Digital Cameras Reviews

Posts Tagged ‘Mac Os X’

Wacom Intuos4 Medium Pen Tablet

Professional photographers, designers and artists agree: Intuos4 pen tablet speeds up production time for photo editing, design and art creation. When working with digital assets, there isn’t a more natural tool than a pen for increased comfort and control. With 48.5 square inches of working area, this tablet provides ample workspace. Built with eight ExpressKeys and illuminated ExpressKey displays that provide easy reference to your assigned functions. Featuring Wacom’s new tip sensor technology to deliver an even finer level of control. You can initiate pen pressure control with near-zero starting pressure and a feather-light touch. With 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of tilt recognition, the Intuos4 pen simulates like never before the natural feel and accuracy of working with traditional brushes, pens, and markers. In the box – Intuos4 medium pen tablet Intuos4 Grip Pen Intuos4 mouse Pen stand Ten replacement nibs (five standard nibs, one flex nib, one stroke nib, and three hard felt nibs) Nib extractor 2.5m (8.20 ft.) USB cable Quick Start Guide Installation CD (includes tablet driver software and electronic user manual) System Requirements – Windows XP SP2/Vista, Mac OS X 10.4.8+ Color display Powered USB port CD/DVD drive Unit Dimensions – 14.6 x 10.0 x 0.5 in; Weight – 2.2 lb

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars wacom Intuos4
THE best tablet I have ever used. I have used bigger Wacom tablets and other brands and this is easily the best it has been my pleasure to use. Easy to install and use, it’s a great size. It does everything I need and it fits on my desk. My work is digital design and illustration for print so I use the tablet extensively and daily.

5 Stars Awesome! This is as good as it can get!!!!
This is incredible!! Perfect. Phenomenal. I LOVE it! Everything about it deserves 5 stars.

This is a tool of the future. I use Mac OS X Snow Leopard, and it works perfectly (of course, it doesn’t work as well if you don’t use the built-in software, but it suggests many times on the screen that you use the software, which comes with the tablet).

The installation is as easy as it can get. Pop in the disk, and it will guide you through the 5 easy steps: setting whether you’re right-handed or left-handed, how to set up the tablet, controls and basics, etc. It only takes a few minutes to install the software… Then, your tablet works better than ever!

When I started using the tablet, I discovered that it has the same comfort as a pen. You can use it in your desktop, and almost any art software. When I first plugged it in, I began to easily cruise through files, surf the web, and use many art software I didn’t think I could use, with a tablet. (Paintbrush, a simple, free, downloaded app., SKETCHBOOK PRO, my favorite, Photoshop, etc.)

I rate this 5 stars on everything. If you’re a sketch artist, painter, or any kind of artist, and you’re longing for the feel of a real pen or pencil, Wacom is definitely for you.

5 Stars Intuos4: an upgrade? Definitely!
I recently upgraded my Intuos3 Small to the Intuos4 Small. And I must say it is definitely and upgrade. I really like that there are six customizable buttons instead of just four, and I much prefer the touch ring over the strip. I also like that you can customize the touch ring to do four different things so it’s like having four extra buttons! The touch ring is nicely sensitive and is far superior to the touch strip.

The active area of the tablet is about a quarter on an inch wider than the active area on the Intuos3 and about the same amount shorter. I like that it’s not so smooth as it was on the Intuos3, so when you’re drawing it feels more like real paper.

The detachable USB cord is also a big plus. It’s great if you want to take the tablet with you, like I do. Another thing is that the USB attaches to the right side of the tablet, which is great since I’m right-handed and my USB ports are on the right side of my laptop. This may not be so great for a left-handed person, but it works for me.

The little rubber feet on the bottom of the tablet are a bit thicker and wider than on the Intuos3, so it makes for a steadier base no matter where you may have it sitting. Also they seem like they’re less likely to come off after a month like they did on my Intuos3.

The pen is a bit shorter and the rubber grip part extends all the way up the pen. It fits nicely in my hand and is comfortable to use.

I only have two small gripes, first: the mouse feels a little small. I’m a girl and therefore don’t have huge hands, but still it feels small when I’m using it. This may be a bit of a drawback for the men out there that have big hands. However this should not turn you off from this tablet. I’m sure after a few weeks of use I won’t even notice. And also a small mouse travels well. I also kind of miss having a button on either side of the mouse like the Intuos3 mouse. But again, I’m sure I’ll get use to this after I use it more.

The other gripe I have is that the area of the tablet where the buttons and touch ring are picks up fingerprints VERY easily. Again it’s not a huge problem; I just like a neat and tidy workspace so am constantly wiping it off so it stays shiny and clean.

Overall the Intuos4 Small is a great tablet for the price, (199.99 here at Amazon as well as Best Buy) and I would definitely recommend it.

2 Stars not bad, not optimal
For most 4 out of 5 people I would suggest the medium size Intuos 4, because:

A) cheaper

B) faster

It’s gonna be less ergonomic for painter/artists, but quicker for most designers, photo retouchers, just power users who want a pen.

4 stars to the medium size.

5 Stars wacon intus is wonderfull…
Work with wacom intus4 is like work with a sheet of paper and more…just imagin!!! Very easy to use and install.

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Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 Mac Windows

Microsoft’s most portable wireless notebook mouse connects directly to a Bluetooth PC without a transceiver, freeing up USB ports for other devices. Save time and effort with the scroll wheel navigate documents and Web pages without using the on-screen scroll bar Work with less interruption with longer battery life Turn your 3-in-1 device off to extend battery life even longer Use the Back button to easily navigate between folders and Web pages, or press the wheel for auto-scroll Compact and comfortable, Microsoft’s handy notebook and laptop products are designed for convenience and mobility System Requirements – Windows Vista, Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Mac OS X v.10.2.6 – 10.4.X

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Simply the best bluetooth mobile mouse
I gave away my Logitech VX Nano to my father who needed a mobile mouse so I needed to replace it. I was just going to get another Nano but thought why not try a bluetooth mouse since I paid extra to have built-in bluetooth support on my Dell laptop? I am extremely glad I did. I have had it for exactly 1 year now and am ready to share my experience.

Pro’s:

- No transceiver necessary, freeing up a USB port

- Ergonomic design for either hand

- Back button

- Comfortable, responsive scroll wheel

- On/Off button

- Low battery indicator

- Reliable connection

- Nice solid feel

- Looks nice

- No driver or software install required (or offered)

- Compatible with Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7/Mac OS X

- Supported by Microsoft’s great hardware warranty for 3 years

Con’s:

- Somewhat short battery life

- Doesn’t automatically turn off to save battery

- AAA batteries difficult to remove when replacing

- Connection doesn’t always reconnect when resuming from sleep mode

Next to the scroll wheel, a back button is a mouse feature I cannot live without. Many mobile mice do not include a back button so it was easy to narrow down my choices. Guess how many mobile bluetooth mice have a back button? Try 1. The Microsoft Notebook Mouse 5000 was the only one I could find. That made my choice even easier. I love not having to fuss with a transceiver. Even though the VX Nano uses a micro-USB receiver, it still took up 1 of only 3 USB ports on my laptop.

I like the way the mouse feels and looks. It also comes with a nice padded case with a velcro enclosure. The scroll wheel is nice and comfortable to use and doesn’t feel flimsy like some tend to do. Battery life is just okay. It’s rated at 3+ months but I have seen real-world results of closer to 2 months. I use it for probably 2-3 hours/day 7 days a week and I never turn it off. When I’m connected, I stay connected without any drops.

I view the lack of driver or software for required on the 5000 as a welcome feature. I never install Microsoft’s driver software or Logitech’s SetPoint software for my mice and keyboards. Sometimes I lose some functionality, mostly in programmable buttons and keys, but I’ve had enough driver-related issues on my system to cause me to avoid installing them.

I have only a few very minor complaints. Instead of only offering an on/off button, adding an automatic sleep/off feature would greatly improve battery life. When you do have to replace the batteries, you’ll struggle with removing the batteries a bit because the little pulls that help you remove the batteries are undersized. I don’t have long enough fingernails to easily grab the pulls. Lastly, whenever my laptop goes to sleep, I have to cross my fingers that the bluetooth connection gets reestablished. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I have used the 5000 on my laptop with both Windows XP and Windows 7.

I thought that after a year, surely a new Microsoft, Logitech, or even Kensington bluetooth mouse would’ve been released that would take praise away from the 5000. Nope. This is still the best notebook bluetooth mouse on the market. The 3 year warranty isn’t as long as I would like, but Microsoft’s hardware warranty is easier to deal with than any other company’s I’ve experienced. Logitech’s support is great, but Microsoft’s is excellent. Confidently purchase this wonderful mouse and you will be satisfied with the outcome.

5 Stars Highly pleased
We are highly pleased with this Bluetooth mouse. It works very well and is ergonomically comfortable!

