Sony ICFCD833 Dream Machine Clock Radio/CD Player

• Digital synthesized AM/FM stereo tuner
• Built-in CD player and stereo speakers
• Dual alarm settings
• Self-powered backup system
• Wake to CD, radio, or alarm

...I have been using the unit for two months now and here is what you should expect:

PROS: 1) Excellent sound quality. 2) Numerous combinations of options available for wake-up times and modes. 3) Ability to

pre-select specific CD track for wake-up. 4) Typical "Sony" beautiful styling. 5) User friendly instructions and programming.

CONS: 1) Mediocre radio reception. 2) Increase Bass switch to "on" results in minute change in tonal quality. 3) No battery backup in case you accidentally unplug. 4) Not stereo. 5) Sound distorts at higher volumes unlike some of the $100.00

satellite speakers sold for desktop PC's.

Conclusion: If you have not owned an alarm clock with a CD player before, you will be surprised as to how much better your

mood will be when you wake up, when you can choose the music you

wake up to. For items like this, that you can see up close, touch, and try out in the store, you can save lots of cash by

buying online and know in advance what to expect.

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This is a stereo unit, but the lack of stereo separation and closeness of the speakers makes it difficult to tell. Notwithstanding the above, if you can purchase this unit for 40% less than retail, it is definitely an excellent value.

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Next time I'd specify if it does or doesn't have headphone accessability. After all, I myself am unfamilier with audio equipment of that small size with out headphones being usable..

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I love this alarm clock, even though its about 10 years old now, I have given up trying to replace it ever, after twice returning multiple similar CD/radio/buzzer alarm clock upgrades purchased in 2007 and 2010. I take it with me when I'm travelling short distances or by road and its surprisingly portable, plus the sound is amazing! Far superior to all other products of thisnsize.

This clock has the quietest "buzzer" I've ever heard useless to me as an alarm clock, which is what I bought it for.

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Sony ICF-C490 FM/AM Clock Radio with Super Loud Alarm Setting

• Simple and compact FM/AM clock radio
• Snooze and sleep modes for more individualized control of alarm and radio
• Full power back-up uses 9V battery to maintain clock and alarm operations
• Extra large 1.4" green LED numerals are easy to see
• Dual alarm for different wake-up times

It is just one tiny little button. One tiny little button behind the snooze bar. One tiny little button that you probably won't even realize is there, until it is too late.

I think I'm a smart guy, but it took me and my significant other a week to figure out why the ... my alarm would mysteriously shut itself off, seemingly on a whim.

Maybe it's my fault. I admit I didn't read the instruction manual. But it's a clock radio! Why should I? I'm in the IT industry. I don't need no stinkin' manual!

Or maybe the mention of the tiny little button is not in the owners manual. no difference. the tiny button might wreck you too.

The tiny button is right behind the "snooze" button. The BIG snooze button, the button you smack with your big swarthy, sleep deprived American hand when you're mumbling "forgodsakesjustshutupandletmesleep!"

The button is the "alarm cancel" button. And let me tell you, it is far, far, far too easy to hit, and it will shut your alarm off until the next day. And you will slumber peacefully until you wake with a start realizing that it's an hour later, and your Sony ICF-490 clock radio is sitting there silently.

The Sony engineers (and most clock radio "engineers") had/have the right idea to make you slide a switch or operate some other kind of gizmo that requires some waking coordination to shut off the alarm. Indeed, you have to slide a switch on this clock radio to shut the alarm off, a logical operation. But then, for some reason, they added the "alarm reset" button to the top of the radio. behind the snooze bar. the tiny button from hell.

If you've read this far and you aren't scared yet, the thing does keep time. And the numbers are nice and big and bright, which is good if you're like me and half-blind (as well as swarthy.) The radio reception pretty much is awful, but if you the station you want to tune in is broadcasting from underneath your bed, you should be ok.

But you should really avoid this alarm clock if you actually have to get up in the morning. I've trained myself to gingerly reach out and tap the snooze like a little girl but needless to say, I'm shopping for a replacement. And then, when I find it's replacement, this clock will pay the ultimate price.

I'll leave you with a little haiku:

Sony Alarm Clock

sleepy hand reaches for snooze

sun rises, late again.

Buy Sony ICF-C490 FM/AM Clock Radio with Super Loud Alarm Setting Now

I really can't understand how everyone else hates this thing, but let me give you my 2 cents. I think it's great! I received this as a gift from my sister for Christmas, and I am shocked to see that the price is under 40 bucks!

What I like:

sleek, aesthetic black design

nice, easy-to-read green display

two settable alarms one for the buzzer and one for the radio

easy to set the clock or alarm time; intuitive, with both forward and back buttons with slow/fast speed (basically)

decent reception on the radio

I guess my only quibble would be that the single speaker is not exactly Bose-quality, but I have a stereo system for that... I just want to listen to Howard Stern's annoying *** to wake up in the morning. Good thing the station I listen to isn't owned by ClearChannel... Oh, and I'm not sure, but maybe I have accidentally hit the Alarm Cancel button when trying for Snooze before, but I have been known to shut off other alarms in my sleep as well, so I can't crucify the alarm for that.

The bottom line is that compared to most others out there you can get at the store, it really is a nice alarm clock. No stupid looking cheap white plastic, no impossible-to-figure-out clock, option to set both the radio and buzzer alarms... it's all good stuff. If my house burned down and I was looking for another alarm clock, I would buy this one for sure! No competition.

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Not the most reliable alarm in the world. As a college student, it seemed like a good buy when I was browsing the shelves at Target. However, don't let its simple design fool you. I've read the manual and I'll have to admit it's not very clear about using the secret "Alarm Reset" button. You have to set 2 different things on this alarm clock in order for it to go off in the morning. It's one of those things that is very easy to miss when you're tired and want to go to bed. As a result, I have missed several morning class sessions due to my alarm not going off in the morning. Try explaining that one to your professor!!! Luckily I've never missed a morning exam yet, probably due to the fact that I remembered to set another backup alarm clock before going to bed. The point is....if you value getting to work or class on time in the morning, don't buy this alarm clock!!!

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This clock radio is actually a "Dream Machine" but it does not say that in the description. Dream Machine sounds very impressive but I think it is just something that was dreamed up by their marketing department. The reason that I bought this alarm clock was that it is advertized as having dual alarms. But you don't get two radio alarms you get a radio alarm and a buzzer alarm. I don't really like to be wakened to a buzzer and I use my clock radio to remind me about certain things going on around the house and I usually like just a radio to come on when that happens. And a lot of times I like to time more than one event at a time. So this radio is not as useful to me as it could be. A lot of the General Electric Clock Radios have dual alarms and for each one of the two you can choose if you want that alarm to be radio or buzzer. The time set feature is very good with a fast plus, a fast minus, and a slow plus. This is important because with some clock radios you can spend a lot of time setting the alarm time.

Advantages:

1) green LED display (more closely matches the blueish tint of DVD and VCR displays compared with red LED's),

2) Can set the loudness of the buzzer and radio individually.

3) Can dim the display because if it's too bright, it'll interfere with sleep.

4) Big digits. Important for me since I place the clock across the room on my dresser, so as to avoid possible health effects from having electronics to close to one's head. Also, I frequent turn off any alarm clock while still asleep if it is right next to me within arm's reach.

5) Sony quality.

6) I don't snooze so I don't care as much where the alarm cancel button it.

Disadvantages:

1) The individual LED segments can differ in brightness, more noticeable when you dim the display.

2) Radio audio quality is not high.

3) Quite expensive compared with many other clock radios.

4) The time set feature involves three buttons, fast forward, fast reverse, and slow forward. Why not have just two buttons, forward and reverse, where the time movement starts slow and accelerates. This is what many electronics makers do.

5) While the styling is very nice, more so than the usual boxy lock, one disadvantage is that light tends to reflect off the curved clear plastic front, reducing visibility of the time. Not a problem wat night when the lights are off, but in daytime, it is. If the clear plastic was flat, there wouldn't be quite the problem.

6) Haven't read the instructions yet, so I don't know exactly what the meaning of the count-up displaY when you press and hold down the snooze button.

