Wooden Clip Flash Drive

Keeping your USB drive from getting lost isn’t always the easiest task out there. On occasion it almost seems close to impossible. Especially for those that have a hectic lifestyle, it’s easy to lose track of something so small. Well the design of this drive might help things out a bit. It’ll clip to anything you need it to stay clipped to, because not only is it a USB drive, it’s a clothes pin as well.

Something very similar to this was covered quite some time ago, but the big difference between this drive and that one is that this one is easily purchasable. Instead of only finding a designer’s website, you can pick it up from a retailer that’s well known for their novelty gadgets. You can find the drive in a total of 3 different sizes. There is the 2 GB, the 4GB and the 8GB, which is a great range of sizes for the general public. They’re also not priced too badly. They start out at $20, then $21 and finally the 8GB is $34. You can pick up all three of the sizes the USB Brando.

Source: GeekyGadgets

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Coosh Headphones

I’ve reviewed many headphones and earbuds, and I have discovered very little that differentiates one brand from the other. The Coosh headphones are definitely the most unique that I have seen in quite a while.

Coosh headphones (not to be mistaken for the Koosh line of weird rubbery fuzzy balls) are made by the BIC company. As you can see by the silicone earring, these phones will stay in your ear a lot better than a BIC pen on your ear. They also come with a high capacity clip on the wire for a little added staying power. The Coosh website shows a man breakdancing with these things on, and the Coosh headphones stay on while he is upside-down.
By the way, these earrings are completely detachable, so if you don’t want that look, or if you’re not into active activities like breakdancing, then you can go without them. As for the sound, it is quite good with “full-bodied stereo sound quality” that is as good as it is advertised.
The Coosh headphones come in both white or black. A pair for the iPod or other compatible MP3 Player costs about $24.99. Coosh headphones for the iPhone, Blackberry, or other music compatible phone cost about $29.99. The extra money is apparently for the in-line headset mic with push-to-answer and mute buttons.

Source

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Emerge Technologies

Emerge Technologies is first off the blocks by rolling out the first Retractable Universal 90W Notebook Charger with 2 USB Power Ports in the world. You will get a couple of fully retractable cords as well as an equal number of USB ports that makes it perfect for both traveling and working from home.

Compatible with more than 7,000 notebook models (wow – we never knew that there were so many notebooks released throughout history to date), you can also juice up your other USB-powered devices thanks to the availability of those two ports including iPods, portable media players, GPS navigation devices and BlackBerrys. The two retractable cables can extend up to 9.5 feet for your convenience. The 90W Charger will retail for $99.99 each.

Press Release

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Samsung SyncMaster XL2370

It is nice to see the costs of monitors drop over the years, especially with the easy availability of LCD monitors that have long taken over the role of fat, chunky CRTs as the display medium of choice in millions of homes and offices worldwide. In fact, the proliferation of LCD monitors have seen advancements that come in leaps and bounds, where the current entry-level monitor would be at least an 18.5″ widescreen LCD monitor. Taking its cue from the HDTV world, Samsung has decided that the next logical step in the world of computer monitors would be to make the leap from LCD to LED, which is exactly what they did with the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 LED monitor. When picking this up, one can expect picture perfect, HD quality images that come in a sleek and aerodynamic design.

Regardless of whether you use your computer primarily to watch Blu-ray movies or video clips online, you won’t be disappointed by what the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 offers, thanks to its LED edge-lit backlight that is able to bring performance at 1080 HD quality without breaking a sweat while yielding a brighter range of colors compared to typical CCFL backlights. Regardless of whether dark or light, colors will be vivid and crisp thanks to the XL2370’s dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 and the 2 millisecond response time which will ensure clearness and clarity in fast moving scenes. Thanks to its 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, movies shown in that format can be appreciated in their full glory without any distortion or stretching.

The Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 will come in a sleek design that boasts a Samsung Touch of Color matte black finish, looking as though it is liquid black in ambient light alongside a rich charcoal gray gradation in brighter light. Boasting a crystal-like acrylic neck and bezel trim, you will find that the SyncMaster XL2370 might just look as though the monitor is floating. Apart from that, you can tilt it up to 25 degrees, and the On Screen Display (OSD) adds a touch of class by lighting up when used and disappearing into the trim when dormant. Out later this November at retailers and distributors, those who can’t wait can always head down to the nearest Best Buy store as of today where it will retail for a recommended street price of $299.


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Lexmark T656dne

Additional color, monochrome laser devices also introduced, broadening Lexmark’s line to meet a wider range of customer needs

LEXINGTON, Ky.- Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today introduced the industry’s first single-function monochrome A4 (8.5 inch x 11 inch) laser printer with a touch screen, providing businesses the ability to tap into a powerful solutions platform and work more efficiently. The innovative Lexmark T656dne monochrome laser printer enables customers to expand the usefulness of their device to meet specific needs within their business by utilizing Lexmark’s award-winning Embedded Solutions Framework (eSF).


Lexmark was recently recognized by Buyers Laboratory Inc. with an Outstanding Achievement Award for providing value-added capabilities as a standard offering by leveraging its eSF platform, which enables customizable or industry-specific solutions to streamline paper-based processes, increasing productivity and reducing page volumes.


"Our robust, industry-leading solutions, integrated with our reliable, workhorse monochrome workgroup laser device, will enable the new T656dne to provide large workgroups with greater efficiency and productivity day in and day out" said Marty Canning, Lexmark vice president and president of its Printing Solutions and Services Division. "In addition, our new color laser, monochrome laser and laser MFPs continue to broaden our product line and provide our customers more choices than ever before for small and large workgroup needs"


Lexmark T656dne

Lexmark’s T656dne monochrome laser printer enables solutions capabilities for large workgroups, providing access to preloaded and customizable applications at the simple touch of an icon. Immediately upon powering on the Lexmark T656dne, users will find several unique applications available from the 7 inch, color touch screen:

* Forms and Favorites, which reduces waste associated with preprinted forms
* Eco-Settings, which helps increase energy savings and reduce wasted pages and toner
* Showroom, which demonstrates the possibilities of using the touch screen as a unique communications medium
* Change Background, allowing businesses to display a company logo or personalize the background image
* Change Language, which can be enabled during setup, allows users in multilingual environments to easily change the display language


The Lexmark T656dne, which prints up to 55 pages per minute (ppm), comes equipped with an internal 80+GB hard disk to support tailored software applications and provide ample storage capacity.


See the "LexmarkNews" page on YouTube for a video demonstration of the Lexmark T656dne’s innovative solutions capabilities.

Lexmark X546dtn, C546dtn and E462dtn

Three additional laser products introduced today, aimed at providing greater value to higher-usage customers, expand Lexmark’s award-winning lineup of laser products:

* Lexmark X546dtn color laser MFP and Lexmark C546dtn color laser printer: The Lexmark X546dtn and Lexmark C546dtn are designed for small to midsize workgroups or busy offices that need access to an affordable device that delivers productivity-enhancing features and professional-quality color printing. Both models feature Lexmark’s Duo Drawer standard, providing up to 900 sheets of standard input capacity, the most of any color laser printer or color laser MFP priced under $1,000. In addition, for customers who need even more paper capacity, a new optional 550-sheet drawer allows for a maximum capacity of 1,450 sheets. The Lexmark X546dtn and Lexmark C546dtn ship with more toner than their leading competitor, up to 4,000 pages1 for each color, and the 8,000-page2 extra high-yield black toner cartridge means fewer interventions for the customer and helps reduce the cost of ownership by delivering a low cost-per-page. Both products are included in the exclusive Lexmark Rewards program3, which rewards customers with free genuine Lexmark toner and imaging kits for sending their empty cartridges back to Lexmark for recycling or remanufacturing.
* Lexmark E462dtn monochrome laser printer: Ideal for small and midsize workgroups, the Lexmark E462dtn aids customers in lowering their output costs while remaining friendly to the environment. The 18,000 page2 aftermarket toner cartridge, which can be recycled free of charge like all other Lexmark toner cartridges, is budget pleasing for customers who desire a low cost-per-page. An extra 250-sheet drawer comes standard to maximize input.

