I Review Electronics

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Design
Features
Performance

Archos AV500 Mobile DVR Introduction

The all-in-one handheld device, the Archos AV500 Mobile DVR, combines a portable media player, digital video recorder (bundled with a remote and Electronic Program Guide software), and personal digital assistant (PDA). Furthermore, the device supports Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GSM connectivity via an add-on port. The Archos AV500 comes in 30GB and 100GB.

Archos AV500 Mobile DVR Design

The new slick Archos AV 500 portable media player has a vibrant 4-inch color screen that looks great in contrast to its brushed metal case.

Archos AV500 Mobile DVR Features

A personal media player, ideal for playing video, audio and photos on the move; using as a portable hard drive; recording TV programs; outputting video to a TV.

Archos AV500 Mobile DVR Performance

*Up to 15 hours of battery life for music and up to 4.5 hours for video playback on the built-in LCD
*Record television programs, movies and home videos and watch them on 4-inch LCD whenever, wherever
*Plays and stores up to 400 hours of video, 250 movies, 55,000 songs or 1,000,000 photos
*Compatible with MP3, WMA, WAV, protected WMA, MPEG-4, WMV and protected Windows Media Video
*Supports the Mophun mobile gaming platform; USB 2.0 port for fast file transfers

Whats included in the package

AV 500, USB 2.0 cable, USB host adapter, AC adapter & charger, stereo headphones, protective case, user guide, TV Pod, remote control (with batteries), audio/video cables (SCART in and SCART out for European version).

Conclusion

A unique mobile Digital Video Recorder offering direct TV recording and the best of video, photo and music on the go on a 4″ color screen.

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Apple iMac g5 Introduction

Apple has updated one of the most uniquely designed computers available. Taking the all-in-one iMac design to the next level, while maintaining the performance we come to expect from apple computers.

Apple iMac g5 Design

Stunning all-in-one design. The iMac G5 has the CPU, motherboard, and drives mounted in the same 2-inch-thick chassis as the monitor. Apple’s wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse means that only one cord (power cord) needs to be plugged in.

Apple iMac g5 Features

The 17-inch model weighs just 18.5 pounds, and the 20-inch one is just 25.2 pounds, so moving one from room to room is easy. Has an iSight camera (and lighting) built-in, and has Front Row, their new media playback software package to be used with their new Apple Remote control. Mighty Mouses are now also standard, as well as Superdrives (aka DVD burners), plus Bluetooth too.

Apple iMac g5 Performance

The iMac is light, sleek, and a bargain. In terms of actual computing power, it occupies a nice space between notebooks and desktops. It fills the same niche in terms of price. The iMac G5 offers solid performance, with the 2.0GHz PowerPC G5 processor; 512MB of RAM standard; a 128MB ATI Radeon 9600 graphics card; and a large 250GB, 7,200rpm hard drive.

Whats included in the package

The Apple computers are second to none, when it comes to the software bundle. In addition to Mac OS 10.4 Tiger, the iMac G5 comes with a software package that includes the iLife multimedia suite, Zinio Reader, and Quicken.

Conclusion

The iMac takes up about as much space as an LCD screen alone, and it’s surprisingly quiet. It manages to offers a surprising amount of performance with very few limitations. It’s fast enough for most people (if you never expand the Power Mac, then you would be paying for capabilities you’re not going to be using).

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Apple Mac Mini Introduction

Apple’s Mac mini lets you have more fun with your music, photos and movies, more quickly and more easily. Enjoy them up close or far away with the included Apple Remote.

Apple Mac Mini Design

Inside its petite 2-inch tall, 6.5-inch square anodized aluminum enclosure, Mac mini houses that fast Intel Core processor, a 60 or 80GB hard drive, slot-loading Combo or SuperDrive.