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Dual XDM7615 AM/FM/CD Motor,4x50W, MP3, WMA, c3.5 Input, F/R/S, Remote, SWI

• AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA Receiver features US/European frequency spacing tuner with 30 station presets,preset scan,one touch memory,auto stereo mono
• 1.0 DIN chassis, electronic motorized 2-step detachable face,electronic volume , bass, treble, balance, fader. Programableturn-on volume
• 3-pair of preamp outputs, 3.5mm front panel input, clock, mute, loudness
• Displays MP3 ID3v1 tags, displays WMA tags , repeat/random/intro
• Wireless inferd remote, 5 selctable EQ curves-pop, jazz, classic, beat, rock
• Steering wheel control input(PAC SWI-PS required )

I was gonna give this rating 4 stars instead of 5 stars only because the remote doesn't work. I don't know if it's the battery in the remote or if it's the remote itself. Will be contacting the proper parties when I change the battery.

Then I was gonna give it 3 stars instead of 4 because the dials were acting weird, but I simply hit the very small reset button on the unit to get it to act normal again.

Now this unit looks AMAZINGLY cool! It has a motorized faceplate which has an optional detachable feature. The picture shown on this site doesn't do it much justice. The blue lights are much cooler, cleaner, and deeper, ESPECIALLY at night. And when the unit is off the knob turns red giving off a nice Red Halo.

Before I hooked my system up I had factory speakers in the car. This radio brought them to LIFE! I was shocked at how clean and clear the music became after changing the factory unit and putting in this one.

I don't use many of the features, but I am pleased, very, very pleased with this unit. I've recieved many compliments on how nice it looks and how cool it is.... and I blow them away when I tell them I much I paid.

I don't use the radio (am/fm) unless I'm checking up on my Browns so the radio feature doesn't get any play at all right now, but it works clean and fine and picks up my stations pretty well (I'm in Cleveland). I have tried using the bluetooth feature to stream music from my Android device and it worked perfectly.

I don't use CDs anymore, but I burned 2 just to test the quality of the unit. One was a MP3 disc, and the other was a copy of Disc 1 of Life After Death Disc by Notorious B.I.G. Each worked perfectly fine. So whenever I need to use a CD I know I can use one.

I use the auxiliary jack input (AUX)to connect my iPod and it works flawlessly with pure, clean, crisp quality. I truly bought this device for three things and three things only "PRICE, LOOKS, and AUX INPUT", but there are a ton of features on here that I don't even use. But I love options, and this has plenty of them. There are a few EQ settings that work nice, fade settings that work well, and the interface is EXTREMELY SIMPLE and intuitive.

There is a regular RCA jack input in the back for loudspeakers (or whatever) and there is a subwoofer RCA jack input for Subs. I have my 3000 watt max (2100RMS @1-ohm) Planet Audio Anarchy Amplifier Class D Monoblock Amp hooked up to this, and three subs hooked up to that, and this thing is perfect for me.

It fits my style (ballin' on a budget lol), it looks nice, and it works like it should.

Like I said.... I would have given it 5 stars, but I have to see whats with the remote first.... if it's the battery and not the remote then I'll update, but even then I might not change the review stars, because that shouldn't have been an issue in the first place.

It deserves 5 stars tho'... it truly does. (but that remote was very important and it isn't working right now)

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GREAT HEAD UNIT SHIPPED WAY BEFORE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO AND IT WORKS GREAT LOOKS AWESOME AT NIGHT TIME CATCHES EVERYONES EYE ''DUAL'' MAKES GREAT PRODUCTS WOULD DEFINATELY RECOMMEND TO ANYONE !

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So i've had the dual xdm7615 for a little over a year now. I really like it, it plays back really well, it has many audio features such as loud on/off, 5 eq settings, 12 fm and am settings for radio, cd/mp3 cd playback, one feature that i really like because you have 20 cds on one, especially if you don't have an ipod or mp3 player, there is a also a auxiliary jack that you are able to plug an mp3 player or iPod into which is nice. It also looks really nice, all the buttons and volume wheel are illuminated blue but its not obnoxiously bright and the display is clear when its open.

Now that i've given my pros here are my cons:

The fact that it IS moveable poses problems. sometimes the door doesn't open all the way or close all the way, i've had to push it along to get it to open and close recently. depending on the angle of your dash, the display is either clearly visible or not at all because of the angle of the movable door. I had this in my buick, which was a flat dash and it was easy to read, HOWEVA, in my new lancer its at an angle and it nearly impossible to read when open, which in my opinion, creates a hazard while driving. I've also had problems with it in the winter time when it gets cold. the volume doesn't want to go up when its really cold it goes back down to zero and takes almost 5 or 10 minutes to finally warm up and scroll correctly. I also have had issues with it not voluming up and down correctly over the last week or so. the buttons on the door also seem kinda flimsy when its open and need some force to push them in and change stations, or songs. finally the clock is a bitch to change and it took me nearly 2 days to finally figure it out.

All in all it does what i need it to do, I have it connected to a 500 watt dual amp and 2 12" dual subs and it sounds great. I had no problems installing it myself in both cars and even with some of the flaws still get great sound out of it and you can hear me coming from at least a block away with it. Its perfect for someone who is putting a system in their car for the first time and wants something that looks cool.

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After a 600 mile journey with a bad stereo set up in my vehicle, I had amazon overnight me this (I have prime so it was only an extra 4 bucks-if you don't have prime you should get it)-so that when I made my return journey I could survive the ride better. The unit is a straightforward easy installation. And -especially for the price-the features are outstanding. It is a powerful enough little unit without a high amount of distortion that you would expect for a value priced system-even through old, (what I assume to be) stock speakers. I like the motorized face plate which not only is cool but makes for a neat appearanceand the remote-especially considering this went into a van where the reach to the console is a bit larger. switching between cd,radio and an ipod/mp3 plugged into the front jack is a tap of a button. This unit could stand along side the more recognized name brand unit with non-stock speakers that is in my other vehicle. With better speakers this thing would really kick I 'd imagine...and who knows what it'd do with a power amp.....very smart buy.

Save 46% Off

THIS RADIO LOOKS GOOD BUT IF YOUR LOOKING FOR QUALITY SOUND THIS IS NOT IT. I HOOKED UP AN AMP OFF THIS STEREO TO PUSH A SUBWOOFER AND IT WOULD HARDLY THUMP. REPLACED IT WITH A KENWOOD STEREO AND IT FIXED THE PROBLEM. YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET.

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LG Viper 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

I just got this phone for my wife. I of course set it up and played with it until she ripped it away from my finger tips! I have to say... for a free phone the LG VIPER is just awesome!

As much as I like it you have to keep things in perspective... this IS NOT meant to compete with the super phones like the EVO 4G LTE or the Samsung Galaxy III LTE... or the Google Nexus. It is far above the "entry level" class of phones too! I have to admit, I felt like I was cheating my wife by getting a "free" phone for her... but after using it I feel that I ripped Best Buy for getting the phone free on an upgrade... and trading in her old EVO 4G for a $65 credit! This is by far the best free phone I have ever seen.... and I worked for Sprint as a store manager for 4 years.

So here are some bullet points on why to consider the LG Viper;

* Smallest of the 4G LTE Android phones For my wife the size of the other LTE phones was a tad bit too big. The size of this phone is perfect for her.

* Speed This phone hands down "smokes" the EVO 4G that she had. When I was doing updates I was amazed of the speed of the phone. This thing is a fast and powerful as you need!

* Covers the basics well Good camera, access to the web, facebook, gmail, apps, etc. For the NON TEENAGER... this phone works very well! If you are a a power user (business or teens) then you may want to explore the higher end phones. But if you need a phone for your day to day basics this phone is for you! (and then some!)

* Value Like I said, I cannot believe that this phone is free. If money is a consideration then look at the LG Viper before dropping $150 to $200 on a larger more powerful handset... then look at this phone and compare the "true" needed features that you will use daily.

* Sprint LTE It is coming... when it does you will see a huge performance gain compared to the old WIMAX 4G network Sprint uses. So you are buying the newer technology, not the old one. (Check with Sprint to see when your area is scheduled to get 4G LTE)

* This phone currently runs on Android 2.3 (older version)... but from what I have read it is getting Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)... so you have a huge upgrade coming in the future! (Which helps "future proof" this device)

Here are a few reasons why not to consider it;

* Small phone In my hands the EVO 4G LTE fits a lot better than the LG VIPER. The Viper is too small... and I feel like it will slip out of my hand easily. This can be solved by using a protective case (since they have a better grip material)... none-the-less, it is too small for me, but perfect for my wife!

* If you have to feed your ego LOL, I am serious, some people have to have the BEST, most top of the line phone out there... this one is good, but not that good!

* Screen size The trend is to make phones big enough to use as a "small tablet"... yet small enough to still be a phone. Having a 4.7" screen is significant enough compared to the LG Viper... but the Viper's screen is big enough for normal "regular people" usage. For example, I would NOT watch a high-def movie on any phone, regardless of screen size... that is what my 55" HDTV is for! So having a larger screen is not necessarily "critical" for our needs.

