The One (And a Half) Month Later iPad Review.

So the iPad has been out for a over a month now and I have been using it that entire time.  You knew that I would have one of these right out of the gate or what kind of Gadget Geek would I be?  I wanted to wait a bit to write this because a lot of the reviews that came out right when it launched were either geek-fueled love-fests or Apple hating diatribes about everything wrong with not only the iPad but Apple itself.  Also, I have written many a review of a gadget only to change my opinion (sometimes for better but mostly for worse) less than a month after using it.  So, I decided to put the iPad through its paces to see if I would actually use it or whether it would be a really expensive paperweight.

First off, let me say that I was really torn at first on whether or not to get an iPad.  The gadget addled part of my brain that is always looking for the ultimate geek toy didn’t question the fact that I wanted, nay, NEEDED the iPad.  The practical side of me questioned if I really needed what was arguably just a huge iPod Touch, especially considering the fact that I already have a desktop computer, a laptop, and two iPods.

Like everyone else (well every other geek at least), I was stoked about the rumors of an Apple tablet, but the supposed specs for the then unnamed iPad got really out of control.  People began to think that this would be the ultimate personal computer and you would never need anything else.  The Kindle would be dead, people would all cancel their cable TV, and world peace would commence shortly after it launched.

When Steve Jobs finally showed his ‘magical’ device to the world, everyone couldn’t help but to be disappointed (including myself).  Apple had let the fervor get a little out of control, and while it did give them great ‘buzz’ it kind of bit them in the rear.  People complained about everything from the lack of a camera, to the size of the screen, to even it’s name (I actually assumed that is what the name would be before it even launched, if fits with the Apple naming scheme).

I was so disappointed that I wrote the whole thing off and actually spent the money I had saved up for the iPad on a new camera instead (well, PART of a new camera).  But then Apple started showing little bits and pieces of what the iPad could do in interviews and on the web.  I got hooked all over again – though still with that nagging voice in the back of my head saying that I didn’t really need it.

Eventually, I made a deal with myself and just said that I would wait until my birthday in the summer to get one.  That would give Apple time to come up with accessories for it and for developers to come out with really cool apps (plus, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the regular version or the 3G enabled one that only just launched about a few weeks ago).  My wife gave me two months until I broke down and bought one, it ended up being three days.  I couldn’t buy the iPad on launch day since I was out of town but I did get to play with one two days later (Monday) and the next day I owned one.

I haven’t regretted a single day since.  I can wholeheartedly say that the iPad is my favorite gadget of all time (until the Apple comes up with the next big thing that is).  I use it far more than I ever thought I would.   Even my wife, who was pretty skeptical about me getting one (since she has on more than one occasion given me an ‘I told you so’ after I regretted buying some new gadget or another) wishes she had one.  Though the fact that for the price of an iPad she could buy a pair of designer shoes prevents her from getting one.  I use it a lot at night in bed while my wife is watching TV and when I would either be reading a news magazine, or a book, or be surfing the web on my laptop.  Now I can do both with one device that is eminently more capable than the sum of its’ parts.

The iPad is so much more than an oversized iPod Touch.  All you have to do is surf the Internet on an iPad and you will see just how different they are.  Surfing the Internet and touching links with your fingers instead of using a mouse just feels ‘right’.  I don’t know what it is, but just doing pretty much anything on this thing is really cool, even typing a review article.  I have typed this entire article using the Pages App and the on-screen keyboard.  While it took a bit of getting used to not having keys click under my fingers, I got to the point rather quickly to where I was typing almost as fast as I do on a regular keyboard, which is pretty darn fast.

No matter how fast the iPad is, it wouldn’t matter if it didn’t have great Apps to run really fast.  Apple and a lot of other developers have delivered them in spades and it has only been out for a little over a month!  I can’t wait to see what kinds of games and Apps that are out for this thing by this fall.  One note, Apple made a big ballyhoo about being able to use iPhone Apps on the iPad but I wouldn’t bother.  Even when blowing them up to the full screen size, they still don’t look right and don’t perform nearly as well as Apps that are made specifically for the iPad.  Just wait for them to update the iPhone version, it will be worth the wait.