Apple Mac Mini Features

Mac mini also gives you plenty of room to grow, with more expansion options than previous models. Simply connect your digital devices, such as cameras, iPod, printer, camcorder or keyboard to the Mac mini over USB 2.0 or FireWire. Share files around your house at blazing speeds with built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Ethernet. Enjoy high quality sound on almost any speaker system with double-duty analog/digital audio.

Apple Mac Mini Performance

The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system, which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down OS found on many handhelds. The Mini also has got some built-in software for basic computer functions. The goal of the mini is to make it easy and affordable to work with digital photos, movies, music, and the web.

Whats included in the package

The most affordable way to Intel Core, iLife ’06, and Front Row. The box has Mac mini, Apple Remote, Power cord, Install/restore DVDs. Weight: 2.9 pounds

Conclusion

What Apple has given us with the Mac Mini is an elegant, useful, novel new option – a new choice at a new low price that we never ever had before.

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Design
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Sandisk Sansa M250 2GB Introduction

With Sandisk’s Sansa M250, you can make your music go mobile! The Sansa m250 MP3 player from SanDisk supplies 2GB of storage, providing plenty of room for your favorite music files. An FM tuner with 20 presets presents an additional audio option; repeat, random, and continuous playback modes let you customize the beats for up to 19 hours on one battery charge.

Sandisk Sansa M250 2GB Design

The compact yet robust industrial design offers an easy-to-use interface with an indigo-backlit LCD screen showing the song’s vital information. The main menu includes Play Music, FM Radio, Recorder, and Settings, and overall navigation is logical and easy, thanks in part to the big controller buttons. When compared to other mp3 players, the design seems bulky and looks weird.

Sandisk Sansa M250 2GB Features

In addition to playing both MP3 and WMA audio files, the Sandisk Sansa M250 also sports an FM radio and digital voice recorder. It supports Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 and features PlaysForSure support for portable music downloads and subscription services such as Rhapsody To Go, Napster To Go and Yahoo! Music Unlimited. It’s powered by one single AAA battery, which will provide up to 19 hours of battery life.

Sandisk Sansa M250 2GB Performance

SanDisk’s Sansa m200 Series MP3 players are a perfect example of what Sandisk offers. The flash-memory-based models are available in sizes ranging from 512 MB to 4 GB, with reasonable prices. These players include FM radios, built-in microphones for voice recording, indigo blue backlit displays, and carrying cases. The 2 GB Sansa m250 will hold approximately 32 hours of CD-quality MP3 tracks (encoded at 128kps) or 64 hours of WMA tracks (at 64kbps).

Whats included in the package

Sansa 2 GB MB player, carrying case with armband, stereo headphones, AAA alkaline battery, USB 2.0 travel cable, CD-ROM with drivers and online user guide, printed Quick Start guide.

Conclusion

The SanDisk Sansa m250 provides a nice package of features at a low price. A sophisticated music library sorting lets you browse the music in your player by artist, album, song title, genre, year, playlist, and other useful criteria. With 5 equalizer types, you can optimize your sound for your favorite style of music. You can also use the built-in microphone and voice recording function to capture interviews, classes, and short voice notes to yourself.

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Hitachi 55HDT52 Introduction

Hitachi’s 55HDT52 55″ Plasma HDTV utilizes the most advanced plasma technologies to produce a truly cinematic home viewing experience. The new Hitachi VirtualHD-1080p II video processor technology ensures a sharp, smooth and seamless image every time by analyzing and optimizing each frame.