5 Stars Love this little mouse!
I bought this Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse for my new laptop computer and I love it! It’s shape is very comfortable and it is easy to transport. I really like that it came with a pouch to help protect it when I am not using it. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a wireless bluetooth mouse.

5 Stars Good mouse
This mouse works well, no problems with connectivity and fits the hand. Highly recommend

4 Stars Very happy with this little mouse.
Excellent little Mouse.

I bought it for my MacBook Pro.

A little tricky to set up at first as it does not come with drivers.

First go to Micrsoft and download the Intellipoint Driver and install it.

You still need to set it up as a Bluetooth Mouse using the OS X native set up in System Preferences/Bluetooth.

Once it is paired, THEN open up the Microsoft Mouse Settings in System Preferences to adjust.

This is a great mouse.The only reason I gave it four stars is the Button-4 under the right thumb is easy to hit by accident. But I have big paws and I am happy this thing is small.

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Olympus Digital Voice Recorder VN 6200PC

The easy-to-use VN-6200 PC gives you peace of mind with 1GB of internal memory allowing for 444 hours of recording time. Its PC link capabilities offer simple downloading of audio files for saving, emailing and file management. With WMA playback, no extra software is required – just plug in the recorder and you are ready to go! Slow and Fast Playback modes let you listen to audio 25 percent slower or 50 percent faster than real time Contains five folders that each hold up to 200 files. Recording Media – Built-in 1GB flash memory Recording Time HQ mode – Approximately 70 hours, 55 minutes, SP mode – Approximately 139 hours, 35 minutes, LP mode – Approximately 444 hours, 00 minutes Windows media audio – Enables high-quality recording – no additional software required LED – two colors (red = record; green = playback) Folders Messages – 5 / 200 per folder Sampling Frequency HQ – 44.1 kHz, SP – 22 kHz, LP – 8 kHz Alarm Playback – Playback a pre-selected file at a specific time for reminders or wake-up calls. Overall Frequency Response HQ – 200-13,000 Hz, SP – 200-7,000 Hz, LP – 200-3,000 Hz LP Mode – Yes Voice Activation – Yes Practical Maximum Output – 250 mW Speaker 23 mm round dynamic speaker Microphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 2k ohms Power Supply Two AAA alkaline (LR03 or R03) batteries or Two AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries Batteries Alkaline – Approximately 37 hours; NiMH – Approximately 25 hours OS Supported Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista (Standard Installation), Macintosh Mac OS X 10.2.8 Jaguar ~ 10.5 Leopard (Standard Installation) In the box – VN-100 Recorder, USB Cable, Instruction Manual, Warranty Card Size 4.0 x 1.5 x 0.7 inches, Weight 2.3 oz.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Olympus VN6200PC
I already had a olympus recorder VN240 and it had alot of recording on it that i did not want to loose. So I purchased the VN6200 and played the old recorder to record the information on the new one VN6200. It worked great. But then I could not figure out how to transfer it to my PC. So I called the customer service number and tech support was great. They explained it to me and it was simple and I was able transfer the information to my PC and then I was able to make a CD out of it. This is gonna be great for school lecture or for any conversationI do not want to forget. I recommend this device to those who need to remember lectures or anything else and the price was great. The first one i purchased cost more than this one and my new one does more. Thank you

4 Stars I love plug and play on a PC
There are several digital recorders on the market in the price range of this Olympus. I chose this model for several reasons (see below) and have not been disappointed. The size, weight, screen, buttons and rocker switches are all well placed and, combined with their ample size, makes them easy to operate. The menu system is easy to navigate and is intuitive. In fact, it is so easy to use I only used the instruction manual to figure out how to play tracks in fast forward. The most important feature to me is the plug and play ability of the device (I tried it on Windows XP and Vista). Without installing ANY additional software, the device shows up in Windows Explorer as a new drive that contains your recordings in .wma format. This makes playing, burning and format conversion very simple. No buggy software to install and update. Easy to use between home and work. In a nut shell…

The Pros,

* Well laid out

* Really easy to use

* No extra software on Windows machines

* Records in a file format that needs no conversion to store and play on your PC

* It comes with a nice slip case

* Connects to the PC with a standard mini-USB

* The recording in the highest quality (71 hours) is very good

The Cons,

- The wrist band is an ACCESSORY. I can’t believe that cost cutting measure!

