Amazon.com Product Description

Creative's Muvo TX FM makes it a breeze to take your favorite music with you wherever you to--to the office, to the gym, or on a rollerblading expedition. The size of a small USB flash memory drive, the Muvo TX FM weighs just 1.1 ounces with the single AAA battery inserted into the battery pack. This multiformat player is compatible with both MP3 and WMA files, and it also includes an FM tuner and the capability to record music directly from the radio. It also includes a built-in microphone for recording short voice notes or long lectures. You can also use the Muvo TX FM as a mass storage USB drive, enabling you to carry important documents and presentations.

The 256 MB internal flash memory will store up to 8 hours of WMA files at 64 kbps or up to 4 hours of MP3 music at 128 kbps; it will also store up to 16 hours of voice recordings. With support for WMA, MuVo Micro N200 offers you access to the widest selection of music download services on the Internet, including Best Buy MusicNow, Buy Music, Musicmatch, and Napster.

It's powered by 1 AAA battery that provides up to 15 hours of continuous play. With super-fast USB 2.0 connectivity and simple drag-and-drop transfer without software, the Muvo TX FM accepts music files as quickly as a song per second. The 96 x 32-pixel blue backlit LCD displays file information, and you can scroll through folders, playlists, or individual songs. You can customize playback with a five-band graphic equalizer with four equalization presets, as well as environmental settings for pop, rock, jazz or classical.

What's in the Box
This package includes the 256 MB Muvo TX FM digital audio player), earbuds, 15-inch velcro armband, carrying case with beltclip, and CD-ROM with Creative MediaSource music management software. MediaSource is an easy-to-use application for ripping CDs, organizing entire digital music collections, and easily transferring MP3 and WMA files. ... Read more

Features

• Easy to use - no cables or software needed
• FM radio and recorder
• Built-in Mic for 16hrs Voice Recording
• USB 2.0 for super fast music transfer
• Sport arm band and belt clip included

Reviews (7)

Awesome, Easy to Navigate, Best Value
Super pleased with purchase- best value, small, sturdy, super easy to navigate- and drag and drop...sound wual is awesome- perfect for gym, comfortable arm band.

Would be cool if they made it with the M port, but it's still cool. Creative labs by far the best brand out there for players.

Awesome and Easy
When this came in the mail I was very excited but worried it would we hard to set-up. But it has really good instructions that make it very easy. The sound is great and I love that you can buy the battary part in other colors too. The sound is really good too.

Great product with some flaws
Background:

This is my first mp3 player. I have played around with my friend's iPOD and iPOD mini before so I have some experience with digital music players.

What I liked:

- Great value: Keep in mind that you are not just buy a 256 MB mp3 player. THe Muvo TX FM is also a USB hard drive, a voice recorder, and a FM radio. This was what made me buy the Muvo despite cheaper, comparable 256 MB mp3 players being on the market.

- Great sound: The Muvo delievers a really nice sound and I find it indistinguishable from an iPOD.

- Great headphones: The included headphones are very good and delivers a good range of sound. As an experiment I tried out a cheap $1.99 headphone and there is just no comparison.

- Good battery life: 14 hr on an AAA battery. More if you listen to the radio a lot.

- Accessories: You also get a protective cover/belt clip and an armband for exercise. The same cannot be said for other mp3 players.

What I didn't like:

- Earphone design: The earphones unfortunately don't fit my ears very well (I have small ears) and the left earphone has a tendency to fall out when I'm moving around.

- Inability to skip to the middle of a song. The Muvo only allows you to play a song from the beginning. There is no provision for to to skip into the middle of the song.

- Case design: The USB part of the Muvo (the black part) is very thick. This means that it can't be plugged into any recessed USB ports. This is not a problem if you have a desktop or a USB hub. Unfortunately, many laptops (including my Sony Vaio) have USB ports recessed into the case with an overhang. This makes it impossible to plug in the Muvo and requires you to buy a USB hub or an extension cable. Before you buy this product, try the following: take a usb cable and grab it with your pinkie flat on top of the plastic connector just behind the metal part. Attempt to insert the cable into an availabe port. If you can do it and not jam your finger, you are fine. Otherwise, you'll need an extension cable or hub.

Worth every penny!
I have been using this mp3 player almost everyday. It works great the battery power lasts longer than what they claim so that's really nice. The controls are easy and the players is really compact. It also works as a hard drive sometimes I use it as one. Only negative comment that I have is when scrolling through FM stations if you accidently hold the scroller longer than 2 or 3 seconds then it will scroll through all the FM radio stations in your area. I strongly recommend people buy this product.

Better than getting a pricey, fragile, and huge iPod
Unless you have a lot of songs you just HAVE TO put on a player--it doesn't seem necessary--just get one of these guys, they work great and I've had a Creative Labs mp3 player before and they're sturdy. ... Read more

Features

• Larger storage capacities than standard Memory Stick cards
• High-speed data transfer rate of 15 Mbps for DVD-quality video in real time
• The fast transfer rates help prevent data loss when power is suddenly cut-off or if the media is removed accidentally
• Advanced security with Access Control Function and MagicGate technology

Reviews (9)

Inexpensive but slow.
OK I have a Sony DSC-F717 and have 2 memory stick pros with the same 256mb. One is Sandisk and the other is Lexar. One way to tell the speed is during the format of these memory sticks. When I format the Sandisk, it takes about 4 seconds while the Lexar takes under 2 seconds to format. I haven't checked the latest prices for Lexar, but it probably cost a little more then the Sandisk. When taking actual pictures, the main difference is when you review pictures you just took a shot of...the Lexar will display them faster then the Sandisk which in turn will display faster then a normal memory stick. If you have the patience to wait a second or two more, then the sandisk is a great alternative due to its price. But it kind of annoys me that Sandisk generally has lower performance on its memory, even though their packaging says contrary...but on the other hand, it is inexpensive and to my experience, just as reliable as the faster memory.

Not compatible to origianl Memory Stick products !!!
I bought one, plug it in my SONY DSC-P9 digital camera, and very sadly found that they are not compatible.

My SONY DSC-P9 said it is a wrong memory stick.
I will have to refund it.
Not good.

Excellent product that is still too expensive
I bought the 256 memory stick with my new Sony DSCP100. "Memory Stick" memory is more expensive than other types of IC memory because Sony always develops its own formats to force on the world. I almost purchased the Nikon camera for this reason.

This memory was the least expensive of the PRO type and that was the sole reason behind my purchase decision. My camera requires "Pro" media if you want to shoot video in the "fine" mode otherwise standard Memory Stick media would work just fine. In comparing it to the Memory Stick that came with the camera the SanDisk version seems physically more durable than the Sony. Don't think this will be an issue but it was reassuring to have something that felt so solid after dropping this kind of $$.

This memory works as advertised and has functioned without any problems. IC memory is VERY durable and in most cases shouldnt experience any problems to begin with.

Sony and SanDisk push "Magic Gate" as some sort of user benefit. "Magic Gate" has absolutly no benefit to consumers. So don't base any purchase decisions on Magic Gate compatibility.

Overall a great value. Can't go wrong here.

great stick
this is a great memory card for sony products...aside from the price compared to secure digital and compact flash, this stick holds its own...although this is cheaper than the sony brand the memory stick PRO in general is still priced too high and thus prevents me from giving it 5 stars...

to those who say its not compatible w/ their sony stuff and blame sony for not warning them, those people should read their products more carefully before blaming sony...even when you buy the memory stick PRO, the package says it may not be compatible w/ some sony products...sony did the right thing by making a faster memory stick and if its anyone's fault it is all those techno newbies' fault out there who don't know what they're buying in the first place. basically, any sony product made since 2003 supports the PRO format

Great Device *** NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SOME SONY DEVICES ***
I purchased this device as a gift for a Sony DSC-s85 not knowing that Sony had designed their memory stick poorly ( http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-977004.html ). Though the DSC-S85 claims to support all levels of memory stick it does not support anything over 128MB. I guess the designers/testers at Sony never even thought that consumers will be purchasing anything greater than 128MB.

Before purchasing check your manual, then check for complaints on the web. ... Read more

Features

• Up to 108 Mbps with AirPlus Xtreme G products
• Advanced Firewall and parental control
• Backwards compatible with all 802.11b and 802.11g products
• Increased Security with 802.1X and WPA
• Features robust security to protect the wireless network from intruders

Reviews (171)

easy quick setup on a Mac G4 running Panther for this girl
If you have basic computer knowledge and have opened a CPU box and installed anything in a PCI slot before this should be no problem for you.