Hitachi 55HDT52 Design

Monitor Only Dimensions:
Height: 33 1/8″
Width: 59 1/2″
Depth: 4 1/4″
Weight: 139 lb’s
Monitor With Tabletop Stand
Height: 36 3/4″
Width: 59 1/2″
Depth: 17 3/4″

Hitachi 55HDT52 Features

768p High Definition Display
High-Aperture Pixel Design
High-Contrast Black Rib Structure
Pure HDTV Blue Phospors
VirtualHD 1080p II Video Processor
Anti-Reflective Glass Screen
Quick Start Seamless HDTV and NTSC Tuners

Hitachi 55HDT52 Performance

When content from film is sent to your home it requires processing that can cause picture noise or distortion. VirtualHD technology reduces this noise to a minimum, recreating the smooth curves and high fidelity image of the original film source. An advanced technique, dynamic histogram processing, digitally maps the incoming signal to optimize on screen contrast, color and sharpness

Whats included in the package

HITACHI 55HDT52 55-IN UltraVision CineForm Plasma HDTV
Remote Control
Optional Power Swivel Tabletop Stand
Optional Wall-Mount Bracket

Conclusion

Experience the high performance and refined aesthetics of the UltraVision CineForm 55-inch Plasma HDTV. Distinct in design, it features innovative Hitachi technologies. The New VirtualHD 1080p II Video Processor analyzes and optimizes every video frame and combines with Wide Aperture technology that produces over one million pixels for a brighter, smoother and more film-like picture. The Illuminated Roll and Click Remote and Learning AV Net IV combine to provide ease of channel navigation and the power to control your entire home theatre system. The HDT52 series delivers the ultimate in convenience with the TV Guide On Screen Interactive Program Guide providing superior program accessibility. The 55HDT52 is an intelligent blend of superior design and technology.

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Design
Features
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Creative Zen Vision:M Introduction

The Zen Vision:M is a new mp3 player created for one reason: to compete with the all-powerful Apple iPod. However, the Zen Vision M does more than play your music. It also plays your videos and photos as well. It displays them in their true glory on a vibrant, large full-color screen. Perfect for road trips long or short, carry your entertainment in the palm of your hand. Available in a light 30GB model, take your pick from 5 dazzling colors – blue, green, pink, black and white.

Creative Zen Vision:M Design

With the Vertical Touch Pad, which is ergonomically designed, the innovative touch pad control enables quick, comfortable access to menus and settings. 2.5″ high-definition LCD screen: Watch movies and photos in their full glory on the large 2.5″ LCD screen, even under bright lighting. Displaying up to 262,144 vibrant colors, get crisp, clear detail in every image in high-definition 320 x 240 resolution.

Creative Zen Vision:M Features

Ability to play movies, photos and songs.
Voice Recorder: Meetings, lectures, even voice memos to yourself – record them all with the integrated voice recorder, which stores hundreds of hours worth of recordings.
Personal Organizer: Store and view all the information that’s important to you – daily tasks, contact lists and even a calendar. ZEN VISION:M syncs easily with Microsoft Outlook, and lets you edit your information with Creative Media Explorer.
FM Radio: If 15,000 songs aren’t enough, listen to more with the integrated FM radio. 32 station presets let you switch stations whenever you want.

Creative Zen Vision:M Performance

With the rechargeable Li-Ion battery you can enjoy up to 14 hours of music, or 4 hours of movies. Perfect for watching an entire movie non-stop anywhere you are. The Zen Vision M features a customizable shortcut button and it supports a wide range of online music stores and subscription services, as well as video formats. It has excellent audio and video quality. As with all music players that play from a hard drive, there is a slight delay when playing music.

Whats included in the package

* Creative ZEN VISION:M
* Earphones
* Power Adapter with 2 interchangable plugs
* Sync Adapter
* USB 2.0 cable
* Pouch
* User’s Guide
* Installation CD (includes Creative MediaSource and Creative Media Explorer software)

Conclusion

Lets quickly recap the specs again, a 2.5-inch screen at 320×240 resolution and a 30GB hard drive, 4 hours of video playback (double that of Apple’s iPod), 11 hours of audio playback, and practically the same size as an iPod. More features include an FM tuner and voice recording niceties, and they have a decent list of video format support, including MPEG-4, WMV, Motion JPEG, DivX, and XviD. It looks like Apple has some competition now finally. Coming in at $330 starting price the Creative Zen Vision: M is a very nice mp3 player.

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