Lexmark X860 Series

Lexmark also announced six new models in the A3-capable (11 inch x 17 inch) Lexmark X860 Series of monochrome laser MFPs targeted to large workgroups who have demanding document needs. These reliable, departmental MFPs integrate the capabilities of several standalone units and offer high performance with state-of-the-art security features, numerous input and finishing options, and print speeds of up to 55 ppm.


Featuring Lexmark’s colorful, easy-to-use e-Task touch screen, the solutions-ready Lexmark X860 Series helps workgroups gain momentum by allowing customization based on business needs to streamline and simplify complicated, multi-step processes.

Hole punching and offset stacking, as well as other advanced finishing capabilities, are optional to help support busy workgroups in print-intensive environments striving to take their productivity to its fullest potential. In addition, a Booklet Finisher option folds documents and allows adjustments for skew and overlaps.


Customers will find that fewer interventions are needed with the Lexmark X860 Series due to the tremendously versatile paper handling and long-lasting toner cartridges. Input capacity can be expanded up to 5,100 sheets with Dual Input and High-Capacity Feeder drawer options, and the toner cartridges come with an impressive 35,000-page yield2.


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FLO TV

FLO TV to be Available on Multiple Platforms Including Mobile Handsets, In-Car Entertainment Systems and Consumer Electronic Devices

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Television just got personal. FLO TV Incorporated, provider of the award-winning FLO TV(TM) live mobile TV service and a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), today will unveil the FLO TV Personal Television -- an entirely new dedicated device that will let TV lovers watch their favorite news, live sports, children's programming and entertainment on a dedicated device for mobile TV viewing. The FLO TV Personal Television will be available for purchase this holiday season at leading retailers across the country.

The FLO TV Personal Television is created with the single focus of delivering high-quality TV for a convenient, easy and fun television experience while on-the-go. The device receives live and time-shifted content over the FLO TV dedicated multicast network with no buffering, downloading or waiting to view content. With the swipe of a finger, consumers can channel surf through the FLO TV service's extensive programming lineup.

"We have offered the award-winning FLO TV service on a variety of handsets through our carrier and OEM partners, and we plan to continue working with them to expand the FLO TV handset lineup," said Bill Stone, president of FLO TV. "We are also thrilled to be launching the first of FLO TV's direct-to-consumer offerings with the FLO TV Personal Television. We have heard from customers that they want more choice and, specifically, a device that is easy to share with friends and family. With the FLO TV service available on mobile handsets, in-car entertainment systems and consumer electronics devices like FLO TV Personal Television, FLO TV offers something for every kind of consumer on-the-go."

About FLO TV Personal Television

FLO TV Personal Television subscription service starts as low as the equivalent of $8.99 per month* and the device will be offered at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $249.99. The device has a 3.5-inch diagonal screen and measures 4.4 inches by 3 inches by .5 inches and weighs just over 5 ounces. Its battery supports more than 5 hours of active FLO TV viewing or 300 hours standby. The FLO TV Personal Television utilizes a capacitive touch-screen for easy and comfortable navigation -- users can channel surf with just a swipe of their finger. It also includes several features meant to enhance the TV experience, including a built-in stand allowing the device to be positioned upright on any flat surface, built-in stereo speakers making it easy to watch TV with others, and the ability for users to set reminders for their favorite programming.