One of my favorite Apps for the iPad is a cookbook – believe it or not.  Actually it is two cookbooks, Epicurious and BigOven.  Both tap into huge databases of recipes, many with pictures, and serve them up on this beautiful screen and it is so much more fun to ‘surf’ than a real cookbook.  You can then buy a stand for your iPad and have it right next to you while you cook and during really boring lulls in the cooking, you can play a game or two or just surf the web.  Another cool App is Star Walk, which is an awesome planetarium and star map right in your hand.  It even uses the compass in your iPad to change the view if you hold it up and turn different directions, so you can use it to figure out what star it what when outside at night (it even can change the screen to red on black to help preserve your night vision).

If you love your Kindle or have been thinking of getting one, the iPad outdoes the Kindle in virtually every way (other than reading outside in bright sunlight, and even that is not that bad). Amazon has a Kindle App for the iPad so you can read all the books you have already bought and Apple has their own iBooks App that has its’ own bookstore in iTunes.  Both are very similar when it comes to reading books and even buying them, though the iBooks titles are typically pricier than the Amazon ones (which is a whole other issue that I don’t have time to go into here).

A lot of tech pundits said that the iPad was too basic for a techie like me and too complicated for everyone else; I couldn’t disagree more.  The iPad has turned into a prefect companion device for me and has been seeing a lot more use than my laptop over the last month.  As for tech neophytes, the iPad is simple enough and feature rich enough to take the place of many peoples’ home computers or at least their netbooks.  If you are really thinking about getting a netbook computer, reconsider and check out an iPad first.  If all you ever use a computer for is surfing and checking your email, I can’t think of a better device for doing just that, than an iPad.  Anyone who uses a computer for pretty much anything short of full on graphics applications or bleeding edge gaming can probably do everything they do on a desktop or laptop computer on an iPad.  A friend did point out to me that you do need a computer to sync up your iTunes music and transfer over your pictures.  Though if you are just starting out and don’t have an iTunes library, you can just buy you music and download it directly to the iPad, and as for your pictures, there is a new adapter that allows you to download your pictures straight from a SD memory card and into your iPad.

Pictures are another place where the iPad really shines.  Flipping through a virtual photo album and showing off your vacation pictures on the iPad screen is nothing short of a ‘wow’ moment.  In fact, the iPad can double as one of those digital picture frames with the press of a button.  You put your iPad in a stand and it will run a slideshow of all of your pictures for anyone to see when you aren’t using it.

I could go on and on about the virtues of the iPad, but really all I have to say is that you owe it to yourself to take a look at one at your local Apple store or certain Best Buy stores, especially if you are in the market for a new laptop or netbook.  I haven’t even scratched the surface on everything the iPad can do or will be able to do as soon as someone writes an App for it and it is already my go-to computer in my house.  I bet for most people, it would end up being the same for them as well.  Here is a link to one of my favorite websites, Gizmodo and their take on an iPad replacing their laptop (Gizmodo Article).

The iPad is priced as follows:

Wi-Fi only

16GB $499

32GB $599

64GB $699

Wi-Fi + 3G (3G data plan sold separately).

16GB $629

32GB $729

64GB $829

Unless you are going to be using this a lot for surfing the web where you know you won’t have Wi-Fi available (which has become pretty widespread and will only continue to get better) I would recommend that you get just the Wi-Fi version.  The 3G data plans, while somewhat reasonably priced and not tied to a contract, are a tad skimpy with their bandwidth.  Plus surfing the web using the 3G network on your iPad after blazing around using Wi-Fi will make you feel like somebody broke your iPad.  Plus if you really need to check your mail or the web while away from a Wi-Fi hotspot, just use the phone in your pocket.