- The USB cable supplied is less than 8 inches long

- The recording quality in the longest mode is pretty poor (but you get 444 hours)

- The sound is hard to hear with the built in speaker when recorded in the longest play mode

For my meeting recording needs, this player hits the mark.

4 Stars Great for graduate school students
I needed a recorder for graduate school and this was in the perfect price range. The only issue is that some of my classes are in large lecture halls and the sound is not the greatest. I would recommend attaching a small microphone to increase the sound quality.

5 Stars A great recorder!
I had recently bought one for my daughter for classroom use. She was totally pleased with the ability to pick up conversations in the classroom. This one was purchased for recording my presentations and then making a cd for those who could not attend. The recording quality is excellent and is so easy to use.

5 Stars Easy To Use
I enjoy using this recorder. With the 5 file folders, I am able to keep the topics separate and not go through all of them to find the one I want.

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Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 12 MP Digital Camera with 3 6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2 7 Inch LCD Black

The STYLUS TOUGH-8000 is virtually indestructible. Whether you’re kayaking downriver or skiing a double diamond, it’s hard to hurt this camera. Breakthrough features like Dual Image Stabilization and Tap Control provide the clearest images under the most challenging conditions. Smile Shot detects a smile on your subject’s face & automatically fires off three consecutive shots In-Camera Panorama, PC Panorama (up to 10 frames automatically stitchable with OLYMPUS Master software) 45MB Internal Memory Using a live, multi-frame window on the LCD, you can preview the effects of various settings More than 12 million pixels in the high-resolution CCD create superior image quality. In addition to xD-Picture Card compatibility, the STYLUS TOUGH-8000 comes with an adapter for microSD memory card 2.7 LCD features an extra-wide viewing angle & anti-glare technology for easier composing & shooting Sensor-Shift Image stabilization combined with high ISO sensitivity & fast shutter speeds capture crisp, clear images 3.6x wide-angle optical zoom Soften shadows & smooth wrinkles or blemishes on your subject’s face as you capture the image Tracks up to 3 faces & automatically focuses & optimizes exposures for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures Compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000 & Current, Mac OS X 10.3 – 10.5 In the box – Stylus Tough 8000 Digital Camera USB Cable, Audio/ Video Cable Manual Wrist Strap Lithium-Ion Battery (LI-50B) & F-1AC Charger Olympus Master 2 Software CD-ROM Warranty Card MASD-1 (microSD Adapter) Unit Dimensions – 3.7 W x 2.4 H x 0.85 D; Weight – 6.4oz 9without batteries & media card)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great camera. Better than the tough-6000
Great camera. I use it in my watersports business and I destroyed the Tough- 6000 in 3 weeks. This one is tougher and has lasted the whole summer.

5 Stars Great camera for active lives!
I bought this for my husbands birthday & anniversary gift, we got it 2 days before leaving for Mexico, we had no problems figuring out how to use the camera, we took it on all our vacation excursions, it was perfect for an active vacation! We took underwater photos, photos in the rain & on the windy beach. The picture quality is great. My daughter has had the model under this one for a couple of years and still loves it, for us it’s worth a little extra money to have peace of mind while traveling that if we drop it or get caught in the rain we don’t have to worry about a broken device! And we love the option of using the camera underwater, we took pics in a underwater caves!

5 Stars Picture perfect!
Excellent product. Everything I thought it would be. Great value for the money. Quick and courteous service.

4 Stars Olympus Stylus 8000
Noticed a few very small drops in the charging well, wiped out easily with a kleenex. Followed product insert and rinsed well between used. Camera performed very well. However, notice some pictures in the water looked like had “rain spots” on them, maybe bubbles on the lens? It wasn’t on all pictures. Still playing with the settings, trying to optimize pictures. For 12 MP, could be clearer in the water and out of the water. At this point, I certainly would buy the camera again. I highly recommend buying the floating strap.

4 Stars Tough 8000
Bought the camera for a trip to Mexico in Nov. So far good camera with the tests have put it thru, including water test and college football game. Good pics. Found at a good price. I like the extra settings for snow, water, night; a lot of features in a little camera. Will really give it a workout in Nov. when in Mexico; planning on snuba diving, deep sea fishing, Chichen Itza, and snorkeling. I also liked that it came with a microSD Olympus adapter, good call Olympus.

