camera that certainly looks like it would stand the test of time and the odd drop or two (although don’t worry Matt, I didn’t try this…). Packing that 28mm Wide Angle lens with 10x Optical zoom really puts this camera into a different league with very few rivals at this time. This should allow many users to compose such a wide variety of shots without having to move their location!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4

Any users of other Panasonic Lumix camera equipment should have very little trouble operating the TZ4 as the vast majority of controls and functions are the same across the range.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 top controls (click to enlarge)

Located on the top of the camera is the now standard thumb wheel control used to select features such as iA (Intelligent Auto), Scene Selections, or Video Mode . The On Off switch is located just alongside the thumb wheel but does require some effort to turn on and off so there should be no accidental power issues. The Shutter Control is on the right hand side of the camera and located around this is the zoom control – I liked this position as it enabled control of the shutter and zoom functions easily with just one hand (or finger even).

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 back view

The rear of the camera contains the remaining controls for accessing the camera menus, setting changes and viewing modes. The display screen is also of a very good size 2.5” screen with excellent resolution and viewing angles.

A very simple “Play/Record” button at the top right offers a quick way to review images or take images without having to fiddle with the main thumb control wheel.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 connectors

Connectors on the side offer the standard USB connectivity and Video out.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 battery & memory compartment

The battery compartment is located at the base of the camera, with a slot for SD/SDHD memory Cards. The camera does have 27MB of storage built in which will hold a picture or two in an emergency.

Highlights and Lowlights

I already use a Panasonic Lumix FX-33 camera for standard point and shoot pictures when out for the day or at events. Like many people, the convenience of being able to slip a camera into a pocket does certainly have advantages compared to a bulky SLR, but many of the smaller cameras don’t quite have the zoom capabilities.

I tested the camera in a wide selection of environments, from indoor low light shots, to bright sunny days (well, sunny as they can be in the UK).

Highlights

• The Leica Lens is an excellent wide angle lens (28mm) having the 10x Optical zoom (280mm equivalent) is a real benefit against standard 3x zooms offered by many cameras.
• The colours are very vivid and dynamic, this seems to be a pretty standard feature across the Panasonic range I have tested so far.
• Very sharp pictures from the Leica lens and sensor
• Very small lens distortion on edges
• Good flash pictures indoors
• Really bright infrared zone for focusing in dark environments, although this may be a little disconcerting for some being lit up bright red!

Lowlights

• Although a small camera considering the Lens Zoom size, it is not tiny like some cameras and not quite as easy to slip into your pocket. With a large lens, it is also quite heavy.
• The camera still offers Panasonic’s standard selection of scene modes (such as Night Time, Snow, Beach) and still has Baby 1 and Baby 2… I may be missing the point here but after trying many of these scene options I really can’t see a great deal of difference.
• The use of scene modes I found was questionable even further when using the Intelligent Auto mode and the Intelligent Exposure feature. These two features seem to pretty much compensate for almost all picture taking opportunities.

REVIEW

As usual with reviews, they tend to start quite late in the evening once normal day to day activities have taken place, monsters have gone to bed and everyone is happy…. This tends to lead to the usual unboxing on the Kitchen table and the first few shots taken of really interesting things such as the washing up….

Actually, this really wasn’t a bad place to start with the usual washing up some 4 Metres away I tried the 10x Optical zoom and pressed the shutter. (This is when I noticed the high intensity Infra Red focus aid light half the kitchen). For a close on 300mm zoom lens, inside the house with the inbuilt flash, I was really surprised with the quality of the first few shots. Never before has “Microwave and Dishwasher Safe” been readable from the other side of the kitchen. Even zooming in on the picture in preview mode should no real blurring or lost focused (I’m sure there is some appropriate photography name for this).

The lens action was quick zooming in and out and the focus was certainly quick considering the amount of light that was available.

Rather than stay with pictures of pots and pans, a rare summer moment arrived the following day allowing a variety of photographs to be taken. Again, the Panasonic DMC-TZ4 did pretty much exactly what it said on the tin. Clear sharp images and pretty fast shutter speeds. The focus was also much faster than the L10 SLR I tested a few months ago.

The colours taken on the camera were really consistent throughout the day, however, as with many cameras, the colours looked far better towards the end of the day (This is really more to do with the light levels and the fact pictures tend to look more realistic out of really bright light rather than the camera)

Shooting into the evening and towards dusk the camera still performed well. The shots taken with flash were realistic and didn’t tend to suffer from over exposure or unnatural “whiteness” I think this must be the Intelligent Exposure settings as I didn’t have to change any settings at all.