I turned the power off to everything, plugged in the cables per the quick start guide into the cable modem and CPU, plugged in the router, and turned on the MAC G4. I didn't even need to access the website for the connection wizard, as the computer recognized it immediately. (I will probably configure this to my needs more later).

I installed a D-Link wireless access card into the PCI slot of the Windows computer after putting the CD in the drive, installing the driver, and turning off the PC with the CD still inside. I turned the computer back on and it configured itself (Windows 2000 Professional) and an icon with a green light appeared in the lower right corner. I was able to access the web immediately.

Easy and simple if you understand computers and have this setup. Be sure to turn encryption on through the web browser D-Link settings, and put your firewall up.

The wireless connection goes smoothly through 2 steel doors, down the hall 200 ft. to another apt. in a high rise. My mom thanked me (her PC) and gave me some Ben and Jerrys (she kept saying 'we should wait till your brother is off work to help you'). Screw him, I did it myself and its fine!

can't handle browser idle time (poor support)
Installation was easy and everything looked great. Until I tried to access the internet via my browser the next morning ("page cannot be displayed"). All ideas of the helpdesk how to fix it didn't change anything (we exchanged about 20 emails) so that they agreed it was a hardware problem. I returned it and got the next one with the same problem. The answer of the helpdesk this time: don't use ZoneAlarm. And if this is not the problem, then it must be Windows XP. Unfortunately, shutting down ZoneAlarm didn't fix the problem. So the problem must be Windows XP in their opinion. That's an easy excuse because nobody can prove anything and I got stuck with my router and my problem. So I returned it.

Conclusion: if you have a dial-up connection and don't stay connected while being idle, this is a good product. If you have a cable modem and don't shut down your computer all the time, try a different router.

Fast w/ good range, but sometimes I lose connection..
bought this wireless router along with the DWL-G650 wireless card adapter and overall it pretty good. it is quite fast, no complaints there, and has great range (i can use it in any room in my house, even downstairs). the only compliant i have is that once in a while, my laptop loses connection after it has been on standby or has been powered off. its easy to fix (i just unplug the router for a few seconds and plug it back in) but its just annoying since the router is in another room and i have to walk over there. i'd say this happens on average, once every couple days. its not so inconvenient that i'm returning the router, but if it worsens at all, then i probably will (i bought the router and card together from costco, which has a good return policy). it's a pretty expensive router, so while i haven't had many problems at all, you may be able to find a better deal for your money elsewhere.

good product
lo conectè a mi modem zyxel y ya tenia internet en mi laptop, si funcionò en 5 minutos... i recommend this product

Great
The DLink 624 is one great wireless router.
Works great and its security features are easy to set up. ... Read more

Features

• Works with both old and new iPods
• Fits any 12-volt accessory outlet or car lighter jack
• Convenient status LED
• Fused and filtered to protect your iPod
• 4-foot cable; simple to operate

Features

• Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house
• Share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables
• Create an instant wireless network on the go
• Access an AirPort Express wireless network
• Compatible with Windows XP or 2000; Mac OS X v10.2.7 or later

Features

• Compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b networking devices
• Delivers 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) WAN and LAN connections and interoperability with 54 Mbps (802.11g) and 11 Mbps (802.11b) devices over a 2.4 GHz band wireless network
• Automatically detects and configures your ISP type, Exposed Host (DMZ), MAC address authentication, URL content filtering, logs, and e-mail alerts of Internet activity
• Powerful WEP encryption (40/64- or 128-bit), MAC address control, and parental controls
• Compatible with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, Mac OS, NetWare, UNIX, or Linux

Reviews (228)

Works fine w/Mac and setup was quick
Not to negate other reviewers' negative comments, but I have had no problems w/the Netgear 802.11g router. I was wary about buying it, given so many negative comments, but figured I'd give it a try, as it was so inexpensive. I actually returned the Airport base station when I realized it only had one Ethernet port and was twice the size and twice as expensive as the competition.

I use a Mac G4 and an iBook G4. Disconnected my old D-link router, connected the Netgear, and had it configured in 5 minutes. I found the instructions accessed via the web browser to be clear, and quickly set up a password to prevent unauthorized access of the wireless link.

I'm not giving the unit 5 stars, as the range seems just adequate; fine when I'm on the same floor as the router, but when I go downstairs it drops, and pages come in slower. Still, it works, and it hasn't gone down in 3 weeks.

Satellite Internet Wireless Link to Home Computers
I purchased the WGR614 along with a Netgear WG511 54 Mbps wireless PC Card from Amazon. I use it to connect from my High Speed 2-Way DirecWay Satellite connection wirelessly to my Dell 8000 and Dell 8200 laptops, and my old Gateway desktop in my home. I purchased it primarily because I was told that some other 54 Mbps brands did not allow both b and g cards to be accessed at the same time on the same system. I installed the new g card on my 8200 with no problems at all but then when the entire system was up after about an hour I found that when using the g card on either of the laptops the other with a b card would not work. After a great deal of help from tech support we found that there is a conflict between the DirecWay DW6000 and the router. Both are addressed by http://192.168.0.1. We solved this by changing the address code for the router to 10.0.0.1 and BINGO everything was perfect. I highly recommend these products and the NETGEAR tech support system. They are the best money can buy at this time. I also found Amazon's service very good and responsive, and besides, they offered the lowest price (after rebates) I could find on the Web.

USELESS AND CRAPY PRODUCT-DO NOT BUY
Netgear product really sucks. Do not buy any products form NEtgear. There are thousands of users of this product and all compalins about dropping network connections. And to top that off, they charge shipping to replace the router. I would never buy a product from Netgear again. The products are unreliable and really crappy.

Good product , clear interface, minor annoyances
I bought this product and used it with dell true mobile wireless
class B card on Comcast cable modem.The installation was very easy and i got it up and running in 6 mins.The package includes a datasheet that informs you about the settings for different internet providers. The software interface is one of the most well organized interfaces I have seen, with context help on a panel on right for every setting.You can use this router for both B and G cards. All said there is one minor issue that kept annoying me. The wireless signal keeps dropping for a second once for every 4 mins.This does not interrupt my browsing but its irritating to see the "network cable unplugged" icon on the lower left of screen. I got around this by removing the icon my modifying a registry setting. Overall a good product.

STAY Away Please
PLease do not buy this thesse people are awful they send you to talk to damn Indians when you call for support and if ova 90 days theyll charge ya linksys nice american support and they even helped with a product that isnt thiers buy linksys trust me ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Kodak's compact EasyShare CX7300 is designed for the beginner digital photographer. This fun, reliable point-and-shoot digital camera makes sharing and printing high-quality pictures a snap. It features a 3.2-megapixel resolution--good enough for enlargements up to 11 x 14 inches--a 3x digital zoom, 16 MB internal memory, and compatibility with SD and MCC memory cards.

Optics and Resolution The CX7300 has a maximum resolution of 3.2 megapixels (2080 x 1544 pixels), and it also offers a 2.8 MP mode (optimized ratio for 4 x 6-inch prints) and 0.8 MP (good for email). It's fixed-focus 37mm lens has a focus distance of 2.6 feet to infinity and an aperture of f4.5.

Movie Mode
In addition to still photos, the CX7300 can also capture short video clips (without audio). You can shoot 30-second QuickTime movies at a 320 x 240 resolution at 15 frames per second.

More Features

• 1.6-inch LCD with 2x or 4x magnification
• Auto white balance for accurate color in all types of lighting conditions
• Built-in flash with auto, red-eye, fill, and off modes
• 10-second self timer
• Color modes: Color, black and white, sepia

Sharing
With a touch of the red-jeweled Share button, you can store up to 200 pictures in an on-camera digital album. These pictures can then be shared anytime on the camera's large, 1.6-inch indoor/outdoor LCD screen. The Share button also allows selection of photos for printing and even e-mailing, with up to 32 e-mail addresses stored in the camera's memory.

Storage and Transfer
Images can be stored within the CX7300's 16 MB internal memory, or on optional Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards. It connects to Macs and Windows-based PCs via USB 1.1 connectivity.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by 2 AA batteries (alkaline included; NiMH rechargeables recommended). It measures 4.1 x 2.6 x 1.6 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 5.2 ounces without batteries.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Kodak CX7300 digital camera, 2 AA batteries, USB cable, wrist strap, and custom camera insert for optional Kodak EasyShare 6000 series camera and printer docks.