About the FLO TV Service

Market research firm TeleAnalytics projects that the broadcast mobile TV market will reach $2.8 billion and serve 50 million users in North American by 2013. FLO TV is poised for this market opportunity with its high-quality mobile TV service that allows subscribers to watch TV on-the-go. Whether you're commuting, waiting for your child to finish practice, or you are just an on-the-go active person, as a FLO TV subscriber you'll have immediate access to news, sports and entertainment content at your fingertips wherever you go.

From live sports and news to full-length dramas, comedies, children's programming and original FLO TV programming, the FLO TV service has something everyone can enjoy. It carries full-length simulcast and time-shifted programming from America's top entertainment brands.

The FLO TV service programming line-up may differ depending on distribution platform. Service not available everywhere. All programming subject to change and blackout restrictions.

*Taxes not included. Additional fees and charges may apply. Pricing and service subject to change at any time. Prepaid subscription required for 1 year / 3 year plans. 3-year prepaid subscription required for $8.99 / mo. package. After the expiration of the original prepaid subscription, your subscription will automatically renew and your credit card will be charged at the then-current rate. Special introductory offers and waived activation fee expire 12/31/09. All prepaid annual and monthly subscription payments are non-refundable.

About FLO TV Incorporated

The FLO TV service combines the best content, an intuitive user interface and a superior multicast network to deliver a true quality TV viewing experience for consumers. FLO TV offers full-length simulcast and time-shifted programming from the world's best entertainment brands, including CNBC, Comedy Central, MSNBC, MTV, NBC, NBC 2Go, NBC News, NBC Sports and Nickelodeon. Based in San Diego, Calif., FLO TV Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. Further information is available at www.flotv.com.

FLO and FLO TV are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

FLO TV/Qualcomm Contacts:
Melinda Hutcheon, FLO TV
Phone: 1-858-651-7334
Email: flotv.pr@flotv.com

Emily Kilpatrick, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com

John Gilbert, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com

SOURCE FLO TV Incorporated


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Barnes and Nobles eBook

Book retailer Barnes and Noble is going squarely at the Amazon Kindle by announcing an eBook application which will enable readers to enjoy eBooks on everything from the iPhone to the Blackberry, to their own “plastic logic device.”

The PLD promises full color and will be made available this coming Spring. The PLD also vaguely promises to have “other features” which were not available when the “other device that’s out there” (presumably the Kindle) was released. That’s rather hard to imagine since the Kindle has wireless access for not only downloading eBooks from Amazon, but also magazine subscriptions and the ability to check your own email.
Could the latest fad known as “augmented reality” be one of those features? Only time will tell. But since Amazon has also created an iPhone version of the Kindle reader, it’s hard to imagine what selling point would cause users to move from Kindle to the PLD, unless it’s a far better price point and improved battery life
One thing is for sure, competition is a good thing. And if Barnes and Noble thinks it can wage a legitimate challenge in the eBook reader market, the consumer will be the main beneficiary.

Hat Tip – Gadgetell

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Nissan Land Glider

Apparently, Nissan is making more cars than those EPORO robot cars that we reported on a while ago.

In this case, this is a concept car that a person could actually ride in. In fact, two people could ride in it, as long as the passenger doesn’t mind sitting in the back seat.
The Land Glider is very ultra light, and ultra thin. In fact, it looks like it could take up only half a normal lane. Of course what really makes the Nissan Land Glider awesome looking is that it leans when it turns.
Yes, it leans. In short, Nissan realized that motorcyles, with their cool leaning while they turn, could easily be used on cars. By the way, this Land Glider is totally electrical, and it is a Smart Car.
Speaking of Smart Cars, did you see last night’s episode of The Office, where Michael Scott does a comedy routine about smart cars. I suppose that most of these smart cars aren’t really smart, and that KITT from Knight Rider is the only Smart Car that we may never see.
Well, time will answer that question, but I’m under the belief that we will probably see the Land Glider sometime soon.

Source

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Android will leapfrog the iPhone by 2012

Watch out, iPhone—Android's nipping at your heels.