As always if you have any questions, or would like me to review a certain gadget, feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.  Have a great summer!  If you can tear yourself away from your cool new iPad!

Is That a Computer in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?

When many people talk of awesome technological achievements, they often cite landing a man on the Moon or launching a fleet of satellites that can pinpoint your position to within three feet anywhere on the planet. I personally think that one of the most awesome technological achievements of mankind is right under many people’s fingertips every day (maybe even yours right now if you are reading this online at www.healthandleisureonline.com). That technological marvel is the computer, but more specifically, mobile computers like laptops and the new classes: notebook computers and Ultra Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC).

Many people take these wonders of technological innovation for granted. But when you consider these innovations have more power than many supercomputers of the not too distant past, do not take up an entire room or weigh in at several tons, but in fact can rest comfortably in your hand and can weigh as little as ONE POUND; that is amazing!

First off, I would like to thank faithful reader Johnny B. for writing in and requesting that I review some of the latest and greatest in ultra-mobile computing. A lot of people get confused on the different classes of mobile computers; is it a laptop, or a notebook, or is it a UMPC? A quick rule of thumb is that if you really do need to put it on your lap, or better yet, a desk to use it, it’s a laptop computer (though some of these ‘laptops’ can weigh in at over 10 pounds which means you better have a well padded lap to use them).

A notebook computer typically weighs less than four pounds and may also be called an ultraportable computer since now every computer manufacturer wants to call their laptop a notebook because it sounds lighter even if it still weighs 10 pounds. The ultraportable designation is more accurately used for the new class of low powered computers that are intended as second portable computers (or first computer for kids) and are an offshoot of the One Laptop Per Child initiative. The other major class of portable computers is the UMPC and these can typically weigh much less than two pounds and can be seen as either a really tiny laptop or a really big smartphone (without the phone capabilities).

So let’s take a look at some the best from the two smallest categories, the ultraportable and the UMPCs.

Ultraportable Computers

These computers are best suited for students and business travelers who don’t need monster computing power to get the job done. All they really need is a platform to type notes on or to do some web surfing.

Asus Eee PC 4G

The first Eee PC was launched last year to fantastic reviews and really helped to define the ultraportable, low-cost, low-power computer. The 4G is the updated version that now uses the Windows operating system instead of just Linux making it much more mainstream. The 4G sports a 7” screen, 512MB of RAM, a 4GB solid state drive (SSD) which has no moving parts and uses a lot less power than a traditional hard drive, and Windows XP Home edition. With specs like that, you are not going to be tearing up the world in high end video games or doing serious graphical work in Photoshop, but it will give you more than enough “oomph” to run Word, or Excel, and your favorite web browser.

The biggest drawback on the 4G is it’s very small storage capacity of only 4GB (only half of which is available due to the software already loaded on it) which you can fill up very quickly with very little effort. The great thing is that the 4G does have a SD card slot so you can easily double the memory for less than $50. The next biggest drawback would be the keyboard. The 4G is only 8.8 by 6.5 inches and that doesn’t leave a lot of real estate for a good-sized keyboard. While not as bad as a keyboard on a Blackberry, it definitely takes some getting used to if you are used to a full sized keyboard. Also, the 7” screen, while more than useable, does only have a max resolution of 800 x 480 so you will have to do a lot of scrolling, especially on web pages.

The beauty of the 4G is the fact that you get a very usable computer that can fit in a large pocket or small bag, weighs only two pounds, and best of all only costs $399 (which is about the same price as a 16GB iPod Touch). If you are looking for an inexpensive and small computer for either a student or yourself, you can’t go wrong with the Asus Eee PC 4G.

(Note: By the time this is published in July there ought to be a newer version of the 4G called the 12G widely available, with a larger hard drive (12GB for the windows version), a 9” screen, and an upgrade to 1GB of RAM. The keyboard is still the same size and it also costs about $200 more. They were limited in supply at the time of writing this and I was not able to play with one.)

