Newest version is perfect

MoKo Slim fit Google Android Tablet

I searched around for a case that had the most features for my use. This is very similar to the Moko Slim-Fit PU Leather model (MoKo(TM) Slim-fit Cover Case for Google Nexus 7 Android Tablet by Asus, Black (with Automatic Sleep/Wake Function, Protective Hardback, Built-in Multi-angle Stand, Elastic Hand Strap, and Stylus Loop)--Lifetime Warranty) with two differences. There is no stylus loop holder (the title says there is one, but you can see in the photos there is not) and this one is genuine leather (not PU leather). The leather feels great and should improve over time. I really like the band to help with holding the tablet in a portrait view. There is also an elastic band that holds the front cover behind the tablet. This band goes over the top right and bottom right corners. It does not interfere with the touch screen in any way; however, it does cross over the power and volume buttons and makes it a little difficult to reach the buttons. The clip that holds the front cover closed is tight enough to stay closed, but is easy to open when you want it open.

It is not too thick and feels nice in your hand. My opinion is the case will protect from the elements like dirt and scratches, but I don't think it will protect the tablet very well from drops. I think this case could be paired with one of those zipper padded travel cases if you are looking for more drop protection.

The inside microfiber is very soft to the touch and feels nice. The clips hold the tablet firmly, but is also easy to slide out of the two corners to put in the horizontal stand.

There are holes on the back for the rear speakers. All of the ports are easily accessible.

I like this case design better than those that wrap around the face of the tablet. This design makes swiping across the screen easier.

The auto sleep/wake works perfectly. Open the cover and the tablet turns on. Close the cover and the tablet turns off. When folding the front cover behind the tablet, it remains on.

Pros:

+ Auto Sleep/Wake
+ Genuine Leather
+ Multi-Angle Horizontal Stand
+ Elastic Hand Strap
+ Elastic Front Cover Holder
+ All Port Easily Accessible
+ Case Designed For Easy Swiping Across Screen
+ Looks Good
+ Lifetime Warranty

Cons:

- No Portrait Stand
- No Elastic Stylus Loop Holder
- Elastic Front Cover Strap Interferes With The Power And Volume Buttons When Holding Front Cover Open
- Probably Not The Best For Protecting From Drops (Edges Are Exposed)

The cons are minimal and I would recommend this case to anyone.

Get your MoKo Slim fit Google Android Tablet Now!

Its Google...

kyy google search

This Accessorise Padded Sleeve Case Cover perfectly fits 7" tablets, like my Kindle Fire, and also doubles as both a portrait and a landscape viewing stand. Here are my observations:

Pros -
+ Quality; this is a very nice case made with high quality materials
+ Protection; the water resistant material and decent padding provides good protection against casual spills and drops
+ Good Looking; this is a very nice looking case
+ Stand Functionality; works very well in landscape and reasonably well as a portrait viewing stand
+ Pocket; front pocket stores USB cable or charger
+ Wrist Strap; removable clip connects to a metal loop at the balance point of the case, which is a nice feature

There really are no "Negs" to speak of with this innovative case. I do like the viewing angle in landscape mode over the portrait, but not enough to call it an "issue".

This is a very good protective cover and viewing stand for 7" tablets that works like it should.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Note: Review sample provided by manufacturer

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Happy Hubby!

Accessorise Neoprene Landscape Portrait Viewing

This Accessorise Padded Sleeve Case Cover perfectly fits 7" tablets, like my Kindle Fire, and also doubles as both a portrait and a landscape viewing stand. Here are my observations:

Pros -
+ Quality; this is a very nice case made with high quality materials
+ Protection; the water resistant material and decent padding provides good protection against casual spills and drops
+ Good Looking; this is a very nice looking case
+ Stand Functionality; works very well in landscape and reasonably well as a portrait viewing stand
+ Pocket; front pocket stores USB cable or charger
+ Wrist Strap; removable clip connects to a metal loop at the balance point of the case, which is a nice feature

There really are no "Negs" to speak of with this innovative case. I do like the viewing angle in landscape mode over the portrait, but not enough to call it an "issue".

This is a very good protective cover and viewing stand for 7" tablets that works like it should.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Note: Review sample provided by manufacturer

Get your Accessorise Neoprene Landscape Portrait Viewing Now!

acer iconia case & keyboard

GSAstore Built Keyboard Customized Included

I ordered my keyboard case on friday, and it already arived (4 days from ordering, 3 days shipping). Great job to the seller for getting it out so quickly, I appreciate that. As for the case itself, its nice. The inclusion of the F keys and windows key is lol-worthy considering this thing is supposed to be specifically for honeycomb tablets, but I can't complain. The response time between the keyboard and the tablet is pretty phenominal IMO, its instant just like on a pc, actually faster than most of the soft keyboards I've installed. The case has 5 clips on it to hold the tablet, 2 on bottom, 1 on each side, and 1 on the top and they are adjustable to get the right fit (and to put the tablet in). The keyboard is wired, and the wire comes out from inside the case, not outside (think of a standard pc keyboard where the wire is on top, not to the left or right) with a space to route the extra wiring through as its a decent length. It also has a space that appears to be for a stylus, accessories apparently sold seperately lol. Over all, well worth my money.