Researchers at Gartner (via AppleInsider) are predicting that the global market share for Google's Android mobile OS could overtake the iPhone's in a little over two years, with Android poised to leapfrog Apple into the No. 2 spot.

That would leave the iPhone in the No. 3 position—right where it is now, behind BlackBerry and Nokia's Symbian OS, according to Gartner. The industry researchers believe that by 2012, Research in Motion (the company behind the BlackBerry) will have lost 7 percent of its market share, causing it to slip into fifth place (behind even Windows Mobile). Android, meanwhile, will get a 12.9-percent boost to become the No. 2 smartphone platform in the world, with Symbian still safe in the No. 1 spot (with a dominating, although dwindling, 39 percent of the global market).

Those are just analyst predictions, of course, and two years is an eternity in the wireless world; after all, two years ago today, we were still getting used to the first iPhone.

That said, I think the gist of Gartner's prediction—that Android is poised to take the wireless market by storm—is spot on, and we've seen evidence of that in the past few months and weeks.

Google's open-source Android platform—which boasts one of the finest touchscreen interfaces out there, iPhone included—came slow out of the gates in fall 2008 with the solid, if uninspiring T-Mobile G1. We had to wait almost a year for the next Android phone in the U.S., but we finally got one this past August with the G1's follow-up, the HTC-made myTouch 3G (also on T-Mobile).

Soon after, what started as a trickle quickly became a flood. Sprint trotted out its first Android phone, the eye-catching, touchscreen HTC Hero, and then T-Mobile followed suit with the Motorola Cliq, its third Android handset ... followed by the Samsung Behold II just a few days ago. On Tuesday, Verizon Wireless announced it would launch a pair of Android phones before the end of the year, while Sprint announced its second Android phone—the Samsung Moment—a day later. Oh, and now there's rumors that Dell wants in on the Android action, with a new handset possible slated for iPhone carrier AT&T.

Let's see, that's ... one, two, three, four ... five new Android phones in in the past few months, with two more—and possibly even a third—due by the end of the year, from two (or maybe three) different manufacturers and three (possibly four) carriers. Some will be better than others, but consumers will have plenty of models (and carriers) from which to choose.

Of course, a bunch of new phones on the market doesn't mean diddly unless someone buys them, and for now, Apple has a solid 10.8- versus 1.6-percent lead over Android in terms of global smartphone market share. But Apple is the only company making iPhones, while the open-source (and high-quality) Android platform is available to all manufacturers and carriers—and from what we've been seeing, they're taking the ball and running with it.

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Forget Vista welcome Windows 7

Microsoft's New Operating System Is Good Enough to Erase Bad Memory of Vista

In just two weeks, on Oct. 22, Microsoft's long operating-system nightmare will be over. The company will release Windows 7, a faster and much better operating system than the little-loved Windows Vista, which did a lot to harm both the company's reputation, and the productivity and blood pressure of its users. PC makers will rush to flood physical and online stores with new computers pre-loaded with Windows 7, and to offer the software to Vista owners who wish to upgrade.

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With Windows 7, PC users will at last have a strong, modern successor to the sturdy and familiar, but aged, Windows XP, which is still the most popular version of Windows, despite having come out in 2001. In the high-tech world, an eight-year-old operating system is the equivalent of a 20-year-old car. While XP works well for many people, it is relatively weak in areas such as security, networking and other features more important today than when XP was designed around 1999.

After using pre-release versions of Windows 7 for nine months, and intensively testing the final version for the past month on many different machines, I believe it is the best version of Windows Microsoft has produced. It's a boost to productivity and a pleasure to use. Despite a few drawbacks, I can heartily recommend Windows 7 to mainstream consumers.

Like the new Snow Leopard operating system released in August by Microsoft's archrival, Apple, Windows 7 is much more of an evolutionary than a revolutionary product. Its main goal was to fix the flaws in Vista and to finally give Microsoft customers a reason to move up from XP. But Windows 7 is packed with features and tweaks that make using your computer an easier and more satisfying experience.