For the money, the LG Viper is HARD to beat. It is very powerful... so I can see it being useful for the above average users as well. The only group I do not see adopting it is the HARDCORE power junkies out there. But for the more average phone users out there this phone is just awesome!

At $99 at Sprint (sorry Amazon, bought through Sprint), i thought this device would be a 'whatever' simple Android phone. But it's actually speedy and responsive.

The battery life is bad but not worse than other Android phones which is why i use JuiceDefender (app) to keep my battery lasting all day.

HW quality is solid, though i wish the back cover were rubberized. NFC is cool, takes a while to get used to it and get into the mode of pulling out your phone instead of your wallet.

I'm not gonna hold my breath for Sprint to turn on LTE here in San Diego, so i can't say much about the LTE capabilities BUT as a 3G phone, it's solid.

Buy LG Viper 4G Android Phone (Sprint) Now

If you are reading this review then you too are looking for good and bad to help sway your purchase. Be sure and write your own review when you decide to buy something to help out other people. As I write this, there are only six reviews For The LG Viper 4G LTE on Amazon so I thought I would add mine.

Purchased the LG Viper two weeks ago on Amazon since they had a discounted price ($0.01) compared to Sprint ($59) with my two year upgrade. I think I am exactly the customer this phone was designed for. I like new technology, but I am not willing to pay $150-200 for a new phone, so when this one came out that was on the 4G LTE network, had a fast processor and great screen, I immediately went looking at reviews. CNET had reviewed it, as well as Endgaget and several others. They all spoke of the green construction and great camera, but it came out in April and was followed by the "high dollar" phones from Samsung and HTC so you didn't hear anything about this phone after that.

The LG Viper 4G LTE is a very nice looking handset that has a lot of amenities. The weight is good and the size is near perfect for me. I may eventually go with a case for it, but currently don't see an immediate need to. Normal use and keeping it in my pocket have not shown any scratches or wear on the exterior. It comes with a 4GB micro SD card so storage has not been a problem. It says it will support a 32GB card if you want to carry all your music with you.

I was upgrading from another LG phone, the Optimus S, so the button layout was the same. It was a change switching for physical buttons to soft keys, but having them in the same place made the transition easy. The extensive use of recycled materials is a nice feature, but doesn't sway me one way or the other. The phone was released on Earth Day and I am sure they thought the "green" construction would sell more phones, but I am not sure it did. The Gorilla glass was something I had not had before and I am very impressed with...I will be looking for this feature on the next phone I upgrade to. But I was more concerned about the telephone reception. I like have the ability to search the internet when I have a question or have more entertainment options when I am bored but I need a phone to also be a phone! The LG cell reception is equal but not better with the Viper vs. the Optimus S in outlying areas; Both were fine in full coverage. I have no home phone and just use the cell phone, so this was important to me. It does seem to work better while roaming then the Optimus did. The Viper does not sound "tinny" as the professional reviewers have said and I don't have a problem with the external speaker either. At full volume the speaker is too loud to have close up but perfect to have in the cup-holder giving me turn by turn directions. I have used the camera for taking quick snapshots and brief video, and while good enough for Facebook uploads, I will not be using it as my only camera. If this is important to you, go to one of the stores that carry phones and play with it. You may be more impressed than I was.

Others have spoken of the dismal battery life, but I have not seen it. If you have not had a smartphone before, they all are this way. The Viper is better than my previous smartphone on standby and normal use, but using it as a GPS runs it down faster. My best time has been 15 hours with no Bluetooth or GPS on, but wifi was on. The worst was 7 hours with the last two using as my GPS and having the display on the whole time. I have not had as much problem with battery use when on wifi; I was able to watch two Netflix TV 30 min episodes while trying to run my battery down from 15%. You will have to judge your own phone, but this is plenty for me. I already had to keep a phone charger with me at work, so I don't balk at having to do the same now. As for speed, the processor is much faster than what the Optimus had, so downloads are speedy and normal page loading is very quick. As said before I can watch Netflix and play fast moving games without the buffer problem I had before, so I can say I am very pleased with performance.

Unfortunately I do not live in one of the 15 released areas with Sprint 4G LTE, but plan on trying it out in Baltimore next time I go. The speed should increase, but I also expect the battery life will decrease. I will update when I have more info. Bottom line, I am happy with my phone. It was one I would have been happy had I paid more for it, and I felt that it had not had enough good reviews to do it justice. If you are not looking for the newest phone to show off to your friends, you will be happy with the LG Viper.

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Update 23 Mar 2013

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Still very happy with my phone, screen has held up well. I have been able to leave a few scratches in it, but I do not have a case or screen cover on it; I am surf if I did, they would not be there. The back, being plastic, shows much more wear and though I am not happy with this, I will not deduct a star for it. Making an all aluminum back would have pushed the price much higher and gone away from the green theme that the phone was released with. Battery life has continued to be where it was and I found that while overseas, I can run the phone in airplane mode with wifi on and get more than double what I was getting before (no Sprint service here, so no need to waste battery searching for signal.) Again, there are many phones out there that will beat this one, but it was still free with upgrade last I looked and it is plenty powerful running ICS, so it is the best bang for your buck.

Read Best Reviews of LG Viper 4G Android Phone (Sprint) Here

Got this phone about 2 weeks ago and Love It!! Had a blackberry previous to this phone which was nice but the LG Viper is like going from a horse drawn carriage (blackberry) to a Viper race car. The only complaint I have is the battery life, but then I guess all smart phones have short battery life. I have a car charger and plug it in while driving. Also the touch screen is very sensitive, but then I'm not used to it. There are a lot of widgets on the phone which I probley will never use, but they don't seem to slow it down at all. Again I'm very happy with it. Very good phone sound quality and screen quality and also the camera is very, very good. I would recommend this.

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I just received my LG Viper this afteroon(6/5) and couldn't be happy with it so far. I've had LG cell phones in the past that worked very well for me so I thought I would give it another chance. The last phone I had Samsung Intercept that gave me nothing but trouble( had to replace the touchscreen once and had it replaced the total phone twice.) So far I was able to downdload apps that my Intercept wouldn't let me do. I took a picture of my son with the phone and it came out clear as day. I know the battery life is a little iffy but I think that I can work with that. I did download an app killer to see if that will help extend the battery. I'm home alot anyway so it easy for me to plug it in when needed. The phone is a little bigger than my Intercept, but it fit well in my wristlet purse. I felt that Amazon gave me a great deal with my Sprint upgrade I only paid $19.99 with free two day shipping ! Sprint would had charged me $86.00 for the same phone !! I'll come back to Amazon when its time to upgrade again. Thanks Amazon. I'll come back later to let you know if I have any problems with my Viper.

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iHome iC3 3.5mm Aux Portable Speaker

• Play and charge your Android Tablet and Smartphone devices; stand support for convenient interaction with your mobile devices
• Works with iHome Sleep alarm app for enhanced wake & sleep options (free Android Market download)
• Specially designed stereo Reson8 speaker chambers for superior audio performance
• SmartSlide dock with custom Quick Charge microUSB cable; AUX line-in for music playback with included stereo audio cable connection to your smartphone or other music device
• Operates on 4AA batteries or included universal voltage AC adaptor

I think the above user just didnt read clearly. Granted i bought mine at gamestop where they have their information more accessible.

they even took it out for me too see. yes its "big" but by big its only maybe as long as a droid X laying down for width. about the height of a droid x (back doesnt go all the way on it) and its not that deep.

I personally own a Samsung Galaxy Note, on it it looks great. holds it well and amazing sound from such a small thing. yes i said small. this is NOT THAT BIG, the pic is confusing cause you think it is a a normal phone like the droid X or an HTC. its actually suppose to be a tablet.

Back to the real point of this review. if u are looking for a good dock that is portable for room to room needs like while showering and then desk work and have an android device and have been waiting for something like this then it is totally for you.

if you have some small space that u think this might be good in. just make sure u check the dimensions that are clearly outlined on the creators website =)

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While I applaud iHome and other manufacturers who make products for users of Android devices, I understand that these manufacturers are challenged in that the size, shape, and location of input ports are not standard on Android devices.

iHome has tried to overcome this obstacle with the iC3 Portable Stand, Stereo Speaker and Charging Dock for Tablets and Smartphones. The design of the iC3 is problematic if the charging and earphone jacks are on the top of your device, as is the case for my smartphone. To connect the charging cable (a micro USB cable) to the phone, you must thread the wire from the bottom of the iC3 through a narrow channel into your device. If you have a case on your phone, this task becomes even harder.