For those who have this tablet and are even considering this case, GET IT. When I was linked here from the XDA forums I was skeptical since this isnt an Acer product, but its a great case.

Get your GSAstore Built Keyboard Customized Included Now!

Microsd card reader is not as pictured

Sandisk Micro Class Memory Reader

First, let me clarify... I did not purchase my card here through Amazon, therefore I cannot comment as to this seller and/or the legitimacy of the cards they are selling. I simply wanted to comment on this particular Sandisk product in general, and my experience with it.

I purchased my Sandisk 16 GB Micro SDHC Class 4 card from Costco, and spent an afternoon testing the card to verify the correct size and speed class. I bought from Costco because they have a wonderful return policy in case I wasn't completely happy with it.

Since I purchased the card to run in my HTC Evo, I did the testing on the phone with the card installed. The card tested genuine as a 16 GB card, and my write/read speeds were consistent for a class 4 card. Over several tests, I averaged a consistent write speed of around 4.5 MB/s and a consistent read speed of around 16 MB/s.

As is the case with my Evo, most smart phones on the market today (Evo, Incredible, Droid, etc) aren't designed by default to take advantage of higher speeds that higher class cards offer. You will probably not notice the benefits of anything over a class 4 card. However, if your phone is rooted then you do have some control over changing settings that might let you benefit from higher class cards. But even so, a good quality class 4 card should be more than enough to meet all your music, photo, and video needs. (I will take a class 4 Sansisk over a higher class card of any other brand for use in my phone any time)

But... Since we all have diffent phones, and since there are all sorts of different opinions on the subject when you read all the Micro SD card reviews, let me offer this simple advice...

Buy an original Sandisk card, in original packaging, so you can feel pretty safe you're getting the real deal. Counterfeit cards are rampant, and many unsuspecting people get screwed because of that.

I like Sandisk because they are always reliable, with sustained read/write speeds. Many other brands offer cheaper cards that only burst at the rated speeds, instead of cards that sustain rated speeds. You wouldn't know this just from looking at the packaging. So stick with Sandisk. They might cost a bit more, but the quality you get is worth a couple bucks.

Buy one directly from Amazon, or other big name store, where you know you will have a hassle free return policy. I avoid most smaller resellers with SD cards. I bought mine from Costco, and would only buy one here if it was sold directly from Amazon, and not through a reseller.

When you get your card, test it right away with benchmarking software that will measure it's correct size, and it's proper write/read speeds, to be sure you have a genuine, quality product of the rated speed. Otherwise, you might not realize you're using a counterfeit until it's too late and you've lost data.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts after reading so many reviews about negative experiences people have had in buying Micro SD cards.

Thanks.

Get your Sandisk Micro Class Memory Reader Now!

Great game helps to keep mind fresh

TechPistols Mahjong Classic Free

Hooked it up, searched in youtube for relevant video to determine settings to send vid and audio to tv. Did not plug into my home theatre receiver yet only because it was just a quick hookup. Initially, without tweaking any settings on the mac all I got was the wallpaper of the mac. After viewing the youtube video, this is how I did the settings:
1) go to Systems Preferences, click on Display (the menu will be seen on the tv)
2) click on Arrangement and click on Mirror Display
3) go back to the menu and click Sound and select hdmi cable and that will get the sound through hdmi to your tv.
and that's all there is to it. The link I used was
[...]
And under $9 for the cable. Not bad.
Update 5/9/2012 - connected to a/v receiver and watched a netflix streamed movie. Worked perfectly. A note of caution, if you purchase an extension to use with this cable you may not get the result you want. I got "unsupported signal...." with a skinny 10 ft cable. Other reviewers said the same thing for that cable. You might be better off opting for a longer mini display port to hdmi instead.

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simple and easy

HDE%C2%AE Mini Display Adapter Cable

Hooked it up, searched in youtube for relevant video to determine settings to send vid and audio to tv. Did not plug into my home theatre receiver yet only because it was just a quick hookup. Initially, without tweaking any settings on the mac all I got was the wallpaper of the mac. After viewing the youtube video, this is how I did the settings:
1) go to Systems Preferences, click on Display (the menu will be seen on the tv)
2) click on Arrangement and click on Mirror Display
3) go back to the menu and click Sound and select hdmi cable and that will get the sound through hdmi to your tv.
and that's all there is to it. The link I used was
[...]
And under $9 for the cable. Not bad.
Update 5/9/2012 - connected to a/v receiver and watched a netflix streamed movie. Worked perfectly. A note of caution, if you purchase an extension to use with this cable you may not get the result you want. I got "unsupported signal...." with a skinny 10 ft cable. Other reviewers said the same thing for that cable. You might be better off opting for a longer mini display port to hdmi instead.

Get your HDE%C2%AE Mini Display Adapter Cable Now!

Exceeded My Expectations

Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T

I've been lurking around to purchase a new tablet for quite a while now. I began my search about an year ago, so it took me a long time before deciding on a tablet. At the time, I really needed a tablet with a pen, keyboard dock that I can do some basic documenting in, and long battery life. There were no such tablets. I've tried writing on screen with capacitive pen on my old Galaxy Tab 10.1 to no avail. I've purchased a Galaxy Note 10.1 which was a fantastic device, but it wasn't enough for me because it just didn't provide me with enough office experience. Then came Samsung ATIV 500T. This was the second all-in-one tablet I set my eyes on, first being ASUS Vivo Tab Pro. I will make some comparisons below because they are nearly identical products, and I will try to provide reasons why I purchased Samsung ATIV.