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC

For $200 more than the Asus Eee PC 4G you can take care of a lot of the Eee’s biggest drawbacks. The HP 2133 replaces the mostly plastic body of the 4G with a magnesium alloy chassis making it feel like a much more substantial device. The HP 2133 also sports a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, a 9” screen with 1280 x 800 resolution, and best yet an almost full sized keyboard while only adding about .9 pounds to the weight and two inches to the width.

The HP 2133 takes the ultraportables and makes them extremely useful. While you still won’t be scorching any heavy duty programs with it due to the underpowered processor, you do get more than enough power to run Office programs and your web browser. The Hp 2133 does use Windows Vista Home Basic and could have gotten a bit more performance if they had stuck to using Windows XP. The HP 2133 does have an upgrade version for $749 in which you get a faster hard drive (though not more space), an extra GB of RAM (for a total of 2GB), and Vista Business (not sure if I would call that an upgrade).

The two biggest drawbacks for the HP 2133 are it’s processor and it’s battery life. The processor isn’t even an Intel based chip and in many ways underperforms some handheld devices. It would have been nice if HP had either used a slightly more expensive low-power chip or waited until the new Intel Atom chip came out later this year which is specifically designed for ultraportables. The battery life isn’t nearly as good as the Asus Eee and therefore, turns in about two hours of work time before needing to be plugged in. This is mainly due to the larger screen and traditional hard drive. You can double this power with an upgraded battery but this destroys the sleek form of the 2133 and adds quite a bit more weight.

While the HP 2133 is definitely a looker and has the best ergonomics out of the ultraportables, I would hold off and wait until they upgrade the processor to one of the current Intel chips or the new Atom chip this fall.

Ultra Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC)

So what is the major difference between and ultraportable and a UMPC? While the ultraportable computers mentioned above are really just very svelte laptops, the UMPCs that I am going to write about here are really more like a Blackberry on steroids. Oh yeah, and about a $1000 difference in price! Hey, that ‘roid habit is an expensive one!

Sony VAIO UX390

The Sony UX390 is less like a Blackberry on steroids than it is like a Sidekick on steroids. At 5.9 inches wide, by 3.7 inches deep, by 1.5 inches thick, the UX390 is easily the smallest of the UMPCs that is still a fully functional computer. While only weighing 1.1 pounds, having all that weight in such a small device definitely makes the UX390 feel, well…dense, to say the least.

You have to give it to Sony when it comes to designing devices with flair. In fact, I would only rate them behind Apple for their design department. While implementing a feat of engineering and design genius with the UX390, Sony did drop the ball on the whole ergonomics thing. I had always thought that it would be easier to type on my smartphone’s keyboard if it were just a bit thicker so that I could keep a better hold on it, but the UX390 proved me wrong. The keys feel about the same as those on a smartphone and have about as much tactile feedback, which is to say they have virtually none. Also, the keyboard has a slightly different layout and is missing what I consider to be some very important buttons such as a shift key on the right side (you try hitting the @ symbol using your thumbs while only having a shift key on the left) and the page up/down keys which are imperative with such a small screen for scrolling webpages.

The screen on the UX390, while small at only 4.5 inches, does look beautiful. I have to point out though that I have 20/10 vision and have no problem with small type, while someone with 20/20 or less might have problems reading much of the text on the screen. The screen is also touch sensitive which is helpful since the only other method for moving the cursor on the screen is a rubberized thumb stick on the right side of the device, which isn’t as useful as you might think (though to be fair, you might get more proficient with it over time).

The Sony UX390 actually does pretty darn well running a lot of programs thanks to the Intel Core Solo processor, the 1GB of RAM, and the 32GB SSD. The UX390 actually runs Windows Vista Business fairly well and can actually handle several programs open at once, unlike the ultraportables mentioned above. Also, for such a small device, you get a decent amount of work time out of the battery which clocks in at about three and a half hours of use.

