Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips
Gadget News: New IPod Alert
It was Oscar Wilde who said, "I can resist everything but temptation." That holds true, for me at least. Apple has replaced its best-selling IPod Mini line with the IPod Nano--and resisting the temptation to purchase one is not only futile, it's no fun at all.
One day after seeing pictures of the Nano online, and reading Walt Mossberg's glowing review in The Wall Street Journal, I went to Apple.com and used 1-Click ordering. (Why beat around the bush?) Within seconds, I had arranged to have a black 4GB IPod Nano ($249) begin its journey toward my impatient, impulsive self.
Gripes? A few. The 14-hour battery life is 4 hours shy of the Mini's, and you only get 4GB of storage as opposed to the Mini's 6GB. But who gives a flip? The Nano (especially the black one) is a dazzler, with its super-thin profile, color screen, scroll wheel, the ability to display photos, and--a plus for runners, such as myself--a stopwatch function. I also purchased a gray armband ($29) to go with my black Nano.
So a word to the wise: Click this link at your own risk, and don't say you weren't warned.
For another take on the Nano, read Edward Albro's review, "Apple's Minuscule iPod Nano Dazzles."
Notebook Review: Toshiba Tecra Convertible
Toshiba's well-designed new Tecra M4-S515 convertible notebook is easy to use as a Tablet PC, and it has plenty of ports available in both tablet and laptop modes. However, our test unit's touchpad didn't function properly, though the eraserhead device worked fine. Our unit cost $2484. Read Carla Thornton's review for details.
Portable Storage: Tiny DiskGo Hard Drive
The new DiskGo 2.5" Ultra Portable Hard Drive is a sleek, aluminum-encased hard drive designed for portable storage and backup. The hard drive is slim enough to slip into a pocket, gets its power from your computer's USB port, and comes in capacities from 20GB ($89) to 100GB ($220).
Suggestion Box
Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.
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