Then, once you do connect the wire to your phone, the phone doesn't really sit well against the stand. And, since the charging and earphone jacks are on the top of my phone, I have to sit the phone on its side or upside down, which makes it harder to read the screen. Additionally, there's no Bluetooth, so you have to use the wire to connect the speaker to the device.

That's the bad news. The good news is that, for its size, the iC3 puts out decent sound. As is the case with all external speakers, the quality of the sound will depend on the device. I found that sound was much deeper and fuller with my phone or one of my MP3 players, and more tinny with an iPod. There's no volume switch on the iC3, so you must control the volume level with your device.

I also liked the iHome Sleep app. This is a handy little app that allows you to set multiple alarms, control wake and sleep volume, and lets you track snooze cycles, hours of sleep, as well as the times you go to bed and the times you wake, as well as other functions. I also like the fact that the app actually allows you to wake to music, even though my phone is password protected. Other apps that I have tried get tripped up by the password and turn on the phone but not the music. The iC3 is powered by an AC adapter (included) or four AA batteries.

So for the price I like the iHome iC3. The sound it produces is balanced, the unit is relatively small, and the smartphone app is very comprehensive. I also like the fact that I have something that can charge my cell phone while I use it to listen to music. Connecting your device to the speaker is difficult, however, and reading or using my device (in this case a cell phone) on the holder is near impossible as the phone must sit sideways or upside down. I also would have preferred a rechargeable battery.

Read Best Reviews of iHome iC3 3.5mm Aux Portable Speaker Here

A nice surprise....I didn't expect much...just a dock that I could listen to talk radio with my Samsung S3/Nexus 7. Yes, you adjust the volume on the device to turn up the sound but other than that, it sounds pretty darn good. Overall, I am quite happy with this speaker dock.

Now, the wires are a draw back, as they do tend to get in the way. However, this dock does 4 AA batteries and can be used anywhere so long the batteries have juice.

I will say, the Nexus 7 hides the wires and looks great sitting on the dock. Best of all, the phone or tablet charges if you use it plugged in while playing internet radio.

If you pay 35.00 or less, its a go.

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I have a house full of iHome docks for my iPod Touches. Bedroom, bathroom, vanity area, kitchen, you name it. I love their products. I have only tried one other Android docking station and it was terrible. I was excited to try this since it was one of my favorite brands and I have yet to find one for Android (Acer tablet) or my Smartphone.

I will say out of the box I was not impressed with all the wires. Left side has a USB cable to plug the device you use. Right side has the aux in to the headset jack for sound. Back of unit has the power cord. Too many wires for my liking, does not look clean.

I used this with my HTC Trophy Smartphone. It has a touch screen and when the device was `sitting' in the dock, it was not straight since the cord goes in the side and I had a hard time navigating the phone without it moving all over.

When they advertise tablets, they need to limit the size. Granted the iHome is rather small but the first reviewer said it was larger than expected. To me, it was smaller. I have an Acer Iconia Tab A500-10S16u 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer (Aluminum Metallic). I thought it would be nice to use the iHome in the kitchen and watch Big Brother feeds during the summer or listen to music on my Acer tablet with this iHome. The tablet was too big for the dock and would not even plug in! I tried, every which way, but the cords did not fit.

Sound on both my devices were lackluster at best. I guess I am spoiled by better sound on my Mondo and also other docks but the sound on this is very tinny.

I would not recommend this. I think you could probably pick up something else in the same range. Sad, because I love the brand but it was not well thought out at all.

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Ok I know the name says that it's portable but not really.

Tested with a Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket

Pro's

-Great sound for a small docking station.

Con's

-Not Bluetooth. It may sound petty but being able to play music through the dock without having to plug an adapter into the headphones jack would have been really nice.

-The docking station is sort of triangular in shape but it does not fold down or compress in any way. You would have a hard time getting it into a messenger bag or other slim type laptop bag.

-The USB cable that is part of the docking slot floats along a rail slot and tends to move very easily and is difficult to disengage the phone from.

-A phone in an Otterbox defender will not fit in the docking slot.

-Most thin phones without a case, Galaxy S models or Droid Razor's, fit on the dock funky. Funky to the point that I was worried about damaging the USB port on my phone.

Honestly I would pass unless you are comfortable with the above con's.

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Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic

• Bright, 3.5-inch diagonal color QVGA TFT touchscreen with 320 x 240 pixels and white backlight
• Preloaded with City Navigator North America NT
• Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver for improved performance and reception
• NOTE: Model number on the box is 265T because the traffic receiver is included; however, the model number on the device itself is 265 as the "T" in 265T refers to the additional component

This is a review of my first stand alone GPS unit. I have used iGuidance on my PPC with a bluetooth receiver in the past. The reason I purchased the 265t is for the "integrated FM traffic receiver" with the lifetime subscription. The integrated FM traffic receiver is one of my main gripes because it's not actually integrated into the unit itself. It's integrated into the power cable by an unsightly tumor that runs long about 3 inches along the length of the cable. So if you're in between cars and need the traffic capability, you can't forget the power cable. Other than the power cable, it's a nice simple looking unit.

The screen is clear and visible except for the most extreme angles of glare in which you might need to adjust it just a touch. The screen is very responsive when panning around the screen and even has a fairly accurate mouse pointer function if you want to get to a particular place on the map. The icons are clear and the tracking is smooth. The only improvements I could wish for is if the displaying information was able to be configured. Sometimes I just like to be ignorant of the speed limit and would rather like to know the distance to my destination rather than the ETA without having to keep tapping at the screen. A little arrow pointing north would also be nice.

Compared to my old iBlue receiver and iGuidance software the 265t locks onto satellites eons faster to get you going on the road ASAP. The FM receiver does warn you of upcoming traffic with a little icon in the upper left corner with an expected delay time but I can't comment on it's diverting capabilities yet, even with a recent traffic heavy trip from NY to Toronto. Some areas just don't have the traffic information when you need it which isn't the fault of the unit, but the lack of coverage of the traffic reporting area.

One difference I would like to point out where iGuidance may have better function over this nuvi is that you can detour around specific roads in the route list, whereas detouring with nuvi is perhaps oversimplified. Once you hit detour, you're at the mercy of the unit.

Overall, it's a fun little gps. It's pocketable, functional, not too gimmicky, and has more POI than I imagined. There might be a few more menus you wish you didn't have to go through, but for the most part it's organized and has outstanding search capability.

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This is my 4th Garmin GPS and I love it! The other writer mentioned the extra "tumor" for about 3 inches. If that bothers you, well I am NOT that anal and it is hardly even obvious. Who cares about the power cable any way? The unit's screen is clear, bright, easy to read. Lot's of improvements. Considered the 265WT but frankly just prefer the smaller screen for walking or riding a bike, just fits in pockets better and still large enough to see easily in an automobile. I agree that the start-up is FAST-FAST. A great improvement over several previous Garmin models. I highly recommend this one!

**I have now used this for a few weeks. The screen is actually brighter and the colors much more vivid than previous models I have owned. Up-to-date locations and the voice is an improvement over prior models as well, much easier to understand street names and names of saved people\locations. For the money-you can't go wrong. When I go to Europe again in the future I am getting the 275 model which is the same as this but has maps for Europe as well. Again, I do prefer the 3.5" vs. the 4.3" screen size. It's very easy to see in the car and so compact for walking, hiking etc. Garmin keeps making improvements and this little unit is a GREAT value, highly-highly recommend it.

***OK, I have used this for months now and it has NEVER gotten me lost, never. Previous models at least got me lost once. I am more than pleased I made the investment in this little puppy. Fast, easy to see (even in bright conditions, better than prior Garmins I had). It's worth the extra bucks to get this vs. others, well worth it and I could not be more pleased now.

Read Best Reviews of Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic Here

I live in San Jose CA and drive in the bay area of San Francisco.

I have had the unit about 2 weeks now.

Any gps unit that you buy today should lock on in seconds, give accurate directions, have a display that is not confusing and have a simple menu navigation system. It does all of these things well except give accurate directions.

My other gps the Tom Tom 130 does everything mentioned above well, but lacks the traffic feature so I will return it. But it always gives very good directions 100% of the time. I just wish it had the traffic capability and I would keep it.

The directions that the Nuvi 265 gives are accurate most of the time, but occasionally gives strange non optimized directions. I don't know if it is because of the traffic component or not. The directions that are not the best only lose about 5-10 minutes at the most.

The unit's philosophy is to have a minimalist view of everything. It only displays what you need to know based on the route you are taking.

