GTMax Black Leather Cover Case Folio with Built-in Stand + Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard + LCD Sc

Well, I was looking for a case to fit my Archos 80 g9 (great little tablet btw) and was having an issue finding cases in the local stores because 8 inch tabs aren't all that common. The stylus works but wears quickly and isn't very accurate. The screen protector was cut a hair to short to cover the screen in its entirety. The bluetooth key board feels and looks like a child's plaything from the dollar store and functions as it wants to, I tried to use it and it led only to cursing and disappointment. The screen cleaner is a nifty little tool and functions well. And the case being the most important part is top quality and you get everything here for less than what this case would cost directly from Archos.

The case is a little heavy and bulky and doesn't close properly with out the use of the elastic. It would have been nice if magnets were used to hold the case closed. Other than that the case serves its purpose to protect your tablet and camouflage its look. The case enables you to prop ur tablet up with viewing levels. And the option to snap out your tablet from the cover is optional. Overall good case.

Buy GTMax Black Leather Cover Case Folio with Built-in Stand + Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard + LCD Sc Now

I purchased this case set for my daughter. The Archos 8" tablets fit perfectly and the case is perfect. It allows you to change the orientation of the tablet without removing and has a built in stand. The other accessories are pretty much useless except for the screen protector. The mini keyboard never worked and you really don't need a stylist with this tablet, but all in all a good purchase.

Read Best Reviews of GTMax Black Leather Cover Case Folio with Built-in Stand + Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard + LCD Sc Here

The only good part about this combo pack is the leather case which is in great condition and does protect the tablet. You can buy the leather case at a much more reasonable price alone than in this combo. The stylus and mini-keyboard are cheap dollar store material. The keyboard has difficulty connecting to my Archos tablet and is slow to respond. I would not recommend this product.

Want GTMax Black Leather Cover Case Folio with Built-in Stand + Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard + LCD Sc Discount?

I would only recommend the purchase of the Leather Cover Case Folio, for the Archos 80 G9. The other items that came with it were not worth it. The Screen Protector is not very clear. It smears when you use your fingers or their Stylus and is and can not be entirely cleaned. Their Stylus is already completely peeling off the black surface after less than a month. Their Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard is hard to pair. At times I had to re-pair it again, so I stopped using it.

Save 70% Off

Apple iPad 2 Hybrid Case with KickStand Blue & Black

This is a great cover for an iPad. The kick stand is great and is easy to operate. This case is a great buy for the money.

Wish it came with a screen protector. The flaps or the openings, such as te charger port, doesn't stay closed. I like the rubberized edging.

Buy Apple iPad 2 Hybrid Case with KickStand Blue & Black Now

The case feels sturdy and for my use, I think it will last. The little stand is a bit flimsy but I didn't expect much. I suspect that the high end 50$ cases are better. But I don't need more. It doesn't look cheap either. So unless you plan on really throwing your ipad on the floor, you should get that one..., it would handle and accidental reasonable drop. But it's probably not a military grade armor!

Read Best Reviews of Apple iPad 2 Hybrid Case with KickStand Blue & Black Here

rooCASE Capacitive (Black) Stylus for HP TouchPad 9.7-Inch Tablet

• Non-OEM Stylus for HP TouchPad 9.7-Inch Tablet
• Ultra Responsive Capacitive Stylus that Works with All Touch Screen
• Lightweight Aluminum Pen Body that Weighs in at Only 0.4 OZ. Stylus Length: 114mm.
• Conevenient Cap Attachment to 3.5mm Audio Jack. Clip that Can Attach to Shirt or Pants Pocket.
• Available in Black, Silver and White. Search: rooCASE Capacitive Stylus HP TouchPad 9.7-Inch Tablet

I initially bought this stylus for my HP Touchpad 32GB, but found that it works well, not only on that device but on my phone and my friend's iPad as well! It is very responsive on the phone and Touchpad (without anti-fingerprint screen cover). But even with the anti-fingerprint screen, the stylus still works, you just have to find the right pressure or repeat strokes. For the price, I HIGHLY recommend the rooCASE and would buy it again in a heartbeat!

Buy rooCASE Capacitive (Black) Stylus for HP TouchPad 9.7-Inch Tablet Now

I bought this for my HP touchpad. Works like a charm. Very handy to have it plug into the headphone jack. It also works for my HTC Evo 3D. No complaints so far.

Read Best Reviews of rooCASE Capacitive (Black) Stylus for HP TouchPad 9.7-Inch Tablet Here

very good unit which I use on my tablet and kindle fire. Question how long will it last, or can the tip be replaced?

Want rooCASE Capacitive (Black) Stylus for HP TouchPad 9.7-Inch Tablet Discount?

I have tried several types of stylus with several apps on HP Touchpad running CyanogenMod 9 (Android ICS). The other stylus captured 80% of what I was writing (i.e. y wouldn't have loops, part of words missing despite writing whole word, etc.) This stylus captures 100%. I also like the fact that the stylus has a plastic piece that goes in the headphone jack; thus, this connects the stylus to the Touchpad for easy retrieval. My notes are now more reliable with this stylus. I only wish I found this stylus first so I didn't waste money buying the other stylus. You would be very happy with this purchase.

Save 63% Off

The stylus works great and contributes to the touchpad being even taht much handier. Pick one up, you won't regret it.

SONY PEGA-CA92 Leather Carry Case Black for PEG-NX80V, PEG-NX73V, TG, SJ Series

• Made by Dooney & Bourke, famous make of high end leather goods
• Extra pockets for Memory Stick media and business cards
• Made with high quality leather materials
• Compatible with PEG-NX80V, PEG-NX73V, TG, SJ Series, and other devices as noted here or by SONY

This is the perfect case for the PEG-NX80V. It's custom fitted, looks good, and allows for headphones out the side. It provides pockets supposedly for keeping your memory stick and add-on wireless card, but there's no way either of them would fit in the tight leather space provided.

Cisco AIR-CT2504-5-K9 2504 Wlan Controller

• 0

This WLC is excellent for small offices likes us. Easy to handle and configure. But ones you put to work is excellent to manage the AP on the office and SSID. 0 complaints about

Save 19% Off

Hewlett Packard Jornada 545 Color Pocket PC

• Sharp 12-bit color LCD screen, 4,096 colors
• Includes MP3 player for listening to downloadable music and audible.com spoken-word content
• Read electronic books, view vivid color photos, and play realistic 3-D games
• Check e-mail and surf the Web; keep up with latest news, sports, and stocks
• What's in the box: Jornada 545, Stylus, AC adapter, USB cradle, Serial cable, Removable cover, Earbuds, Quick Start Guide, Documentation pack, CD-ROM software

I have looked at Windows CE devices before and found them under powered, over priced, and inadequate in several respects. After months of scrutiny and research, I was finally ready to buy a Palm Pilot. At the last minute, I looked at the Jornada 545 and bought one on the spot.

Its handwriting recognition is like nothing else I've used. In a couple of hours I was entering data quickly--something I didn't think was possible considering the high marks the Palm OSs Graffiti earned, but never worked well for me.

The color screen is great. I bought the Pretec modem and was able to surf the web. In the morning I download all the new web pages I typically read and review them throughout the day when I have a little time.

I needed a PDA to keep in sync with email and my Internet site, but the Palm's "Web Clipping" technology just wasn't worth it. The Pocket Internet Explorer is great.

The Jornada 545 is also fast. It boots instantly, and the syncrhonization between my Microsoft Outlook is GREAT!

This elegant collaboration between HP and MS is a must have product!

Buy Hewlett Packard Jornada 545 Color Pocket PC Now

I'm a long-time Palm user I've bought three different versions over the last three years. Overall I think the Palm's are ok but there always seemed to be something I wanted to do but couldn't. I managed to get a new Jornada 545 from a friend at HP and absolutely love it. It's simple to use and it does so much more than my Palm. The browser is very good given the constrained screen real-estate. The color is great. The media player is great. The only thing it lacks that I'd like is built-in wireless support. If I could connect to the web/email directly I'd probably use this instead of my laptop for many situations.

All in all I highly recommend the Jornada.

Read Best Reviews of Hewlett Packard Jornada 545 Color Pocket PC Here

Well I have found a product that is not only a gadget but actually works just the way I would have made it myself (if only I could). The HP545 is the best "thing" I have come across for many years. It has, at a stroke, replaced two items I habitually carry and another that I was going to buy. These are my organiser / Tape player / MP3 Player.

I habitually spend (too) many hours of my life stuck in hotel rooms and airplanes (down the far back and up the very front) and I love the concept of the "talking books" / audio cassette that are now available it saves my eyes and helps me sleep. What I do not like is having to pay almost as much for postage as for the cassettes and waiting 4 weeks to get them. Then having to hump around all those cranky cassettes and the battery eating player.

Yesterday I changed my life. Using my HP545 and Audible.com I brought 5 new audio books, downloaded them on the internet and uploaded them to my 545 in the space of an hour. This cost me 25% of what it would in cassette format + postage. It would have been less than an hour too, but I was still fumbling the software a little. My goodness why could it not have always been this easy...

I now have in my 90MB FlashMemory card (buy it and plug it in) 8 printed books (lots supplied classics but still I haven't read that many of them), 10 MP3 favorites and 25 hrs of audio book programming. And there is still space to spare.

Transfers to and from the PC are a snap and the USB connection is very fast. Don't even think of doing these file sizes on the serial though. No USB think about another solution or you will grow old waiting for the files to move.

The included apps are just GOOD. OK the screen is fairly small but the 65K colours and crystal clarity help. Everything works and the cutdown versions of Outlook / Work etc are very functional.

I have saved the neatest for last. The script / handwriting recognition WORKS. Even my scruffy scrawl gets the job done and with a little practise at being neat with the pen and not trying to use the very bottom of the screen you can gallop along.

Well done HP and MS A nice job well implemented.

Caveats : You need a decent sized memory card. Budget for 64MB and you will not be disappointed. For the numerically inclined an average "printed book" is 200K, audio books are 2MB per hour and high quality MP3 is 1MB a minute. These figures are deceptive though. I would never carry 25 hours of taped book around normally and it is so easy to move stuff in and out of the 545 that I am being a hog. Still what was that phrase about expanding to fill the space available....

Want Hewlett Packard Jornada 545 Color Pocket PC Discount?

I'm a die-hard Palm user, and I still keep my Palm VII around for wireless Internet access; but the Jornada really is a great device. The backlit screen has great color; there's a slight problem with vertical banding when there's a variety of different color brightnesses on the screen, but it's still extremely readable, much more so than the Palm screen.

The Microsoft Reader application is wonderful; I can't wait until some more eBooks start coming out. A number of good public-domain books are included with the package, though.

I have yet to have it crash, but that could be because I'm very conscientious about closing applications I'm no longer using--something that's easy to do from the HP Settings screen, which is called up by one of the hardware buttons. (Most of the crashes I've heard about seem to revolve around having a fairly large number of applications running, until the poor thing finally runs out of memory and keels over.)

If you're a creative type like me, the built-in voice recorder is a wonderful touch; you don't have to switch applications, or open the Jornada's cover, or even turn it on--just press and hold the Record button on the side and start talking. You can later easily review the notes or transfer them to the PC. If you plan on making extensive use of this feature, though, you might want to buy a 32MB CompactFlash memory card along with the Jornada, though, as voice recordings made on the high-quality setting can use up memory in a hurry.

The email capabilities and pocket Internet Explorer are quite nice; you'll find these features much more useful if you're already using Outlook as your desktop email program, or if you're willing to switch. (Gee, two Microsoft products working much better with each other than with third-party products? What a surprise. :) )

In conclusion, I don't regret the purchase for a moment, and I'm already looking for a compatible cellular phone so I can start making full use of email and the Web while on the road.

Save 34% Off

Well... the folks at UPS made me a very happy guy when my Jornanda 545arrived this morning. I bought it at Amazon.com . . . It arrived lessthan a day-and-a-half later.

I was so excited about this new model, but was totally unable to find them here in San Diego. Amazon.com to the rescue.

I've upgraded from a Jornada 420, so I feel I can provide an informed side-by side comparison.

The first thing you notice is just how frickin' cool the 545 looks. It carries none of the "purple plastic brick" visual baggage of the 420. The 545 is a sleek dark-gray wedge. Very sexy -if this sort of thing CAN be sexy.

Granted, the placement of the 545's stylus is a bit cumbersome, and the shape a bit odd, but I'll get used to it. Even if the stylus where stored in a slot of the side of the unit, I'd still want the cover. Having the cover makes me feel quite a bit more likely to carry this with me from one meeting to the next.

As far as size, and yes, as in most cases, size DOES count -the 545 seems quite a bit smaller than the 420, but upon further inspection, and a not-so-accurate side-by-side eyeballing it really doesn't seem to be. I think it's the more comfortable wedge-like shape and rounded edges that make it appear more svelte. Unlike the 420, I'll have no hesitation pocketing the 545.

On with the show -or screen that is. The screen on the 545 seems quite a bit brighter. Now, most people won't notice this until they go into the HP Setting function and select the 'Outdoor' mode. It may be that the 545 has more useable brightness because the contrast is better. Now, to be fair, I've never had a problem being able to read my 420's display, but the 545's does seem a bit better.

As far as the UI, it is quite a bit easier to use -but does require a little getting used to. As far as the OS, the speed is greatly improved -very impressive considering that it is running on essentially the same hardware.

They audio quality out of the 545 is VERY impressive. It will serve as a portable MP3 player quite admirably.

The new 'Transcriber' handwriting recogntion is fantastic. I couldn't belive the job it did recognizing things I was certain it would choke on. We should require all medical doctors to use these in order to prevent perscription errors!

GTMax 6 pieces Accessories Bundle Kit for Amazon Kindle Fire-Combo Set Includes: Neoprene Case + LCD

• 1 X Universal Neoprene Sleeve Case - Black (210x130x15mm)
• 1 X Kindle Fire screen protector
• 1 X Micro-USB Sync & Charge Cable (3 FT) - Black
• 1 X USB Car Charger (2100mA) - Black ; 1 X USB Travel Charger (2100mA)- Black
• 1 X Universal Stylus - Black

I LIKED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SET, EXCEPT FOR THE CASE AND THE SCREEN PROTECTOR. THEY ARE TOO BIG FOR MY DAUGHTER'S TABLET. IT SAID I COULD FIT UP TO A 7 INCH TABLET. IT FITS WAY TOO BIG. BIT ITS OK, THE STYLUS AND THE CHARGER ARE REALLY WHAT WE NEEDED

Save 50% Off

Bundle Monster Vinyl Skin Sticker For Xbox 360 S Slim Game Console - Cover Protector Art Decal - Rai

• For Xbox 360 Slim only. Skins are made up of ultra thin and superb vinyl material that is environmental friendly. These are NOT hard case or faceplate.
• Our skins have an upscale leather like finish to distinguish your game console. (See Close Up Shot Image)
• Highly durable and prevent abrasions & scratching. Removal of skins will not leave any sticky residual.
• Does not block any vent holes or void your console's warranty.
• Very easy to apply skins to your game console. No cutting necessary. Self-explanatory.

I love the decal cover for my Xbox. It fit quite nicely, except that it didn't lay down well around the side ventilation. It still looks great though.

GEARONIC Kindle fire HD Black Magnetic Microfiber Leather Case w/Smart Cover Handheld Belt Stylus Ho

I originally bought a case that could rotate 360 degrees; while that case was great for hands-free viewing, it didn't provide enough stability when holding the Kindle for reading. This case provides that stability -I can hold the Kindle with one hand, with or without the hand strap, even when I'm lying down in bed. Other good things: the sleep/wake function, the elastic strap for closing, the speaker holes, the cutouts for all ports including the charger, a loop for a stylus. Negatives for this case include not being able to fold the front cover perfectly flush against the back cover (although this actually isn't as big a deal as I thought it would be). Also, while it stands well in the landscape mode, it doesn't stand well in portrait mode. It's not the thinnest case out there, about the size of an average hardcover book. The PU leather has a slight smell that goes away with time. Overall, the negatives are minor. For this price, I think it's a good deal.

PDair V01 Black Crocodile Pattern Leather Case for Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 / SGH-I717

I realize the ridiculousness of having such a massive phone in a holster on one's hip. However, for work reasons, this is really the only way I can reliably carry my phone with me at all times, in various situations, so I won't comment too much on the aesthetics of this.

The case is somewhat better than I expected, given its made in China origins. The case come very well packaged, wrapped in a cloth in what looks almost like a gift box. The embossed leather appears to be of decent quality. I can't tell if it's a pretty good fake leather, or a second-rate genuine leather. The stitching around the case is even, with no loose threads. On this embossed version of the case, there isn't a giant PDAir logo so that the case looks actually quite classy and anonymous. The leather and elastic sides are stiff, making it hard to remove the phone, but I imagine it will loosen up with time. It accommodates my phone even with its hard plastic protective case around it. There's no magnetic closure to interfere or damage the touch screen with prolonged exposure. The holster clip is wide and sturdy.

There are some drawbacks. Beware it is probably shipping from Hong Kong (mine did) so shipping takes a long time. I wish it was lined in microfiber or something soft, rather than vinyl. If you drop the phone in its case, the case will not protect the top and top corners of the phone at all (because it's a hairsbreadth not tall enough).

Overall, I'd say it's somewhat overpriced, but there are really no other options for a good-looking leather holster case without a magnetic closure.

PDair Leather Case for Samsung Focus SGH-i917 - Flip Type (Black)

Got it 2 weeks after orderingwhich was good considering it could have taken a little over a month. Doesn't look like high quality leather-and it has ugly white stitching that is way more obvious when you get it than it looks in the picture. Most importantly it doesn't snap close unless you press REALLY hard-that's highly annoying. Most annoying? You CANNOT take pictures with the holder on the phone! And it explicitly states in the description that you can. You have to kind of bend down the holder to take pictures. Overall I'm very unhappy considering how much money it costs. You're not reimbursed for freight if you return it so I have to keep this piece of crap because the company is all the way in China and not worth me paying to return something that sucks. DO not get this phone holder. Guess it's my fault for ordering something all the way in China-should've got a regular cheap leather holder here, but unfortunately coudln't find one that allowed me to keep my phone in the leather case. The only ones I could find you have to take the phone out of the case to answer and use.

I ordered 2 Samsung Focus cases, (2 phones in the family) 1 opens on the side like a book,

the other flip type one, opens like a top bound notebook, They are very well made.

The book one has all opening that are needed

The flip type one does not have a opening for the camera to be used,

you have to bend the cover back to use, also to plug it in,

you have to have it open, because the case covers the port.

Would of sent back and got another book one, but I didn't.

As for shipping time I received both items before expected date, Nice

Buy PDair Leather Case for Samsung Focus SGH-i917 - Flip Type (Black) Now

PDair Leather Case for Samsung Galaxy Nexus GT-i9250 - Flip Top Type (Black)

Great craftsmanship and quality. Gives extra protection to my phone, and looks better than rubber or plastic case. Also prevents me from scratching my screen while eliminating the need for a film appliqué. The only problem is that the Galaxy Nexus has an LED light below the screen which some people may not even know about, which the case covers. I installed an app that lights up the LED in whatever color and at whichever blink rate that you specify, depending on the situation (new email, missed call, etc.), so I wound up having to punch my own hole in the leather. Glad I didn't screw it up!

This is exactly what I have been looking for. This is a great Android Phone wallet. It fits 1 driving license, 1 credit card, social card and 3 insurance card. Even though it has only 3 slots, I can put 2 cards in each slot without it being bulky. I don't need to access my phone a lot because I can access everything through my Elite Silver Bluetooth ear piece. I just say TEXT message, etc, and it will automatically do it without opening my phone. So the case is great carrying my phone around on my belt instead of having it in my pocket. It keeps my pocket empty and not have the bulky look. The case is well designed for my Android Galaxy nexus phone.

I don't need to carry a wallet anymore because it is all case together. My phone is well padded with this case and the material is pretty strong.

The clip hold the case very well.

Thanks for designing this great product.

Buy PDair Leather Case for Samsung Galaxy Nexus GT-i9250 - Flip Top Type (Black) Now

Navman PiN 100 Portable GPS Pocket PC Navigation System

• Portable GPS Pocket PC navigation system with SmartST V2 3D View
• Voice Navigation/Mapping and Route Guidance software
• 3.5" Color Transflective LCD display delivers a bright, crystal clear 3D street level view of each map
• Operates with Windows Mobile Pocket PC 2003 operating system
• If you leave your programmed route, PiN's intelligent SmartST software will automatically recalculate the best path to take you to your destination

After seeing the terrible review at InfoSyncWorld, I became very worried that I was going to regret having just purchased the Navman PiN 100. There is very little in the way of reviews for this product so I will try to be as thorough as I can.

As a Pocket PC, I am completely satisfied with the Navman PiN 100. It is actually just a Mio DigiWalker (it even has the Mio DigiWalker logo on the back of it) so if you have seen reviews for that, then this is the same thing. It runs Windos Mobile 2003, has one expansion slot (an SDIO slot), and a suitably fast CPU and on-device storage & memory. I have used it as a Pocket PC for many things now and have not once felt the hardware specs to be lacking. Handwriting recognition is still awful but that is something to mention in a review of Windows Mobile 2003 operating system itself, not the Navman.

You WILL need a 256 or 512MB SD card to hold maps. The included 32MB card is basically worthless, I left it in the box and never used it. Many if not most states are over 30MB and that means you would not even be able to load them onto the card. I suggest getting one of those 256MB cards with wifi ability built-in, then you can kill two birds with one stone. Wifi is a neat thing to have.

As an in-car GPS solution, the Navman is hands-down absolutely the best value on the market. For under $500 (which is including the absolutely necessary additional purchase of a memory card) you get a Pocket PC, all necessary cables, an unobtrusive GPS receiver, a windshield mount, a car charger/adapter, and of course the Smart ST v2 GPS software. The Garmin iQue 3600 is its closest competitor -I tried it too and decided the Navman PiN was both the better value and the superior product (bigger, brighter screen among many other things). Unfortunately the Navman PiN package feels exactly like what it is -not one well-integrated product but a box of products sold as a bundle. When you open the box you are confronted with several envelopes, nearly a half dozen CD-ROMs, three different user manuals, and a confusing pile of cords and accessories. They burden you with actually loading the Smart ST v2 software on the Pocket PC, before you load it on your PC, register it and activate it, then install ActiveSync from another CD, and a bunch of other hassles like configuring the GPS COM port and baud rate -TOO many hassles -before you are finally ready to use the product. There was so much paperwork in the box that I spent several confused minutes wondering where the serial number was that the software wanted in order to install it. I would like to see the software pre-loaded on the handheld and all of the necessary stuff for your PC come on one single DVD ROM. I just plunked down 5 benjamins for a GPS toy, do you think I have not found myself a DVD drive for my computer yet? Get with the 21st century people.

Battery life is certainly better than the iQue 3600. It is at least 3 or 4 hours but I haven't done any real tests so I don't have an actual figure to give.

The GPS receiver takes some time to pick up satellites. Anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes on your first use, and 2 to 5 minutes from a cold start after that. It seems like definitely longer if you are moving. This is too long in my opinion, I don't know if other receivers are better, or not. As an in-car device I generally want to take it out of my pocket, put it on the dash, and have it ready to go. Instead I have to sort of sit there in the car for a few minutes or just wait until the first stoplight to check on where I am or where I am going.

The car charger is just that -nothing to say about it. It gets the job done and is nice to have. The windshield mount is a suction cup mount and secures excellently to the windshield. I wish I could say the same for how well it secures the handheld. It barely does at all. It sort of just cradles it lightly. If you put your Navman in it without the utmost care, it is liable to fall right out. That is NOT good. I recommend angling it back some so that gravity holds it in a little. This seems to work for me. I would have rather it clipped in or snapped in, but no.

The rest of this review is going to sound pretty harsh because I don't really like the GPS software that the Navman PiN comes with (Smart ST v2 2.00.0036 SP2). It is promising, but fatally flawed. I want to say up front though, that I would not give up using this device just because I think the software sucks. I just deal with the frustrations and hope there will be an update to iron them out later.

First off, the map view. The map view is gorgeous, in full 16-bit color, with color coded roads to show your route, the current road you're on, roads that pass under/over your road, and little arrows indicating direction of traffic. Major and minor roads are different colors, and the roadnames are displayed very clearly and legibly. Geography like lakes and forest is marked with blue and green. The view switches to a 3D angled view whenever you are on a route to a destination, and rotates so that up is always your heading and you can see more in front of you than behind. The graphics are state-of-the-art for this market and nothing in its price range with the exception of TomTom Navigator can touch it. Your friends will be impressed.

The voice navigation is well-timed and intelligible, with the exception of "make a legal u-turn" which to most people sounds like "make illegal u-turn" (worth a few laughs). Voice only says when to turn and which direction, it doesn't say the street name or even highway number, which is too bad but that's typical for a PocketPC program.

The two big disasters of this software are its address input for destinations and routing, and the routing algorithm itself. These are the fatally flawed features which keep me from recommending this device to anyone who would get frustrated easily.

When inputting an address, you are allowed to select from your contacts (a Windows Mobile 2003 feature), however if you do this, you will 100% of the time be told that you have selected an invalid address. Sometimes this is because the map data is 18 months old and doesn't know this address exists, but most of the time it will accept the address if you re-enter it by hand. This is unacceptable. Also, when you start entering it by hand, it will suggest a drop down list of possible locations, and they will all seem pretty much like the same place. There is no way to tell if the address you are entering should be in Richmond VA, Richmond MCD VA, or one of several other entries for what is obviously the same place. Then you will enter a street, for instance Lotus Lane, but it will not be found because you didn't type Lotus La. This is asinine. Entering the address for a destination takes 5 mintues because of this nonsense, when it should take 5 seconds. And you will have to do this every time you enter the address, unless you pick destinations off of your "Recent" list. Once, I loaded a destination off of my contact list and ignored the "invalid address" warning and Smart ST2 routed me to some completely non-related location of the same town. From now on I make sure I do the address input in the way it wants it.

As for routing, it has a lot of quirks. I will describe some of the ones I have experienced. To put it blunty, it can recommend some DUMB routes -I mean really out of your way sometimes. I use "quickest" navigation and "shortest distance" is even worse. Once it took me to what appeared to be a complete dead end, and the map said I could keep going -not without a machete I couldn't. I drew an "avoid area" and the route put me back on the course I should have stayed on in the first place. Other times, it takes you pretty close to where you have to go and says you have reached your destination, but you could be anywhere from one to eight blocks away from where you need to be. This can be frustrating if you fight hard for a parking spot in the city and get out and realize you still have to walk 8 blocks. It might have to do with the way the software estimates street addresses. It uses ranges of addresses and estimation to guess where a particular street address is. Sometimes this works reasonably well and other times (when ranges are large) it doesn't work at all. You might be better off never giving it a street address. Instead only give it street intersections and take yourself from there. Autorouting works fairly well, but Smart ST2 is slow to route anything, and so it will display a question mark for a minute or two until it suggests a new route. Sometimes when you know better and have a better route in mind, it will stubbornly insist you make a u-turn at every cross street until finally re-routing and "seeing the light" of what route you had in mind. I have seen other PocketPC software be smarter and faster at re-routing.

So in conclusion, I highly recommend this product to geeks willing to deal with some quirks (and hope for fixes), but not to the general public who would probably be hopelessly frustrated by the routing and input problems, despite the pretty interface and good value.

P.S. my review of the software is of the version after you apply the currently available patch on Navman's site. Before I did this, all of the routing problems I mentioned above were like twice as bad, and I would have given two stars instead of three. When reading any poor reviews of the Navman PiN, try to check if they are using the software before or after the patch.

Buy Navman PiN 100 Portable GPS Pocket PC Navigation System Now

WARNING The US version ships with a 32M card not the 128M card cited in the Australian review posted here. A hastily added sticker on the box says a 128M card is "recommended" In fact, unless you live in a rural area, you can't load the map for your home area until you buy an additional card. Amazon should note this in its listing. The manufacturer has decided that its worth shipping a product that can't be used as shipped to save a few bucks.

The only other problem is a poorly documented setup. Basically they're shipping a kit. First you load the PC software on your desktop, then load the map software from the included (too small) card. Finally you load the map setup software on your desktop and activate your Navman over the internet . That's when I discovered I couldn't load the map for Northern California until I got an additional 128M card. As it happens I could steal one from my Treo 600, so I managed to get it functioning.

Once working, it works well. Entering addresses is strange if you don't have a zip code because they've made up sub regions that are parts of a town. Once the destination is in, however, the 3D maps are beautiful and (so far) seem accurate. Voice prompts are useful but not overly verbose. It's easy to use and read as well as being a nice small, light package

If the maker hadn't made a last minute decision to ship it without the required card, I'd have raised it to 4 stars.

Read Best Reviews of Navman PiN 100 Portable GPS Pocket PC Navigation System Here

After researching different GPS navigation options (laptop with adapter, built in car unit, PDA with adapter, handhelp GPS etc) I decided to get the Navman PiN. (its the same as the Mitac, which has been out for a while and plenty of product reviews available)

It arrived 2 days before my cross-coutry drive. I unpacked it and started the installation and set up. It took a bit longer than I expected, their web site is horrible, and since the product needs to be registered before you casn use it, you better hope their server is up and runing otherwise install may fail. After sweating the install I got it working. (2 hours later) Its been working perfectly ever since. Very easy to use for the most part very accurate. During the whole cross country trip, we experience no problems. Sometimes, the device thinks you are driving next to but not on the road, and shows you travelling parallel to the highway. (i think this may be more of a map issue) I found this really annoying because it starts telling you to make turns to get you 'back' on the highway even though you are on it already. Also sometimes it would suggest an obviously ill advised manuever. So you can't be a vegetable about the navigating, you gotta think and I would definitely carry a map to compare some of the suggested routes vs reality. I wish the deivce would allow more control about sepcific preffered routes. (i.e. I want it to show me my favorite route instead of just Shortest or Quickest)

Let me just say, the device is really amazing. I am nit picking in order to lay out some of the things I found annoying about the device, but all things considered there is nothing even close to this on the market right now (except for the Garmin iQue, which I do not like because of the Palm OS and the lack of SDIO port (you gotta have the SDIO option for wireless networking)

I highly reccomend this device to everyone, fantastic screen, small unit, amazing functionality.

I want to give it 4.5 stars.

I found that a 128MB SD card holds enough maps for a full days driving (about 1000miles in most directions) therefore my 3000 mile trip required little over three and a half 128MB cards) I am considering buying the new 256MB SD/811g wireless networking card)

I wish it came bundled with cradle, mini-headphone jack adapter, built in WiFi antenna and card and an extra SD card.....but for about 400 bucks, its a fantastic bargain at this time.

Want Navman PiN 100 Portable GPS Pocket PC Navigation System Discount?

The Good

The Navman is a handy device. I owned a Palm V before this and a PocketPC device is just better, in my opinion. The color screen is great. The integration with Windows is great. I really like the device.

The Bad

The SmartST map and nav software is close but still sucks. I live in Alabama and none of the city names are right. I live in Huntsville but the SmartST app says I live in Hueytown. The maps are accurate at the street level but most of the city names are wrong. The routing view is pretty cool especially if you are map challenged. It gives a view from the perspective of the car instead of a birdseye view. Programming the route is a pain. The address lookup is annoying to use. The main application that runs on the laptop/desktop computer will only load maps. It sure would be nice to construct routes on the big computer and download them to the PocketPC.

All in all I think the Navman is a good value. Just be prepared to spend a little extra and get a big SD memory card and some new software, maybe Delorme Mapping Street Atlas 2005 for Handhelds.

Software Update

I purchased Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 and it works nicely with the Navman. No GPS problems. The S&T maps are superior to the SmartST maps. HOWEVER, the SmartST maps are much smaller. The entire state of Alabama can be loaded onto the Navman using the SmartST application but only the city of Huntsville can be loaded (as a single map) using Pocket Streets and Trips. So if you are planning a long trip on Streets and Trips, be prepared to load a bunch of small maps. I guess I will use SmartST for city to city navigations and the Microsoft products once I get there.

Yes, free mp3 player... You can get it along with tonns of free soft on internet... Exciting...

Fun started from setting up desktop soft and applying patch.

But it is nothing comparing to fun of day to day use.

I have used Garmin aviation GPSes and Garmin iQue for more than a year before got this PiN thing (which i thought was cool since it had more built-in memory, faster CPU, runs pocket windows, and had no bad reviews at the time).

Ok, next day, my first trip from NJ to Long Island, I hit Rt.95, crossing GW bridge and screen goes gray saying no map data... I exit software, start it again, hit recent trips, wait for 5 minutes until it recalls the ONLY trip in memory and hey, it's working but i missed the exit and have to make a u-turn (with 20 min of traffic).

Next day, i still have lots of faith in this PiN in a butt, and rely on it for trip to Briarcliffs, NY for meeting. Passing this dead spot on Rt.95 again, restart, it's ok, maybe there is en update i can get later... I am almost there, driving on some road, then my PiN happily reports "DESTINATION!!!". You should see this destination, one line road and trees around... Destination was actually close, only about mile away, thanks to local police officer.

Another story when i was testing my patience. Was driving home and suddenly had suggested by PiN to take immediate exit right. It puts me on same highway in opposite direction, then suggests a u-turn in few miles. Leads me to same spot where i was fooled first time and suggests immediate exit right... I knew it's in the mood for a long joke, but i really wasn't, and actually wanted to get home ASAP, so since i knew the direction relatively well simply turned the damn thing off.

Actually once it was trying to save my life. In MA with few fellow colleagues we were looking for place to eat. I got my magic PiN and found a seafood place in Westboro using point's of interest feature. Cool! But i know my PiN well enough to sit and relax, so I am lookin around carefully while we are driving and searching for the place. Here it is, and right after i see restaurant sign PiN suggests continue 2 miles and something. We laugh, pull off the road. And only 2 hours later a realized that it was actually saving us from this food trying to drive us away...

Anyways. Now my windshield holder is broken and i can't find place to order it. That's actually what brought me here on Amazon... Remember, i was hoping to get update for map soft? Only $99 to get SmartST v3... Nah, what i need is update to another GPS...

As of now! I am using my wife's Garmin iQue every time it's critical to get to places ontime. I use mappoint for all other cases. I don't even know if i really need a windshield holder at this point, since i don't even remember where my charger is... And I will never spend more than $20 on any NAVMAN product in my life.

Protective Decal Skin Sticker forSprint HTC Evo 4G case cover Evo4G-395

• A revolutionary way to customize your device with Supper durable Ultra high gloss finish vinyl skin & High resolution digital printing with photo quality!
• Precision cut to fit your device, scratch resistant protective shields with high-quality vinyl.
• Supper easy to apply, with EASY Apply technology feature air bubble FREE in the application.
• Non permanent adhesive allow easy peel off & leave NO sticky residue behind.
• Thin enough to maintain compatibility with most accessories; tough enough to absorb the minor abuse from daily use.

This skin is perfect for my ugly EVO I loved how it is custom fitting to the phone. now if I could just stop my child from picking at it and pealing it up! Other then that the item is perfect to hide and protect the phone itself.

Tripp Lite TRAVELER3USB Notebook Surge Protector USB Charger 3 Outlet 540 Joule

• Portable surge protection for notebooks, cell phones, music players and more
• 540-Joule surge suppression rating
• 3 AC outlets; 18-in. cord with concealable right-angle plug
• 2 USB charging ports (mini USB cable included); $25,000 Ultimate Lifetime Insurance; lifetime warranty
• Total capacity of the two USB ports is 1AMP

We're going on a cruise and I ordered this to use in the single outlet that will be in our cabin. It's very nicely compact and the cord kind of wraps into it. It has 2 3-prong outlets on one side and 1 on the other, as well as 2 USB ports. It's supposed to be able to charge 2 USB devices at once, one of them even being an iPad, which draws twice as much power as an iPod to charge. However, I was unable to do this during my tests at home. Forget an iPad and another device, I was unable to even charge 2 iPods, an iPod and iPhone, or an iPod and a Motorola Atrix phone. Only one USB device would charge at a time. I could, however, charge one device in a USB port and plug a usb adapter into a normal outlet and charge two devices but doesn't that defeat the purpose of this thing? Personally, I would not recommend this device and if I didn't need at least something before I leave in a couple days, I'd return this one without hesitation.

Buy Tripp Lite TRAVELER3USB Notebook Surge Protector USB Charger 3 Outlet 540 Joule Now

I ordered 5 Tripp Lite (my son ordered them for me), and I gave away 4, and left with only one. I believe having Tripp Lite is a necessity more than "I want that" item. The built quality is great, and it comes with a USB cable, just in case if your devices need it.

The advantages are numerous, one is having 3 output connectors for your gadgets and 2 USBs, especially when traveling and staying at Hotels or even at home. Most of the time you are faced with few wall outlets, and at the wrong places.

In addition, you are faced with a problem because you have a laptop, a digital camera, a camcorder, battery charger, cellular phone and maybe MP3 player.

with all that, you have to have something portable that can sneak in your backpack, etc.

I have used Tripp Lite Traveler3USB Surge suppressor for more than 2 months now, and it works great.

I used it to charge my Iphone, and to connect my netbook, my kids laptop, Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.

I am ordering 5 more of Tripp Lite to give them as gifts to family and friends.

Read Best Reviews of Tripp Lite TRAVELER3USB Notebook Surge Protector USB Charger 3 Outlet 540 Joule Here

I lost my Apple Ipad charger on a trip, but luckily had this with me and it did the trick.

There are other power strips and surge protectors with usb ports out there, but many will not charge an Ipad. This will.

Also it appears well made and well designed. The size is small enough to not be a burden.

I just bought a second one and decided to do the review.

Want Tripp Lite TRAVELER3USB Notebook Surge Protector USB Charger 3 Outlet 540 Joule Discount?

This is a good unit. You can tell it is made well when it has a 14awg line to plug it in, versus the 16 or 18 that cheaper units would have. The two USB plugs are handy, though it would be preferable if they were on the side with two plugs. The specs for this unit are good, for example the let through voltage is superior to competin products. I'm not sure if they spec their joule rating as total, with each line pair protected only to 1/3 of that level the way Belkin does it, or something else.

Regardless, this is a nice item. Wish it came in white though.

July 2011 update:

After traveling with this unit, a blackberry and an iPhone, I'm a bit disappointed. When I plug either one in, it works fine. When I plug both in, my blackberry will charge, but my iPhone will cycle through a few charge attempts and then claim inability to charge with the accessory and stop.

I'm not sure if the two sockets are paralleled, and thus want different voltages or current levels than the unit van provide, if the unit is just current limited, or what. It's a great little unit, but I have to take it from five stars to three because an item of this caliber should be able to charge two smartphones at once.

I'm going to report this to Tripp lite and report back.

Save 43% Off

If you're reading this review, chances are you know most USB ports on surge protectors won't power an iPad. Well, this one does!!! It can charge your iPad, Android smartphone and Mac Air, all at the same time. And the design really is smart. The chord wraps all the way around the surge protector so it stows away neat for travel. Look no further, at $15 this is a frickin' steal. See my picture to see everything plugged in and happily charging. The only other thing I need to charge on a regular basis is my Kindle, but that only needs to happen once every month or so. And it uses the same charging cord as the Droid, making one less thing to carry.

Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (16GB)

• BlackBerry Tablet Os, 1 GHz dual-core processor.
• It has 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB for storage.
• It has 7 inch multi-touch capacitive LCD screen, 1024 x 600-pixel resolution.
• Wireless-N Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n).
• 0.9 pounds (15 ounces).

A bit about me first I am a techno-nerd. I LOVE gadgets. Large, small, you name it. After eyeballing many tablets, including the iPad, Xoom, Samsung and others I chose the 64GB Blackberry Playbook. Why? For one, because it is the right size. I can put it in my purse and carry it about with me. More reasons it has spectacular graphics true 1080p HD and it supports flash. It has a camera and an HD camcorder. It has a solid feel in your hands, the touch screen is very responsive and intuitive. After playing with it for a short span of time I now zoom from app to app. One of the (many) things I find amazing is that the tablet does not lag while running many concurrent apps I'm not talking small apps, but processor intensive ones. The battery life is pretty good too I've played for over 10 hours before I had to recharge it. The screen is spectacular I said that already didn't I?

One thing I have read on various sites is that there aren't "many apps" available. HELLO it is new just released actually. How many apps were there for the iPad when it first came out? New apps appear daily and this summer it will run Android apps. That just exponentially increased the quantity of fodder for app hounds like me. The Android apps will be available through Blackberry App World. Read more about this on Android Central. Angry Birds anyone? It's also a boss gaming tablet for you gamers out there.

I have a huge iTunes library. One of the reasons I purchased the 64GB version was for the music. RIM made it so easy to import tunes from iTunes. First download Desktop manager and install. Plug in the Playbook. It installs the drivers and voila! It sniffs the installed iTunes and asks you what you would like to sync to the Playbook. I also read a lot of technical magazines I get electronically. I have these saved off to a folder on my PC. Now I copy them to my Playbook and read them where ever I am.

I can connect to the internet a few ways with the wireless ability it has, or tethering to my mobile phone or, if you have a Blackberry running version 5 or above you can use the Bridge to gain access to the internet while about. I have scratched just the surface of this amazing tablet. It has so much more I could talk about.