Samsung ATIV and ASUS Vivo Tab Pro both runs full Windows 8. This was important to me because I wanted to install some legacy apps, such as Eclipse for doing some coding, Microsoft office and OneNote for some note taking and documenting, and etc. Windows 8 RT was simply not enough and for extra 200-300 bucks, I deemed it unworthy.

Secondly, these two tablets both have its own keyboard dock that follows the aesthetic form of ASUS's TF700T or TF300T, which are the Transformer infinity and Transformer pads. These tablets had a dedicated keyboard dock that would close like an ultrabook which was neat and tidy. I've tried using bluetooth keyboard with a tablet and it was a pain, so I really liked this form factor.

These two tablets had dedicated Wacom digitiser pen included. This was also important because I am an engineer and I often had some note taking to do and some calculations. I've tested S-pen on previously purchased Note 10.1 and I really liked writing on tablet, so I decided to go for these two.

Furthermore, having an Intel Atom processor was a big plus for me. Many would think why one would purchase an Atom when there are i5 or i3 on the market. Well, the biggest reason is battery life. I simply hate carrying around chargers and often there are no outlets to plug it in. By going for Atom, you also remove noisy fan on the back and it is much lighter. I definitely did not need this tablet for gaming or heavy use (which is what my desktop is for) so going for an Atom was a perfect choice.

I decided to purchase ATIV instead of VivoTab pro because I didn't find ASUS tablet noteworthy for extra 200 dollars. They are pretty much the same tablet except the form factor. In my opinion, ASUS's Zenbook-esque tablet is much prettier, and Samsung's blue-ish color on ATIV doesn't catch my attention. However, for 200 dollars, you can get a 64 GB microSD card, a plain black matte skin for the tablet which will make it look nicer, a new digitizer pen with an eraser tip and such. Therefore, after months of researching and struggling, I decided to purchase ATIV.

In Summary:

Pros:
-Long battery life (around 10 hours for me of semi-regular heavy usage
-Wacom based digitizer pen (You can purchase other compatible wacom pens. I bought one today myself)
-microSD slot which increases harddrive space to 128 GB.
-Light weight and no fan
-Full Windows 8. Perfect for non-heavy usage
-Cheaper alternative of convertible tablets
-Awesome keyboard dock with chick layout and feel

Cons:
-Still bit expensive
-Pen is too small for some people
-Tablet is much wider than traditional 10.1 inch tablets. It was not comfortable holding it in the subway
-Lack of accessories
-Some known issues about keyboard or wifi, but not for everyone. These problems are known to be all fixed.

This tablet is for:
-Engineering/Bio or any university students that requires heavy note taking, file management, drawing, calculations, documenting, and such.
-Working people that travels a lot
-Professors who likes to give lecture on a pen-tablet
-E-mail and awesome for using websites like facebook.
-Graphic artists and designers. Absolute must!

This tablet is NOT for:
-Gamers. Period.
-Heavy users that has 20 files open and working on them. The screen is not big enough for that and the tablet won't likely handle it well.

Overall, its been about 2 weeks since I bought this tablet and I've been very happy with my purchase. The start was NOT good since the first tablet I got was defective and did not start up (Got stuck on Auto-repair screen, so when you see such issue, go return it as I have not seen a single solution). I live in Canada (Canadians beware, purchase this tablet ONLY FROM MICROSOFT STORE. Best Buy and Futureshop models are dumbed down models), so I could not purchase from Amazon. I was lucky enough to drive back to the store and get a new one immediately. Staff was friendly enough to make sure that my new device was working perfectly. I am an engineering student + engineer working in the field, so this tablet has been exceptional. I highly recommend this tablet for anyone who is really reconsidering or contemplating, since I've looked into various tablets and struggled on my decision making for a long time. I definitely do not regret buying this tablet.

As a side note, all keyboard and wifi issues have been fixed from Samsung SW updates. Samsung has been very quick with their driver updates. This device originally released with some major software flaws, but they really stepped it up and provided barrage of SW updates. I had to install many updates on the first day and despite not having any problem from the get go, I really do appreciate their effort of making things right. You can check several forums such as TabletPC review and see that most of the people do not have any keyboard issues anymore.

There are some minor disappointments regarding palm rejection. I have included a link to a guide to creating a perfect toggle on/off palm rejection feature in the comments.
If you think the tablet is ugly, Decalrus makes fantastic skins for this device. Some awesome digitizer alternatives are Wacom Bamboo Feel, or Samsung Series 7 Slate Digitizer Pen (AA-DP0NE2B/US).

Get your Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T Now!

Does what I wanted it to do

Seelye Engineering F Stop Media Gallery

This App does exactly what I need, and not a lot that I don't. I don't need to attach mustached caricatures of friends to phone transmissions. I don't need to mess with the social media facebook, flickr and so forth.