After taking a few more shots I decided to try out some of the scene settings and additional features. From what I could see, the majority of the scenes and settings were the same as the Lumix FX33 I use at the moment. The same strange options for Baby1, Baby2 scene settings were available. If anyone wants to let me know if they have used these settings or seen any advantage I’d love to know! Saying that though, the night setting does help and work well providing longer exposure times for dark backgrounds but still a difficult setting to master and achieve the best results.

For me though, the Zoom lens was really the best feature of the camera, and was the only real thing to set this camera apart from the other cameras in the Lumix range who all have similar pixel sizes and facilities. Having such a large zoom in a compact camera really allowed a much wider range of shots to be taken, and the image stabilisation worked fantastically. Couldn’t take some of the shots I did on full zoom in quite low light on the older Canon DSLR for sure without lots of shake.

Conclusion

As you can tell, I’m not a true fan of scene modes, so for many of the shots taken, I used Intelligent Auto mode. Yeah, I know, allowing the camera to do everything for you will probably be frowned on my some of the higher end photographers out there, but I am not a photographer, I just like the ease of pointing a camera at something, pressing the button and pretty much getting better results than I would if I had played with the settings.

This allows me to take more time to think of the things that tend to mess up pictures more, making sure the composure is ok, trying to work out what the heck the 1/3rds rule is all about and making sure some large tree is not sticking out from behind people’s heads.

May be they won’t let me review camera’s again or the professional photography guys will come after me, but, as I said, I’m not a professional camera man – I just want to take simple shots and get the best results that look good to me at least.

The Panasonic certainly helps achieve this with its automatic mode and excellent zoom capability – Photography for the masses.

So – Will I be trading my FX33 in for the TZ4, well, no. Not because there is anything wrong with the camera I could find very little to fault. If I was looking for a new camera the TZ4 would definitely be right up the top of the list, but as a compact camera it just seems that little large to slip in the pocket compared to the DMC-FX33 and I really don’t like carry things around with me!!

Despite that, the Zoom mode will really win a huge amount of people over and this camera has to be a really good choice for someone who doesn’t mind their compact cameras a little bigger

Review by: John

HP iPAQ 914 review

This week I was asked to review the HP iPAQ 914 From Hewlett-Packard, the phone is HP’s latest offerings, trying to fit every possible function in to a device no bigger then the Blackberry Curve.

The HP iPAQ 914

Introduction

The HP iPAQ 914 is packed with features such as quad band GSM, tri band 3G, a GPS receiver with external aerial connector, 7.2Mbit/sec HSDPA support, a good 3 mega pixel camera with flash and the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, version 6.1.

What’s in the box?

The box itself is a mind of information, as you open the lid, there you will find the Quick setup guide, and guide showing you what all the buttons do. There is also the setup disc which easily lets you set your device up, assigning speed dial, email accounts, preferences etc. Again very helpful, on starting up the device there are loads of hints and tips sections as well as the usual automated network, email set up procedures, it is recommended that the set up CD is used. The one thing that grabbed my attention is a sticker on the device itself that states ‘cracked screens due to improper handling are not covered under warranty. Do not compress, hit, bend or drop your HP iPAQ. Remove your HP iPAQ from pants pockets before sitting down. Always store your HP iPAQ in its protective case’. Alas, however, no free screen saver or protective case that I could find.

Included in the box is a USB type connector and charger, there is a plug socket with adaptors of different regions around the world. There are the usual manuals and also the important start up disc. Mini usb connecting headphones.

HP iPAQ 914 Specifications:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 professional
• 2.46-inch transmissive TFT 320 x 240 pixel touch panel display
• Built-in Assisted GPS
• Integrated Quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Tri Band HSPDA
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth V2.0
• UMTS (3G)/HSDPA Connectivity
• Marvell PXA270 Processor 416 MHz
• 128MB SDRAM/ 256MB ROM
• 3 Megapixel Camera (614c)
• MicroSD Slot
• 1940 mAh Lithium Polymer battery
• 113 x 64 x 16 mm (4.45” x 2.52” x 0.63”)
• v146g (5.15 oz)

GERNERAL

Starting at the front you’ll notice that there’s no forward facing VGA camera that’s common on many other 3G devices at the moment. There’s a 2.46" QVGA touch screen display below which are the standard phone keys, soft keys and d-pad. Then there’s the obvious QWERTY keyboard.

HP iPAQ 914 front

On the left hand side you have the Volume up and down, Voice memo key, MicroSD card and USB port which is also used for charging the phone.

HP iPAQ 914 left side

On the right hand side you have the Camera, OK button and scroll-wheel.

HP iPAQ 914 right side

on the top of the phone you have the power button, Reset button and an external GPS connection.

HP iPAQ 914 top view

Lastly, the back is home to the 3 mega pixel camera, mobile light and self portrait mirror. There’s also a grille over a reasonably large loudspeaker and the cover over the battery compartment which takes up most of the back.