I love my Playbook. I am so glad I waited for its release. WOW

Update 7.01.2011

I've had the Playbook for over two months, use daily and have taken it with me everywhere I go. As such, I have more information and thoughts to share.

My Playbook recently traveled to Universal Studios and Disney's Magic Kingdom. Beautiful pictures and video were captured. I am a camera fiend my Nikon D80 was left at home by an oversight and panic (withdrawal is more like it) set in. I must say that my Playbook saved the day. Would this completely replace my Nikon? For me, no. I am a lover of SLR/DSLR's. However it does a very nice job rendering photographs in a pinch. I shot beautiful 1080p video as well.

Apps I have 183 apps so far on my Playbook and the choices available increases daily.

The browser is something to behold on this thing. It is fast, renders pages beautifully and the flash content looks incredible. As the Playbook supports flash, a great deal of things can be had directly via the browser without the requirement of an app.

RE: the noise about the 'too small' power button non-issue really. You turn the Playbook on by swiping the screen from top to bottom. If the timeout is too long, you can alter this through the settings. About the only time you ever have to touch the button is to turn it on from a total power down. It's more an issue of a habit to use a button than anything else. Once you drop the button desire, the puny size is perfect.

RE: the noise regarding it wasn't ready I've used my tablet daily for well over two months and I haven't encountered a single issue. No freezing, nothing at all. Ask me how many times I've had to reset my iPod or my PC/laptop?

RE: the noise regarding the immediate OS update as a software engineer I appreciated the fact RIM had an update issued right after the tablet shipped. That means they fixed/added new features that the initial install didn't contain. This doesn't mean the OS wasn't ready it was. They just were able to roll out an update soon after the release. How often is iTunes updated??? How often is Windows OS updated? Why is RIM bashed for a standard process? Ah, the Bizarro World we live in...

Buy Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (16GB) Now

I own the iPad 1. I like it. I don't love it. The apps are great. But it is large and cumbersome. It doesn't really multi-task. And I hate the way it handles email. I use a Blackberry Torch phone. I love the way it handles email. And the apps are very good. Fewer. But very good.

So it was with some trepidation and excitement I bought the Blackberry Playbook. The trepidation was because of the advanced reviews which universally panned it. I looked at it, held it, and bought it. And I will tell you it is one piece of stunning equipment.

The build is much better than the iPad. In fact it is extraordinary. The screen is absolutely stunning. The machine loads the applications fast but NOT as fast as you see on the commercials. The browser blows the iPad Safari browser out of the water. It is very fast and of course has Flash. The camera front and back are very good.

But do you know what makes this tablet? The OS. It is extraordinary. You bring out Apps with a touch. You scroll through open apps by beginning at the left or right bezel and swiping toward the center. The context menus are opened by swiping down when the application is open. See a subtle alert in the top left hand corner, swipe diagonally from the the bezel to the center and viola there is a notification of your email. To wake it up swipe from the top bezel to the bottom. No more clicking a darn button. Thank you Blackberry. That alone was genius.

As I said I carry a Blackberry so through the Blackberry Bridge it tethers to my Torch. Emails and files. Everything, except the apps (different OS of course) is available on my Playbook. And I don't have to add on a data plan for 3G. A 3G phone Playbook is coming out in the summer they say for those who do not carry Blackberry phones.

I am waiting for the following apps Dropbox (although I can transfer files in and out via the web), a free hand note taker and a better PDF program or a more beefy Adobe Reader app. And I am sure they will come.

Now to the reviews: They claimed the OS was not finished. Not true. They claimed multiple shutdowns and freezes. Not true. They poo-poo'd tethering through Blackberry Bridge. OK I am saving myself $30 a month up here in Canada or $360 a year in not having a 3G capability under a separate plan. And the tethering is flawless for both email and web surfing since the Playbook comes with a Bridge Browser that uses your phones' plan. So a person saves $360 a year and it gets criticized? Unbelievable! The apps. Yes there are fewer but there are new ones appearing everyday and they are above average and to my mind are as good as or better than the iPad. The negative reviews are baffling; truly, truly baffling.

I couldn't wait to get the iPad. I was enchanted. With the new iPad 2 I wasn't enchanted. In fact it is anything but.

The Blackberry Playbook on the other hand is simply astounding. I throw it in my briefcase. And away I go. I pull it out at a meeting or airport and it is understated and private. Will it take its rightful place in the tablet market? Not if jingoistic reviewers have their way. But it should. It should if build, function, cost effectiveness, reliability, and fun mean anything to anybody.

Read Best Reviews of Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (16GB) Here

"It's coming soon" is a refrain you will hear quite often with respect to the BlackBerry Playbook. I have had my 32GB wifi model for about a week. (I bought it from Staples for less than you see here.) The physical tablet is four and half stars. It is a perfect size, the screen is beautiful and the weight is ideal. It is roughly the same size as a 3d generation Kindle. Half a star deduction for the top buttons which do not feel like they are very high quality.

Included in the box are some brief instructions, a folding blade charger, a micro-usb cable, a nice foam pouch case, and a screen wipe.

There are a few negatives: (1) a lot of websites think the browser is for a blackberry phone and auto-direct you to the mobile version of their website; (2) the browser does not allow you to rename bookmarks, reorder bookmarks, or put bookmarks into folders; (3) the GPS is not yet functional it's in there, but has not been enabled by the firmware this feature is "coming soon"; (4) there are two very high quality cameras, but the software is limited only only permitting you to chat with other PlayBook users; (5) there is no Kindle App.

When linked to your blackberry smartphone via bluetooth you get a mirror of the email, contacts, calendar, to do, BBM and memo pad found on your phone. You also get access to files on your blackberry (even the microSD), but cannot open video or audio files just documents. There is something called the "bridge browser" which allows you to surf the internet through your phone's web browser and 3G connection. This is different from tethering because the carriers don't charge for it. The PlayBook also allows tethering which gives you full data access (although not to app world for some reason). Some carriers charge for tethering, some don't. Apparently AT&T doesn't even allow their customers to use the Bridge which is a HUGE drawback if you happen to have AT&T.

The lack of apps is the largest drawback. As of this writing, there is no Kindle app (a huge drawback), no Skype app, no Netflix app, and no MLB app. You cannot watch Netflix videos on the browser or your MLB.tv subscription. You CAN watch amazon instant videos. They look beautiful. The app content is neither quality nor quantity.

There is a huge amount of potential, but unfortunately a lot of that is "coming soon" and isn't there right now. When is "soon"? Nobody knows. One good thing is that firmware updates come out every few weeks and each adds functions. Since there are no carriers involved in rolling out firmware, RIM has full control and can do it quickly.

Some have mentioned problems with battery charging I haven't had that. My battery charges pretty quickly and goes to 100%. I can use it for nearly 15 hours before I get a low battery warning with about 10% left. Some have complained about the power button being hard to push. Mine is small and recessed, but I can easily push it.

The screen is absolutely beautiful.

You can use your existing blackberry charger, but it will take much longer to charge. The included charger can charge your existing blackberry (micro USB) without harm. There is also an available quick-charging stand it is expensive but works really well (I have it).

The BlackBerry PlayBook could be an amazing tablet five stars. However, it is now a bit of a work in progress at this point and I can only give it three stars as it currently stands It is only OK.

Want Blackberry Playbook 7-Inch Tablet (16GB) Discount?

If you're like me then you've probably been waiting for a while for RIM to enter the tablet market with their long-overdue BlackBerry Playbook. RIM's been touting a couple of features that were a first for any tablet at the time namely two cameras, one front and one back, HD output and a mini-HDMI port, along with finally releasing the new QNX OS (which RIM badly needed).

Well, unfortunately for RIM, they once again took their time getting this to consumers, and the end result is once again a whole bunch of those new features aren't really new anymore. IPad 2 introduced the two camera system for Apple, and I believe the new Galaxy 2 tablet coming out in a few months will have it as well. A bunch of tablets are also now HD-capable, and a bunch also have HDMI ports.

Anywho I picked this device up today from Best Buy, and to sum it up in a sentence: classy, but expensive.