The biggest drawback for the UX390 is its price which is supposed to be about $2,500, though you can find them on Amazon for about $1200 as of my writing this column. It does look like Sony might be moving on from the whole UMPC platform so if you want the UX390, you might want to move on it now.

Samsung Q1 Ultra

The Samsung Q1 Ultra really is a Blackberry on steroids. It is just too bad that the keyboard didn’t receive a few doses itself. The keys are very similar to those on a Blackberry with the exception that one half are on one side of the screen while the other half is on the other side which, after holding the Q1, makes a lot of sense (doesn’t make it any easier to type but the keys at least fall under both thumbs). The Q1 features a 7” touch screen, a 60GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and is loaded with Windows Vista Premium – which this thing has no business running. Perhaps if they had bumped the memory up to 2GB of RAM, the Q1 might have pulled it off, but with only 1GB it needs to be using Vista Basic at best or better yet, Windows XP. (There is a version of the Q1 called the Premium XP which has an 80GB hard drive and does utilize Windows XP, though I did not get my grubby little hands on one so I can’t say for sure that it runs better than the Ultra but I’m betting dollars to donuts that it does.)

At only 9 inches wide, by 4.9 inches deep, and .9 inches thick, the Q1 is larger than the Sony UX390 and even though it weighs more at 1.5 pounds, it doesn’t seem as heavy because it doesn’t feel as dense as the Sony device. Most of the real estate on the Q1 is taken up by the 7” screen, hence the teeny-tiny keyboard but it does show off its best feature which is the beautiful screen that does a great job displaying documents and websites since it uses a resolution of 1280 x 600.

The only other thing of note about the Q1 is the interesting layout of the other input buttons. The thumbstick is on the left side while the left and right mouse buttons are on the right, which is a bit backward from similar layouts on other devices such as the Sony UX390. Most people gravitate towards using their right hand for moving a mouse since that is what they are used to but it doesn’t take long to get used to this set up (well for me at least, but I am left handed). There is also a little four way input device on the right side that acts as your arrow keys on a typical keyboard, this combined with the touch screen makes for many different input options to suit many tastes.

The Q1 Ultra is priced at about $1200 but it can be found for as little as $750 online. If you think that this is the perfect device for you, I would highly recommend you search out the Premium XP edition, though I did not see any real deals for it and it actually costs a bit more at $1350. I did notice online that there are quite a few websites that show how to upgrade the Ultra to make better use of Vista. If you are the type that doesn’t mind cracking open the case of your computers. It might be in your best interest to buy it for $750 and for about $100 and a few hours of your time, make the Q1 Ultra the way it should have been made.

Well that is it for this month. Thanks again to Johnny B. for the idea (keep them coming folks), and as always if you have any questions or comments, feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

‘Green’ Gadgets

I’m going to let you in on a deep, dark, personal secret… I’m a tree-hugger. Yes, the gadget guy is also the green guy (I was only kidding a few issues back when I said I like my gadgets to dim the lights three states away when they are plugged in). You may think that it is impossible to be a gadget guy AND be green, but in fact, it is us gadget guys that are going to save the planet, one LED light at a time.

Now I know that this is a hot topic these days and people get all riled up on both sides of the argument, but the fact of the matter is, why waste it if you don’t have to? Regardless of whether or not it is our fault that the ice caps are melting or that coral reefs are dying, just because you have a ton of something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t conserve it.

I’m not a real fan of guilt-tripping people into changing their ways; I think that most people want to do what is right for themselves, their children and the planet. In the past though, it has typically been A LOT harder (and more expensive) to be a conservationist than to go along with the norm and be wasteful.