HP iPAQ 914 back view

REVIEW

I wouldn’t say the HP iPAQ 914 is either small or elegant, encased in plastic that both looks and feels a bit cheap, with the back and battery cover coated in a layer of easy grip tactile rubber. This is very much a business phone with an industrial user in mind. While the construction looks and feels poor, it is actually put together well, and would survive a great deal of rough-handling.

The HP iPAQ 914 weighs in at 146g, and has a full QWERTY keyboard, and the size (64 x 16 x 113mm) which is a tad bigger than RIM’s BlackBerry Curve, which is its closest competitor.

The screen has a QVGA 320 x 240 pixel touch display, this is common on Windows Mobile phones, The result is a rather clumsy user experience, and you will often find yourself frequently switching between the keypad controls and stylus or as I was, using my thumbs to navigate the on screen display, when accessing various functions on the go.

Once I got my head around the on-screen navigation, I turned to the keyboard. Like the Blackberry Curve, the HP iPAQ 914 has a full Qwerty keyboard. Numbers are arranged in numeric keypad format, slightly to the left of centre, making it comfortable to dial numbers with just a thumb (but only if you are right handed).

There is a volume control switch on the left hand side, and a thumb wheel and a second OK button on the right side, this mirrors the old BlackBerry units. This was ok but on the move I found my self using the touch screen with my thumb or on occasion, using the stylus.

The MicroSD card slot and the USB sync/charge socket are both hidden behind rubber covers. This is a good idea to keep dust out of the device (remember the dust problems on other devices?) but they are a bit fiddly to keep opening. The MicroSD card isn’t such an issue as you probably wont be changing that too often but the one over the USB socket you’ll probably want to use at least once per day and unless you have some fingernails you’ll find it hard to flick open.

MicroSD card slot and USB Conector (Click to enlarge)

The keyboard is average. The keys, while well-sized are very close together, and the curved key tops did not help when I was on a tram or bus as my thumbs slipped off the keys and I found my self hitting the wrong key.On the Software side you get the basic Windows Mobile setup: Internet Explorer, email and text messaging client, basic Office document handling. HP has included the mobile version of Google Maps which got me lost several times in testing from A to B, thought I think this was a fault with the Google Maps application more than the on board GPS, as I tested this with Tom-Tom and Garmin and worked perfectly.

The iPAQ 914 keyboard

The onboard GPS picks up satellites and tells you where you are better and faster then the Nokia N95, as I tested this side by side on a flat surface out side on a few days and at different times, and the HP iPAQ 914 always picked up the satellites faster then the Nokia N95.

When I was accessing my Email and surfing the internet the web browser benefited hugely from the HP iPAQ 914’s HSDPA data support, as well as built-in WiFi. The phone supports up to 7.2Mbit/sec, and has more than enough processing power to cope. The HP iPAQ 914 also picked up my WiFi network both at home and at work quickly and I was easily able to download my email and surf the net this way.

As well as being one of the fastest mobile web devices out there, the iPAQ 914 can double as a HSDPA modem, either as a tethered USB modem or as a wireless Bluetooth one.

Conclusion

Battery life on the HP iPAQ 914 is fair, its better then the Nokia N95 which you have to charge every night if you’re a heavy user, I was able to get 3 days out of the phone on a single charge, using Wifi/Bluetooth and navigating with the onboard GPS. All in all the HP iPAQ 914 is one of the best phones I have reviewed this year, though I will be reviewing the Nokia E71 soon, so will keep you posted.

Review by: Phillip

HP 2133 Mini-Note review

INTRODUCTION

The HP 2133 Mini-Note joins a crowded marketplace, which a year ago didn’t exist at all. HP have a lot of catching up to do, but of the “big 2”, HP is the first to market with its own ultra portable laptop. Clove Technology have given us a rather rare review device, so lets see how it compares with its older rivals.

The HP 2133 Mini-Note (click to enlarge)

What’s in the box?

I’m not 100% sure we’ve got a full retail set up here, but the box contents we received looks like this:

HP 2133 Mini-Note Hardware
Battery
AC Power brick
Boring warranty stuff
User guide on CD – hmm

That’s all folks!

Have a look at our HP 2133 Mini-Note unboxing video for more.