What I have is hundreds of pictures scattered across nearly twenty folders. This is my salvation. I have tried more than a dozen other photo albums [Scalado was the best of the rest] and Viewer apps. None of them do what this one does. Simply allow me to create an album that I name. Point to a picture where it is, and put it in the new album. Then I can type in sort tags. It has slide show and favorites and more.

Works great on the Kindle. Works OK on ASUS TF300 T tablet, too. Though in order to bring up the Move/Copy/Rename and Add to Album drop down menu from the Picture List mode thumbnails, you need a looonnngg press. It didn't affect my enjoyment and use of the App. You just have to hold it until the thumbnail picture turns blue. The thumbnail sized pictures in List mode are a nice feature in themselves.

The full paid version allows nested sub albums. Great feature.

Elegant simple intuitive. Excellent. Five stars

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way better than expected!

AI Factory Limited Chess Free

I have enjoyed playing chess since I was ten years old, although I must admit that, after nearly a half century of playing, I'm still not very good at it. In recent years, I've turned to a variety of computer chess programs in an effort to improve my game.

The best computer-based chess program I've faced is also one of the most recent: "Chess Free," another absolutely superior Android-based game published by AI Factory. I purchased this app shortly after I got my Kindle Fire HD. I now have it installed on both my KFHD and my smart phone, and I've been hopelessly addicted to it ever since.

"Chess Free" has a fairly long list of excellent features that should please chess players from beginner to advanced. As with all AI Factory games, graphics are clear, crisp, and simple yet sophisticated. The chess board and pieces are of the traditional 2D design. Touch screen response is immediate; the chess piece movements are always silky-smooth, without a trace of hesitation.

"Chess Free" has ten levels of difficulty, and keeps track of player statistics at all levels. Players can choose to play against the CPU or against other human opponents. The game's underlying chess engine is "Treebeard," which was developed by AI Factory engineers with the intent of making the game challenging but with a more "human-like" feel to it. In this, I think they have succeeded to a remarkable degree. While playing "Chess Free" at its lowest levels, I have seen the "Treebeard" engine make an occasional and unexpected boneheaded move that makes me feel right at home. Yet, even at the easiest levels, I find the game very challenging indeed.

"Chess Free" is ad supported, but the ads are small and unobtrusive. There is also a paid version of the app that removes the ads. This is an excellent game in every respect. Highly recommended!

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Simple yet great

SANOXY Female Micro On The Go Adapter

I have owned cameras in the PowerShot line as well as DSLRs. I purchased this camera to replace an aging PowerShot for everyday use for my family.

The camera as a basic photo box is rather nice. Relative to other point-and-shoot cameras I have owned it is amazing. Relative to my current DSLR tht cost nearly 10x as much it is a bit grainy, but it is on par with my old DSLR from seven years ago. If you just want to point and shoot it does a great job of that.

The camera is in the SX family meaning extended zoom, which it does very well. It has a maximum zoom of 500mm equivalent @ f/6.8. That is a pretty reasonable f-stop at deep zoom, especially when comparing the costs. For comparison, the off-brand Sigma DSLR lens for Canon cameras that reaches 500mm @ f/6.3 costs just over $1000, or much more for on-brand lenses.The picture quality isn't as good as my $3500 DSLR+Lens setup for deep telephoto, but the results are still more than adequate for using on the web professionally.

The camera is full featured. The GPS and auto-tagging is nice for camping and backpacking, or whatever form of travel you are in to. My teens love some of the features like auto-detecting when everyone is smiling and automatically taking a picture, the wink-to-self-timer, and the miniatures mode. Sunsets and flowers look incredible when 'extra vivid' is turned on. It is a good thing it includes all those features because it doesn't have raw data files, which is something I am used to with my DSLRs.

Now the down side.

Canon chose a tiny battery to fit in the tiny case. From an aesthetic viewpoint this makes sense. They want it small, lightweight, travel size. They want it to fit in a pocket.

However, considering the primary use as a travel and camping camera this makes much less sense. Yes, the camera must be conveniently small, but not by sacrificing usability. Recording video goes from a fully charged fresh battery to the camera powering off in about 30 minutes. Leaving the camera on while you walk a trail and take photos gives you slightly more than one hour of battery life.

If you are going camping or backpacking or traveling without a battery charger, plan on going through at least one battery pack per day, possibly more. The battery packs are not very expensive (relatively) which is a good thing because you'll need them.

Get your SANOXY Female Micro On The Go Adapter Now!

Great camera, buy batteries.

Canon PowerShot Digital Stabilized Wide Angle

I have owned cameras in the PowerShot line as well as DSLRs. I purchased this camera to replace an aging PowerShot for everyday use for my family.

The camera as a basic photo box is rather nice. Relative to other point-and-shoot cameras I have owned it is amazing. Relative to my current DSLR tht cost nearly 10x as much it is a bit grainy, but it is on par with my old DSLR from seven years ago. If you just want to point and shoot it does a great job of that.

The camera is in the SX family meaning extended zoom, which it does very well. It has a maximum zoom of 500mm equivalent @ f/6.8. That is a pretty reasonable f-stop at deep zoom, especially when comparing the costs. For comparison, the off-brand Sigma DSLR lens for Canon cameras that reaches 500mm @ f/6.3 costs just over $1000, or much more for on-brand lenses.The picture quality isn't as good as my $3500 DSLR+Lens setup for deep telephoto, but the results are still more than adequate for using on the web professionally.