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Visit the Career & Work Center
Windows 7 introduces real advances in organizing your programs and files, arranging your taskbar and desktop, and quickly viewing and launching the page or document you want, when you want it. It also has cool built-in touch-screen features.

It removes a lot of clutter. And it mostly banishes Vista's main flaws -- sluggishness; incompatibility with third-party software and hardware; heavy hardware requirements; and constant, annoying security warnings.

I tested Windows 7 on 11 different computers, ranging from tiny netbooks to standard laptops to a couple of big desktops. These included machines from Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, Asus, Toshiba and Sony. I even successfully ran it on an Apple Macintosh laptop. On some of these machines, Windows 7 was pre-loaded. On others, I had to upgrade from an earlier version of Windows.

In most cases, the installation took 45 minutes or less, and the new operating system worked snappily and well. But, I did encounter some drawbacks and problems. On a couple of these machines, glacial start-up and reboot times reminded me of Vista. And, on a couple of others, after upgrading, key features like the display or touchpad didn't work properly. Also, Windows 7 still requires add-on security software that has to be frequently updated. It's tedious and painful to upgrade an existing computer from XP to 7, and the variety of editions in which Windows 7 is offered is confusing.

Finally, Microsoft has stripped Windows 7 of familiar built-in applications, such as email, photo organizing, address book, calendar and video-editing programs. These can be downloaded free of charge, but they no longer come with the operating system, though some PC makers may choose to pre-load them.

In recent years, I, like many other reviewers, have argued that Apple's Mac OS X operating system is much better than Windows. That's no longer true. I still give the Mac OS a slight edge because it has a much easier and cheaper upgrade path; more built-in software programs; and far less vulnerability to viruses and other malicious software, which are overwhelmingly built to run on Windows.

Now, however, it's much more of a toss-up between the two rivals. Windows 7 beats the Mac OS in some areas, such as better previews and navigation right from the taskbar, easier organization of open windows on the desktop and touch-screen capabilities. So Apple will have to scramble now that the gift of a flawed Vista has been replaced with a reliable, elegant version of Windows.

Here are some of the key features of Windows 7.

New Taskbar: In Windows 7, the familiar taskbar has been reinvented and made taller. Instead of mainly being a place where icons of open windows temporarily appear, it now is a place where you can permanently "pin" the icons of frequently used programs anywhere along its length, and in any arrangement you choose. This is a concept borrowed from Apple's similar feature, the Dock. But Windows 7 takes the concept further.

For each running program, hovering over its taskbar icon pops up a small preview screen showing a mini-view of that program. This preview idea was in Vista. But, in Windows 7, it has been expanded in several ways. Now, every open window in that program is included separately in the preview. If you mouse over a window in the preview screen, it appears at full size on your desktop and all other windows on the desktop become transparent -- part of a feature called Aero Peek. Click on the window and it comes up, ready for use. You can even close windows from these previews, or play media in them.

I found this feature more natural and versatile than a similar feature in Snow Leopard called Dock Expose.

You can also use Aero Peek at any time to see your empty desktop, with open windows reduced to virtual panes of glass. To do this, you just hover over a small rectangle at the right edge of the taskbar.

Taskbar icons also provide Jump Lists -- pop-up menus listing frequent actions or recent files used.

Desktop Organization: A feature called Snap allows you to expand windows to full-screen size by just dragging them to the top of the screen, or to half-screen size by dragging them to the left or right edges of the screen. Another called Shake allows you to make all other windows but the one you're working on disappear by simply grabbing its title bar with the mouse and shaking it several times.

File Organization: In Windows Explorer, the left-hand column now includes a feature called Libraries. Each library -- Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos -- consolidates all files of those types regardless of which folder, or even which hard disk, they live in.