My other complaint is that it takes about 5-10 minutes to access the traffic information. There is also no direct way to look at the traffic map. For example if your destination does not involve using the traffic feature, it won't display the traffic map. I wish I could just go to the traffic map directly.

What I like about the traffic is that it does route around problems and it gives warnings about slowdowns ahead, which is nice. So the traffic feature is nice to have and I wouldn't want a unit without it.

So my dilemma is that can I live with less than accurate directions some of the time in exchange for the free traffic that does work well when I am going through an area with traffic jams.

I am also considering the Dash Express and the Navigon 2200T which I may try out.

------------

UPDATE Nov 21 2008

I am upgrading my rating to 4.9 stars

For in depth review see this site.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/11/garmin_nuvi_265wt_review.php

The reason is that while it gives inaccurate directions some of the time, it is only because I know a more direct route or I know that even though it gives a more direct route, those streets are slower, than a slightly longer way that I know through experience. So you buy a gps for when you DON'T KNOW where your going, not where you do know where your going.

The traffic functionality does pop up right away during rush hour, (within a few minutes). If shows you problems and how far they are away. You can see a traffic map by going through a few screens and unzooming. It also shows a yellow or red colored line next to the road if you are in a traffic jam and when it will end. So overall it works really well. I also read that Navteq traffic (the free FM) works better than MSN paid service according to this site.

http://www.gpsreview.net/traffic/

I read here that Dash is no longer selling new units, although on their site it shows that they do, they cut 50% of their staff and want to focus on selling their traffic software to other companies. See this page and scroll down.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/

I am getting the Navigon 2200T to try out but consumer reports rates it very low, compared to the 265WT. In fact the only other serious competitor to the 265, on consumer reports, for the price is the Garmin Nuvi 760, its an older model, which costs about the same as the 265, but you have to pay for traffic at $10 a month and it has some other extra features, none of which I would use.

My only real complaint is the non qwerty keyboard, which bugs me. The only reason that they don't have it is to get you to buy the 265WT which does have it. So the trade of might be to get the 265WT just for qwerty keyboard. I also like the fact that you can transfer addresses directly from Mapquest or Google maps through the computer cable, which is nice.

Sure if it was perfect it could have reality view lane selector, 3-D maps, voice recognition, historical traffic info, directions to which side of the street, instant Dash Express like traffic interface, ipod connection, fm to car radio input, better cell phone integration(I don't use this), XM satellite reception and everything else you can think of.

But for now it does have very good traffic options, good directions, very fast response time, nice responsive touch screen, and a very affordable price which is now $40 less than I paid only 2 weeks ago $239.

So someone show me how you can get something better for the price or close to it.

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I purchased this for my mother. Fortunately, I was able to get it working for her. The traffic receiver didn't work out of the box. The included instructions didn't include registering on-line or downloading the required updates. My mother would not have known how to do this on her own.

I succesfully registered the device with Garmin.com and downloaded the firmware and software updates. After a couple restarts of the device, it recognized the FM traffic receiver and worked flawlessly.

Overall, it's a great GPS. However, I'm disappointed that Garmin doesn't provide decent instructions about downloading updates.

I had a Garmin c320 for a few years that I was mostly happy with, but I was ready to upgrade after hearing about some of the new features. Here are the highlights that, in my opinion, make this GPS the best bang for your buck.

* Like all Garmins, the interface is designed for ease of use. My grandparents use a Garmin. However, if you are looking for customization, you might want to consider a TomTom.

* The routing engine is very good. Caveat: Be wary that the points of interest (POI) addresses may be inaccurate. If you have a specific address, enter it!

* The 265T is much quicker at getting a satellite lock when turning on than my c320. Starting from power on, usually about 10-15 seconds vs. 1-2 minutes before.

* The traffic service is free (ad-supported). Other makes and models require a subscription, which I'm not a big fan of. The ads are unobtrusive and appear only on startup and on arriving at your destination.

* Text to speech

* The new interface is much more helpful, specifically, the upcoming turn direction indicator.

The higher end Garmin features, such as lane assist, 3-D building view, mp3 player, etc. seem superfluous to me. Voice recognition would be cool, but the 855 and 885T models are very expensive. If you want a widescreen model, the 265WT is exactly the same except for a bigger screen. Still, I don't have any problem reading the 265T's screen and its approx. $50 cheaper.

P.S. I would highly recommend getting the Garmin Friction Mount as well. This will prevent suction cup rings on your windshield, to reduce your profile for theft.

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Sony Ericsson CK15A-PK txt Pro Unlocked GSM Phone with Slide-Out QWERTY Keypad, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi a

Great phone, works great. PRO Basic functions, Good battery life, good screen, 3.5mm jack. CON Very small keyboard even for my daughter's small hands, no included headphones, not alot of available cases.

Good phone for the price. It is as described. Phone is small and so is the keyboard but that was what i wanted Lightweight as well. Works great.

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I bought this phone in November of last yr. It has limited uses with at&t in the UNITED STATES... it is made by a manufacturer in CANADA so if you live in Canada and are purchasing this phone, it may be a wonderful product. Amazon wanted me to pay a restocking fee and would only refund me 15% of the cost of the phone if I returned it. SONY asked me to send it in, I had to pay postage (rather expensive because they wanted it boxed and packed with bubble wrap) and when they sent it back, it was in an unprotected plastic bag. SONY said that it was my fault because I didn't know the phone had limited access in the US (which I did not know because this description does not tell you that). Now, I currently own a very expensive paper weight.Sony Ericsson CK15A-PK txt Pro Unlocked GSM Phone with Slide-Out QWERTY Keypad, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi and 3.2 MP Camera Unlocked Phone US Warranty Pink

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This is a great texting phone if you don't want the high cost of a data plan. I love the slide out keyboard.

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Great phone for a while, daughter loved it. After a year it functions well but it is in lots of parts with a rubber band til we find screws for it to replace what fell out

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iLuv iMM190 App Station Alarm Clock Stereo Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone (Black)

• Establishes full functions of the iLuv alarm clock application (available from Apple iTunes app store)
• Stands horizontally or vertically to match your iPhone or iPod touch screen aspect
• Portable / desktop (6 x AA batteries or AC operated) speaker for your iPhone or iPod
• Plays and charges your iPhone /iPod.Built with dynamic acoustic speaker chambers to enhance sound clarity
• Compatibility (plays and charges): iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G,3G, 4G; iPhone 1G, 3G, and 4 (AT&T and Verizon)

There are really two separate parts to the iLuv dock alarm system to review: The hardware unit itself; and the software (app) that drives it and makes it functional.

HARDWARE:

The unit is light and simple. There are 3 buttons on the top (when configured in landscape position). On/Off, Volume control, and Snooze. I have the iPod Touch and the iPhone 4, both of which fit nicely in the dock. There is an adjustable rest (for use in the landscape position) that holds your device securely in place, and the docking pins are easy to access. There is also sufficient depth between the pins and the face of the unit, which, when coupled with the adjustable rest, allow you dock your device even with a skin or protective cover on it a big plus.

The default position is horizontal if you like the button on top the traditional location for a Snooze button, but the unit easily rotates to a vertical position if that is your preference. On the rear of the unit is the AC connection for the 120v power adapter, as well as an AUX IN connection.

The sound quality is decent for a device of this designed purpose. There is noticable distortion when you reach 75% of the volume band, but if want that much volume you probably want a dock for a more powerful amp anyway. There is plenty of volume available in the lower band (up to the 70% or so range). There is a nice range of tone from bass to treble (not an adjustment via the iLuv unit, but via your iPod/iPhone). But there is a noticable buzz at all volume levels. Not a good set of speakers. I'm okay with it for its purpose, but would certainly not use this to do any serious music listening.

Lastly, the unit is attractive and modern in design. It won't grab attention, nor will it look out of place wherever you place it. It also charges both my iPod Touch 3G and my iPhone 4 with no problem.

SOFTWARE (The iLuv App):

For features and functionality, you need to download the iLuv app to your iPod/iPhone. Be sure you get the latest version of the app, so that you can use all the newest features and avoid any bugs that might have been addressed from previous versions.

The app features a split screen or single screen display, and can disply time, date, weather, music art, photos, etc. Most of the above can be combined. I like to have the time and temperature on the split screen usually.

Just below the display mentioned above, there are a few icons depending on vertical or horizontal placement (which I find odd and a bit annoying). There is an alarm clock icon that takes you easily to the setup screen for an alarm setting. There is also a ticker style bar showing the current song playing. When in the vertical position, there is a "i" icon that takes you to additional (and very useful) options, such as Dimmer Level, Wall Paper settings, Sleep Timer (a must have feature), and Auto-lock selections, etc. What is annoying is that in the horizontal position, this General Settings ("i") option is not available. Quite odd.