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Western Digital My Passport Essential 320 GB USB 2 0 Portable Hard Drive WDME3200TN Midnight Black

These elegant portable drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter — they are powered directly through the USB cable. Pack up your office files and take them home. Carry thousands of songs or pictures. Synchronize files between home and office and encrypt everything on the drive for added security. WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you take your critical data with you. Plug My Passport into any PC, edit files, read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or office computer. Your data is protected with 128-bit encryption (Windows only). Perfect for the business traveler who needs to transfer large amounts of data from laptop to clients or just daily backups in case of accidents from mishandled luggage to coffee spills. Also comes in handy if your worried about laptop theft and someone else having access to your important data, you can store it on this portable encrypted drive instead. For all those precious pictures, videos, music and data files, getting this external hard drive is a must have. WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you save your critical data and take it with you. Plug your drive into any PC, edit files, read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or office computer (Windows only) Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software (Windows only) Up to 480Mb/sec Bus Transfer Rate with USB 2.0 System Requirements – Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X (10.1.5 or later), Available USB port Approximate Unit Dimensions – 0.59 (H) x 4.96 (L) x 3.14 (W) Approximate Unit Weight – 0.23lb

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great portable drive.
The 500gb USB drive arrived about 10days after ordering (used Amazon free shipping option). It was in fine shape despite a less than optimal packing job by the retailer. The shipping box was 4x the size of the drive’s packaging and only had minimal packing around the drive allowing it to get bounced around. Nonetheless, the drive operates perfectly. I use it as my TIme Machine backup for my Mac laptop. Works quietly (almost silent) and seamlessly. Setup for this was minimal to none, just plug in and the Mac automatically did the rest. Drive is small enough to fit in my shirt pocket if I had to. I would recommend this item.

5 Stars Excellant Product (our 2nd ones)
This purchase is my second of the same one for backup. Works wonderfully, is portable, and gives me satisfaction of my hardrive backups.

4 Stars Good But Be carfull
This is a very good and cheap storage device. I have used the Passport various models externals for years now. The have 2 problems with them. The first is that they are fragile. Don’t drop it bump it or rough handle it. The case will pop open and the jack plug on the side will get misaligned and you are in deep trouble. The drive itself is solid; it is the housing that is the problem.

Second issue is the plug. I don’t know if WD understands the true use of these drives. I take it to work sites and move it around all the time. That means constant plugging and unplugging. This takes toll on the side and small input plug hole. After few months it will get loose or lose something that the drive begins to connect and disconnect from the operating system by itself (That is it is not recognized by the operating system). This can be a major problem if you are in a middle of an open file or document and boom, the thing is no longer recognized by the operating system. After couple of weeks from that there is no way you can get it to be recognized by either windows or the MAC, your are done for. My suggestion is to backup the backup on a permanent drive and not depend on this if you are going to be moving it a lot. The one I have connect to my home desktop all the time works great.

5 Stars Perfect portable storage solution
I used to store my music and pictures on a larger external hard drive and always had issues synching itunes whenever it was not connected to my laptop. I was looking for something small enough to put in my computer bag and carry around with me without adding alot of extra weight. I also wanted to be able to connect or disconnect the hard drive without having to reboot my computer. There was no setup time and the Passport works like a charm. It also has significantly more storage space than my laptop so I will never run out of space! For the amount of storage and convenient size, the Passport is a steal at this price.

4 Stars Best Backup Insurance You Can Buy
I’m a nature photographer. I take a lot of photos, and the files are big. I carry a laptop in the field, but I’m not so naive as to think the laptop’s drive is safe for irreplaceable data like photos. I want backup. DVDs are impractical. Flash drives are too small (so far). The Western Digital 500GB is a highly acceptable solution to the challenge of managing copious data and not sacrifice portability or ruggedness. And if you are concerned about TSA seizing your laptop for whatever reason, then you’ve got your work intact.

I use the drive in two ways: I back up my Aperture digital photo library directly, and I backup the RAW files via the Finder. As others have noted, the read/write speed is only adequate. But 500GB fits in a drive only slightly larger than my iPhone. For $99 – the cost of a year of Mobile Me – you can have a pretty decent backup to carry in another bag. The drive draws power off the USB bus, so you have just the drive and the cable. As a bonus, the cable is identical to the cable I use to pull photos off my camera.

The drive has worked at 14,000 feet in Papallacta Pass, Ecuador. In the steamy, muggy Amazon jungle, at near-freezing temperatures on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, in the rough waters of the Gulf of Alaska and everywhere in between.

No, I wouldn’t want it for my desktop. But for field work, the portability easily outweighs the less than optimum read/write speed. A fine product at an outstanding price. Highly recommended.

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