The camera is full featured. The GPS and auto-tagging is nice for camping and backpacking, or whatever form of travel you are in to. My teens love some of the features like auto-detecting when everyone is smiling and automatically taking a picture, the wink-to-self-timer, and the miniatures mode. Sunsets and flowers look incredible when 'extra vivid' is turned on. It is a good thing it includes all those features because it doesn't have raw data files, which is something I am used to with my DSLRs.

Now the down side.

Canon chose a tiny battery to fit in the tiny case. From an aesthetic viewpoint this makes sense. They want it small, lightweight, travel size. They want it to fit in a pocket.

However, considering the primary use as a travel and camping camera this makes much less sense. Yes, the camera must be conveniently small, but not by sacrificing usability. Recording video goes from a fully charged fresh battery to the camera powering off in about 30 minutes. Leaving the camera on while you walk a trail and take photos gives you slightly more than one hour of battery life.

If you are going camping or backpacking or traveling without a battery charger, plan on going through at least one battery pack per day, possibly more. The battery packs are not very expensive (relatively) which is a good thing because you'll need them.

Get your Canon PowerShot Digital Stabilized Wide Angle Now!

works great

Leather Carrying Tablet Keyboard Stylus

Many of the reviews submitted for this latest Kindle are from very experienced users who have provided excellent detailed comparisons between this Paperwhite model and previous versions of the Kindle. Many also have experience with the iPad, Nook, and other devices, and have provided comparisons to those products as well.

My background with respect to this product is different. The Kindle Paperwhite is my first e-book reader or tablet type device. I have held off dipping my toe into the water of digital reading although I do some on my iPhone and I use my computer extensively. The Paperwhite sounded attractive enough to me that I decided to finally give the Kindle a try. I wanted to see if I would find this to be a good alternative to printed books (of which I have more than I want to admit), or simply for convenience. I ordered it immediately once the ordering process opened, so my Kindle was delivered to me earlier this week.

From this perspective I therefore offer the following:

The Kindle is physically quite small and very comfortable to hold. It has a nice black finish and feels good in the hand. The back surface is rubberized. Appearance is elegant. It is very similar in height and width (but not depth, it is much thinner) to a paperback book and the size has clearly been selected to be the best for a book reader. And as other reviewers have commented, it looks like Amazon has found the "sweet spot" for this kind of product because it is very comfortable to hold in the hand.

Setting up and beginning to use has been easy and troublefree. It powered up, located and sync'd to my home network immediately once password was supplied. Connection to the Kindle store was essentially automatic since the unit came pre-loaded with my profile.

Display is very nice. The text is completely readable in all lighting situations that I have tried so far, and from any angle. The backlighting is very effective and satisfactory. The backlighting is not needed in bright sunlight (obviously), but the Kindle does not seem to sense ambient light and adjust backlighting automatically, so if you use it outdoors then I think you need to remember to turn down the backlighting in order to save some battery life. (Or maybe the draw on the batteries from the LED's is so little that you don't need to worry about it). The whiteness of the display is greatest when the backlighting is at maximum. When it is turned to minimum then the screen is more of a cream color. Many of the comments to this version of the Kindle have focused on the pros and cons of this new backlighted display. I do not find the LED's at the bottom of the screen noticeable at all. If you tilt the Kindle and look for them, you can see them. The slight shadowing at the very bottom of the screen that results from the position of the LED lights is only visible in certain combinations of ambient lighting and backlighting and is not at all distracting to me. When I have looked for it, the very small area of shadowing seems to always be just below the last line of text in a book anyway so I don't feel that it is serious. It is appropriate that the backlighting is receiving a lot of attention on this new model, and it was a big part of the reason for my own purchase as well. To me, overall I give the backlighting a score of 95, recognizing that the technology will likely improve and a couple of years from now there will certainly be a new model without this minor artifact.

Linking to the Amazon store and purchasing new titles is astonishingly easy. I purchased the two Lee Child Kindle short novels (Second Son (Kindle Single), and Deep Down: A Jack Reacher Story), and they were practically on my Kindle before I completed the purchase. It took me a short time to figure out how to "borrow" Kindle books for free (as an Amazon Prime member), since it appears that you can only do that from the Kindle itself (duh). (At first since I'm so used to purchasing from Amazon on my computer, I thought I needed to buy the books for the Kindle that way. You can do it, except I don't think that you can do the "borrow for free" from your computer, you have to do that from the Kindle).

Navigating through the options available on the Kindle is easy, although for a new user some time to read through the user's guide (pre-loaded on the Kindle) is needed. Everything is easy to learn and the basic touch screen techniques needed in order to read books are easily picked up and become automatic very quickly. All is controlled via the touch screen - the only "hard" switch is on-off.

Using the Kindle to read a book is simple and intuitive. Touch the page (or swipe) and it turns to the next page. Touch the left side of the screen (or swipe in reverse) to go back one page. Touch the top of the screen to display the menu bar. Saves your last page when you pause reading. Options for highlighting words or portions of text; ability to select words and look up in dictionary or online; as well as other more sophisticated capabilities that I haven't yet explored.