Like all EasyShare cameras, the CX7300 includes Kodak EasyShare software for Windows and Macintosh systems, providing effortless digital picture transfer, organization, basic editing, sharing and printing. The software's exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature--which takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak--helps Windows OS users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from home inkjet printers, while significantly reducing the trial, error, and waste usually associated with home photo printing. ... Read more

Features

• 3.2-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 11-by-14-inch enlargements
• Kodak lens with 3x digital zoom
• 1.6-inch LCD display screen; on-camera "share" button allows you to organize your images for e-mail and printing as you take them
• Store images on 16MB of internal memory or on optional Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (no memory card included)
• Powered by AA-size batteries (alkaline included, rechargeable Ni-MH recommended)

Reviews (25)

A Thrilled Newcomer
I ordered this on a grudge Monday PM (1st online buy), after a hideous visit to a local retailer who apparently didn't need my business...I was taking photos with it 3 days later. This camera is great, feels high quality, and is very easy to get used to. Only gripe: just noticed the price went down $10 today! (but the free shipping helps there; promised 5-9 days, actually here in 3). I was crazy to wait this long to do this: both the camera and Amazon impressed me (and no, I'm not a stockholder in either!)

Great camera for starters
My husband has a digital camera and it was not as simply to use unlike this one. My husband decided to buy this one for me as an anniversary gift since I love to take pictures. It is easy to follow, step by step instructions. With the auto focus and flash, all my pictures have come out great. I am very, very, happy with this camera. The software that comes with the camera is also easy to follow. Even a beginner can use it. I guess my Minolta i will be put on top of the shelf.

Great value and ease I love it!
This is a great camera for the price. Very easy to use, the included software is very complete.Perfect to email pictures.The red eye problem happens even with expensive cameras.I have not had that problem using the flash.I find that the pic look best if it is dark, inside for example.<br />I would recommend this camera to anyone.

So glad I bought it!
I am so happy that I waited for this camera. I bought my daughter a Vivitar before Christmas and she likes it a lot. Then I decided that I wanted a camera as well and researched. I liked what I read about the Kodak. I really like the black and white/sepia/color options. I love black and white photography and it is so nice to be able to switch back and forth.<br />The camera is so easy to use. I popped in the batteries and started shooting (to the annoyance of my kids)<br />The software was easy to download and understand.<br />I already uploaded some pictures and have sent them to friends.<br />I read somewhere that the camera feels light and cheap....I couldnt disagree more. It feels great in my hand.<br /><br />The only two points I could make that aren't great....the shutter speed seems a bit slow. Maybe all digital cameras are this way? I wouldnt know but it seems to be a while from the push of the button till the flash. Kind of hard when you are trying to capture a 14 month old!<br />The other item is the lack of pouch or bag for the camera. My daughter's came with a small bag.<br />I will have to pick one up when I purchase a memory card.<br />The camera will hold 17 regular pictures in it's internal memory.<br /><br />

WOW! What a wonderful camera!
This camera is wonderful! This is my first Digital Camera and I am pleased with the features and quality of the pictures. Great camera to capture memories and special events! I love this camera! It's the best ever! If you are looking for a Digital Camera this is a good one to choose. ... Read more

Product Description

iPod photo lets you carry all of your music and digital photos wherever you goup to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos or any combination in between. The vivid color screen displays crisp, clear images both indoors and outdoors. Enjoy up to 15 hours of battery life for music and up to 5 hours for slideshows. View album art, rock out to your favorite songs and share slideshows anywhere with friends and family. Available in a 60GB capacity, the ultimate digital music player brings all your music and photos into focus. One-year limited warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Compatible with Mac OS X v10.2.8 or v10.3.4 or later; or Windows 2000 with SP4 and XP with SP2; FireWire and USB 2.0 interface for fastest digital transfer available
• Comes with earbud headphones, AC adapter, and USB 2.0 cable
• 60 GB model holds up to 15,000 songs; supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF, Apple Lossless and WAV
• Holds 25,000 photos and displays them on a 2-inch diagonal 65,536-color LCD screen with LED backlight
• Up to 15 hours battery life when fully charged (which typically takes 5 hours); fast-charge in as little as 3 hours

Reviews (8)

Great iPod .....but
I bought my iPod Photo 60GB last week and it gave me a lot of problems from the start. I charged the battery for over 5 hrs until fully charged and 5 mins later the ipod was telling me to charge again saying the battery was empty.I got a new replacement within 3 days and charge the battery to full.The next day I was listening to my ipod for almost 2hrs & 15 mins and the battery icon was down to red meaning the battery was almost empty.This didn't make me happy at all when the ipod was suppose to last anywhere from 12-15 hrs.I will return the 2nd ipod I got from Amazon.Too bad....I really wanted to keep it, but with the battery trouble....I'm returning it.

the scoop on the good, the bad, and the ugly
Apple Computer's iPod Photo: GOOD.

Getting sucked into an unscrupulous marketing ploy: BAD.

The flood of unwanted email, telemarketing calls, and faxes you'll receive after signing up for an "offer": UGLY!!

sign up if you want junk mail "to the next level"
Don't make the same mistake I did! I signed up for one of those get-iPod-free "offers" that are continually being posted here.

Within one day, I received over 200 spam emails and 15 telemarketing calls. What a pain. I guess there really is something to the saying "you can't get something for nothing".

I hope everybody here will learn from my extremely bad experience and avoid these ridiculous pyramid schemes.

The 60Gb iPod Photo is a great gadget. It's too bad they're being used as bait by unethical people.

The truth for prospective buyers
My wife bought me this for my birthday.I noticed that some of my cds were deteriorating, and wanted to digitize my library.My friends raved about this gizmo so she obliged me.Here is the whole story.

This is a marvelous invention, one actually fortunate consequence of our technology mania outside of the medical field.That being said, it has flaws.To use Apples Lossless Encoder which recreates cd quality sound, you will not get anywhere near 15,000 songs, more like 4-6000 max.Next, ITunes sucks.Pardon my crassness, but you need to have a mirror version of what is on your IPod on your pc for maximum enjoyment, ease of organization, auto-synch, or other benefits extolled by Apple.In short, if you have a huge library and would like to digitize and preserve the master copies in storage, take this into account.Itunes must be a revelation if you have a mini or a shuffle, but if you are condidering an IPod this large, it gets unwieldy.I had to buy a 100 gig external hardrive to send the music too (since I will probably get a new pc soon and don't feel like transferring the songs).

I am sure that any 5 year old or high school student can provide a go around or a better way to use technology, but if you are an audio-nut but not a computer-nut, this gadget is as close to perfect as it gets.

Great, not Perfect
"Yeah, its an iPod." Then you get to boast about the 60 GB and that wears thin pretty fast. But you have to admit its a damn good looking player. You've read the millions of reviews so I'll only bore you with my thoughts:

$450 and no case? The dock may have been low on the list of usefulness, but come on Apple... this thing scratches if you look at it hard. So the REAL price of this player is more like $490 after you get the required case.

It takes a day to get used to the controls. My wife was so frustrated she tossed it aside and never looked back. The controls are simplified to the point of complexity. Menu is power on (but not power off, that's Play/Pause) but its also back... You get used to it, but I wouldn't sell it as a feature.

The EQ is worthless. I found that ROCK works best and everything else sounds muffled or distorted. It's also a pain to browse EQ settings for the currently playing song. You have to navigate back a couple of menus then into settings then spin down to EQ. After selecting an EQ setting, you drop back to the settings menu. If you don't like that EQ setting, you have to go back into the EQ menu and start the dance all over. Why cant the EQ settings apply live as I spin down them? The song will end before you have time to try them all...

Everyone loves the touch wheel and so do I until you realize you don't remember the group, you have 7800 songs and the one you are looking for begins with a "Z". After about 15 fast laps around the touch wheel it does accelerate, but I wish there was a faster way...

The battery life for me is pretty much as Apple stated. I am concerned that sometime next year after the warranty expires the battery will go poof and die. Apple hasn't done a good job making people like me feel better about the longevity of an iPod. Still, I did take a chance.

I like the Album art when playing. When I used to play CD's (or god bless - my vinyl), I would always have the cover there with me to look at. Something feels more natural having it displayed.