That equation has changed quite a bit over the last several years and now it just makes sense to become more of a conservationist, not only for the environment but also for your pocket book. The thing that has changed this whole equation is technology. Technology has allowed for some previously expensive solutions to become the easier choice. I would like to share a few of my favorite gadgets that you can get right now – or in the very near future – that will not only help conserve our resources, but will also conserve a few dead presidents in your wallet (in the long run).

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL): I have converted virtually all the lights in my house to CFLs and while they might not turn on instantaneously and some may take a minute to warm up for their full brightness, they are among the cheapest and easiest gadgets to use to green up your home. They may cost a bit more than traditional incandescent bulbs. But, that difference has come down dramatically over the last few years as their popularity has increased. The fact that they use 65-75% less electricity and last years longer than an incandescent bulb really tips the scales in their favor.

Some people may complain about the 5 milligrams of mercury in each bulb, but as long as they are disposed of in a proper manner (i.e. not just thrown in the waste basket which you shouldn’t even do with incandescent bulbs) that isn’t really an issue. Also, to counter that argument, if you get your electricity from a coal fired plant you will actually reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment by the reduced energy consumption.

If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars (THAT, my friends, is a lot of conservation with very little effort).

Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lights: Within the next year you will see a new light hit the streets… the LED light. Actually these lights are already available all over the place as keychain lights, flashlights, and even a few larger home floodlights, but soon their efficiency and cost will get to the point to make them much more practical for lighting your house.

LEDs have been around forever but it has taken engineers a long time to perfect a white light LED (red and blue LEDs are relatively easy to produce). LED fixtures will use a larger array of individual lights to provide an instantly bright source of white light (to counter the biggest complaints against CFLs). The beauty of LEDs over CFLs – in addition to their quicker response times – is that they have the potential to use even less power and last longer than CFLs; saving you even more money on your electric bill.

Rechargeable Batteries: Batteries can help save the world? Yep, they sure can! By helping to prevent the throwing away of over 1000 alkaline batteries (since you can charge most rechargeable batteries over 1000 times) you are preventing a ton (literally) of toxic trash being put into our landfills. Rechargeable batteries used to be pretty crummy and didn’t hold their charges very well but nowadays they often outperform their alkaline brethren.

Some new ‘hybrid’ batteries such as the Eneloop battery by Sanyo come out of the package precharged and actually hold on to 80% of their charge one year after coming out of the charger (older rechargeables would be dead within months). These ‘hybrid’ batteries are especially great for low use items such as remote controls since they don’t drain as much over time. Many rechargeables also have higher charge capabilities (look for higher mAh numbers on the side of the battery, 2300 mAh or higher for a AA is great) and can do a better job in a lot of gadgets, such as cameras, than alkalines. Do the planet a favor and get several packs of rechargeables and properly dispose of all those dead alkalines.

Low-Flow Shower Heads: Is a shower head really a gadget? It is when they design it with multiple air intake valves to boost spray power and make a 1.8 Gallon Per Minute (GPM) flow feel like that of a regular 2.5 – 5 GPM shower head. Some even have variable rates that let you adjust the flow depending on what your needs are at any given time (more for rinsing off, less for lathering up). These are a double whammy in the conservation department since they help to conserve both water and energy. They help stretch out your hot water supply so your hot water heater doesn’t have to run as often.

Power Strips: Ah, the ubiquitous power strip that resides behind virtually every desk and entertainment system in America. Did you know that they can help you take a huge chunk out of you energy bill? You may think that just because an electrical device is turned off that it is not really drawing that much power but some devices draw almost as much power in their ‘stand-by’ modes as they do fully on. By plugging in groups of devices that are only used every now and then into one power strip and turning the strip off when the devices aren’t in use, you can dramatically cut this phantom power drain.