I wanted a simple and inexpensive e-book reader. This Kindle Paperwhite has many capabilities beyond what I need and I'm sure that as I get used to it, I will find myself taking advantage of them from time to time (web browsing, for example). It does not have audio capability nor was I looking for that. This Kindle does exactly what I want, it works well, and is very elegant and well made.

I am very happy with my purchase and looking forward to many years of enjoyment.

(Update, 11/12/12: I agree with the other reviewers who do not like the personalized recommendations that automatically appear on the screen, and I am very happy to see that Amazon agrees and is planning an update to the software to make this optional at the users decision. That is a nice improvement and as always I'm very glad to see Amazon listening to user feedback and working to improve their products.)

Get your Leather Carrying Tablet Keyboard Stylus Now!

Not sure what all the complaining is about

Kindle Paperwhite Touch light

Many of the reviews submitted for this latest Kindle are from very experienced users who have provided excellent detailed comparisons between this Paperwhite model and previous versions of the Kindle. Many also have experience with the iPad, Nook, and other devices, and have provided comparisons to those products as well.

My background with respect to this product is different. The Kindle Paperwhite is my first e-book reader or tablet type device. I have held off dipping my toe into the water of digital reading although I do some on my iPhone and I use my computer extensively. The Paperwhite sounded attractive enough to me that I decided to finally give the Kindle a try. I wanted to see if I would find this to be a good alternative to printed books (of which I have more than I want to admit), or simply for convenience. I ordered it immediately once the ordering process opened, so my Kindle was delivered to me earlier this week.

From this perspective I therefore offer the following:

The Kindle is physically quite small and very comfortable to hold. It has a nice black finish and feels good in the hand. The back surface is rubberized. Appearance is elegant. It is very similar in height and width (but not depth, it is much thinner) to a paperback book and the size has clearly been selected to be the best for a book reader. And as other reviewers have commented, it looks like Amazon has found the "sweet spot" for this kind of product because it is very comfortable to hold in the hand.

Setting up and beginning to use has been easy and troublefree. It powered up, located and sync'd to my home network immediately once password was supplied. Connection to the Kindle store was essentially automatic since the unit came pre-loaded with my profile.

Display is very nice. The text is completely readable in all lighting situations that I have tried so far, and from any angle. The backlighting is very effective and satisfactory. The backlighting is not needed in bright sunlight (obviously), but the Kindle does not seem to sense ambient light and adjust backlighting automatically, so if you use it outdoors then I think you need to remember to turn down the backlighting in order to save some battery life. (Or maybe the draw on the batteries from the LED's is so little that you don't need to worry about it). The whiteness of the display is greatest when the backlighting is at maximum. When it is turned to minimum then the screen is more of a cream color. Many of the comments to this version of the Kindle have focused on the pros and cons of this new backlighted display. I do not find the LED's at the bottom of the screen noticeable at all. If you tilt the Kindle and look for them, you can see them. The slight shadowing at the very bottom of the screen that results from the position of the LED lights is only visible in certain combinations of ambient lighting and backlighting and is not at all distracting to me. When I have looked for it, the very small area of shadowing seems to always be just below the last line of text in a book anyway so I don't feel that it is serious. It is appropriate that the backlighting is receiving a lot of attention on this new model, and it was a big part of the reason for my own purchase as well. To me, overall I give the backlighting a score of 95, recognizing that the technology will likely improve and a couple of years from now there will certainly be a new model without this minor artifact.

Linking to the Amazon store and purchasing new titles is astonishingly easy. I purchased the two Lee Child Kindle short novels (Second Son (Kindle Single), and Deep Down: A Jack Reacher Story), and they were practically on my Kindle before I completed the purchase. It took me a short time to figure out how to "borrow" Kindle books for free (as an Amazon Prime member), since it appears that you can only do that from the Kindle itself (duh). (At first since I'm so used to purchasing from Amazon on my computer, I thought I needed to buy the books for the Kindle that way. You can do it, except I don't think that you can do the "borrow for free" from your computer, you have to do that from the Kindle).

Navigating through the options available on the Kindle is easy, although for a new user some time to read through the user's guide (pre-loaded on the Kindle) is needed. Everything is easy to learn and the basic touch screen techniques needed in order to read books are easily picked up and become automatic very quickly. All is controlled via the touch screen - the only "hard" switch is on-off.

Using the Kindle to read a book is simple and intuitive. Touch the page (or swipe) and it turns to the next page. Touch the left side of the screen (or swipe in reverse) to go back one page. Touch the top of the screen to display the menu bar. Saves your last page when you pause reading. Options for highlighting words or portions of text; ability to select words and look up in dictionary or online; as well as other more sophisticated capabilities that I haven't yet explored.

I wanted a simple and inexpensive e-book reader. This Kindle Paperwhite has many capabilities beyond what I need and I'm sure that as I get used to it, I will find myself taking advantage of them from time to time (web browsing, for example). It does not have audio capability nor was I looking for that. This Kindle does exactly what I want, it works well, and is very elegant and well made.

I am very happy with my purchase and looking forward to many years of enjoyment.