All in all, if you can convince yourself that a portable music player should cost $450/$490 then this is definitely one of the best ones to get, even with its quirks. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Palm-sized and pocket-friendly, Creative's Zen Touch digital music player is a treat for your eyes as well as your ears. And--with features like touch-sensitive scroll, industry leading 24-hour battery life, super light weight (under half a pound with battery), and a staggering 20 GB/10,000 song capacity (64 kbps WMA)--the tiny unit leaves little room for wondering if it's the right digital music player for you.

The touch-sensitive pad makes finding your music effortless.

The Zen Touch model HD0014 is compatible with many digital music file types, including MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) music files, and its super-fast USB 2.0 PC interface loads your music from computer to player in record time. Use the player's alphabetic search function to locate music by song, album, or artist, scrolling quickly and easily through your library with the thumb driven up/down scrolling touch pad while viewing your playlists and song selections on the Zen Touch's large blue EL (electroluminescent) backlit LCD. You can create and customize your playlists on-the-fly, or listen to any song in random order at the touch of a single top-panel button making it a very easy to use unit.

You can choose bewteen the Zen's 4-band custom equalizer with preset EQ curves or the long list of preset EQ settings to help you tailor the sound to your preference or environment. If you're delving into the world of digital music for the first time, the supplied Creative Mediasource software readily converts your CDs to MP3s or WMAs, while Creative's AudioSync software seamlessly updates the Zen Touch with any music you've recently added to your PC at the touch of a button. Creative Explorer (also included) permits drag-and-drop transfers for data files to and from the Zen Touch enabling it to act like a very large capacity jump drive if needed.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen Touch Player, a pair of stereo earphones, an AC power adapter, a travel pouch, a USB 2.0 cable, an installation CD-ROM, and a quick-start guide. ... Read more

Features

• 20 GB storage lets you bring up to 10,000 WMA songs (64 kbps) or 5000 MP3 songs (128 kbps) everywhere you go
• Create and customize playlists on-the-go, unique Search Function locates any song, album or artist
• Load a song a second with ultra fast USB 2.0 port, compatible with USB 1.1 too
• AudioSync lets you seamlessly update your Creative Zen Touch with your latest music on your PC at the touch of a button
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, and XP

Product Description

The second generation iPod mini holds up to 1500 of your favorite songs in a compact, colorful package that goes with you everywhere. Its durable anodized aluminum shell comes in a choice of four bright colors, including pink, so you can make a bold fashion statement. Its long battery life lets you enjoy your music for up to 18 hours on a single charge. One-year limited warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Comes with earbud headphones, belt clip, and USB 2.0 cable
• 6 GB model holds up to 1,500 songs; supports MP3, AAC, WAV, MP3 VBR, Audible (6), and AIFF formats
• Mac and Windows compatible; FireWire and USB 2.0 interface for fastest digital transfer available
• 1.67 inch (diagonal) backlit screen displays full song names and more
• Up to 18 hours of battery life

Reviews (24)

practical and easy to use
let's put it this way, if you want to store all your music in your ipod ( and when i say all your music, i mean ALL), thenthis ipod mini is not for you, 'cause as you guys know, this ipod mini only holds up to 1,500 songs (6gb). Now,that's a lot of songs if you ask me, that's an entire week of music, i love classic rock and i filled my ipod mini with all of my favorite songs, you know how cool it is for me to take this everytime i go to the beach or if i'm having some company, i can just press shuffle and enjoy without the hassle of getting up everytime, you know to change cd's??, so if you're looking for something that's not that expensive and just want to have a good time and easy to use then i recomend this little item!! Respeta a un varon!!!!!

Outstanding MP3 player.
I began looking into an iPod purchase over a year ago, and was almost sold on the 4th generation iPod.I liked the colors of the mini and was okay with 4 GB of storage (though that was a tad on the small side), but the main thing that deterred me from the mini was the less-than-desirable 8-10 hour battery life.

Then the 2nd generation mini was released.Apple seemed to fix and improve every little thing I had held against the original.They made the colors brighter, increased the hard drive space to 6 gigs, and most importantly, at least to me, increased the battery life two-fold.

The 18 hours that Apple advertises is EXTREMELY conservative.If you're content listening to music and don't need the backlight for more than a minute or two every hour, the battery can run for about 24-25 hours.I can go a week and not have to worry about recharging my battery.I could listen every waking moment of my day and never have to stop and recharge before I went to bed.It's a wonderful thing.

The blue is very bright and pleasing to the eye--I've seen the pink and silver versions and they too are visually appeasing.6 gigs is nothing to shake a stick at--on the contrary, I've found that 6 gigs is just about the perfect size for someone who has a vast number of interests musically but doesn't have thousands upon thousands of CD's to rip and upload.Unless you have literally hundreds of CD's in your collection that you plan on putting on your iPod, I'd recommend the mini, since you'd more than likely end up with half the space on your regular iPod sitting unused.

Despite the fact that the iPod scratches easily, there are several cases which work extremely well...I'm partial to the ones made by Power Support, though you have to import them from Japan.Uploading your songs is quick and easy.Navigating the menus takes about 15 minutes to master.There's really nothing more I can say that can do the iPod mini justice.

I will make a quick note and add that I'm not an Apple fanatic.I think that Apples are good computers, but I'm still attached to my PCs.However, when it comes to MP3 players, there's really no comparison; it's going to take many many years before Microsoft or any other competing company can put out any MP3 player nearly as nice as the 2nd generation iPod mini.

Also, if you have a friend that's a teacher in a school, look into the education discount on the Apple website.It ends up being 20 or 30 dollars off.

GREAT!!(after I survived setting it up)
I just got my 6 gb mini for my birthday.I also got most of the accessories as presents, too, so I don't have to worry about forking over the cost of the mini itself for them (seriously, mac).I AM IN ELECTRO LOVE!Wow, and I think this time it's for REALS.:-)I am coming fresh off the iRiver boat (funny how they use the "i" in front of their name, too), and have been extremely pleased with my little 256 mb player... and I do mean LITTLE.BUT, I am extatically (word invention there) adding album after album on my iPod as I type this.Yeah, it's kinda annoying to convert WMA files to AAC, but they do the work for you.I love the organization, I love the style, I love the size, I love the balance between form AND function.I do feel like I've just joined a cult of iPod users, however.Oh well, not as bad as Mormonism

Gotta Buy This!!
Let me start off by saying that I was amazed at how small this thing is. I bought the IPOD MINI.When I got it and opened it up I was amazed at how small it was. It was crazy small!Plus it holds around 1,000 songs.Right now I have about 500 and it's a little over half-full on the memory. I got a 4GB IPOD MINI.So, there is plenty of memory space for lots of songs.The software was easy to install.I thought it was tricky figuring out how to select songs and actually put them on the ipod.But after a while I figured it out.Also the volume on the ear phones is amazing. I almost blew out an eardrum by accidentally turning up the volume!The only problem i've had so far with the ear pieces is that the foam ear pads keep coming off the earbuds.NO biggie though.I would recommend getting some sort of case to protect this thing since you've already paid $200 bucks what is another $20 to make sure it's safe!There's plenty to choose from.Charging is it easy, you just plug it into the usb port and it automatically starts charging it.I have a computer so it's no biggie.If you don't have a computer with a usb port its gonna be tough finding a place to recharge it.I haven't tested the battery life yet, but it seems to be ok.Probably more than what i need.Lastly, I was a little worried that the songs would not transfer over to the itunes software. I have lots of songs that I got elsewhere :) I hoped they would transfer over to the other software and they did. They also sound great, the play fine. It's not a problem at all. Now i have over half of my music collection on this thing.It's a really great product.5 stars!!

Why?
I ordered this item on March 22, but not shipped until today(April 27), why? ... Read more

Product Description

Fashionably Compact
Weighing in at just 3.6 ounces and smaller than many cell phones, iPod mini fits your lifestyle and your bag, whether it be cocktail purse or messenger duffle. The chic, matte anodized aluminum case resists stains and scratches, all the while protecting your iPod mini. Recessed in the case to keep its surface pristine, the 1.67-inch (diagonal) backlit screen displays full song and album titles, artists’ names and more.

Under Your Thumb
The iPod mini Click Wheelfeaturing color-coordinated iconsgives you the enhanced durability and sensitivity of the iPod Touch Wheel, with buttons underneath. The Click Wheel takes best advantage of miniscule space and lets you scroll single-handedly through up to 1,500 songs from your iTunes music collection.

