Gadget Reviews

Welcome to E.T. Technology's Gadget Reviews. On this page I present reviews of some of my favorite (and not so favorite) gadgets and computer hardware. Since it's kind of necessary to use pictures here (so you know what the item looks like), note that this page will need at least 1024x768 resolution to view correctly. Ratings are out of five stars and take into consideration price, usefulness, ease of use, functionality, and consistency (how many bugs there are). If a gadget is no longer sold, Appproximate Price is for an equivalent current technology (I'll usually say what that would be).

Let's start with a not-so-favorite. The Palm m125 was my second PDA (I won't even bother to discuss the first, it's so obsolete by now) and is about equivalent to the new PalmOne Zire 21 - Palm discontinued the m-series for the Zire series PDA's, which look different but have similar hardware. Basically, it was almost completely useless. The stylus-based "Graffiti" input system was inaccurate and tedious, and although no PDA can reach its full potential without an external keyboard I think Graffiti is one of the worst non-keyboard PDA interfaces. Although it also had an on-screen keyboard, the Graffiti input area was silkscreened (built into the screen) and so when you turned on the keyboard almost all of the small screen was filled up.

The input system was only one problem, however. The other reason why this PDA (and its Zire-series equivalent) is hard to make useful is its incompatibility with the average desktop computer. Text written in the built-in text editor (Memo Pad) is difficult to transfer into Microsoft Word (plus there is no way to keep a Word document synchronized with its Memo Pad equivalent), and the PDA has absolutely no built-in spreadsheet (Excel-like) functionality. Unless you spend money on a third-party Word- and Excel-synchronizing computer program, it's very hard to use the m125 to edit important documents while you're away from your desktop -- which is one of the best reasons for getting a PDA. The only thing the m125 is useful for is writing down phone numbers, beeping at various times to remind you of things, and playing simple grayscale games - and you can't even copy in phone-number/calender information from Microsoft Outlook, where many people already have this type of stuff.

Finally, a word of warning to anyone buying a Palm PDA. I was going to buy the color-screen m130 (about equivalent to the Zire 31) at the time I got my second PDA, but found out just in time that the m125 was the highest model number that still used replaceable AAA batteries. All higher-level Palm PDAs used instead a rechargeable lithium battery -- but had it permanently sealed into the casing. Even Li-Ion batteries eventually wear out and lose their ability to recharge, and, apparently, once this happened you had to blow $200 on a whole new replacement PDA (and hope your data was backed up when the battery died). This completely nonsensical design policy is apparently still in use by PalmOne, where it seems every handheld now has its battery permanently entombed in plastic and metal. Now, some people might not find this a problem, because after 3 years when the battery wears out they're ready to upgrade their device. But if you plan to keep your PDA around for a while, don't buy from Palm unless you can verify that the battery can be replaced.

This, on the other hand, is a favorite. The Dell Axim X50v was the replacement for my Palm m125. I purchased it just recently, as I will need an efficient note-taking device that's less expensive than a laptop for my upcoming high school years - I can type about 5 times faster than I write, and you can plug a keyboard into a PDA. Even without a keyboard, however, this PDA delivers excellent performance. Running the Pocket Windows (or Windows CE) operating system, you can simply drag-and-drop files from a Windows desktop to the PDA's huge 128MB of internal memory - something unheard-of with Palm OS. Windows CE includes, standard, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel, allowing you to edit Word and Excel documents "out of the box," and the ActiveSync synchronization tool allows you to easily update the desktop version of a document upon docking the device with its cradle. Also, the Calender and Contacts PDA programs synchronize directly with Microsoft Outlook (Outlook XP is included on the ActiveSync CD), another easy integration with desktop-computer files. And the Axim's high-quality, full-color screen has no built-in input area, but allows you to choose (through Pocket Windows) whether to use an onscreen keyboard, a Palm-like "Block Recognizer," or the Windows-unique "Transcriber."

This feature, the Transcriber, is especially helpful. It is the best non-external-keyboard PDA input method I've yet seen. Once you turn it on, you can write anywhere on the screen (the blue "ink" isn't permanent), then pause and the writing will automatically be converted to printed text in whatever text-input area the cursor is currently in. Its recognition accuracy is about the same (maybe a little better) than Graffiti, but since you can write several words - maybe a whole sentence - at once (as opposed to one letter at a time) the rate of input is much, much faster.