(Update, 11/12/12: I agree with the other reviewers who do not like the personalized recommendations that automatically appear on the screen, and I am very happy to see that Amazon agrees and is planning an update to the software to make this optional at the users decision. That is a nice improvement and as always I'm very glad to see Amazon listening to user feedback and working to improve their products.)

Get your Kindle Paperwhite Touch light Now!

Great package

DigitalsOnDemand 14 Item Accessory Samsung 10 1 Inch

Everything was great in this bundle. About the screen protector...I thought I had a defective product because the first time I put it on it had tons of bubbles, and no matter what I did, the bubbles stayed...So I was disappointed :-(. Then I actually took a closer look and discovered that there were actually two protector sheets protecting the actual protector. The first time I used the protector that was protected by the one with red sticker...its a big NO NO because this resulted with tons of bubbles...however, when I used the one with the blue sticker, There was no, to little bubbles...and you can actually get rid of the bubbles by pressing on them. There were no instructions on this item...just pictures, so you are left guessing what to do. NOW, my screen looks great and you do not even notice it has a protector covering it. I posted this just in case some of you come across this problem.

Get your DigitalsOnDemand 14 Item Accessory Samsung 10 1 Inch Now!

Samsung ATIV Smart PC

Samsung Contract Windows Keyboard MicrosHDMI

Face it, laptop bags aren't exactly the most exciting thing on earth, but if you pack a laptop around, they are essential to protect your expensive piece of equipment. They aren't all created equally though!

I've had a number of laptop bags over the years, including the traditional black leather look, a backpack, and a messenger bag. The messenger bag was a huge favorite, it just seemed to work easier and take up less space when it wasn't in use. The Timbuk2 bag manages to take the messenger bag style up a step by adding some great features, such as the luggage pass through, the TSA speedy access, and great organization. It doesn't hurt that it is put into a package with some seriously sturdy fabric and weather protection either.

There really aren't any "cons" to this bag, other than the fact that it isn't the cheapest one on the market. About all I can say about that is that we tend to get what we pay for. I've had cheap bags, and they consistently have poor quality workmanship resulting in failure in seams or hardware. I have no worries about that with this bag--I think I'll see it outlive a number of laptops, actually.

The workmanship is top notch, the materials are the same high quality. If you are looking for a quality bag for commuting or traveling with your laptop and other electronic gadgets, this is the answer. It holds a lot and packs it with an eye to both quality and capacity. Sure it isn't going to rate as "trendy" and it won't hold your chihuahua, but it will hold what it's supposed to!

Get your Samsung Contract Windows Keyboard MicrosHDMI Now!

Best bag of any kind I have owned (black, medium bag review)

Timbuk2 Commute Laptop Messenger Black

Face it, laptop bags aren't exactly the most exciting thing on earth, but if you pack a laptop around, they are essential to protect your expensive piece of equipment. They aren't all created equally though!

I've had a number of laptop bags over the years, including the traditional black leather look, a backpack, and a messenger bag. The messenger bag was a huge favorite, it just seemed to work easier and take up less space when it wasn't in use. The Timbuk2 bag manages to take the messenger bag style up a step by adding some great features, such as the luggage pass through, the TSA speedy access, and great organization. It doesn't hurt that it is put into a package with some seriously sturdy fabric and weather protection either.

There really aren't any "cons" to this bag, other than the fact that it isn't the cheapest one on the market. About all I can say about that is that we tend to get what we pay for. I've had cheap bags, and they consistently have poor quality workmanship resulting in failure in seams or hardware. I have no worries about that with this bag--I think I'll see it outlive a number of laptops, actually.

The workmanship is top notch, the materials are the same high quality. If you are looking for a quality bag for commuting or traveling with your laptop and other electronic gadgets, this is the answer. It holds a lot and packs it with an eye to both quality and capacity. Sure it isn't going to rate as "trendy" and it won't hold your chihuahua, but it will hold what it's supposed to!

Get your Timbuk2 Commute Laptop Messenger Black Now!

No Complaints

Elevate 4G Mobile Hotspot CONTRACT

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your Elevate 4G Mobile Hotspot CONTRACT Now!

Works great

Rugged Samsung 7 inch Galaxy Models

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your Rugged Samsung 7 inch Galaxy Models Now!

Great series

Shack Beach House Novel ebook

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your Shack Beach House Novel ebook Now!

Fun

AI Factory Limited Checkers Free

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your AI Factory Limited Checkers Free Now!

Love

David Erosa Collage Kindle Edition

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your David Erosa Collage Kindle Edition Now!

Great game

Odesys LLC Solitaire Free

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your Odesys LLC Solitaire Free Now!

Excellent tablet - workhorse

Asus Nexus 1B32 7 Inch Tablet

A quick background: I own an iPad2, Blackberry Playbook, Surface RT, and Kindle Paperwhite. I bought the Nexus 7 32Gb with cellular 4G mainly because I own a Samsung Note 2 smartphone. The Nexus 7 was $299, without 4G it's $250.

I am not going to compare it to any of the others except the iPad2 and iPad Mini. The Surface RT is not a valid comparison. The Surface RT is a productivity device with a full version of Office and a very cool keyboard/mouse combination. The keyboard snaps in and doubles as a cover. My daughter now uses it for school and loves it.