Clip and save
Your iPod mini includes a convenient belt clip so you can attach it to your belt, purse or backpack. You can even clip your iPod mini to a lanyard around your neck for the ultimate fashion statement.

... Read more

Features

• Comes with earbud headphones, belt clip, and USB 2.0 cable
• 6 GB model holds up to 1,500 songs; supports MP3, AAC, WAV, MP3 VBR, Audible (6), and AIFF formats
• Mac and Windows compatible; FireWire and USB 2.0 interface for fastest digital transfer available
• 1.67 inch (diagonal) backlit screen displays full song names and more
• Up to 18 hours of battery life

Reviews (24)

practical and easy to use
let's put it this way, if you want to store all your music in your ipod ( and when i say all your music, i mean ALL), thenthis ipod mini is not for you, 'cause as you guys know, this ipod mini only holds up to 1,500 songs (6gb). Now,that's a lot of songs if you ask me, that's an entire week of music, i love classic rock and i filled my ipod mini with all of my favorite songs, you know how cool it is for me to take this everytime i go to the beach or if i'm having some company, i can just press shuffle and enjoy without the hassle of getting up everytime, you know to change cd's??, so if you're looking for something that's not that expensive and just want to have a good time and easy to use then i recomend this little item!! Respeta a un varon!!!!!

Outstanding MP3 player.
I began looking into an iPod purchase over a year ago, and was almost sold on the 4th generation iPod.I liked the colors of the mini and was okay with 4 GB of storage (though that was a tad on the small side), but the main thing that deterred me from the mini was the less-than-desirable 8-10 hour battery life.

Then the 2nd generation mini was released.Apple seemed to fix and improve every little thing I had held against the original.They made the colors brighter, increased the hard drive space to 6 gigs, and most importantly, at least to me, increased the battery life two-fold.

The 18 hours that Apple advertises is EXTREMELY conservative.If you're content listening to music and don't need the backlight for more than a minute or two every hour, the battery can run for about 24-25 hours.I can go a week and not have to worry about recharging my battery.I could listen every waking moment of my day and never have to stop and recharge before I went to bed.It's a wonderful thing.

The blue is very bright and pleasing to the eye--I've seen the pink and silver versions and they too are visually appeasing.6 gigs is nothing to shake a stick at--on the contrary, I've found that 6 gigs is just about the perfect size for someone who has a vast number of interests musically but doesn't have thousands upon thousands of CD's to rip and upload.Unless you have literally hundreds of CD's in your collection that you plan on putting on your iPod, I'd recommend the mini, since you'd more than likely end up with half the space on your regular iPod sitting unused.

Despite the fact that the iPod scratches easily, there are several cases which work extremely well...I'm partial to the ones made by Power Support, though you have to import them from Japan.Uploading your songs is quick and easy.Navigating the menus takes about 15 minutes to master.There's really nothing more I can say that can do the iPod mini justice.

I will make a quick note and add that I'm not an Apple fanatic.I think that Apples are good computers, but I'm still attached to my PCs.However, when it comes to MP3 players, there's really no comparison; it's going to take many many years before Microsoft or any other competing company can put out any MP3 player nearly as nice as the 2nd generation iPod mini.

Also, if you have a friend that's a teacher in a school, look into the education discount on the Apple website.It ends up being 20 or 30 dollars off.

GREAT!!(after I survived setting it up)
I just got my 6 gb mini for my birthday.I also got most of the accessories as presents, too, so I don't have to worry about forking over the cost of the mini itself for them (seriously, mac).I AM IN ELECTRO LOVE!Wow, and I think this time it's for REALS.:-)I am coming fresh off the iRiver boat (funny how they use the "i" in front of their name, too), and have been extremely pleased with my little 256 mb player... and I do mean LITTLE.BUT, I am extatically (word invention there) adding album after album on my iPod as I type this.Yeah, it's kinda annoying to convert WMA files to AAC, but they do the work for you.I love the organization, I love the style, I love the size, I love the balance between form AND function.I do feel like I've just joined a cult of iPod users, however.Oh well, not as bad as Mormonism

Gotta Buy This!!
Let me start off by saying that I was amazed at how small this thing is. I bought the IPOD MINI.When I got it and opened it up I was amazed at how small it was. It was crazy small!Plus it holds around 1,000 songs.Right now I have about 500 and it's a little over half-full on the memory. I got a 4GB IPOD MINI.So, there is plenty of memory space for lots of songs.The software was easy to install.I thought it was tricky figuring out how to select songs and actually put them on the ipod.But after a while I figured it out.Also the volume on the ear phones is amazing. I almost blew out an eardrum by accidentally turning up the volume!The only problem i've had so far with the ear pieces is that the foam ear pads keep coming off the earbuds.NO biggie though.I would recommend getting some sort of case to protect this thing since you've already paid $200 bucks what is another $20 to make sure it's safe!There's plenty to choose from.Charging is it easy, you just plug it into the usb port and it automatically starts charging it.I have a computer so it's no biggie.If you don't have a computer with a usb port its gonna be tough finding a place to recharge it.I haven't tested the battery life yet, but it seems to be ok.Probably more than what i need.Lastly, I was a little worried that the songs would not transfer over to the itunes software. I have lots of songs that I got elsewhere :) I hoped they would transfer over to the other software and they did. They also sound great, the play fine. It's not a problem at all. Now i have over half of my music collection on this thing.It's a really great product.5 stars!!

Why?
I ordered this item on March 22, but not shipped until today(April 27), why? ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Zen Micro digital music player from Creative Labs packs an incredible 5 GB of storage capacity into a shell small enough to sit comfortably in your jeans pocket. It also rides nicely in your hand, with a palm-fitting profile and thumb-friendly front-panel controls. It's a bit shorter than an Apple iPod Mini, yet its rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides 12 hours of continuous playback--50 percent more than iPod Mini's. The Zen Micro is compatible not merely with MP3s and WAV files, but with WMA as well. Toss in USB 2.0 connectivity and you're looking at one spiffy portable music player.

But playing isn't all the Zen Micro does. You can use it to receive FM radio (with 32 station presets to keep your favorites at the ready), and to record, either from the radio or from live sources such as voice dictation or lectures using the Zen Micro's built-in condenser microphone.

Trimmed in a luminescent blue glow and with easily visible backlit buttons, this stylish black player holds up to 1,250 songs (83 hours) at 128 kbps or 2,500 songs (166 hours) at lower-fidelity 64 kbps (MP3/WMA)--that's a solid week's worth of music listening, never playing the same song twice. Compatibility with Microsoft's WMA compressed-audio format grants access to over 2 million downloadable songs offered promotionally or for sale online.

Perhaps the Zen Micro's coolest attribute is its DJ feature, which will shuffle not only all the songs you've loaded or all the songs in a given album, but also, at your discretion, only the tracks you listen to most, or only those you rarely hear, taking the work out of selecting your favorites or hunting out all the music you're still getting to know.

Zen Micro's rechargeable battery is easy to replace.

For navigation, the device features a vertical, linear touchpad designed to make searching through songs or playlists easy, quick, and fun. The unit's blue, 160 x 104-pixel, electroluminescent LCD shows key functions and song details at a glance, and you can even customize the main menu to keep right at your fingertips the features that matter most to you.

Another of the Zen Micro's handy features is its personal organizer. You'll never forget an important anniversary with the onboard calendar, and it also includes a to-do list and a contacts list, all of which sync seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook (Outlook thus required for use of these features). In addition, the device offers a sleep timer and alarm so you can drift off to sleep to the strains of one playlist and wake to a completely different one.

The Zen Micro's removable battery is easy to swap with another fully charged battery (additional batteries sold separately), extending your listening by a half-day per swap.