HP 2133 Mini-Note Specification:

• Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Business, Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic 32, FreeDOS, or SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (our review machine)
• Processor: VIA C7-M ULV Processor (up to 1.6 GHz, 128 KB L2 cache)
• Chipset: VIA CN896NB and 8237S SB
• Memory: DDR2 SDRAM, 667MHz, one SODIMM memory slot, supports up to 2048MB
• Internal Storage: 120GB/160GB 5400 rpm SATA, 120GB/160GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard; or 64GB Solid State Drive; optional 4GB PATA Flash Module with SuSE Linux
• Display: 8.9-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 768)
• Graphics: VIA Chrome 9
• Audio: High Definition Audio, stereos speakers, integrated stereo microphones, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in
• Wireless support: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g, b/g, optional Bluetooth 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant
  Communications Broadcom Ethernet Integrated Controller (10/100/1000)
• Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot
• Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, optional VGA webcam
• Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.05 (at front) x 10.04 x 6.5 inches
• Weight: 2.63 lb (with 3-cell battery and 4 GB Solid State Drive, 3.23 lb with 6-cell battery and 160GB hard drive, 2.86 lb with 3-cell battery and 160GB hard drive.
• Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter with HP Fast Charge
• Warranty: Limited 1-year and 90-day warranty options available, depending on country, 1-year limited warranty on primary battery

GENERAL

Immediately upon opening the box I was impressed by the aesthetics and build quality. It looks and feels expensive. I understand people like the EEE’s basic look, but give me the polished brushed metal of the Mini-Note any day! There’s no argument here – this is a pretty machine.

Opening the lid is perhaps a little more difficult than it should be. There is no clasp, but it closes tightly, and without some nails, it takes far too much effort to prize the lid open. Having said that, I could just be lazy.

HP 2133 Mini-Note open

Rather like the Eee pc from Asus, the screen does not use the full area available to it. Stereo speakers are positioned either side of it, and there is a large space to the top of the LCD panel, where only the VGA webcam resides. This is a bit disappointing personally, because laptop speakers are never ever going to sound very good – so stick them in the lower portion of the laptop, below the keyboard, and give us a bigger screen!

Despite all that – the screen is possibly one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen on a laptop – more on that later.

On the left hand side, we have a VGA port, to add an extra monitor, or to replicate the laptop screen, a large grill (which pumps out a LOT of heat), a single USB port, and audio ports for speakers and a microphone. The USB plug has a weird hole next to it, and I still haven’t figured out what it is for!

HP 2133 Mini-Note left side

Swapping to the right hand side and we find another more normal looking USB port, the Ethernet port and the AC power socket. Talking of the AC power, unfortunately the Mini-Note does have a smallish power brick – a step back from the first Eee PC with its phone-charge style setup. We’ve also got an express card port sitting above a SD card slot. SD Card’s click in nicely, but are not flush with the laptop chassis. I guess there just wasn’t enough room.

HP 2133 Mini-Note right side

As with most laptops this size, the back panel is free of ports and connectors, and just features the battery pack.

The keyboard itself is a lot larger than the Eee PC and is infinitely more usable – both for quick net surfing, and lengthy documents. I can type fairly quickly 50-60 WPM on my desktop, and managed a similar speed on the Mini-Note – something I found impossible on the Eee’s tiny keyboard. My only slight niggle was a possibly one-off issue – the spacebar only seemed to press successfully on the left hand side of the key, and often missed when pressing the right hand side.

HP 2133 Mini-Note keyboard

The trackpad works nicely, and is accurate. I don’t like the left-right click buttons though – because of space limitations, these are placed either side of the trackpad, rather than above as found on most laptops.

A nice feature that deserves a mention is the trackpad switch. This is found on nearly every HP laptop, and has made it to the first sub-notebook from the company.

HP 2133 Mini-Note trackpad

Finally the front panel contains power and WLAN buttons, complete with indicator lamps, and a hard disk activity lamp too. I have to admit, it looks me a few minutes to work out how to turn the thing on as the switches look a bit like latch controls, but are just actually just momentary slide buttons.

HP 2133 Mini-Note front

Inside we have a slightly-lacklustre Via processor, and a massive 120GB laptop hard disk – no SD Cards required here!

Highlights

• Awesome looks, great build quality
• Software packed linux install
• Superb Screen
• 120GB Hard Disk

Lowlights

• A little too heavy at times
• Trackpad buttons hard to get used to
• CPU can be a bottleneck
• Gets extremely hot!

REVIEW

In preparing this review, I had a read through of Matt’s previous reviews of the Asus 701 and 900 laptops. One paragraph that stood out was this:

“It has to said that the keyboard, trackpad and mouse button does feel distinctly cheap, but that said the device IS cheap so you get what you pay for and given what you get on the inside it’s hard to grumble.”

Luckily the 2133 Mini-Note is completely the opposite in every way. The keyboard and trackpad looks well built and feels anything but cheap. It definitely looks more businessy, and if you turned up to a lunch meeting with the Mini-Note, the Eee PC users may feel a little put out!

