Well folks as always I carry to you nothing but the best,
and this week is no different. This week I bring to you the small, tiny,
minute, minuscule, microscopic, miniature Dell
Zino HD. This ultra small, micro PC
(Personal Computer) is so eye catching that most consumers would certainly by
it on the spot, but do you know what you are really getting?
Introduction
The Zino HD is a
scale down version of a basic desktop computer. It has all the ports and
accessories of a normal PC without the
major bulk that a normal PC carries.
Specifications
They are many different versions of the Zino HD, so to save on time I’ll just give the specification for
the high end model that we got to review.
High End Model
Specification:
* AMD Dual Core Athlon
Neo X2 6850e (1MB L2, 1.8GHz)
* 20″ inch Dell HD
Monitor with VGA port and cable
* Genuine Windows
7 Professional 64-Bit
* 8GB of 800MHz
DDR2 Memory
* ATI Radeon HD
4330 512 MB (Video Card)
* 1 TB (7200 rpm,
SATA II Hard drive)
* Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and
Writes to DVD/CD)
* Soundblaster
X-Fi Hi Def Audio (Sound Card)
* Dell 1520 802.11
b/g/n wireless card
Build and Design
The Zino HD looks
like a youngsters lunch pan with stickers on it. I have never seen a more
compacted device in my life. Just changing out parts out of it for a upgrade is
going to be a pain in the behind for anyone who dares to attempt it! On the
other hand, Dell has included all
the ports and connection needed to weather the future storm called change. They
include a HDMI(High-Definition Multimedia
Interface) port, VGA (Video Graphics
Array) port, USB (Universal Serial
Bus) port, CD/DVD Burner, Card Reader and many more. I guess they really wanted
consumer to keep it locked and not tampered with it. The only thing that is
easily interchangeable on the Zino HD
is the top face plate, which are available in a wide assortment of colors and
designs.
Performance
Dell named it the
Zino HD for a reason… This little
piggy packs a punch in the video department. To my surprise this small device
plays back HD (High Definition)
video perfectly without any problems at all. Also, other programs that were
pre-installed worked fine, and without any delay or system crashes.
Software
A next amazing point to make is the ability for this minute
device to run Windows 7 as its main
operating system. If you haven’t yet gotten the pleasure of using Windows 7,
then you are in for a pleasant surprise if you purchase this device. Windows 7
offers better power management, and a lovely user interface.
Final Thoughts
I’m confident that the Dell
Zino HD will be great addition to any entertainment center. It’s sleek
design and compacted size makes it easy to fit in any entertainment stand. The
product mentioned in this article was provided courtesy of Royale Computers and Accessories telephone#: 906-1067, 906-1068, and 754-5048. 
Sooo, because I was away for so long... I'm trying to make up for lost time and will be posting four articles today, before I return to the once a week routine I usually follow. So let's start this one on how can someone further enhance the abilities of an Apple. Well this week I found the answer to that age old mystery, and it’s
called XtremeMac. XtremeMac make products that will protect,
power and enhance Apple devices. This week we were able to get our hands on
two products that are made by XtremeMac
. They were the Tango TRX and the Soma Stand are both good devices in
their own light, but I’ll let you be the judge of that…
Tango TRX
The Tango TRX is
a dock and speaker system for almost all your Apple devices whether it be old or new, but it also has an
auxiliary stereo mini jack input and Bluetooth audio streaming capability
built-in to give other devices the option to function with it as well. Now to point out the good, bad and ugly side
of this device.
The Good (Outstanding
qualities that had to be mentioned)
The Bad (Points that were a bit disappointing and had to be mentioned)
- The sound quality that this little thing pumps out is astonishing. It was able to produce a very deep round bass and very sharp treble.
- The ability to customize the amount of bass or treble you hear through the speakers is a nice touch.
- Also, the two free apps that is offered to iPhone and iPod Touch owners is great for showing of the Bluetooth audio streaming capabilities.
- Very sturdy and attractive build quality.
The Bad (Points that were a bit disappointing and had to be mentioned)
- The sound quality wasn’t as impress through the Bluetooth, but it was far from horrible.
- The docking station was not compatible with any of the Apple iPad versions.