What's in the Box
The Zen Micro player, stereo earbud headphones, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, an AC/DC power adapter, a USB 2.0 cable, a belt clip, a stand, a stylish cloth pouch, an installation CD, a quick-start guide, and Creative MediaSource software. ... Read more

Features

• Micro-sized 5 GB digital-music player stores up to 1,250 songs at 128 kbpsor 2,500 songs at 64 kbps (MP3/WMA)
• Vertical touch pad simplifies navigation; body is curved to fit your hand
• FM radio with 32 station presets for listening and recording; 10-hour voice recording through built-in microphone
• 12 hours continuous playtime using the supplied rechargeable lithium-ion battery; extend your listening using multiple batteries (sold separately)
• Includes headphones, a belt clip, a stand, and an AC/DC power adapter

Features

• 5.8 GHz digital signal; expandable to 10 handsets, 1 included
• Caller ID/call waiting, 100 shared caller ID and memory-dial locations
• Call conferencing, room/baby monitoring; tri-lingual menu options
• Supports 2 lines; dual keypads and displays; 10 speed dial presets
• Base duplex speakerphone, handset speakerphone

Amazon.com Product Description

If you thought your Apple iPod was just an MP3 player, you're in for a surprise: Griffin Technology's tailor-made iTalk plugs into the top of your iPod and turns your digital music player into a world-class voice recorder with literally thousands of hours of recording time.

With iTalk you can record seminars, meetings, classes, notes in your car, songs in the woods, whatever your life or imagination dictates. iTalk's built-in monaural microphone is designed to record crystal-clear audio from sources up to 100 feet away, and onboard Automatic Gain Control ensures optimal recording levels. You can even connect an external microphone directly to iTalk for greater flexibility.

iTalk's built-in speaker is great for playback of voice memos. You can also use iTalk as a mini-speaker for your iPod's music files. Play your favorite audio book through iTalk or listen to a downloaded seminar. You'll never realize how much you've missed a built-in speaker--until you have one.

There's a stereo headphone jack too, of course. It includes an iPod passthrough circuit so you can monitor your voice recording or listen to your music without removing iTalk. You can even download your recordings to play back on your computer. ... Read more

Features

• Converts your Apple iPod music player into a digital voice recorder offering thousands of hours of record time
• Built-in microphone with automatic gain control
• 2 watt loudspeaker lets you listen to your voice files or music files
• Stereo headphone jack with passthrough circuit so you can listen to either voice files or iPod music files
• Includes a .125-inch minijack input for use with an external microphone (not included)

Reviews (3)

Useful for voice memos
I bought the iTalk to take memos when I'm out in the field. Camera in one had, iPod in the other. I read the reviews first so knew it would be risky but it sounded ok for my uses and I got it cheap.

* Files are about 1 minute per Mb, stored as wav.
* Sound quality is understandable but not as good as AM radio.
* For a fully charged iPod, I got about 90 mins recording before the battery showed empty.

Pros

* Recording works fine, and I can dictate captions for photos as I think of them on site. Typically these are 1-2 minutes at most. I have also made an hour-long recording as a test without problems. I tried recording conversation in a cafe but it picks up too much background to be understandable.
* The best feature for photo memos is that files are time stamped, so I copy each memo to the same folder as my photos (which are also time stamped) making them easy to match up.
* iTalk can take an external mike which cuts out background white noise.
* Files are automatically sync'd to iTunes Voice Memo list and stored in the iTunes unknown artist folder. (If you have this feature set in iTunes)

Cons

* Software glitches randomly lock up the iPod under almost every condition except for the initial condition (more about this below).
* The iTalk covers the iPod lock. This is a serious design flaw given how quickly the battery drains. It means that you can't carry the iTalk connected to the iPod and easily lock the keys.
* The line that takes a mic also doubles as a line out. If headphones are connected and you try to record, the recording light shows but nothing is recorded. It creates a file but it's empty.

Hints

Prevent freezing: If the iTalk is in place when the iPod is turned on, it will often freeze. To prevent freezing, remove the iTalk before turning on the iPod every time. Under these conditions I've never had it freeze. If the iPod does sleep, to prevent freezing, remove the iTalk then insert it again (i'm not sure how often this is necessary, but I haven't had to reset the iPod since the first day).

Reset: To reset the iPod, remove the iTalk and hold down the iPod's MENU and PLAY '>||' buttons for 10 sec. I used this 5x the first day with the iTalk but haven't needed it since.

Locking: Slide a laminated card (my credit card is too thick) between the iPod and iTalk to lock, or carry the iTalk separately (annoying, but not as annoying as rebooting every time).

Saving: It's not enough to pause a recording, you need to remember to stop and save it before removing the iTalk. The MENU button will also save files.

Finding the files on PC: I have iTunes set to automatically sync files. To find the files in iTunes, look under the Voice Memos list. It's a trifle disconcerting when they disappear from one list and appear elsewhere unless you're prepared for it. On my PC, they can also be copied from
iTunes music/unknown artist/unknown album

Battery: I tried letting the battery run out while recording. It ran for ~50 minutes while the battery was showing empty then shut down with no warning. The file appears to have been saved ok.

Battery life: Check out the apple web page for battery tips (...) (I know this comment is outside the scope of iTalk, but if you use a voice recorder with the iPod, you're going to be dealing with battery issues.)

Summary

Despite the glitches, I like having a handy memo system and will keep it til something better turns up. Doesn't sound like Belkin is any better in terms of software glitches or battery life, but it looks like it would be possible to lock the iPod with the Belkin in place which would be a plus. The minus is that Belkin doesn't take an external mic.

Griffin dropped the ball with the iTalk
I owned the belkin voice recorder then somehow lost it and then I saw ads for the iTalk. Since I owned the iTrip and was happy with it, I thought this was a blessing in disguise. I'm a college student and record my lectures, for the most part the Belkin voice recorder worked well but the iTalk claimed to have auto gain control etc. I'm buying another Belkin. I've recorder a week of lectures already and not a single one has come out with the iTalk. I know it's not the lecture halls because the Belkin voice recorder worked just fine. I don't know where to even begin about how bad the iTalk has worked so far. All my lectures sound like the beach. I cannot hear any voices at all. Just hours and hours of horrible background noise. It obviously does not work for lectures as claimed. Go with Belkin for once

save your money
this 50 dollar (after taxes s/h etc...) piece of cheap garbage is a big waist of money. distorts even if just recording your own voice talking. griffen advertises that you can use this product to record song ideas. tried that. all i hear is a muffled distorted version of what i played. the sounds quality is horrible. i get better quality recordings on my pocked pc's built in mic. bottom line.... DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM!!! you will feel ripped off... i certainly do. i'd give the iTalk negative stars if i could. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Compact design, affordability, and strong performance make the HP LaserJet 1012 laser printer a logical choice for home or small business users with moderate print demands. Powered by a 133 MHz processor and 8 MB of internal memory, the HP 1012 delivers crisp 600 dpi black printing at up to 15 pages per minute.

PC and Mac compatible, the HP 1012 offers USB connectivity and comes with a handy CR-ROM with software and simple steps for hassle-free setup. This model offers versatile paper handling from its 150-sheet standard input tray and also includes a priority input tray for specialty jobs. The HP 1012 comes with everything you need to get started except the printer cable itself; it is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
HP LaserJet 1012 printer, HP print cartridge, Getting Started guide, software and electronic User Guide on CD-ROM, power cord, printer media input tray, printer priority input tray, tray cover; USB cable not included ... Read more

Features

• Crisp, 1,200 dpi effective resolution
• Up to 15 ppm; instant-on fuser, first pages out in 10 seconds
• Compact design, perfect for small workspaces
• 150-sheet input tray, 10-sheet priority input tray
• USB interface, PC and Mac compatible; 1-year warranty

Reviews (57)

can't beat the price
I ordered this printer in mid-November, and so far I've been very happy with it. It prints very fast and the print quality is excellent. For instance, you can print complete graphics with backgrounds and everything comes out clear and easily readable. HP has a good thing going with this product line -- we're all tired of changing inkjet cartridges and getting smudged prints, but who wants to pay $500+ for a heavy unit designed for office use (Brother, Canon, Epson)? This printer is light and easy to store, although it's not as small as you might think. Since the trays stick out, it takes a full corner of my home desk. Installing it was a little bit of a hassle since my computer (Win XP) could not immediately recognize all the installed drivers. So the easiest way to install it is to go through the "Add Printer" wizard.

Excellent printer; shoddy 3rd party delivery from Amazon
Firstly, I'd like to endorse all the other positive reviews of the HP LaserJet 1012. I initially purchased this printer to replace a lousy Epson C82 inkjet that kept sucking up ink and clogging. The 1012 LaserJet is fast (7 seconds to start up and print), quiet, and produces excellent black and white documents. Couldn't be happier with it.

I wish I could say the same about Amazon's delivery methods. When I purchased this printer, it was unfortunately fulfilled through Office Depot. That meant a shipping charge (which originally hadn't been on the web page) and sales tax. Fine.

