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I've now spent a full workweek with the Kohjinsha PA series and since this is the last post I'll be writing before my husband and I start our new lives as parents, it's definitely time to share my thoughts on what is currently the smallest Atom-based convertible around. I usually prefer to spend at least a few weeks with a device before reviewing it, so what follows is just a mini review (albeit a long one) covering my general impressions of the unit.
This guest review was submitted by Ben L.
The Viliv S7 Premium is a convertible mini notebook from Korean manufacturer Viliv. Their recent S5 Premium and X70 models impressed folks over the last few months and nearly started a revival of the UMPC. While the S5 and X70 were good, many people were saying that these devices could be perfect if only they had a keyboard.
Enter the S7, the first UMPC from Viliv with a hardware keyboard. Can it live up to expectations? Read on to find out.
Now that we've seen the new Archos 5 Android and the old non-Android Archos 5 Internet Tablets face off in photos, let's take a look at how the two ARM Cortex A8-powered devices compare in terms of their web browsing experiences.
Both handhelds feature a 4.8-inch WVGA resistive touchscreen and renders web pages accurately, but do their WebKit and Opera 9 web browsers or 800MHz OMAP 3440 and 600MHz OMAP 3430 processors make one unit better than the other? Read on to find out.
Microsoft's newest digital media player is the Nvidia Tegra-powered Zune HD. In addition to sporting one of the sleekest designs on the market right now, the 2.6-ounce device features a 3.3-inch capacitive OLED touchscreen, WiFi connectivity for web browsing and streaming/downloading, HD radio receiver, 720p HD video support, and wireless access to the Zune Marketplace.
While all of this sounds very impressive on paper, does the Zune HD really "deliver the next level in music and video experiences"? Is it really "portable perfection" as Microsoft claims? Read on to find out.
Contributing Editor Chris King and I have teamed up for this review, which is presented in a "he said, she said" format. All of Chris' comments are in blue.
Before the Zune HD
But just because the masses haven't embraced it doesn't mean the player isn't any good. In fact, during the past few weeks that I've been using it, the device has become my favorite daily-use DAP because of its stellar sound quality and simple interface.
While an official list of specs can tell you a lot about a device, the best way to truly get a feel for something and understand its nuances is to spend some serious quality time with it. Sure, playing with a display model at a store or checking it out at an event can often be the basis of a purchasing decision, but it's often only after you've taken a device home and used it for a considerable amount of time that you really get to know it.
It's been a few weeks since I unboxed my Samsung Mondi and shared my reasons for buying it, so I've since logged in hours upon hours of use on the Windows Mobile 6.1 slider. I doubt that I will ever know every single thing there is to know about the unit, but I definitely learned some things from my usage so far that aren't mentioned in the published specs, product manuals, or those early misinformed reviews. And if the devil is in the details and you're on the fence about spending $450 on a MID that isn't a phone and offers WiMAX and WiFi connectivity but nothing in between, then you might want to read on.
While preparing my full review of the UMID mbook M1 that came out of its box a few weeks ago, I started to compile a list of everything I liked and disliked about the compact clamshell device (1.33GHz Atom Z520, 512MB RAM, 16GB SSD, Windows XP). I don't normally make lists like this, preferring instead to put my final thoughts together after the meat of the review is written, so I didn't expect to end up deciding to ditch my standard review format after the list was done.
The list was just so unbalanced that I think sharing it will be more useful to prospective buyers than my typical style. See what I mean below.
One of the most highly anticipated MIDs/UMPCs to be released this year is the Viliv S5 Premium, a compact Atom-based device that packs a 60GB hard drive, 4.8-inch haptic touchscreen (1024 x 600), WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS into a truly pocketable unit that weighs less than a pound. Priced at just $599 at Dynamism, the S5 Premium runs Windows XP Home and features stellar battery life, HD video playback out of the box, and exceptional build quality.
But is it right for you? Find out by reading my full review below.
Looking for a better way to keep your iPhone/iPod touch running longer? Then check out the U2O iWalk external battery packs (800mAh and 5400mAh) from Ultimate Travel Gear.
Not only do the batteries provide extra power for the Apple devices, they're compact and stylish as well. Form and function sound great, but are they worth their £16.99 and £44.95 prices? Read my full review to find out.
When the iriver P7 was first announced at CES 2009, it was easily my favorite portable media player on display at the company's booth. I was intrigued by its magazine-like interface, pleased by its microSD card slot, and impressed by its wide array of codec support.
The P7 is now in stock and shipping from Warehouse123.com, who sell the 8GB and 16GB versions for $145 and $187, respectively. But now that the 4.3-inch touchscreen player is out of the showroom lights and in my hands, does it still fare as well? Read my full review below to find out.