Now to the screen. Its a classic vicious circle – people say the screen is too small, but then say the battery life isn’t good enough when the size is increased. HP have found a nice middle ground I reckon, with a smallish 8.9inch screen, with a huge WXGA resolution of 1280×768. It is a amazing sight to behold – possibly the sharpest, highest quality screen I’ve seen. The size IS still an issue, but websites are no much easier to navigation with a proper – desktop size – resolution. Every time I turn the thing on, I am amazed by the quality of the LCD panel. It is truly exceptional.

Its impossible to compare with other sub-notebooks – they don’t even get near the quality of this. Think expensive large LCD panel, for TV or your desktop computer – this is that level of quality. The contract, colours and bleed levels are excellent, and viewing photos or videos on it, nearly make anything look HD!

Our review device comes with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop – and it is aimed at business types. Novell clients are installed, and a lot of freeware linux software is included.

I wonder how many percentage points Firefox have been given in the browser wars purely due to everyone and their uncle sticking it on their Linux ultra portable laptops! It’s included here – albeit version 2, and it works swiftly, and renders pages extremely well on the beautiful screen. The vast majority of extensions will work on Linux, so you can make your browsing experience as close to your desktop machine as you like.

Open Office is also pre-installed, Evolution – a email client is included too. Other software includes a music player, photo browser, cross-network instant messenger client, RealPlayer, FTP software, and RSS reader and plenty more besides.

Linux works well, but the Mini-Note lacks the simplicity of the Eee PC’s custom Linux shell. Even for young kids, the Eee PC was easy to use. The Mini-Note is certainly aimed more towards businesses. Any concerns about the Linux install can be fixed fairly simply – By installing XP! An edition also comes with vista anyway, and for me, that would be the ideal ultra portable laptop for me.

The Linux wireless (And for that matter Ethernet) connection software is easy to use, and I had no problems connecting to the wireless networks at home, at work, or on the incredibly flaky National Express WiFi! Although I hate to admit it, the WiFi software implementation is better than Windows.

The Mini-Note doesn’t use latest “ever ever” processor – the Atom, but instead a Via processor. It does OK in Linux, but I have concerned about the Vista edition, even taking into account the faster processor. Unfortunately I can’t tell you how well it performs with Vista or XP – if you can, let us know in the comments!

Unlike the Eee PC, I could see myself using this device a lot more – mainly due to the larger keyboard, and impressive resolution on the LCD. While the device is heavy, its slightly thinner than its rivals, and isn’t much trouble to carry around. The battery life is acceptable, if not amazing, and I managed to get about 2 and a half hours of casual use before it had had enough.

Its a shame HP didn’t make a home/student/kids style Linux install as well as the Novell friendly business version we find here. Asus got away with running Linux, because the interface made it easy to use. The SUSE enterprise edition is powerful, but will lose a lot of the audience I mentioned above, unless they install XP – which shouldn’t be any more difficult than the older ultra portable’s. It’s easy to get lost in Linux, unless you have a nice UI to guide you.

Although I love the laptop itself, in struggling to see who this Linux version will be sold to. Business users will probably pay the extra for the windows version, and home uses are possibly going to end up disappointed by the OS.

Having said that, as a hardware device, its outstanding – and trumps both the Eee PC and the newer MSI Wind. The jewel is definitely the screen – truly breathtaking, but the large keyboard also adds value to the product.

Its more expensive than the lesser models, and perhaps should do more for the price. But that’s only a minor point – the HP 2133 Mini-Note does what it does, and it does it extremely well indeed. It’s just about worth the premium.

HP 2133 Mini-Note

CONCLUSION

The HP 2133 Mini-Note has taken ultra mobile laptops to the next level. No longer a toy computer – this is a serious laptop, fit for business and personal users alike. The screen and keyboard combination means this CAN be a laptop replacement.

The Mini-Note only falls short in the area of performance – and its not such a big deal. Its more disappointing because the rest of the device is so beyond anything else we’ve seen before.

For $499 in the states, and even taking into account Rip-Off-Britain prices, this is a cheap yet expensive looking laptop.

One final point for HP: Put a decent processor in this (anyone for Atom?) – and this will be the best sub-notebook on the planet. End of argument. Oh and if you fancy sending me an XP version feel free – preferably one I can “lose”!

Review by: Mark

Aiptek Z500 Plus HD Camcorder Review

Introduction

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about a Budget camcorder from a relatively unknown company. Usually these sort of devices are purchased purely based on their price and not quality. However could the Aiptek Z500 Plus buck the trend and provide both low price and high quality?

NOTE: Images in the review can be clicked to see a larger version.

The Aiptek AHD Z500 plus

What’s in the box?