Alarm settings are pretty good. You can create one-time or recurring alarms, and even choose the days of the week that you wish the alarms to function. The alarm sound is configurable to allow you to select from several built-in sounds or the "wake to music" option which lets you specify the exact song you want to wake to, a nice feature.

I don't know how often the app will be updated, I belive 2.0 is the most current version. One complaint I have about the current app is that is tends to "reset" your configured display every time you start it. So, if you want to have the time and temp or time and music art displayed, you have to set that every time you start the app it defaults to time/time. I hope they address this in an upcoming version.

Overall, I think this is a nice device to use as an alarm or just as a desktop dock/player for your iPod/iPhone. Not perfect but most of the imperfections are software related, and hopefully these will continue to improve.

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The ILuv App Station Alarm clock is a nice addition for iPod or iPhone. The station functions fairly straight forward. There is just an on/off, volume and snooze button on the station. The main functionality comes from the app that is downloaded for free off the iTunes apps store. There are parts of the app that require wifi Internet access. These are the Internet radio and the weather. Without the Internet wakeup to any playlist from you iPod. There are some nice wake-up options for those who need help in waking up. There are several sounds designed to REALLY wake you up. The app has some nice visuals with four unique clock styles that use the sharp high resolution retina display. These can be swiped sideways to switch between the different clocks. Speaker sound is average and not unexpected from this small of a docking station and iphones/iPods are charged when plugged into a wall outlet. Batteries are added for mobility but not for charging. A nice product to make use of iPods/iPhones and one that is well worth adding to any college student's or kid's desk.

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I'm on my second App Station. The first one had the on/off button stop working after three days. It was getting power, i.e. my iPhone was charging, but I could not use the button to turn the unit on to hear output from the iPhone.

I returned the first App Station, and immediately upon receiving the second one, I find that the volume control rocker does not work. I can change volume using the iTunes interface, but the volume is completely unaffected by using the App Station control. This thing almost makes me long for the old days of analog.

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If you are looking for high quality sound from the ILuv, you are going to be very, very disappointed. As far as alarm clocks go, I don't see the advantage of this over a $5 digital alarm clock you can pick up at Walmart, unless you are simply app crazy and want to use your iTouch for everything. And as someone who travels quite often, I was kind of hoping this would be small enough to throw in an overnight bag to use as a clock/iTouch charger when I'm on the road. The iLuv is "smallish" but not so small that it would slip easily into a carry on.

It may sound as if the iLuv is useless, but I have found a great place to use the thing. If you spend quite a bit of time in your cubicle or in the office, the iLuv is perfect as a desktop iPod player. As a denizen of a cubicle farm, it's a nice workday distraction to have some music playing lowly at your desk as background noise. The iLuv is perfect in this setting as you usually have to keep the volume low when you're at work (and lower volume/low sound quality expectation are the iLov's friend), it's small enough to take up just one corner of your desk, and looks sleek sitting there too. On the plus side, you have your iTouch all charged up at the end of the workday, so it's ready to roll on the long commute home.

Would I recommend a purchase of the iLuv? Not really. While it works well in the scenario I've written about above, there are plenty of similar products that can do the same thing at a fraction of the cost.

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This is the second update to my review. I received a second unit because of the sound quality (see original reviews below) and the replacement unit had the same issues. I'm disappointed because I love the design but am returning them both because of the sound quality.

I'm changing my review to 3 stars for now because the customer service of the manufacturer has been very good. They responded to my online inquiries very quickly and even called me to arrange for me to exchange the unit because of the sound quality issue. If the app is released soon and the new unit has the sound quality I expect then I will give it more stars. Original review follows...

I love the design of this alarm clock. It's sturdy but small enough to also use as a portable speaker so I can take it wherever I am in the house and listen to my music, podcasts etc. It's also really clever the way you can rotate it to have your iphone/ipod touch either vertical or horizontal. All that being said, it was a terrible idea for them to ship this without the app being available. Here's the response I got from customer service online:

"Thank you for contacting iLuv. We apologize for the confusion with your iMM190Blk. The iLuv app clock is in the process of being uploading and we are doing our best to be done by mid March. Until then the unit can be used as a speaker. Please let us know if we can assist you further."

My other problem is that the speaker makes a fuzzy sound as soon as it is turned on and the fuzz continues in the background when I play music or podcasts. I think I may have a defective one since other reviewers said the sound was good on theirs. If the app comes out soon I will try to exchange it and hope the sound is better on another one otherwise I am returning it.

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Sanyo RM-XCD900 220V CD Clock Radio (Fitted with European style power cord plug)

• AM/FM Radio20 Tracks Program Memory
• Dual Alarm Settings. Wake-Up In CD, Radio or Buzzer
• CD/CDR/CDRW Playback
• Multi Function LED Display
• 220/240V 50Hz. (Not for use in USA). Fitted with European style power cord plug.

Overall a good product. The display can be viewed without problemsat any time, with any kind of lighting and the sound is very good. The only problem is that having a digital tuner, I assumed that the device cames with memories to store favorites FM and AM stations, but it is not. That's the only criticism I do to the product. Very useful is the option of having 2 (two) alarms ... especially when my wife and I must wake up at different times in the morning.

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The CD player simply did not work; although this could be a rare flaw; the radio reception was mediocre. The clock radio is much deeper than it appears in images and it's important to note that it comes with a European 220 volt plug so the seller should to provide a converter. My seller did, however that didn't change the fact that the CD playing function was defective, so I promptly returned it.

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LG Optimus Elite Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile)

Pros

1.Bigger screen-More noticeable than I expected, since it's only .3 inch larger on paper. Typing is slightly better, but still difficult in portrait mode. Feels more colorful and vibrant, but that could be just me(maybe I'm under "my phone's new wohoo" hallucination mode). Resolution is same as V.

2.Better processor/OS-200Mhz higher and gingerbread 2.3(OV is 2.2). Lot less lags in apps. Can handle desktop websites better(with some lags) with flash(Wifi recommended). Autoswitching between landscape and portrait is lot faster than V, so I actually turned it on unlike V. Big improvement in video playback. I didn't need to download additional codecs to play unconverted videos.

3.Flash support-Phone's not powerful enough to handle big sites like dailyshow/colbert/etc in high resolutions(frozen video with audios only), but it managed to handle South Park, videogame sites, etc. Recommended on Wifi connection only.

4.Slimmer design-Expected it to be no big deal for me, but once I held it I can definitely feel the slimness of it compare to V.

5.Better camera-5 megapixel vs 3, with LED flash support. Flash is bright enough to take good pictures in dark settings(in-doors anyway), and camera autofocuses during the camera mode(or you can focus manually by touching the screen). V autofocused after pressing the shutter button, so Elite takes pictures 3~ times faster. It's almost instantaneous. Also has micro mirror for self-portrait.

6.Bigger storage for apps900mb~ solely for apps. Even more space if you move your apps(apps that support app2SD).

7.Better/louder sound-Sound is coming out of the speaker where you listen in phone conversation(I don't know what it's called. Earspeaker?). It's louder, and more importantly(for me anyway), you can listen to music while the phone is facing up. OV's sound output was on the rear side, so often times, I either put V facedown or leaned it somewhere to hear it in full volume. No more with Elite.

8.GPS-Locates me faster than V. Google Map is way smoother than V.

9.Supports more 3D games-They're on PlayStore. Haven't tested them since I don't care for them, but they're there unlike V.

10.Faster MicroSD speed-Loads up pictures and videos way faster than V.

11.NFC support-Paypass creditcard. It might come in handy if I forget my wallet at home, but not many stores actually have Paypass. I've seen some at Mcdonald and gas stations.

Cons

1.Shorter battery life-This may be YMMV, possibly depending on what apps you downloaded. I'm using mostly the same apps I used on V, and battery life seems 1.5/2 times worse on Elite. Without JuiceDefender, Elite sucks up 3-6% per hour during standby. V usually used up 10~% per hour with 3g/wifi, while Elite is using 15-20% per hour. Now I'm using Elite with JD, and everything turned off(even location data and background data).

2.No tethering. Don't download any tethering apps/widgets. There have been reports that phone will give permanent data error, forcing users to reset the phone via Virgin Mobile customer service. V supported apps like Foxfi(which I will miss since I comboed it with my tablet).

3.Volume buttons-Twice smaller than V, and they're on opposite side. Hard to get used to.