Networking: Windows 7 still isn't quite as natural at networking as I find the Mac to be, but it's better than Vista. For instance, now you can see all available wireless networks by just clicking on an icon in the taskbar. A new feature called HomeGroups is supposed to let you share files more easily among Windows 7 PCs on your home network. In my tests, it worked, but not consistently, and it required typing in long, arcane passwords.

Touch: Some of the same kinds of multitouch gestures made popular on the iPhone are now built into Windows 7. But these features won't likely become popular for a while because to get the most out of them, a computer needs a special type of touch screen that goes beyond most of the ones existing now. I tested this on one such laptop, a Lenovo, and was able to move windows around, to resize and flip through photos, and more.

Speed: In my tests, on every machine, Windows 7 ran swiftly and with far fewer of the delays typical in running Vista. All the laptops I tested resumed from sleep quickly and properly, unlike in Vista. Start-up and restart times were also improved. I chose six Windows 7 laptops from different makers to compare with a new MacBook Pro laptop. The Mac still started and restarted faster than most of the Windows 7 PCs. But the speed gap has narrowed considerably, and one of the Lenovos beat the Mac in restart time.

Nagging: In the name of security, Vista put up nagging warnings about a wide variety of tasks, driving people crazy. In Windows 7, you can now set this system so it nags you only when things are happening that you consider really worth the nag. Also, Microsoft has consolidated most of the alerts from the lower-right system tray into one icon, and they seemed less frequent.

Compatibility: I tried a wide variety of third-party software and all worked fine on every Windows 7 machine. These included Mozilla Firefox; Adobe Reader; Google's Picasa and Chrome; and Apple's iTunes and Safari.

I also tested several hardware devices, and, unlike Vista, Windows 7 handled all but one smoothly. These included a networked H-P printer, a Canon camera, an iPod nano, and at least five external flash drives and hard disks. The one failure was a Verizon USB cellular modem. Microsoft says you don't need external software to run these, but I found it was necessary, and even then had to use a trick I found on the Web to get it to work.

System Requirements: Nearly all Vista PCs, and newer or beefier XP machines, should be able to run Windows 7 fine. Even the netbooks I tested ran it speedily, especially with the Starter Edition, which lacks some of the powerful graphics effects in the operating system. (Other netbooks will be able to run other editions.)

If you have a standard PC, called a 32-bit PC, you'll need at least one gigabyte of memory, 16 gigabytes of free hard-disk space and a graphics system that can support Microsoft technologies called "DirectX 9 with WDDM 1.0." You'll also need a processor with a speed of at least one gigahertz. If you have a newer-style 64-bit PC, which can use more memory, you'll need at least two gigabytes of memory and 20 gigabytes of free hard disk space. In either case, you should double the minimum memory specification.

Installation, Editions and Price: There are four editions of Windows 7 of interest to consumers. One, a limited version called Starter, comes pre-loaded on netbooks. A second, called Business, is mainly for people who need to tap remotely into company networks (check with your company to see if you need this). A third, called Ultimate, is mainly for techies who want every feature of all other editions. Most average consumers will want Home Premium, which costs $120 for upgrades.

The system for upgrading is complicated, but Vista owners can upgrade to the exactly comparable edition of Windows 7 while keeping all files, settings and programs in place.

Unfortunately, XP owners, the biggest body of Windows users, won't be able to do that. They'll have to wipe out their hard disks after backing up their files elsewhere, then install Windows 7, then restore their personal files, then re-install all their programs from the original CDs or downloaded installer files. Then, they have to install all the patches and upgrades to those programs from over the years.

Microsoft includes an Easy Transfer wizard to help with this, but it moves only personal files, not programs. This painful XP upgrade process is one of the worst things about Windows 7 and will likely drive many XP owners to either stick with what they've got or wait and buy a new one.

In my tests, both types of installations went OK, though the latter could take a long time.

Bottom line: Windows 7 is a very good, versatile operating system that should help Microsoft bury the memory of Vista and make PC users happy.

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