• Aiptek PocketDV AHD Z500 Plus
• Mains Charger (with a mini USB connector)
• User Manuals (Remote & Device)
• Software Disc
• USB to mini USB Cable
• Remote Control
• Wrist Strap
• Carry Pouch
• Component Cable
• Composite Cable

Aiptek PocketDV AHD Z500 Plus Specification:

• 1440 x 1080 H.264 Video @30fps
• 1280 x 720 H.264 Video @60fps
• Personal Media Player & Recorder
• Up to 8 Mega Pixel Digital Camera
• MOV Video Format
• 3x Optical Zoom w/ Auto Focus
• 2-inch Macro Zoom
• Flash w/ Red Eye Reduction
• Night Shot
• LED Lights
• HDTV Component Output
• 2.4" Swivel-Reversible LCD
• Easy Charging via AC or USB
• 32GB SDHC Card Slot Expansion
• Remote Control Included

GENERAL

Looking at the Aiptek, as you would expect from a pocket device it’s pretty small for what it is. The unit is not going to win any awards for great and innovative styling but it is pleasant enough to look at.

On the front of the device is obviously the lens. The great thing about this is the clear cover, meaning to clean all that has to be done is wipe the clear lens cover as oppose to cleaning the various parts of the lens. Below the lens are the LED lights for added light when recording and below that is the flash strobe for stills.

Aiptek Z500 front

The back of the device is home to all of the controls etc. Working from the top the is a four way directional stick which controls things such as the flash and macro mode as well as navigating menus. To the left of this is the mode button and to the right the menu button. Below these is the shutter button used for capturing still images. The Zoom slider located below this which is also used for manual focus. The record button sits below this, with the AV connector/Headphone input situated below this. There is then a cover which when removes reveals the mini USB and the HD out inputs.

Aiptek Z500 back

Open: The 2.4” LCD screen has 3 buttons attached on the left hand side these are playback controls used to fast-forward, rewind etc.

Aiptek Z500 open

On the bottom of the device is the tripod socket and under the battery cover is the SD Card slot.

Aiptek Z500 bottom view

Highlights and Lowlights

+Price

+Ease of use

-Lack of features & Functions

REVIEW

As I mentioned earlier Aiptek was a brand I was unfamiliar with and therefore was rather skeptical when it came to the Z500 plus a HD camcorder, capable of shooting in 1080p and offering a 5mp stills feature to boot all for £250.

The Z500 is very easy to use right out of the box turning on as soon as the 2.4” LCD swivel screen is opened, the ease of use continues throughout filming with simple point and shoot controls.

The Z500 plus is a relatively plain device which is certainly small enough to fit inside a trouser pocket or a camera bag, it feels rather well built for a camcorder of this price range which is surprising. The device has very few buttons for you to worry about the menus are navigated quickly and easily with the four way directional stick.

The camcorder is offers 1080p Recording at 30fps, 720p at 30 and 60fps as well as standard DVD quality for non HD filming, footage is stored with the use of an SDHC card with support for up-to 32gb allowing for hours of 1080p footage or 1000’s stills. The bundled component cable allows for easy playback via a High Definition TV, while the USB cable and software allow for easy transfer between the device and a PC or Laptop.

A big giveaway in budget camcorders is often the audio quality.  The audio quality of the Z500 is pretty good, certainly bearable, but does not really match the quality of the picture which is a disappointment but the sound is certainly not as bad as other budget camcorders on the market. There is a speaker on the top of the device for playback using the device of course you can plug your headphones in, and sound quality when displayed on a TV is acceptable but nothing special.

Using the Z500 plus is very much and point and shoot affair with features such as macro mode and both auto and manual focus. On top of that  there’s a very useful night mode allowing for enhanced quality in low light situations this teamed with the LED lights works really well for a camera of this size and price and certainly improves the quality greatly. The 3x optical zoom is not fantastic and the zoom is pretty slow taking a good few seconds to go from wide to telephoto. With macro mode the camcorder is great at shooting both distant and close subject in great quality. The swivel is screen is a fair size and is pretty clear during playback and the handy controls on the side of the LCD are a great addition and add to the Z500’s Ease of use. The swivel screen also allows for easy viewing when using the camcorder to film yourself for video diaries etc.

The camcorder works well as a still camera offering a 5 megapixel shot and with a built in flash allowing for shots to be taken under all circumstances, the camera also offer a standard mode as well as classic and black and white shots however nothing special is on offer in this department. It also come with a voice recorder for notes etc. which is always handy.

Battery life for the device is not bad but not fantastic it will last around 70minutes with continual 720p recording and close to 200 shots using it as a stills camera.

The camcorder comes bundled with a number of things including the handy pouch with belt loop for keeping you Z500plus safe protected and within reach at all times. It also comes with a remote control which is a very useful thing to have when it comes to easy playback control as well as navigation etc. and it saves you having to fiddle around with the device all the time.

The software included on the disk is QuickTime player, HD-DV Decoder, Total Media Extreme, Photo impression and a E-Manual. Many of you I am sure will already have Quicktime therefore will find little use for the software on the disk but it is always worth checking it out and of course more advanced software can be purchased online.