For a more detailed review, here goes ---

PROS:

1) The OS. By George, RIM finally has a decent OS!! If anyone has ever had or messed around with a Blackberry phone, one of the biggest gripes you'll have is that the OS is just... well, crappy. OS 5 and 6 were big improvements but they still each leave alot out (like the browser god, does Blackberry's browser suck at times), especially when you check out an IPhone or Android phone. The QNX is RIM's newest OS, and I hope they move their phones over to it ASAP. Clean, snappy, and doesn't actually use all that much memory if you delve into the settings of the device. I will add, though that as soon as I turned on my device, it had to update the OS. Nice RIM already pushing out updates.... Doesn't bode well, but we'll see.

2) Screen. I'll give RIM credit, they did awesome here. The screen on the Playbook is nothing short of stellar. I played the movie Megamind (great movie) in HD on it, and it looked fantastic. Even better, hooked it up via HDMI to a projector, and it looked fantastic on the wall too. 7" may be a little small to people IPad's is almost 10", and so is Galaxy 2 (supposedly we'll see) but I like the 7" screen personally. I don't really need a bigger screen that's what I have a laptop for.

3) Weight. This also might be a touchy subject but again, I personally like a device that feels solid in my hands. The Playbook definitely fits this bill. Although it only technically weighs 1 pound, it feels much heavier. The construction seems excellent putting pressure on various points, the device barely bends.

4) Blackberry Bridge. Hell yeah RIM I do NOT want to pay extra for another 3G data plan. Instead, what RIM does is by tethering your Blackberry phone to the Playbook, you can use the data plan on your phone to get the internet on your Playbook and it works right out the box!! You don't even need a cable it also works via BlueTooth!! Only problem just works with Blackberry phones. If RIM updated this to work with all phones, that would make it literally perfect.

CONS:

1) Price. Jeez, 499 for the base model 16 GB. 64 GB rings in at 699. (These prices come from Best Buy). It's a nice device, don't get me wrong, but 500 bucks for the base model?? There's a bunch of cheaper options out there. Especially with the size of the device it's a little hard to justify. I hope RIM fixes this problem soon, for their sake.

2) Apps. Always seems to come back to this as well for RIM. The apps for the device at the time of this equal less than 100. Yeah, that's right. With the new OS, that means that all apps have to be rewritten to be able to work with the device and be able to handle the bigger screen. I believe the IPad has over 25,000 apps specifically made for it, and the Galaxy and XOOM both use Android and have its market to work with. Clearly RIM has an uphill battle here. Hopefully RIM supporting Flash on the Playbook will help the apps roll in, but I wouldn't hold my breath...

3) No e-mail support. As of right now the Playbook does not work with BES servers. That means no enterprise e-mail support, or ability to control the device via IT policies. You must be joking RIM. Seamless e-mail support is the main reason people get Blackberries, and you can't make the Playbook to support this?? Fail....

There's a couple other things too I can think of for both categories but these delve deeper into the enterprise features of the devices, so if you're interested, leave me a comment and I'll reply

--------------------------

The Blackberry Playbook is definitely a good entry for RIM worthy of giving some of the other tablets a run for their money. RIM has of late been really lagging behind when it comes to keeping up with the tech of the day, but with the Playbook, they've finally stepped up to the plate. As for hitting a home run ehhh, I've give them a double. The Playbook shines in a number of areas but the key feature to me is the Blackberry Bridge. This is something that I hope a bunch of other tablets start incorporating being able to use your phone's data plan on your tablet, without having to pay an extra 50 bucks for a separate one.

RIM, fix the weak spots on your device (either by updates or in the 2nd generation), and you could have a real winner here.

As far as recommendations go for the average user, if you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and get a Playbook. It's a great device at what it does, but expanding those functions are difficult, especially with so few apps. For everyone else stick with the IPad, XOOM, or Galaxy at least until the apps get rolling on this device.

-I'll update this periodically as more information and my usage time with it increases so check back every so often --

UPDATE: Someone asked me in a comment if the Playbook had a memory card slot which I forgot to include in my review. Unfortunately, the Playbook does NOT have an SD card slot although, by using the Blackberry Bridge software, you can get the SD card that's on your phone to work with the Playbook. But as far as plugging in a card to the device itself no. Thanks to J. Scheider for asking.

UPDATE (5/4/2011): RIM has announced that they'll be releasing the Video Chat app a video conferencing app that will take advantage of the front and rear cameras, very much like Apple's FaceTime. It's supposed to be part of an OS upgrade that will get released sometime this week I'll let you know how it is once I've tested it out.

Save 63% Off

OK. First off, it is a tablet with a fast dual core processor and 1GB of internal memory. So, its up to the task. The issue really is, what's the task?

I am a BlackBerry user and, truth be told, lover. However, I didn't get here by blind loyalty. I followed the advice of others and researched/used the products. So, I assume that's why you are reading this, both general user on the fence and RIM loyalist alike, for perspective.

The real deal is what can this tablet do right out of the box, independent of a BB device (AKA cell phone)? The answer is a lot but not as much as other tablets (specifically Apple or Android). The Playbook is poised to strike but lacks the refinement of options and applications enjoyed by other tablet types. For someone taking it out of the box and using it, they will find a smooth and effortless operating environment. All the menus flow and the graphics fly. No hesitation on most all switching of applications and functions. Screen orientation is fluid and not clunky. The Playbook gets a bad rap for lack of apps and, as i have mentioned, this is true. To be honest though, most people are surfing the web and checking email. The Playbook excels at these tasks with one large caveat, for email you need to use your e-mail provider web interface (mail.yahoo.com, gmail.com, aolmail.com...etc)or the mysterious "...BlackBerry Bridge." As of this posting, there is no email function native to the PlayBook nor is there an application for it.

If you don't own a Blackberry cell phone, don't plan to own one or don't ever use (or plan to use) the email function then wait for RIM to deliver the impending software update to the Playbook that will carry with it a native email application like you see on all other tablets. If you do own a BB cell and use the email function then the BlackBerry Bridge is for you. The BlackBerry Bridge is a native function that runs out of the box. The bridge function is awesome and it basically extends your phone features (mail, tasks, calendar, BBM and some file management) to your Playbook. What this really means is you admin your email and such through the Playbook via BlueTooth to your phone. This is good and bad. The good is you can hop on and generate emails, appts, tasks and xfer some files. The bad is it requires a good BT connection and both items relatively close together and charged to the point they can use the BT radio. The real solution for this is RIM should allow your Playbook, via a native app not a bridge, to use your BIS or (if company sanctioned) BES information. Plain and simple. They have to conquer the one PIN per account issue that currently requires you to bridge to the phone, the device that holds you PIN to the BIS or BES services. Is the bridge function enough to entice someone to buy a BB device along with a PlayBook or enable emailing on their current BB at a price to the provider? No. To finish the thought, they should include with native email all the PIM functions (tasks, calendar, notes...etc) that provide a fluid information chain that is accessible and completely sync'd with a BB device (or other smart phone through Google apps or something).

The web experience is excellent. Fast and uses Flash. Not much you cant do. It has its tablet downsides like sometimes you get an ad or some other in window pop up that just about requires a mouse...but that issue exists on all tablets.

Unless you're a news, movie or media junky, the applications (available via a native PB application called AppWorld) will most likely fail to impress you. The news, weather and media stuff is solid. The PB comes with the music store. The store isn't as extensive as iTunes of course but there are other services you can use (BestBuy just announced a cloud based music service for PB, iPad and Android). You can rent movies from Amazon and YouTube via web. No Netflix streaming app yet for PB. The good news on the app front is the supposed addition of Android applications that will run on the PB. This happens via a virtual machine (meaning its not native Android processing on the PB so it can't be as fast for sure) so it remains to be seen how good it will be. Angry Birds is coming as well.

The final deal is what do you want? If you want a smaller tablet then this is a good one...but if you want a smaller tablet with tons of apps then either go Android or wait for the supposed Android App player that will allow PB to run them. The real deal is this tablet surfs the web with the best of them and, lets be honest, most people want that. They hate a hot laptop and want something lighter, cooler, easier and with less of a footprint. Secondly they want apps that probably enhance what they can do on the web. so if its news, media or movies, you're good.

Some people have complained about the power and volume buttons. They are a bit of a pain but you get used to using them pretty quick. Something you shouldn't have to deal with but not a show stopper.

The PlayBook is expensive and does less than the iPad; unless you actively use your BB device. Android bridges the gap in price and physical options but is still clunky in app switching and fluidity of operating environment. Final word, the PlayBook is as fluid and dialed in as the iPad as far as use and operating environment but lacks the options, a gap partially bridged by use of an existing BB device enabled for email and internet use.

