May 5th, 2005
Digital Gear: Jacks-of-Many-Trades
Agam Shah
IDG News Service
For some people, the more a device can do, the better it is. For
example, Creative Technology's Zen Micro can do more than just play
songs. And a swivel screen adds more capabilities to Gateway's M275
laptop.
Meanwhile, Kanguru Solutions, which last year released the versatile
Slim FC-RW all-in-one portable DVD player, CD recorder, and flash card
reader, goes the opposite direction with the Zipper Pro, a portable
20GB USB hard drive that handles storage only.
Creative Zen Micro
Introduced last November, Creative Technology's Zen Micro portable
digital audio player's versatile features could appeal to some. In
addition to playing MP3 files, it can serve as a voice recorder and a
radio. However, when I recently tried the player, I found it difficult
to use: The keys didn't appear to function, and the manual was not
helpful. I finally figured out that the keys are not very sensitive,
and that I had to keep pressing down to get a response.
After I figured out how to use the keys, the Zen Micro ran like a gem.
MP3 files sounded crisp with Shure headphones; the FM radio gave me
clear access to local jazz music; and the battery just kept running.
The company claims it runs for up to 12 hours; an additional battery
can be plugged in once the main battery runs out of juice.
The Zen Micro can download digital music from services supporting
Microsoft's Windows Media Player 10. These include Microsoft MSN
Music, Musicmatch, and Napster, said Lara Vacante, a Creative
Technology spokesperson. The Zen Micro doesn't work with Apple's
ITunes Music Store, which uses Apple's proprietary digital rights
management format.
Measuring 2 by 3.3 by 0.7 inches, the Zen Micro is easy to hold. It's
small and light enough to take to work every day, though it isn't as
small as Apple's IPod Mini. It comes with a one-year warranty that
becomes void by "normal wear and tear" and "undue physical ...
stress," so think twice before taking it for a jog.
The Zen Micro is available in ten colors with capacities of 4GB
($179), 5GB ($229), and 6GB ($249). An additional battery costs $40.
In August, Creative plans to start selling the Zen Micro Photo, an MP3
player with an Organic Light-Emitting Diode display that will display
262,000 colors. This is something users are looking forward to,
Vacante said. I am too.
The PC World Product Finder has pricing and specs for the Zen Micro:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/440953/15377830/971341/0/
For another take on the player, read the PC World review:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/440953/15377830/971342/0/
Swivel the Screen
It's not thin and quick, but the Gateway M275 laptop running Windows
XP Tablet PC Edition offers great versatility. Its coolest feature is
a 14.1-inch swivel screen, which can rotate 180 degrees and cover the
keyboard to turn the notebook into a Tablet PC. In this configuration,
with the digitizer pen as a mouse, I used the M275 as a personal DVD
player, a gaming PC, a note pad, and a TV. While watching a baseball
game on it, I was able to swivel the screen 180 degrees to let someone
sitting opposite me take a look at the action.
In my tests, the eight-cell lithium-ion battery ran for 2.5 hours on a
single charge, which is somewhat less than the 4 hours Gateway claims
it should last. The machine felt heavy as notebooks go--the touch
screen's protective glass covering probably contributed to its
weight--but it could be a good home PC replacement. Configured with
Intel's 1.8-GHz Pentium M 745, a 60GB hard drive, 512MB DDR SDRAM, a
memory card reader, an integrated wireless 802.11b/g card, and a
CD-RW/DVD combination drive, the M275XL costs $1699.
Kanguru Zippers It Up
Need a 20GB portable storage device that fits in a shirt pocket? Look
at the tough Zipper Pro USB hard drive from Kanguru Solutions, a
division of Interactive Media. Based on IBM's Microdrive technology,
the $200 Zipper Pro weighs 1.4 ounces and is 1.1 inches wide. Its
exterior alloy enclosure can absorb small hits, the company says. The
Zipper Pro is currently only Windows-compatible, but Kanguru says it
will soon become compatible with Mac OS X.
Go to our Product Finder for pricing and specs:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/440953/15377830/971343/0/
Have a question or comment? Write to Agam Shah:
digitalgear at pcworld.com
Read Agam Shah's regularly published "Digital Gear" columns:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/440953/15377830/806527/0/
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"Until last October, Christ had a very limited involvement in my life. I believed in God; I just never had to prove I believed. Belief is an absence of proof."
-- Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling
