Flashe Reviews

I used a MiniMag AA for years. It's just that there's a better product out there - the Pelican Versabrite II. It looks like a pager with a flashlight head stuck on top on a pivot. The body has clips to attach to a belt or hat brim for hands-free use...or you can just put it in your shirt pocket with the head protruding.

It lacks the beam focus feature of the Maglite, but otherwise is just as bright and more useful - I have a professional use for a small, bright light (the hands-free use is important when you have to take notes at night), and the Pelican is better enough to justify the extra two dollars or so.

I don't have any connection with Pelican or anyone who sells their products, I just think they make a superior double-AA cell flashlight...

Very powerful light beam that can be focused at different circular ranges. It reminded me of cars light = so powerful and useful for desert trips and darky nights.

I thought that it was great. With a 1 gig CF card I could store all of my music and pictures and have ton of memory left over. I really like it because when I need to upgrade to wireless internet or bluetooth all I need to do is get a CF card and plug it in. In the past I had to use two or three secure didital cards and carry them around every where I went, now all I need is one CF card and I am on mt way.

this is my second round w/ an ipaq and find this case both slimmer and more funcitonal. take care to note one slot is type-1 only while the other is type 1/2.

With 512 Mega, it can store anything that you want to keep.
But be careful when you plan to upgrade your Compact Flash Card.
Some items can not read this CF Card. My camera (Canon S-20) can only take up to 256MB.
Check your manual before getting one of this.
And also, this Card cost slightly more than the 256Mb.
256MB Sandisk's CF Card cost $0.625 per Mega
but
512MB Sandisk's CD Card cost $0.664 per Mega.

I suggest you to take two 256MB, which cost less (you save about $20 when you get two 256 instead of 512)
(These price based on amazon.com's price on Oct 3rd 01)

I purchased the SanDisk 512 MB CompactFlash Card from Amazon about a year ago. 4500 pictures later, I cannot complain about the card. A few weeks ago, I allowed my sister to borrow the card and my camera for her trip to New York City. While there she only took 112 pictures; nowhere near the cards capacity of 490 pictures at 4.3 megapixel. Unfortunately when she arrived home, my mother offered to do all of her laundry; my memory card was in her pant pocket. Mom was quite upset as she removed the laundry and found my memory card at the bottom of the washer. They explained what happened as I came in that weekend. The card was dead, or so I thought. I bought a new card at Circuit City. Loaned the new replacement card to my mother this time for a trip to Washing DC. While contemplating how to disassemble my compact flash card, I figured I would try it again. Low and behold I was able to download my sisters pictures. Two weeks later and still working just like new. If anyone else want to test their compactflash card through a washing machine, go ahead and I'll wait for the results. In the mean time, SanDisk has my attention!

I just want to reinforce an earlier review. I bought this memory stick to use in my Sony Cybershot camera. It is perfectly compatible. However, I do notice a significant delay between shots; when accessing an image in review mode; and in how long it takes to process a deletion of an image or return to shoot mode. I don't experience this with the Sony brand memory sticks. If you're taking "action shots," this could definitely be a source of frustration for you. However, it's value priced compared to the Sony...

I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say

is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made.

This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's

very easy to use as well!

I have bought other brands before, and this one just

blows everything else out of the water! I have to say,

everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop

thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it

the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY

POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I

GUARANTEE IT!!!

Very nice and convenient but a little dim past 10 feet or so.

I've used this light a lot since purchasing it and it has worked well in most situations that would cause chroma noise in dark environments. Use little battery power but is surprisingly bright in short range shooting, say up to max 10 ft. Combine with a Sony camcorder's Program mode for Sunset/Twilight and you can get good, clean and decently lit video.

I just wanna say thank you to Erwin for sending me my order on time. I really like the USB even if it is not like the picture.

I hesitate to admit that an unsolicited marketing email was successful in inspiring me to purchase a 32MB USBdrive(tm), but there you go. I was intrigued by the concept, and MacAfee was offering a "partnership" sale price that I found attractive.

It probably didn't hurt that the email came in just after I'd (once again) lugged my 8-lb laptop home from the office and spent 30 minutes fiddling around to hook it up to share my desktop's keyboard and monitor, preparing to work on some project files in the calm and comfort of my home office.

Anyway - the lure of lightweight portability was very nearly surpassed by the ease of ordering the drive and the speed with which the order was processed and shipped. I had the drive in (literally!) the palm of my hand by then end of a week.

I haven't hauled my laptop home from the office, since. Neither have I had to deal with tempermental CD-RW or Zip drives, FTP sites, or what's optimistically referred to as "remote network access."

All of the files for my current project are contained on this drive, which is about the size of my thumb. I plug it into my office system's USB port in the mornings, work on the files all day, then unplug it and take it home, when I need to do work there, or to client and team meetings, as needed for project collaboration or review. Any USB port is compatible. I always know I have the correct project files. I can make any necessary document changes on-the-spot. It's liberating.

I'm about to purchase my second drive, and I'm watching for "deal" prices that would make it painless to pick up a few for gifts!

This is a good value, but the screen is very difficult to read in less than perfect lighting conditions. Under bright flourescent lights in the office, it is fine. The rest of the time, though, I have a heck of a time with it. The internal memory also isn't really big enough to store MP3s. I decided to go back to paper and pen.

While color is nice, the price of a color iPAQ is not worth it when compared to this unsung model. Often overlooked the 3135 has all of the same features as it color siblings, Excel, Word, IE, Outlook, Calendar, Contacts, MS Money, but albeit with less RAM 16 compared to 32mb or 64mb for the color versions. However with the inclusion of the CF sleeve, which allows you to plug in CF cards from 8 to 256mb, the 3135 is the best PDA bang for the buck. And let's not forget the iPAQ comes with Windows Media Player, making it also an mp3, wma player, and it has the ability to record voice messages. With the CF sleeve and a few flash cards one can literally carry ones music libary with you where ever you go. Compared with the Palm Pilot, and Handspring Visor, this inexpensive jewel is perfect for the enthusiast, student or professional. After spending almost 6 months researching, playing with and talking with friends, neighbors and co-workers about which PDA to get I have yet to regret my decision.

The 3135, monochrome, 16 MB version of the Compaq iPaq (all of the other reviews here seem to be for the 3600 color, 32 MB versions) is still, all in all, a pretty impressive machine.

The 3135 still has the iPaq 206 MHz StrongARM CPU, it comes with the CF flash memory sleeve, for memory/storage/communications upgrades, very fast USB connection for updates (my previous PDA was a Palm III, with serial cable link - daily sync would take 5 min on average; with USB/iPaq, daily sync rarely takes more than 20 seconds), and with Compaq support, can even upgrade its operating system to Linux (Compaq support...). The 16 MB is very limiting, though, so if you get this, plan to also buy CF memory...along with it. The advantages of the 3135 are speed, power, and price. You get a 206 MHz handheld system for [a higher price], compare that to the fastest Palm platform handheld, the Palm OS/Handspring Visor Platinum, [for less] for an 8 MB, 33 MHz unit.

The Microsoft Pocket PC OS (really CE v3) comes with MS Media Player (for MP3s - better get at least 64 MB of flash memory, though, to take advantage of that!), pocket versions of MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook - maps VERY well to existing Outlook calendar functions, MS Internet Explorer (with AvantGo for offline web browsing), MS Money, MS eBook Reader, and MS Access. The conduits to convert from 'pocket' versions of files to desktop are built in and pretty transparent to the user. All you have to do to take information with you is to drag your existing files to a Pocket PC 'My Documents' folder which the install program creates on your PC desktop, and ActiveSync does the rest (by the way, if you install Linux, all you have to do is to FTP files into your handheld - same thing).

The killer app for this (for me, anyway) is the MS Reader utility. eBooks are relatively small, and with my iPaq, I can carry a veritable library with me in a device the size of a pager. The monochrome screen of the 3135 is much more readable than its color (and ...more expensive) counterpart - or is this just cognative dissonance on my part? Many free books are available on the internet, from the public domain works available at...sites...I believe that even Amazon.com has an "eBooks & eDocuments" section.

This is a good value, but the screen is very difficult to read in less than perfect lighting conditions. Under bright flourescent lights in the office, it is fine. The rest of the time, though, I have a heck of a time with it. The internal memory also isn't really big enough to store MP3s. I decided to go back to paper and pen.

While color is nice, the price of a color iPAQ is not worth it when compared to this unsung model. Often overlooked the 3135 has all of the same features as it color siblings, Excel, Word, IE, Outlook, Calendar, Contacts, MS Money, but albeit with less RAM 16 compared to 32mb or 64mb for the color versions. However with the inclusion of the CF sleeve, which allows you to plug in CF cards from 8 to 256mb, the 3135 is the best PDA bang for the buck. And let's not forget the iPAQ comes with Windows Media Player, making it also an mp3, wma player, and it has the ability to record voice messages. With the CF sleeve and a few flash cards one can literally carry ones music libary with you where ever you go. Compared with the Palm Pilot, and Handspring Visor, this inexpensive jewel is perfect for the enthusiast, student or professional. After spending almost 6 months researching, playing with and talking with friends, neighbors and co-workers about which PDA to get I have yet to regret my decision.

The 3135, monochrome, 16 MB version of the Compaq iPaq (all of the other reviews here seem to be for the 3600 color, 32 MB versions) is still, all in all, a pretty impressive machine.

The 3135 still has the iPaq 206 MHz StrongARM CPU, it comes with the CF flash memory sleeve, for memory/storage/communications upgrades, very fast USB connection for updates (my previous PDA was a Palm III, with serial cable link - daily sync would take 5 min on average; with USB/iPaq, daily sync rarely takes more than 20 seconds), and with Compaq support, can even upgrade its operating system to Linux (Compaq support...). The 16 MB is very limiting, though, so if you get this, plan to also buy CF memory...along with it. The advantages of the 3135 are speed, power, and price. You get a 206 MHz handheld system for [a higher price], compare that to the fastest Palm platform handheld, the Palm OS/Handspring Visor Platinum, [for less] for an 8 MB, 33 MHz unit.

The Microsoft Pocket PC OS (really CE v3) comes with MS Media Player (for MP3s - better get at least 64 MB of flash memory, though, to take advantage of that!), pocket versions of MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook - maps VERY well to existing Outlook calendar functions, MS Internet Explorer (with AvantGo for offline web browsing), MS Money, MS eBook Reader, and MS Access. The conduits to convert from 'pocket' versions of files to desktop are built in and pretty transparent to the user. All you have to do to take information with you is to drag your existing files to a Pocket PC 'My Documents' folder which the install program creates on your PC desktop, and ActiveSync does the rest (by the way, if you install Linux, all you have to do is to FTP files into your handheld - same thing).

The killer app for this (for me, anyway) is the MS Reader utility. eBooks are relatively small, and with my iPaq, I can carry a veritable library with me in a device the size of a pager. The monochrome screen of the 3135 is much more readable than its color (and ...more expensive) counterpart - or is this just cognative dissonance on my part? Many free books are available on the internet, from the public domain works available at...sites...I believe that even Amazon.com has an "eBooks & eDocuments" section.

I'm very pleased with the Lexar 256MB JumpDrive. I use it on my Windows 2000 SP4 system to perform daily "delta" backups in between my monthly CD backups. I use WinZip to zip up all files containing a set archive bit, copy the zip file to my flash drive, and then disconnect the flash drive. I attach the drive to the rear of my computer via a USB extension cable (not supplied).

This drive, though, does lack several features found on other flash drives that may affect your purchase decision. Since I just use it for bulk storage only, it's ideal for me.

Windows 2000 SP4

Pros:
. . . o USB 2.0 support.
. . . o Fast transfer speed.
. . . o Activity LED.
. . . o Built-in plastic key ring hole and plastic pocket clip.
. . . o Low price.

Cons:
. . . o No write protect switch.
. . . o No USB extension cable.
. . . o No neck strap/cord.
. . . o Supports only one filesystem partition.
. . . o No filesystem password protection.

For my data security needs, I own a different flash drive that supports all the features listed in the "Cons" section including support for one to two filesystem partitions where one partition can be password protected.

I bought the Lexar Media 256 MB JumpDrive because I needed something that was quick and held more data than a floppy. The JumpDrive is perfect. It is compatible with PCs and Macs (as long as you plug it into a USB port with enough power) and needs no drivers (Win98 the exception). Linux (kernel 2.4 or greater) with the correct usb modules also automatically recognizes and mounts this flash drive.

It is also very fast. My computer is not new enough to have the high speed USB 2.0 that would get full speed out of this drive, but even with the older USB I was able to get about 12 MB/s.

I highly recommend this specific flash drive. I bought it because it has been highly reviewed everywhere I read. Amazon.com with its free shipping offered the best deal. Cheaper (by about $20) USB flash drives can be found, but they can only use the slower USB 1.1 transfer speed. I'd recommend buying this latest USB 2.0 drive, which is still backwards compatible with the old standard.

This is a fantastic piece of technology and I really like it. I originally purchased the Lexar 128 Megabyte Jumpdrive, but used it so much I ended up buying this one and keeping the other as a spare at home.

If you think about it, there really are only 4 ways to exchange technology between computers (for the average person).

You could use a floppy drive -but they are not standard anymore on next generation computers, and they only hold 1 megabyte of infomation -hardly enough to handle more than a picture or two.

Or, you could use a Zip drive. But here's the problem. You now have 100, 250, and 750 megabyte drives, and though you can read any of the older zip disks with a newer drive, you CANNOT WRITE ON THEM (and the reading process is REALLY slow). I made this mistake, and I am stuck with a 750 Megabyte drive that no one else has, so I can't do much more than backup my own data.

Or, you can burn information to a CD-rom and move it that way. Yes, you can do this, IF you have a burner and a blank cd on the computer you need data from, but that very likely may not be an answer either for casual transfers.

Amd finally, what I had been using most of the time, email. You can realistically email up to 3-5 MB of pictures or files. Pretty easy to use, and everyone has it, but not a solution for photos or large files.

This is where the jumpdrive comes in -and I think it is the perfect replacement. It is the size of your little finger and (this version) holds 256 MB! Best of all, the price has come down to a point that it is a great value.

Here's how it works. You pull of the cap and plug the drive directly into your comuter's USB port. (You don't need any software or drivers to preload -you just plug it in to any computer.) When it is plugged in the computer automatically recognizes it as a new drive right on your desktop. I.e. Go to your "My Computer" section and it now shows up as "Lexar Media (H:)" You then treat it like you would any other drive -you can save files to it, or you can just drag and drop files to it.

Here's another cool thing about the Lexar version of this drive. There is a little green light on the memory stick that lights up and blinks when it is first plugging in, and also when it is loading data. This will prevent you from removing the stick before the data is loaded -which is usually something that happens very quick!

I am very happy with this portable drive. It is something that is effortless to use, and is small enough that it can basically hang on your keychain so you have it wherever you need it. (In fact, there is actually a hook on the top of the drive so you can clip or hook it to whatever you want.)

The only thing to keep in mind is that it is a little small, and can get misplaced easily. If you are not going to carry it with you (with your keys), I'd recommend putting it somewhere that you are not going to forget, or tying a bulky keychain to it so it can't get lost.

Finally, it is something that I can feel confident that even non-techies will be able to use with ease -in other words, this is what mom and dad get for Christmas!

This JumpDrive is an excellent device, but it's limited by being a USB 1.x device.

SPEED:

Slow. It takes me about 2 minutes and 20 seconds to move 100MB of small files to the drive. But, it's a USB 1.X device, so this is to be expected. If this speed is not acceptable, then there is a USB 2.0 version of the device that should be more satisfactory.

DESIGN:

Overall, it's a very nice little gadget. The case is translucent so you can see the chip that all of your documents are being stored on and it fits nicely in your hand. The key ring is on the body and not the cap of the device (the cap being just a slide on protector), which makes it easy to carry around. In addition there is a write-protect switch on the side of the device, and there is a green "busy" light that flashes when information is being accessed or written to the device.

There's not much to say about it other than that. It detected and ran instantly when plugged into a windows XP machine and Win98SE was an easy install after you get the driver from the Lexar website.

I initially bought this to transfer files from computer to computer, but I ended up storing many of my favorite mp3s, digital pictures, and some documents and carrying this little thing around to have at my disposal whenever I needed them.
I love this thing's size, a little shorter than a stick of gum and about the width of a pen. I was able to keep in my pocket without an unsightly bulge.
A closed loop at its end makes it easy to attach to a key-ring.
A light light's up when the computer is writing or reading to/from it. Just remember to not remove it from the USB port while this light is on, and your information and files are secure.
I'm not a "techy" but from personal use, it seems that that the read/write time is fast enough. When it was full of 120MB of mp3s (you can't store more than that for some reason), it took about 2 minutes to transfer back to my desktop.
Since this is a re-writable "drive" you don't have to buy more than a couple. I think that the ones smaller than 128MB will not be of muc benefit in the longrun. 128 is good, but 256 is the best, and the prices are dropping.

I have used this drive for about a year. It's great for transfering files from a Mac to a PC. You get 120MB of usable memory. It did just fail me, but I sent it in for repairs and got it back in 5 days. It will take longer to transfer and delete a whole bunch of small files (like jpegs) than large files. Overall, I have found this a very useful device.