4.3G doesn't reconnect as fast as V, making JuiceDefender little annoying to use. Maybe I wasn't getting good reception. YMMV.

Neutrals

1.Speedtest-No noticeable difference. Typical Sprint speed. YMMV.

2.Physical design-Rear battery cover is plastic(V was rubberish), making it bit slippery to hold onto from time to time. This combined with front touch buttons(V was physical buttons), occasionally I end up touching the front buttons by accident. YMMV. Also, no dedicated camera button. Tiny mirror next to camera lense makes it easier for selfportrait picture, but no dedicated camera button found on V kind of cancels the mirror benefit.

3.Haven't found a way to turn off shutter sound while taking pictures. Silent mode/media volume won't do anything, so this is bad for those who want to take pictures without alerting others.

Final thoughts

Feels and performs like higher-end phone compare to V, right down to worse battery life. I honestly can't recommend it to all Virgin Mobile users though because everyone's in different situation. There are those who want to keep $25 grandfathered plan(which this phone doesn't qualify anymore). There will be HTC Evo V/3D shortly, which has twice better specs at twice the cost. Sprint 4G/Wimax doesn't have good coverage for those who are interested in upgrading to HTC Evo/$35 a month plan.

PS-English is my second language so go easy on the grammar please. This review was coming from nonrooter.

Received product quickly in quality retail packaging. Activation was simple and quick (I did NOT port a number, just got a new one).

Comparing to my previous phone, a Motorola Droid (original) -

The good -

This phone is MUCH faster, you can tell when it's responding to opening programs, obtaining GPS navigation directions, really in every aspect

The phone's speaker (speaker phone) offers amazing clarity for what it is.

Since the speaker/speakerphone is so loud when it's turned all the way up, it makes for a better alarm than the Droid

The web (at least for me) is really quick to open, load show search results, overall very pleased with browsing on this

Voice dictation/recognition works AWESOME I'd say even a bit better than the Moto Droid, which was really great with this

The Battery seems to last longer, at least right now. Even after messing with the phone, apps, downloads, etc. for about an hour the battery was still near full.

The phone's VERY light would could actually be a bad thing (I could picture myself dropping it a little easier)

Not so good -

The texting portion is a bit harder on this than on the Moto Droid there are some minor things, but it's also noted that most of these inconveniences will be overcome by using the phone more and getting more accustomed to it. (For example on the Droid, exclamation mark, question mark, period, comma, etc would be offered after every 'space' in case you wanted to end a sentence.. This phone requires me to press and hold on one of the letters to get the same result). Not a huge deal, just slows me down a bit.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE When I was activating this phone w/Virgin Mobile, I was offered insurance on the phone for $5 a month. They also mentioned the deductible would be 25 dollars, and I could redeem this twice a year. I am noting this because it's CHEAPER than listed some places regarding Virgin mobile's insurance.

For the price of the phone, and the plan $50.00 a month for 1200 talk minutes, unlimited data and unlimited text it's hard to feel 'taken' it's a great feeling stepping away from the huge corporate "V".

Buy LG Optimus Elite Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile) Now

This so far seems to be a very solid phone. It has several advantages over the Optimus V including Android 2.3 rather than 2.2 on the Optimus V, more memory, a slightly larger screen (3.5" vs. 3.2") and a faster processor.

In terms of memory, the phone comes with roughly 900 MB of main memory that is free (compared to about 150 MB on the Optimus V). Additionally, about 2 GB of memory is in a separate "partition" that can be treated as if it is an SD card, including moving apps to it. While the phone does not come with a microSD card, there is a microSD card slot inside the back cover that can be used for even more storage.

While the specs for the phone report it is an 800 MHz processor, reports on the Internet (which I confirmed with my phone using Quadrant) is that currently the phone is shipping with a processor speed of 1 GHz, a nice upgrade.

In terms of connectivity, the phone seems to compare well with the Optimus V, receiving strong cell and data signals, as well as the GPS finding satellites quickly.

For the price, this phone is tough to beat; though those wanting a high end phone from Virgin Mobile will want the Evo 4G.

Read Best Reviews of LG Optimus Elite Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile) Here

I wanna start by saying this is a great phone to have. Its affordable plus Virgin's plans are great. I recently just canceled my contract with sprint to save money. I had the HTC evo 3d, which was a great high-end phone. I was afraid to go to this phone from that one, but I made the switch. It definitely wasn't that much of a downgrade at all. Well the main apparent sacrifice was the screen size. The evo 3d's screen size is 4.3, this one is 3.5. However, this phone has a brighter, more vibrant screen, and the colors are also better. I know this. I had the evo 3d for almost a year. This is lightweight and quite thin. I like it alot and I'm happy I got it. The camera is also pretty good too. It shoots fast! Its very good for people who have shaky hands or are taking pics of moving targets. And the flash is another great plus. Overall, I'm very satisfied with it and I'm not sad about coming from the evo 3d to this.

Want LG Optimus Elite Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile) Discount?

My wife had the Optimus V and constantly complained about running out of space. That phone only has 150mb of user space, this one has about a gig (4 GB total, 1 GB user accessible). One less complaint I will be hearing...

I am very impressed with this handset. As others have noted it actually has a 1 Ghz Snapdragon type processor, not the 800 mhz listed, along with 512mb of RAM. It is very fast and smooth in operation. Running Android 2.3.7 helps enormously (a huge upgrade from the Froyo previous Optimus Vs were running). Not worried about whether ICS is coming to it, Gingerbread does the job just fine.

The wifi receiver seems very fast, and the GPS (a real GPS, BTW) acquired a lock and fix almost immediately.

Screen size is 3.5", which doesn't sound like much of an improvement over the 3.2" of the Optimus V until you put them side by side. The Elite's screen is *much* easier to type on. It's the same size as an Iphone (it actually looks alot like one...)

I have been toting around a Droid X for a year and a half yolked to Verizon. I am starting to think that the wife just got me beat...

I'd highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a decent Android phone and who is trying to avoid the ridiculous costs of a contract with the big carriers. For $150 up front and between $35 and $55 a month you get the full experience.

VM is going to make alot of money off of these, I think.

EDIT: One week later, and the OE has lost a star. I had to return the first unit because some malfunction was killing the battery FAST. It would die in less than 6 hours. I have been using Androids for a couple of years and know all the tricks, couldn't get the first one to settle in. Took it back and exchanged it for another one, and after some fiddling I have the battery sipping juice. The replacement unit has been acting a bit quirky too (one random reboot, some strange stuff involving the Wifi reciever and call/messaging lags, which toggling Airplane mode seems to fix fine) but I *think* I have it running fine now... And when it's running fine it's still a 5 star phone for the price.

I docked it a star because the first one was a lemon and the second one has been acting funny, but seems tight as of now. I can't give something with that record 5 stars. Still, this is an impressive phone for the price tag. I'd still upgrade to it from the OV, it is just that much better a phone. I would say that with the issues I have had, though, someone with little knowledge of the Android OS or inclination to play around with the settings (like my wife) might have a hard time with this phone. It is finicky, but when calibrated right it runs like a champ.

Just be ready to send it back or exchange it, because it seems this initial batch obviously has some defective units floating around. Amazon has a great return policy, so I wouldn't worry about it.

EDIT 2: A few weeks later and the OE is running like a champ. It is sipping battery after a couple of changes (Airplane mode resets a couple of times, mostly) and running smooth and fast. Wife is getting home with 40% battery after 12 hrs continuous no charging, not bad for a small, thin phone. Now Otterbox just needs to make a case for it...

The wife is very happy with it compared to the OV. VM is finally starting to get some really good phones out there.

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Coby Kyros MID7015-4G 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black

• Internal memory: 4 GB, plus flash card slot
• Display Resolution 800 x 480 (WVGA - widescreen)
• A/V Connections: Mini HDMI out, Type C (max 1080p) 3.5mm headphone out
• Android 2.3
• Integrated microphone, Integrated speaker

OK. From what I could find, as far as reviews go, on the Internet, about this unit, the little available was basically worthless for making any kind of informative opinion as to whether this item would be a good buy.

So, after researching what I could of the various Android OS Internet Tablets out there (most with terrible reviews of hardware issues), and considering the purchase price, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the Coby unit. I was at first leary of buying something of this nature which is made by Coby, a manufacturer of basically cheap, low end electronics.