I captured a few still shots and sample video for you to have a look at.

Sample still shots from the Aiptek Z500 plus

CONCLUSION

During this review it was very difficult not to compare the Z500 Plus to other more expensive HD camcorders such as those from Sony however the price is the first thing that draws your attention to this camcorder and for £250 it does not disappoint, it is a great camcorder for someone wishing to upgrade to HD filming with ease of use and great point and shoot teamed with a 5 megapixel camera with flash. The lack of advanced features and functions means this is not a device for hardcore move makers looking for all the features and functions associated with higher end camcorders. Overall a great entry level HD camcorder but lacks the depth and functionality to compete with the higher end models. Perfect for amateur movie maker looking for an introduction to the world of High Definition Filming.

Review by: Nick

SanDisk Sansa Fuze review

INTRODUCTION

This is the third MP3/Media player from SanDisk that I’ve reviewed. The first was the Sansa e260 over a year ago and the second the Sansa View was about 6 months ago.

The most impressive thing about the entire range has to be the battery life. Using the e260 for about an hour each day for example it’s almost a month between charges. The only downside to that is the risk of loosing the power cable between charges!

The SanDisk Sansa Fuze

 

As with other models the Fuze comes in a very small package – with just a carton inside holding the mp3 player itself, connection cable and earphones. Take a look at our unbox video for a more detailed look at the Sansa Fuze.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze specification:

• 2GB internal flash memory (4 & 8GB model available)
• 1.9" 220 x 176 Colour TFT screen
• FM Radio
• Built in microphone for recording
• Expandable MicroSD/SDHC card slot for additional storage
• MPEG4 and WMV video support
• Battery Life: MP3 playback 24 hours, Video playback 5 hours
• 1.9 x 0.3 x 3.1 in

DESIGN

The Fuze is a very compact MP3/Media Player that, to be honest, looks like an iPod clone. Taking a look at the front of the Fuze there’s a small, 1.9" display. The display is quite low res at just 220×176 pixels. There’s also a jog dial that rotates as well as working as a d-pad style navigator. There’s also a simple HOME button on the front.

Sansa Fuze Front View

On the left there’s a microSD card slot which is, fortunately microSDHC compatible. Below that is a simple MIC which means you can use the Fuze as a voice recorder.

Sansa Fuze Left Side

The right side is fairly bare, just a simple two-function switch which serves as a power switch and a hold switch.

Sansa Fuze Right Side

On the bottom there’s a 3.5mm headphone socket which will allow you to use any standard headphones. The bottom is where you’ll find the proprietary sync and charge socket. I know I frequently moan about proprietary connectors almost all player manufacturers have their own connector type.

Sansa Fuze Bottom

SOFTWARE

Once again SanDisk have used the same interface as on previous models. The scroll wheel suits the interface perfectly – and much better than the latest non-touch iPod. The main menu is icon based, but changes to text as we go deeper into mp3/video lists.

The main menu consists of Music, Photo, Voice, Video, Extras and Settings, all selected with the scroll wheel.

The music library filters are pretty standard to both Sandisk players, and players in general, with Play All tracks starting us off at the top, along with Artist, Album, Songs, Genres, My Top Rated, Recordings, and Playlists as options. On the playback screen, you get thumbnail album art, track info, and a time-elapsed meter. Pressing the select button takes you to a neat graphic-level meter, full-size album art, and the next song.

Sound Quality

The sound quality of the Fuze is once again on-par with it’s predecessors and still far better than the iPod Nano. Comparing the same MP3 track and using the same headphones the Fuze beats the Nano hands-down. While I don’t have the equipment to demonstrate this with fancy graphs the Fuze simply sounds better and more full-range and compression artifacts seem a lot less noticeable and the audio is a lot more pleasing.

There are various EQ modes and sound level adjustments available in the menu too which will help get the sound perfectly suited to various audio devices.

Pros:

• AMAZING battery life. Seriously, I hardly charged it. I’ll try and add the SanDisk quoted figures later today, but take it from me – they are good.
• Massive storage. 16gb. The Nano doesn’t even attempt more than 8GB, so another 1-up for SanDisk
• Price point. These aren’t expensive, and like everything in this industry, its price will only drop.

Cons:

• Not an iPod. this might sound a bit sad but everyone that’s seen my Fuze thinks it’s an iPod knock-off!
• Poor low-res display.
• Memory Capacity. The model on review is only 2GB and while there are models that have up to 8GB and each can be supplemented with microSD memory to give a maximum of 16GB this works out quite expensive compared to other 16GB native products.