The trouble came when I found the printer for $50 less on HPshopping.com the very next day. I immediately tried to cancel my purchase on Amazon.com but found the order had been locked, even though no discernible fulfillment or shipping was in process. I immediately called Office Depot because it was obvious that they had not shipped it yet (there was no tracking trail yet via UPS).

Unfortunately, Amazon.com failed to provide me with any useful information that could be related to Office Depot. Their unfriendly Customer Service Rep didn't recognized my tracking Order, my name, or anything about my order. As far as Office Depot was concerned, I didn't exist. And yet, they were going to ship me a printer.

I had to wait 8 days for Office Dept to finally fulfil my order. Ironically, HPShopping.com delivered my printer 2 days later, a full 5 days before Office Depot got around to me, even though my HP order was made a day later (go figure). When I immediately took my unwanted printer to the Post Office to mail it back after calling Office Depot for an RMA number, I was a bit horrified to find the cheapest method of mailing the printer back cost $23.96. I plunked down the plastic and that's all she wrote.

I suggest skipping buying this printer from Amazon. There's no retail cost savings (it's $199 everywhere or less). No tax savings. Shipping costs to add in. And return costs if you decide you don't like/want/need the printer.

Go to the store and buy it there instead.

Great Printer, Unbeatable Price!
I got this printer on sale for about $150 delivered to replace an aging HP 5L. The print quality is excellent and significanly better than the old 5L. This printer is also exceptionally compact and fits nicely on the shelf of my computer desk. Overall, the printer is extremely fast and appears to print at the stated rate. I printed a 35 page document and had no problems with the printer slowing down. Setup is a breeze and took lest than 5 minutes. Feeding envelopes or indvidual sheets is simple as well; there's a small icon stamped on the plastic paper tray to guide your way. Alas the only downside is you'll have to buy a USB cable since one isn't included -- this is probably a non-issue since most free USB cables are usually too short. Bottom line, this printer works great for home and small office use. This is a wonderful monochorme printer for a college or high school student as well. HP quality at a rock bottom price, I don't see how you can go wrong. I highly recommend this printer.

OK Little Printer
I needed a cheap printer quick and this one happened to fill the bill. The toner catridges are readily available, the print quality is all right and set up on xp was pretty much what would be expected from any printer. It even networked without a fuss.

Conclusion: If you need a cheap printer for not too demanding jobs this is one.

Fast but poor quality
I've just bought this printer to replace my old LaserWriter 4/600, which
was a cheap and compact laser printer (when Apple had them). I'm moved
from Mac to XP and connecting it to a PC is impossible and I had to buy
another printer. LaserJets are well known so I decided to buy one which
promises a good resolution --not a real 1200 x 1200 but at least a
promising 600 x 600 x 2.

However, when I printed the first page I was very disappointed because this
resolution is in fact much worse than my 600 x 600 LaserWriter and not much
better than a good ink jet printer. Why? With the 4/600 letter contours
looked rounded and crisp, while with the 1012 are jagged and fuzzy. No ink
dots outside letters in the 4/600, but lots of them in the 1012 which makes
a sort of halo around the letters (there is a noticeable shadow in vertical
strokes). Letter strokes lose their proportions below 10 pt and the
horizontal one in "e" (Times) is almost missing. There are in addition

distorted letters, some of them with bumps and even wrongly rendered (like
a bold omega). The result is ugly and a lot below one could expect from a
good laser printer.

By the way, the installation was smooth (with Win XP). ... Read more

Features

• 5 GB storage capacity holds up to2500 songs, 80 hours of MP3 , or 160 hours WMA
• Plays MP3, WMA, and Audible audio formats
• Rechargeable battery offers up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge
• USB 2.0 for faster downloads; built-in microphone for voice recording
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP and MAC OS X v10.2 or later

Amazon.com Product Description

Put the power of advanced photography in your hands with the Canon PowerShot S1 IS ultra-zoom digital camera. With its super-long Zoom, amazing stability and true Movie Mode, the PowerShot S1 IS brings a new dimension to the PowerShot line. Equipped with a host of top-quality features, this stylishly compact camera lets you create stills and movies like you've never done before.

10x Optical 38-380mm Zoom with exclusive Optical Image Stabilizer
Close, closer, closest: the high-speed Zoom Motor moves you in at top speed in near silence. So the high-resolution, super long 10x Optical 38-380mm Zoom Lens (35mm equivalent) with Canon’s exclusive optical Image Stabilizer can let you capture the action with an intensity you've never seen before. Canon's shift-type optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, which significantly reduces the effects of camera shake--an important feature for high-magnification lenses. Tiny movement detection gyros and a correcting lens element counteract the effects of lens shake to deliver sharper final images. The resulting compensation is the equivalent of between 2 and 3 extra stops, which means the camera can be used at slower shutter speeds without a tripod without any detectable increase in image blur.

.	38mm	380mm
.	Image Stabilizer off	Image Stabilizer on

Optics and Resolution
The PowerShot S1 IS features a maximum resolution of 3.2 megapixels, or 2048 x 1536 pixel images--enough for prints up to 11 x 14 inches. It also has 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480 resolution modes. The camera features a 10x, f/2.8 - f/3.1, 38-380mm (35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens.The zoom is driven by a tiny ultrasonic motor (USM), which uses ultrasonic frequency vibrations to drive a tiny rotor that is powerful and highly responsive. In digital still modes it drives the zoom at maximum speed, while in video mode it slows for a smooth effect and runs virtually silent, avoiding interference with video sound recording.

Vari-Angle LCD with enhanced resolution

1.5" LCD Monitor with two brightness levels:Shoot from any angle with the PowerShot S1 IS's rotating Vari-Angle LCD Monitor. The Monitor's enhanced resolution also allows you to clearly preview and review your stills and movies to make shooting fun and easy.

Take camcorder-quality movies right from the camera
30 frames-per-second VGA Video with Sound: The PowerShot S1 IS has a greatly enhanced Movie Mode that lets you shoot up to sixty minutes of DV-Quality VGA video with superior sound quality. Plus, you can zoom in the Movie Mode -- and even edit your movies -- right on the camera's LCD screen.

Instant Computer Connection
Picture Transfer Protocol for Win XP and Mac OS: Just connect the PowerShot S1 IS into the USB connection of your Windows XP or Macintosh OS computer. PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) allows the computer and camera to communicate instantly and to start the picture download process. There's no need to install a special driver!

Advanced Digital Imaging Technology

Canon's exclusive DIGIC Imaging Processor revolutionizes how you shoot digital by allowing the camera to process images faster and improving the accuracy of the autofocus. DIGIC also reduces the effects on noise in your images. iSAPS Technology is an entirely new scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC Imaging Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

The components of photographic space that are precision captured by DIGIC

What's in the Box

A. PowerShot S1 IS B. Lens Cap C. Neck Strap NS-DC3 D. 4 AA-Type Alkaline Batteries E. Compact Flash Card CF-32 F. Interface Cable IFC-400PCU G. AV Cable AVC-DC300 H. Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM I. ArcSoft Camera Suite CD-ROM

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Features

• 3.2-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 10-by-14-inch enlargements
• Canon 10x optical zoom with image stabilizer; 3x digital zoom
• Vari-angle LCD screen; DV-quality Movie Mode; PictBridge compatible
• Store images on Compact Flash Type I or II memory cards (32 MB card included)
• Powered by 4 AA-size batteries (alkaline included, rechargeable NiMH recommended)

Reviews (28)