If you own a regular size iPad, the Nexus 7 takes a few days to adjust to. The 7" form factor at first feels small for a tablet. However, once you start using it you begin to appreciate its portability and fantastic screen resolution. Now for the comparison to the iPad Mini.

Pro's:
1. Android 4.2 OS. It is the crem-de-la-crem (IMHO). I like it better than iOS.

2. Quad core processor. For comparison, the iPad Mini is only a dual core.

3. Screen resolution. The Nexus 7 is HD, the Mini is not the Retina (HD) display found on the regular sized iPad.

4. Apps. Very much in line with Apple. I like some of the Android apps over Apple. For example, the Kindle app on Android is far superior to Apple. Apple does not allow you to purchase publication from the Kindle app... inexcusable.

5. Google play for videos and music. It work really well.

6. 1GB DRAM. The Mini only offers 500Mb. The Nexus 7 is a little speed demon!

7. Batter life. 10 hours. Nice.

8. Standard micro USB charging port. The Mini uses Apples proprietary charging port.

9. Price! The iPad Mini, with far inferior specs, is $200 more than the Nexus 7. If you get 4G, the Mini is $250 more than then Nexus! That is difficult to justify.

Con's:
1. No rear facing camera. I NEVER take pictures or videos with a tablet so this is a worthless feature to me.

2. No memory expansion slot. 32Gb provides plenty of space but a built in microSD slot would be nice. The Mini does not offer one either.

3. No HDMI port. You can buy an add-on to hook into a TV if this is important. The Mini also does not offer a built-in HDMI port.

That's it for now. I will update my review after using it for a month or two.

Get your Asus Nexus 1B32 7 Inch Tablet Now!

Works Like a Charm!

Kingston MicroSDHC Adapter SDC4 16GB

This is a great product for anyone who has a cellphone that can use a microSDHC card. It works great on my Nokia E71 and completes the phones memory with a much larger availability of storage. I have over 200 songs on the card now and it still isn't even close to being filled.

Couple of things; this is a Class 4 with a minimum transfer speed of 4.0MB/s so its not the fastest card available (Class 6's can go up to 45.0MB/s, but since microSDHC cards seem to usually be reserved for cellphones there is really not much for need the increased speed. Considering the size of the card, it seems very easy to break or lose, which is something you should keep in mind if you have never used a microSD/HC card before. However, both the plastic for the adapter and the card itself feel relatively similar and durable as some more expensive memory cards that I own from Sony or Sandisk.

Other than that, I can see no real discernible difference in quality nor functionality between this and some bigger name brands. I have used a variety of Kingston products and have never been disappointed by them; they seem to be a good company that offers a range of products at hard to beat prices.

Get your Kingston MicroSDHC Adapter SDC4 16GB Now!

This is the 1080p version (Blu-ray comparison review)

Masterpiece Downton Original Version Season

Season one of Downton Abbey set a very high bar. Despite others calling this a 'soap opera', I watched with an open mind and am glad I did. One of my partner's best friends lives in the UK and told us to check this out. I have to say that I was impressed almost instantly. The show is amazingly beautiful. The setting is perfect, the costumes accurate, and the acting superlative.

This is not 'The Tudors' or some crap like that (no offense if you enjoy that program, but you probably won't like this program if you enjoy that one). This is stately, slow moving, and interesting social drama from 1910s and 1920s Britain high society. There are some 'plots' among the characters, but nothing too out of the ordinary. The crew did hire a historian to make sure that things were not getting too squirrely.

What we see is the inner working of a large estate seen mainly from the servants' points of view. We do get to know the aristocratic family, mainly the eldest daughter and the Lord, but we also get a delightful amount of screen time from an amazing Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess.

There are a lot of British subtleties here, and the first series deals with inheritance laws and such, so those not too familiar might be a little lost at first... but after the first episode that becomes the story in the background and the characters' relationships (friendships most often... very rarely romantic entanglements ensue - which was the norm back then) take center stage. There are a couple of servants who wish to 'move up' the ranks and they hatch some devious plots to discredit some of the more respected servants. The daughters all seem to have their own agenda and the eldest and middle daughter do connive against each other quite a lot with some pretty disastrous results.

Season two continues the story, but we are focused less on the inheritance and more on the effects of World War One on the people living and working in Downton. The show delves deeper into individual character's backgrounds and we finally see Vera in this season, who does a good job of becoming an important antagonist.

However, there is a little more melodrama and a bit of whining that gets old (looking at you Daisy!). The daughters are all well portrayed and they all seem to have matured in their own way. The eldest daughter was getting on my nerves a little bit in the first half of the first season, but in this season, her character is a delight to watch.

There are more surprises in this season, more of those catchy TV series moments that big budget American studios like to throw in... but this doesn't really detract from the overall quality and wonderful acting in this season. Compared to season one it is not quite as good, but compared to dozens of other dramas on television, this is head and shoulders above the rest. And also, this is not BBC, this is Masterpiece Classics. Not BBC.

Also of note, the clarity, even on the regular DVD version, is much better in this season. Even my DVD copy looks nearly HD. If I had known that, I would have sprung for the Blu-Ray. Oh well..No

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