The Ugly (Horrible
points that may irritate the consumer and had to be mentioned)
- The cloth that covers the speakers are dust magnets and may be a hassle to clean.
Final Thoughts
The Tango Trx is
a small audio system that packs a heavy punch. This device is powerful enough
to satisfy all your music needs whether it be the bedroom or the living room.
The Tango Trx retails for about
16,000.00(JMD).
Soma Stand
The Soma Stand is a bed side/potable audio docking station for you Apple device that has a very unique designed. It’s able of folding
flat for storage or open into a rounded pyramid shape with a pop-out front dock
and rear-mounted controls. Now to point out the good, bad and ugly side of this
device.
The Good (Outstanding
qualities that had to be mentioned)
- The sound quality was excellent for the size of this device.
- The free app that is offered to iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad owners helps to turn your device into a very expensive bedside alarm clock.
- Exceptionally rugged and eye-catching build quality.
- It is potable and can be used on the go.
The Bad (Points that
were a bit disappointing and had to be mentioned)
- The docking station was a little weak but it held itself together.
The Ugly (Horrible
points that may irritate the consumer and had to be mentioned)
- This thing uses four… (4) AA Batteries . If that’s not something to point out then I don’t know what is.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Soma
Stand is a truly unique petite speaker system, and it also delivers
excellent sound. It’s small enough to fit on a desk or a nightstand without
taking up a great deal of space. The Soma
Stand retails for about 9,000.00
(JMD). The products mentioned in this article were provided courtesy of Royale Computers and Accessories
telephone#: 906-1067, 906-1068, and
754-5048.
Sooo, after a long absence... Very long absence. I'm back and ready to begin blogging again. I most say sorry to my readers first and foremost, my disappearance was unavoidable and due to someone close to me being hospitalized. So moving on, this past month I have been told
on numerous occasions that I only carter for the high class AKA rich people.
When I asked why persons would reply saying “I only review expensive phone and
gadgets.” After looking back at the last six months I must admit that the items
I have been reviewing does seem a bit high maintenance. So this week I have
found for you a simple Nokia phone that comes with most of the bell and whistle
of a high end phone for less than half the cost. The phone we are talking about
is the Nokia Asha 302 which is ideal
for consumer that are conservative.
What is it?
The Nokia Asha 302 brings excellent
connectivity with practical processing power without the needlessly complicated
user interface that most persons fear
from a smart phones. This phone features both 3G and Wi-Fi
connectivity which makes it so easy to
access your email, Facebook and Twitter accounts and stay connected.
Display
The Asha 302
screen measures 2.4 inches and has a resolution of 320x240 pixels. The display
is OK but it isn’t anything you
could brag and boast about. Texts and icons are very visible in sunlight but
the viewing angles are horrible. Although, given the fact that this phone is priced
for the conservative consumer this 2.4 inch screen and it’s quality is more
than what you could ask for.
Operating System AKA
“OS”
The Nokia Asha 302 uses the Series 40 feature phone platform which
is ancient technology in my books but it still gets the job done .Though, Nokia
has done some neat additions like a
home-screen social widget which lets you update your Facebook status and so on. There's also a customizable row of
shortcuts at the bottom of the screen to play with. Also, this device has a has
a social integration built into it from the get go. It has a Social app, which
lets you log in with Facebook, Twitter, Flickr
accounts which gives the user vast social
networking capabilities that are convenient.
Camera
This phone has a 3MP fixed-focus camera that produces
photos with maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536. The camera on screen displays a
column on the bottom with the virtual shutter key in the center and the options
and back keys besides it. The Asha 302
is also capable of capturing VGA@15fps and QVGA@30fps video. When it’s all said and done the camera is more
than acceptable for the price you buying the phone.
Final Thoughts
The Nokia Asha 302
is a basic phone that doesn’t have a touch screen but has done a remarkable job
of working around that short coming. Also, there aren't many phones at this
price point that can offer so much features to the consumer not to mention the
build quality. I personally liked how the loudspeaker sounded . It was powerful and didn’t sound too bad when it was
set to the highest volume level. I would recommend this phone to person who
want a decent phone without the complications. The Nokia Asha 302 retails at about
$10,000(JMD) and is worth it if can’t afford a Samsung Galaxy S3.