Finally, the extra money I paid for this handheld is well justified by the plethora of features. With 64MB system RAM and 128MB onboard storage, it can not only run memory-hogging programs like Windows Media Player but can store the large files necessary to make Media Player useful (mp3 audio is space-consuming if you only have a few megabytes of storage). If the included memory isn't enough, the Axim X50v also has expansion slots for both CompactFlash and Secure Digital (SD) memory cards, which can give you up to 1GB (each) of additional storage. In addition, it includes both 802.11b and Bluetooth wireless transcievers. 802.11b, also known as "Wi-Fi," allows you to access the internet (using the included Pocket IE) anywhere there's a hotspot, and Bluetooth allows you to use wireless peripherals (e.g. Bluetooth wireless headphones). And finally, a minor but useful feature is the built-in microphone, which allows you to record "voice memos" in the Notepad program in addition to writing/drawing on the screen.

Coming up next are several digital camera reviews. I don't actually own all of these, but let's start with one that I do own. The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P72 is my 3.2-megapixel digital camera and, I think, the most "balanced" of the Cyber-Shot series. Costing only $300 (not $400-$600 like higher-end cameras), it still has a respectable range of features. These include a 3x zoom lens, "macro mode" for focusing on close-up objects, scene-selection options (i.e. presets for hard picture conditions like snow or sand), exposure adjustment, timer-delayed shooting, 640x480 (TV-resolution) video recording, and special effects options (such as making the picture sepia-tone black & white). The menu system for accessing these features, as with all Sony cameras, is simple and easy-to-learn. In addition, the DSC-P72 is small enough to fit into your pocket, but large enough so that you can comfortably hold it in your hand without lifting away all but your index finger in fear of covering up the flash or lens. Finally, note that this camera uses "Memory Stick" media to record pictures onto, and although it's proprietary to Sony (no other cameras use it) this hasn't driven the price up. A 64MB Memory Stick (which holds about 40 pictures) can cost as little as $30.

Unfortunately, Sony seems to have stopped making all of the "old series" of Cyber-Shot cameras, in favor of a new series in a completely different style. All of the new Cyber-Shots are at least 4 megapixels (and hence at least $400), and have a smaller frame that is harder to comfortably hold in both hands. Unless there are still some stores with overstocks, you won't be able to buy this camera new - but there still might be some in used-technology stores and (of course) on eBay. I can't find an equivalent camera anywhere on Sony's web site, so the price is that of the camera at the time I bought it a little over a year ago.

The next digital camera I'm reviewing is actually still made by Sony, in a slightly modified form. This is probably because the Sony CD Mavica MVC-CD400 can record pictures directly onto half-size CD-R discs, unlike any other brand of camera. Although it is considerably more expensive than the Cyber-Shot DSC-P72, this is balenced by the cheapness and reliability of recordable CD media. At 4.0 megapixels, you can generally fit about 80 of the CD Mavica's pictures on a CD-R, and a pack of 10 such CDs only costs $10. It also comes with a full range of features, including some not found on the Cyber-Shot camera. These include a 3x optical/2x digital zoom, a "hot shoe" for external flashes, scene-selection mode, timer-delayed shooting, macro mode, special effects options, exposure adjustment, aperture adjustment, shutter-speed adjustment, and enhanced 320x240 video recording. The smaller video size is mainly because it's an older model than the DSC-P72; the current version of the CD Mavica, the 5-megapixel MVC-CD500, has 640x480 video. In addition, the MVC-CD400 has one of the largest LCD screens I've seen on digital cameras; measuring 2.5 inches diagonally, it makes it easy to set up your picture angle.

The major downside of the CD Mavica is its size. Weighing 1.5 pounds and measuring nearly double the height and thickness of the Cyber-Shot DSC-P72, it's impossible to fit in your pocket and cumbersome to carry even with its included shoulder strap. For someone like me that has lots of pocket space but hates carrying stuff in my hands or on my shoulders, this is a major drawback. Girls who have no pockets anyway or people that don't mind the tugging on your shoulder and the clunking at your waist might not find this a problem, but for me it's an issue. Pretty much the same thing applies to the replacement MVC-CD500, which has the same frame just with updated circuitry.