Alarm clocks in guest rooms that aren’t in constant use can be shut down and then reset when guests stay over. Entertainment systems can be shut down when you are away on vacation since many modern TVs and cable boxes will synch up through their cable once they are turned back on. Also, don’t leave chargers plugged in. If you are not actively charging a cell phone or some other device, unplug the charger.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help conservation efforts and your wallet. All of them take very little investment in the beginning and often begin to pay you back immediately. The biggest thing though that you can do is just reduce your usage of energy, water, and materials. Out of the whole Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle mantra of the environmental movement, I would argue that reducing your usage of resources makes the biggest impact right from the beginning and will save you money right from the get-go.

That is it for me and my soapbox for now. As always, if you have any questions or have an idea for an article, please feel free to write me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Gadgets & Gear: March 2008

Thank you to the numerous readers who have either written in or I have met on the street for saying such nice things about my humble column, Gadgets and Gear. I’m glad that I have been able to help so many of you make sense out of all the techno gibberish out there and help you buy the right item to best fit your needs. I also appreciate it when you help me come up with a topic for my article; especially, when my editor is breathing down my neck and I’m banging my head on my desk trying to come up with a topic that isn’t just cool to me (I can’t write every article on photography or video games).

In just the last month, I have received an overwhelming request for a review on digital camcorders and since I aim to please, I have spent many hours distilling the sea of information out there to something you can actually use.

The Nuts and Bolts

What are the main considerations you want to think about when buying a camcorder? You might think that there are tons of things you have to research before picking the right camcorder for you, but believe it or not, when you take a step back and look at them all, they have a heck of a lot more in common than a lot of other electronic gear out there.

The first thing you have to ask yourself is: “What do I plan on doing with all the video I shoot with this thing?” Now, be honest with yourself on this one. I know several people, who will remain nameless, that shoot more video than Stanley Kubrick on speed but have yet to ever watch a single frame of said video. I know a lot less people who actually will take their video, edit it (the most overlooked but probably most important part next to taking good footage in the first place), and make an actual coherent ‘film’ out of their work. This question doesn’t have to be an either/or, it is a bit of a spectrum. But, you need to figure out where you fit in that spectrum if you are going to make the best purchase for yourself and get a camcorder you will actually use.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t own a camcorder. I have coveted many of them, have spent hours ogling them in the store, and even more hours researching them, but I know where I lie on that spectrum I just mentioned above. I would be the one who would take the time to edit all the video I took down to a cohesive film. Problem is, I already spend a ton of time working on my photos, so much so that I don’t get to spend near enough time taking them. I don’t need something else to take away from my time behind the lens of my still-camera. I’ll stick to being a photographer and not try to also be a videographer.

So, why is this such a big question; because the answer to this one question will eliminate about half, if not more, of your possible selections of cameras. It will determine the format you save your video to and how easy it is to edit.

If you are one of those people who has little kids and just wants to archive (read: film but rarely watch again) all the little ‘firsts’ in their life, you are probably going to want to look into a camcorder that uses mini-DVDs for your recording format. That is because the DVDs are already an archival format and when you do want to watch them, they are readily played in most DVD players. If you want quick little video snips of parties or your vacation, you may want to consider a memory card based camera due to their easy portability and the fact that you don’t need a ton of recording time. If you plan on doing some editing on your home computer and later burning DVDs for the whole world to see, I would look at either the MiniDV or hard drive based models (nowadays I would lean towards the hard drive unless you are really on a budget).

Something else that I get asked about a lot regarding camcorders is about using them to take still pictures. My advice for this has pretty much stayed the same over the years; don’t buy a camcorder for its photographic ability. You would be much better served to have a small, inexpensive digital camera, with a much higher resolution, than to try to use your camcorder to take pictures. Now that isn’t to say that you can’t use that feature when something interesting comes up and you only have your camcorder available, but as a rule I wouldn’t make much use of that feature if I were you.

Also, in the past I would have harped on making sure you get a camera with a nice viewfinder and not just a big playback screen, but following the path of most digital still cameras, many new camcorders don’t even HAVE a viewfinder! No matter what the manufactures claim, I still consider this a bad thing but I have been out-voted.

Finally, if there was one specification that I would pay the most attention to on the box next to the resolution would be the camcorder’s low-low light capability. I’m not talking about an infrared mode, unless you like your home movies to look like Army combat footage, but how well it can tape in normal mode in low light. I would be wary of any camcorder that says that it can shoot down to 0 lux (lux being a unit of measurement of light, with a candle producing about 10 lux from one foot away). If you can find something between 2-7 lux, that would be good, and you can bet that the pricier models will come much closer to actually giving you good quality at 2 lux versus a $300 camcorder.

The Camcorders

High End

The Sony HDR-xx7 Series: Hand it to the guys and gals at Sony to try to figure out a way to corner the entire camcorder market by covering the entire spectrum of media formats in one series of camcorders. These cameras are Sony’s current top of the line camera and include the hard drive based HDR-SR7, the memory card based HDR-CX7, the MiniDV based HDR-HC7, and the mini-DVD based HDR-UX7. All of these units with the exception of the UX7 are high-definition camcorders and all have a very good viewfinder, with the exception of the CX7 which doesn’t have one at all. Sony is really trying to tout its 2.7 inch 16:9 touchscreen interface but all the levels of menus that you have to dig through to get to some of the most basic controls make these cameras less than intuitive. Never the less, if you have the money (all of these units are on the pricey side) Sony will deliver the goods in the video quality department.

Panasonic HDC-HS9: A very nice hard drive based camcorder (actually most hard drive recorders also have a slot for a memory card but that is mostly for taking still pictures and not for video) that gives you a lot of features, but also costs a pretty penny. Panasonic has built its camera and camcorder line around top-notch Leica lenses and this pays off with units that deliver top notch clarity and sharpness. Panasonic is also known for their outstanding Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) system which will help prevent you from producing a nausea-inducing film a la ‘The Blair Witch Project.’ The 60GB hard drive will give you about eight hours of high definition recording time and almost twice that in standard definition.

Mid-Level

Panasonic PV-GS320: This MiniDV based camcorder delivers on both the image quality and value for the dollar. While MiniDV based cameras are on the way out, it will still take some time before the hard drive and memory card based systems completely dominate the market. In the meantime, units such as the GS320 continue to deliver top notch video in a unit several hundred dollars less than the high end units. The key to the GS320s quality is the fact that it uses three sensors instead of just one to record the video data. While this is common in quite a few camcorders, at this price range you could expect only a single image sensor. The GS320 also incorporates the above mentioned O.I.S. system so you get top notch video that doesn’t jump around, unless of course, you really are jumping around.

Canon DC50: If you absolutely must have a camcorder that can also produce decent quality still photographs, this is the camcorder for you. While a little pricy for a standard definition camcorder, you are getting a lot more depth and control of your still images in addition to very good quality video. The other reason this model costs more is that it uses optically based image stabilization like the high end camcorders and not the software based ones that are in most of the lower end units. If you really want a DVD based camcorder and really, really want it to be able to do still photos as well, the DC50 is a no-brainer.

Low End

Panasonic PV-GS90: A good, basic standard definition MiniDV based camcorder which boasts the Panasonic O.I.S. system. If you are looking for an easy-to-use, relatively compact camcorder that can turn in some decent video footage without making you wince at the checkout counter, the GS90 should be on your short list.

Canon ZR950: Very, very similar to the Panasonic GS90 in form and function, the Canon ZR950 will provide you with a nice camcorder that is more than able to get the job done. With a 37x optical zoom and a 2000x digital zoom, you will be able to easily pick out your kid on the soccer field from all the way out in the parking lot!

So there you have it – my recommendations on the best digital camcorders for your money. Before you go out and buy one, remember to ask yourself what kind of videographer you really think you’ll be since you will save yourself a lot of time and money by being honest with yourself. Thanks again to all of you who requested the article on camcorders, now can you help me out with the April issue?

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to write to me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.