Canon Powershot S1 IS Good Family Camera and Beyond
Hi everbody,

First of all, I was fortunate enough to get this camera from Adorama Cameras for $374.00 plus shipping. Must have been some sort of introductory special on Amazon. Got the camera about a week after ordering. Let me say that this is my 4th digital camera and I regard this as the best I have had so far. I have owned both Olympus and Minolta digital cameras prior to buying the Canon S1 IS. I want to say that Canon definitely thought out the ergonomics and the feel of this camera. It feels very comfortable and sturdy (I'm right handed. It is clear that they did not skimp on workmanship I love the smoothness of the 10x Optical zoom (that's reason I wanted a good long zoom camera)and there was no blurriness thanks to the Image Stabiliser. I recommend if you are taking shots and you are zooming in at 3X or greater on the optical zoom, engage the IS. I don't recommend using digital zoom on any digital camera, it is always easier using photo editing software to crop your photos. I tried the camera at a couple of family outings and I was definitely impressed. I was a bit concerned about it being only 3.2MP but the pictures I took looked better than my sister's 4MP Kodak camera. The auto mode works fairly well and the LCD certainly shows good detail in bright sunlight but be warned, have the display set at full brightness especially if you are using the EVF outside. There are only 2 display brightness settings. The photos I took had good contrast and very vibrant colors. There was some very slight purple fringing on some shots I took with the optical zoom at maximum. You may need to adjust the exposure setting if you are trying to photograph a subject that is on a background that doesn't contrast well. I also found that you definitely need rechargeable AA batteries, especially if you are running the LCD screen and if you are running the camera in movie mode. That reminds me, the movie mode is incredible but you need at least a 1GB card to record anything substantial at 30 fps. I recommend if you can afford it, get the 4GB microdrive. I have heard that you can take the microdrive out of the Muvo2 4GB player and use it in the camera since the S1 accepts CompactFlash Type II cards if you know how to do it right. With so many different modes, this camera will definitely grow with you. I wished that Canon had put a flash hot shoe on this camera but I can understand them not trying to create a light stripped down version of the EOS Rebel. Indoors, the flash is above average compared to other digital long zooms but could still be better, it will illuminate your subject. The camera AF did slow down somewhat in very dim lighting, make sure to run it in night scene mode, not auto. The extra long exposure lag definitely improves the shots and just to be fair, the low light performance was certainly superior to other digital cameras I have owned. I do like the fact that Canon included a nice get started quickly template but the manual could be better organized. For most people, I would say using it in auto is fine but if you like to tinker, the full manual mode is a lot of fun. All in all, a good buy despite the fact that Canon should have also included a AF assist lamp which surprised me somewhat since they put them on most every camera they make. Well, that just leaves room for improvement I guess. Now, I gotta get back to shooting some more pictures. Auf Wiedersehen!

Great 10X Zoom Camera
After considerable research I purchased the Canon S1 IS camera from Amazon about a month ago along with the Lexar 12X 256MB Compact Flash memory. It arrived even before Amazon said it would! This is my first digital camera and so far I am very pleased with it. I wanted a camera that would take good travel pictures and images of grandchildren who often don't like cameras near them. I expect to print the better pictures as either 4x6 or 5x7 and occasionally 8x10s. At first I was reluctant to consider 3.2MP cameras but my research showed that a figure of merit for a digital camera should actually be proportional to MP times the optical zoom factor squared. This gives a heavy weighting to optical zoom (it's related to picture area) and it also means that you can avoid considerable cropping and wasting of MP. That's why people are often surprised that this camera does so well against its higher MP competition. It's also adequate for printing my size pictures. Unfortunately, most hand held 10X cameras used at maximum zoom also need to have a shutter speed of 1/400th of a second to avoid picture bluring caused by camera shake so that you can use this 10X feature only in bright sunlight, unless you support the camera. The Canon S1's image stabilization system allows hand held pictures with much slower shutter speeds so it is useful more often. I always leave it on and I've taken sharp pictures of ducks, birds, and, oh yes, our grandchildren at a playground. Our daughter, who is a professional photographer, has even commented on the quality of these candid shots, something she did not do with my film camera with lower power zoom. Independently, I also purchased a lightweight RipVan100 battery charger that can operate at overseas voltages and I carry around an extra set of charged NIMH AA batteries, just in case, although I've yet to need them. Of course, in a pinch, I can always use universally available AA batteries, another feature of this camera.

This camera, like all 10X zooms, uses an electronic viewfinder. I find that it is hard to see well in bright sunlight (especially if I'm wearing sunglasses), even at maximum brightness setting. Its resolution is also poor and the images often seem overexposed - but, and this is important, the images don't shake at 10X with the IS on! and the actual pictures are correctly exposed. The swiveling LCD screen grows on you and you can take pictures looking down at the camera at waist level. The grandchildren may not even realize you are actually taking their picture, adding to the candid effect. I haven't found the lack of an autofocusing lamp to be a problem in dim light and you can always set the manual focus to about 8 feet (no zoom used) and everything from 4 feet to infinitity will be sharp. (I got this tidbit from my research).

After it was announced but before it was readily available the camera received so-so reviews but the recent user reviews from those who actually own and use one have been highly favorable and I agree with them. It's well made, not too heavy, and the basics can be learned quickly. Advanced users can find many features to investigate and I'm still learning how to use some of the exposure and focus lock modes for special cases. I think that using the Auto mode (or the Program P mode) with IS on will work for most people, most of the time. And, as an added bonus, you can even take movies (9 minutes/1GB at best quality) if you have a large memory. I'm glad I discovered this "fun" camera.

The One For Me
I have done quite a bit of research on digital cameras, and have read many reviews. The fact is, that there is no perfect digital camera, and people are going to find little things they don't like about all of them. I purchased the S1 IS about a week or so ago, and this is one great camera. Some people say the lense cap falls off... well... it's suppose to... keep it attached to the camera so it don't get lost and put it back on when you put it in the case. Some people say the battery life is bad... well... get some rechargable 2300 ma batteries and a charger... and keep a couple sets charged... one set will last for hours... and... if you are in a jam you can get AA batteries anywhere. Some people say the display is hard to see in bright sunlight or in low light... well... I have not seen one that is not. Some people say that the pictures are not sharp... well... try setting it in auto until you learn how to use the many great settings... I printed 8 1/2 x 11's that where as sharp as a tack. There was a problem with memory erros, but if you download the firmware update, and follow the instructions, it will resolve the problem. I personally did not have that problem, but I updated my firmware anyway. The fact is...This is one heck of a great camera. The zoom is outstanding, you can print up to 8 1/2 x 11's with good quality, the stabelization is great, and if you want to learn the manual settings, they are great too. I would still reccomend a tripod for shots with shutter speeds greater than 1 second. The software is everything you need to organize, enhance, and print your pics. If you are looking for the perfect digital camera... you will never find it. If you are looking for the best digital camera in the $400 to $500 dollar price range, I would recommend the S1 IS above all others in the same price range.

From a Web Developer
Being a grad student, I am very picky when it comes to spending a larger amount of money on a piece of hardware technology. I probably did research (try cnet's site) for 2 months before finally deciding on a purchase. I compared heavily against similar cameras like the Sony DSC-V1, DSC-F717, S50, Kodak DX6490, Nikon Coolpix 4300 and a few others.

Deciding Factors:
10x opt zoom & IS
Manual control abilities
Swivel LCD
body style
CF memory
AA batteries
Price & Canon name brand

After purchase:
This camera is awesome. The zoom works great, especially with the IS technology. The manual controls are extremely easy to use. Combined with the comfortable body style i do most things with one hand. Think of holding a gaming controller. I'm very surprised at how much I use the swivel LCD (ie hold against a steady place and view easily). The cheapest memory and ease of AA batteries make this a camera to use for an extended amount of time. Indoor, low-lighting situations are hard on auto mode, otherwise I'm very happy.

The camera is not bad, but not as good as I expected
I need a new digital camera to replace my Nikon Coolpix 755 purchased 3 years ago. The Nikon is pretty good, but it¡¯s too slow. I like wide zoom and the budget is <$500. So I don¡¯t have too many choices. At last, 2 cameras left in my list: Canon Powershot S1 IS and Fuji S-5000.

I am familiar with Fuji S-5000. It¡¯s a nice camera. However, I selected Canon, because: 1. It has IS; 2. It uses Compact Flash, same as Nikon; 3. Canon makes some great SLRs. If I could choose again, I would buy the Fuji.

The Canon Powershot S1 IS is not bad at all. But it¡¯s not as good as I expected. Even though I knew that the camera¡¯s auto focus is not good under low light conditions, I was still disappointed when I tried to take some picture in my house in a bright sunny afternoon. The auto focus is really poor under those conditions. Furthermore, the response time is longer than the Fuji S-5000. Another bonus of S-5000 is that it has a ring in the box. We can attach a UV filter on the ring, so not to worry about the lens. ... Read more

Features

• Fast 54 Mbps speeds for your desktop or notebook PC; up to 5x faster than 802.11b
• Experience improved range above most W-Fi networks
• Plug intoexternal USB slot for wireless connectivity at home, the office, or away
• Compatible with existing 802.11b and 802.11g networks
• Quick and easy setup with Smart Wizard install assistant