CONCLUSION

Once again SanDisk have done a good job with this Media Player. If you want a small unit with excellent battery life and you wont be rejected by your friends for not having an iPod then the Fuze is well worth considering. This is the sort of MP3 player that you can set playing, stick in your pocket and then forget about.

Unfortunately the screen that SanDisk have put in the device is really only adequate for using the on screen menu. It’s far too small and low-res to be useful as a video player.

Review by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Sandisk, Sansa Fuze, Media Player]

Samsung U900 Soul review

The Samsung Soul U900, which is the latest phone offerings from Samsung, Samsung is sticking to its slider guns with the Soul U900, which incorporates modern technology into a classic design. I thought on first impressions this was just another slide phone that looked good but lacked functionality, I WAS WRONG!!

The Samsung U900 Soul

Samsung U900 Soul Specification:

• Size: 105 x 49.5 x 12.9 mm
• Weight: 112 grams
• Camera:  5 MP, 2592?1944 pixels, autofocus, image stabiliser, video(QVGA), flash
• Battery life: 400 hours standby & 6.5 hours talk time
• Display size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
• OS: Custom flash UI on S60 OS
• Bluetooth: 2.0 with A2DP
• Memory: 240MB shared memory & MicroSDHC
• Networks: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
• HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
• FM radio with RDS
• MP3/AAC/AAC+ player
• AC Charger: Output 9VDC, 2.5A

What’s in the box?

• The Samsung Soul handset
• Battery
• Mains Charger
• Hands-free wired headset
• USB Data Cable
• CD-ROM
• User’s Guide

GENERAL

The Samsung U900 Soul is an attractive looking candy-bar style slider phone with a funky touch window below the main 2.2" TFT colour display. Either side of the touch controls are a couple of physical buttons or selection keys along with call send and end keys. Above the main screen you find a single VGA camera for video calls as well as the loudspeaker.

The Samsung U900 Soul

Looking to the right hand side of the U900 you’ll find a plastic cover over the MicroSD card slot as well as a dedicated camera button.

Samsung Soul right side

Left hand side is home to the volume controls, USB/Audio/power connector and finally a eyelet for a lanyard or phone charm.

Samsung Soul left side

Slide the screen up to reveal a 15 key numeric pad. The keys have a brushed metal finish to them that looks pretty cool, it looks even better in the dark when the numbers are illuminated from behind.

Samsung Soul Keypad

If you turn the phone over with the screen open you’ll see the excellent 5.0 Megapixel camera with LED ‘flash’ and self portrait mirror.

Samsung Soul Camera

Highlights and Lowlights

+ Attractive Design

+ FM Radio with RDS

+ Decent Digital Camera

– Only Tri-band

– Battery life not as good as promised

REVIEW

To be honest, I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about when this phone was first introduced to me, but when I took this out of the box I soon came to realise that all the fuss was about something rather stylish and attractive.

When I was out using this it felt right, sitting there in my hand, the solid look and feel that you get from the metal casing, the way the keypad and screen are laid out it just feels right, some people might think its chunky or oversized but I think that Samsung might have made a phone that could just be right.

When I reviewed the KF600 I was not struck on the split/dual screen but with the Soul it just goes together perfectly, the navigation touch screen at the bottom is very responsive and provides an adequate amount of vibrating feedback.

Fortunately, all the heavily-used keys such as cancel and soft keys are mechanical. You can avoid the irritation of deleting a whole text message as you could on the Samsung E900 when you mistakenly brushed the touch-sensitive cancel key.

The Samsung Soul U900 is built in a way that kind of puts across that Samsung acknowledges its past mistakes and has cleverly engineered the Soul. The 5-megapixel camera, for example, is protected behind the slide mechanism similar to the Nokia N95, which is a small detail that adds to the overall user experience.

The aim of having a navigation touch screen seemed redundant at first, but starts to make sense when you use the Soul. When you access an app such as the camera, it offers a series of camera keys making it easier to change all the settings.

LG tried to achieve a similar thing on the KF600 but the often unresponsive touchpad left me frustrated. Samsung’s Soul reacts well to touch and you can even adjust the sensitivity of the touchpad to be higher or lower.

Fortunately, the touchpad isn’t the only thing on offer. HSPDA (3.5G) allows for high-speed browsing, which is made better when you download one of our favourite programs.

Using the music player is straightforward and it supports a variety of formats including MP3 and AAC, but the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack or adaptor means that you have to use the provided headphones.

Battery life lasted for over two days with moderate use. It started to drop when I used more of its features, particularly while browsing the Web over HSDPA and listening to music for a prolonged period.

Conclusion

The Samsung Soul is fairly straightforward, but that’s what impressed me. It’s by no means a do-all phone: there’s no GPS and no Wi-Fi, for starters. It just works well and provides an enjoyable user experience.

Review by: Phillip

[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, Samsung, U900, Samsung Soul]