5 stars for BB users who aren't app junkies

3 stars for someone buying now without a BB and waiting for native email, Android Apps compatibility (and more native apps in the BlackBerry App World) and using your BlueTooth Headset (not possible as of this posting). The PlayBook is evolving leaps and bounds with every automatically delivered software update. But should someone pay top price for a comparatively lacking product now?

these are the things i do:

Surf (native)

Watch rented movies on Amazon/YouTube (web, native)

RSS news (app)

News 360 (app)

Podcasts (native)

BB Bridge Email, BBMessenger(native) -must have BB device and email accounts configured

SSH to servers (if you don't understand this it's OK...its for techies) (app)

VNC to my home machine for admin use (app)

Video chat via ReelPortal (app)

Word, Excel doc editing (app)

File share to and from the PB on my home network (native)

Play "Need for Speed" (native) its fun :)

3M Pocket Projector MP180

• 32-lumens brightness for full 2-hour battery
• SVGA (800x600) resolution
• Internal 4 GB memory
• Micro SD card slot for more memory
• Bluetooth for file transfer
• Wi-Fi compatible

I got this product and used it once so far. The battery was fully charged, but it turned off after about an hour (not the two hours it said it would last). I had to plug it into the wall to finish the presentation. A few days later, I tried to use it again; however, the battery apparently drained completely down while it was just sitting there. That made it useless for purposes of providing a presentation that day. I tried to let it charge again, but so far, I still haven't been able to power it back up. Maybe, it's just a bad battery, but, as of now, I am unimpressed.

Buy 3M Pocket Projector MP180 Now

I purchased one of these projectors from 3M because they had it available before Amazon. Buyer beware...the engineering behind this is terrible. The screen is designed in such a way that you must use a plastic stylus pen. The bluetooth does not work or support the Apple iphone4, you cannot enter in a 128 bit encryption code for the wifi because the field will not allow enough digits to be entered. The MP180 will not play movies in MPEG4 format greater then 15 MB off of the micro-sdcard especially if you store multiple movies on the device. The OS is so bad that the video plays ahead of the sound. The browser functionality is terrible...when you do have a wifi connection there is no way to control the pointer, and the keypad on the device is useless. 3m needs to recall these devices and rewrite the OS, Here is a hint 3M try testing your products before releasing them to the public or 3M you will continue to get posts like this one.

Read Best Reviews of 3M Pocket Projector MP180 Here

I love this projector. I also had realistic expectations for the product before I bought it. I did not expect 3500 lumens out of a pocket projector while paying 1/5th of the price of a full size projector. I am very surprised by how good the quality is on this projector.

Pros

This thing is small. I mean extremely small.

Easy integration with the iphone/ipad

The image is very clear and bright considering the low lumen output

MPEG Streamclip is a good program for converting videos for this machine

Battery life is good and you can buy back up batteries for only $35

MicroSD slot really expands your memory capacity

It is great for what it is designed for

Cons

It has the feel of a "not quite there" product

The interface occasionally freezes up and requires a reboot. This is most common when trying to play an incompatible file time.

The documentation for converting videos to play on the machine is not good. I use MPEG Streamclip to save files in a compatible format but there is no included or simple process for saving video files. MPEG Streamclip is free and simple to use but there wasn't an out of the box way to do it.

It is not a good solution for bright locations.

Want 3M Pocket Projector MP180 Discount?

I bought this projector to use with PowerPoint presentations. After I got it I learned it doesn't support slide animations which are critical to my presentations. I've been working with 3M Techincal Support to work around this limitation. The alternative is to turn the PowerPoint file into a video file but Windows changes the file into a video format that is not compatable with the projector software. I'm trying to find a video file converter that will convert the *.wmv format to a compatable one. Thus far I'm having no success. I've spent way too much time on this issue. I'm debating sending the projector back and giving up.

Save 19% Off

this product so nice and perfect

3M pocket projector Mp 180 is as mentioned by the dealer and suppler

its the right choice for you its amazing tool for data show

Compaq iPAQ Serial Auto Sync Cable

• For the Compaq iPAQ H3650 Pocket PC
• Synchronize your iPAQ Pocket PC at home and the office with ease
• Charger sold separately
• Serial port compatible
• 3-foot cable connects your iPAQ to a PC

I bought this cable in order to connect my iPaq to my Motorola Timeport PT8167 (or something like that). There was a lot of misinformation out there stating that in order to use the iPaq with a cell phone, that you had to purchase some sort of CF adapter (I think it's made by Socket). That's all good, but the CF adapter costs $120 or so, you have to have the CF sleeve, and if you do, you can't have anything else in the CF sleeve =(

So I bought this and connected the serial cable to the iPaq, attached the supplied null modem adapter (included with my phone), attached the phone cable to the phone, set up connnection in the iPaq, and it dialed and worked. I was literally surfing the net on my iPaq within 10 minutes. The best thing about this is that my CF sleeve can hold my CF card or I can use the phone with a sleeve at all! My next project is to splice together the two cables to avoid the 15 feet of cable and cumbersome null modem adapter. I want a cable that is about 8 inches long that connects directly from phone to PDA.

Buy Compaq iPAQ Serial Auto Sync Cable Now

If you still run Windows NT4 and you have an Ipaq, you cannot use USB. So either upgrade to 2000/XP, or buy this. Serial is really slow, though, so I'd recommend upgrading, personally.

Read Best Reviews of Compaq iPAQ Serial Auto Sync Cable Here

I purchesed the serial cable to apply to Windows NT network (USB does not work). Cable provides reliable connection never had a failure. Very convenient and easy to use.

Want Compaq iPAQ Serial Auto Sync Cable Discount?

I bought mine for the road and for just using while at work. I like it because i never have to pull my IPAQ out of the velcroed travel case that I use for carrying it. I am actually thinking of getting another one for home or even the usb version but really I haven't noticed any diff. in speed of transfer.

Seriously it is a great cable...and I recommend having it.

But I still think there are better ways to sync or use your cell phone or modem. Why make things more complicated than they have to be? That is why you need this cable -just in case Murphy's law decides to show its face.

Flexibility is the only reason to have it...

rooCASE Ultra Slim (Black) Leather Case Cover Cover with Stand for HP TouchPad 9.7-inch Tablet Compu

This case, in a nutshell, is absolute garbage. Avoid this case AT ALL COSTS.

First, the material is cheap and shoddy, and the stitching is sub par. The corners are mangled and the edges protrude an inch in every direction beyond the edge of the actual tablet, almost as if this case was pressed with cheap faux leather and never trimmed down to size.

The cover is just a little flap, with no clip, magnet, or any other means of securing it to the device. It might as well be made of notebook paper for all its worth.

Avoid this case like the plague. Buy an iPad 1 case instead, if its not silicone based the Touchpad will fit like a glove.

look closely... the actual case edges are two pieces side by side sewn together and then they cut out holes for the device. I'm going to have to buy another case because it's just not attractive enough. If i didn't buy this to show off it wouldn't be a problem. but other cases around the same price look ALOT better.

Buy rooCASE Ultra Slim (Black) Leather Case Cover Cover with Stand for HP TouchPad 9.7-inch Tablet Compu Now

This fit's the KINDLE FIRE like a glove. I love it and the velor on the inside cover is great. Perfect case for the perfect tablet!

Read Best Reviews of rooCASE Ultra Slim (Black) Leather Case Cover Cover with Stand for HP TouchPad 9.7-inch Tablet Compu Here

I am very pleased with this case. It fits the touchpad perfect, feels nice, and stands up to watch movies great. No complaints with me.

Want rooCASE Ultra Slim (Black) Leather Case Cover Cover with Stand for HP TouchPad 9.7-inch Tablet Compu Discount?

I own several tablets and have gone through numerous cases for all of them. Most recently, I bought a 32GB Touchpad and wanted a simple, yet durable case that wasn't priced insanely. Some peers spoke highly of the rooCASE, so I placed my order and I was instantly impressed when I took it out of the box.

PROS: The exterior is textured so it can't slip out of your hands easily and it doesn't attract dust my chief complaint with the standard Apple iPad cover. The inside cover is a soft felt that is gentle on the Touchpad display. Sliding the TP into the cover is very easy, and an easily folded flap secures the TP in the cover. All ports are easily accessible. For the price, you simply aren't going to get a better case than this one for your Touchpad. Highly recommended!

CONS: The only thing I wish this had was a felt sleeve inside the cover for business cards or a few scraps of paper.

Save 53% Off