I purchased this unit (K-Mart, $149.95(save $30) in 12/12/10 12/19/10 AD I also bought an additional year replacement contract for under $18 a good idea on new electronics!), and immediately plugged it in to charge the battery (it notified of full charge after 1-1/2 hours). I decided to play with the unit a little, since I could not resist. I will say, I was impressed with the quality of the unit, it seems very sturdy and well built. It powered up fine and I found it very easy to navigate thru the functions (both on screen and the case side buttons). Of course, I recommend that you visit coby.com and download the manual in PDF format (as I did several days ago).

Now, as far as the touch screen, it functions excellent in my opinion. None of the quirks other mention about this unit or other units being sold. And forget about HAVING to use yor fingernail or the stylus to select or scroll. It works great with my finger tip, better than even the stylus. I admit, the finger swipe method to scroll thru lists or menus takes a bit of practice, but that may be only me, because I have never used a touch screen device of this type before. Oh, and the actual look of the screen (800x480 TFT), very nice. Again, better than expected. Enough about that. It just works.

Setting up a wireless connection was simple and effortless (using my own home wireless connection). Surfing the Internet was easy too, once you get used to seeing "mobile device formatted" versions of web pages. All my favorite web pages loaded quickly (I mean fast) and problem free. (For those interested, even Facebook loads and works fine I tried it). The Ap for Youtube works great as well. Youtube videos load as fast as my desktop PC and of all the 10 or more that I tried, they played without any delay, chopping or buffering. Way better than I expected.

Using the Email AP, I very quickly set up a POP3 account and sent and received messages effortlessly (all verified).

File transfers to and from my PC went smooth, using the included USB cable (to the Coby's internal 4GB memory I have yet to buy a mini SD expansion card).

The included Ebook reader works perfectly too.

And, the built in accelerometer works nice. The screen will automatically change from portait and landscape mode, with only perhaps a 1 second delay. (The screen self-rotates 360 degrees upside down, etc).

The only thing I can mention, which was not expected, is that when you go to the Apps Library onine for additional Aps, many are listed, and listed as free too. But when you choose them (all that I tried) and download them, the start up screen for the Ap gives mention that you can purchase it or continue with 15 day free trial. To me, that is called "limited shareware", not a Free Ap! Perhaps some are indeed free, but I did not bother to search thru the hundreds and hundreds offered, and there is no advance way to know if they ARE indeed free. I am not really an AP person, so none of that really matters to me. The unit does, as it is, what I expected and bought it for, and it does it well.

*One note. If you purchase one of these, there is a firmware update on Coby's site, with a Youtube instruction video as well. You WILL need a mini SD card (8Gb or less in size) to install the update file onto first, as the update takes place in the Coby unit itself (from the memory card). (I have not yet done this, but will next week). After this update, the site states that the unit will show even better performance.

Battery life is stated to be 7 hours (we will see), with it's rechargeable 3200 mAh battery (a larger capacity than most other brand tablets).

That is my experience with this unit. I purchased it for the small, light form factor (no more clunky laptop), the wireless Internet, Email function, Reader and MP3 player, things I use often on the move (outside on lunch break at work, in bed at night or anywhere in the house or workplace, etc), but hate being tied to a power cord or a heavy laptop. So far, it has shown to serve this purpose with flying colors. (Some people have cellphones to do these tasks, but I hate cellphones and believe they are the leading cause of added stupidity in this country).

Included is a vice semi-hard protective case, wall charger, ear buds, USB Host cable (for thumb drives, mouse, etc) and a USB transfer cable to connect to a PC or laptop.

I realize I have not covered everything pertaining to this unit, but I wanted to post a good and a truly honest review for prospective buyers. I hope it will be of help to someone.

I love it and look forward to being productive with it. Merry Christmas to me!

Buy Coby Kyros MID7015-4G 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black Now

--------------UPDATE----------------

So five months after i bought the Coby 7015, it still goes strong. It has this annoying sleep/wake thing if you dont turn it off that drains the batteries, and occasionally i have to reset it, but once again for the price i can not give it less than 5 stars.

However, i recently recieved the Acer A500 tablet (roughly 450 bucks) and i have to say it absolutly kills the Coby tablet in terms of performance in every aspect, the thing is awesome and an absolute joy to use. At 4 times the price that is to be expected, but if you can squeeze out the extra $300 or so, there are some darn good tablets coming out right now that are excellent alternatives to the iPad.

------------------------------

Review of Coby 7015 Tablet.

I got one of these as a 10 year anniversary gift from my company. I probably would have never bought one otherwise. All in all, i think this is an awesome little device for what it is.

I see a lot of things repeatedly addressed, other things are not, im going to try to go over every feature on this.

Please forgive my terrible spelling. ;)

When rating this i am comparing this to my samsung galazxy S droid phone, Ipads, Iphones, and Ipod touches all of which i have used many times.

==========OVERALL BUILD QUALITY=========

Good! This does not feel like a tiny junky piece of crap like i half expected. While it does not have the build quality of an Ipad, it does not feel like a little childs toy either. the buttons are solid and have a nice snappy responce to them. The Mini USB, HDMI, and DC input all seem like well built sockets, and i have no doubt they will stand the test of time. The back is a hard shell with a small speaker and reset button. It has a decent heft to it that implies stoutness, but it is light enough to carry around all day. All in all, much better than the sub $150 price tag lead you to expect. I dont like the MicroSD, there is no reason for that, they could have easily used standard SDHC cards, plus i have about a dozen SDHC cards lying around, but only one microsd. Keep the micro SD cards in the phones folks.

=============SCREEN==============

This is the biggest point of interest to many, and probably glossed over with the least amount of information. As has been mentioned this is a resistive screen. This is NOT the same type of screen as your Ipod, Iphone, Ipad, or Droid phones or Tablets. Those devices use capacitive screens which flat out rock. The resistive screen is not as good, but it is important to know that this screen is NOT Frustrating either! It really works well! If this is NOT your experience, i suspect a faulty unit.

A) Touch and Feel The wonderful capacitive screens feel like glass. This one feels like plastic, and like plastic it has more drag on your fingertips. The resistive screens seem to have several layers sandwiched together so they are not that flat hard surface, but slightly mushy. It does not feel as nice as the capacitive screens, it feels like older technology. The slight mushyness actually does give you somewhat of a fingertip-fatigue over time, where the capacitive (droid/iphone/ipad) screens are always a pleasure and do not tire your fingertips. I know that last part sounded rediculous, if you buy this device you will know what i mean.

B) Responsiveness Very good for a resistive screen, in fact, this is the most impressive resistive screen i have ever used. I used to have an old LG Incite phone a few years back, it had a resistive screen and it was an absolute horrible experience to use. I was very pessimistic about this device because of the screen but once i started using it it worked just fine. It DOES come with a stylus, sometimes you will find that more comfortable, however it does seem to respond just fine to finger swipes and the stylus is absolutly not required. If on a scale of 1-10 with the LG Incite touchscreen being a 1, and the Ipad screen being a 10, this sits at a solid 8. It just isnt quite there, but like i said, this is the best resistive screen i have ever seen.

C) Resolution and Color. Not bad. The color has a slight bluish tint, almost like an uncalibrated Dell laptop screen. You photos will seem to be lacking some of the poppy reds, yellows, and oranges. So if you are a photographer like i am, forget using this as a device to showcase your images, stick with your Ipad,Iphone,Droid. I have looked for a color correction App, so far, no dice. Resolution is 480p, this is DVD quality, for a 7 inch screen this is plenty, however if it is a foot from your face you do see all the little pixels.

========= AUDIO ==============

its a cheap tiny speaker like the kind found in blackberries, droids, ipods, etc. Nothing special, the sound is weak and tinny like any other speaker of that size, but the quality is not overly objectionable if there are no other options. It is great for podcasts, youtube, etc, but it falls far short of a KRELL HEAT system... as expected. ;)

========BATTERY LIFE==========

Maybe it is just mine? The battery indicator on my Kyros is all over the map, 98% one second, 32 the next, then 75%, then 63% then 80%. use it as a guide. it apparently has no idea exactly how much juice is left. I suspect it is trying to give you an idea of how much battery life is left depending on the amount of applications running? Even the battery managers on this thing are all over the board. In the end, i can score 5-6 hours of internet surfing. The screen and tablet stay nice and cool. Maybe this is a benefit of the resistive screen, less power consumption? this is just a guess.

==========APPSLIB APPS MARKET===========

THIS IS THE WORST THING ABOUT THIS DEVICE The apps in thier apps lib market are generally crap, i diddnt find much of anything i was interested in. some of the bigger games like angry birds are there, but there are many others im interested in that dont exist. There are 165,000+ applications for the android platform, so why the hell should you be limited to about 3,000 in the apps lib? plus they are 3,000 of the crap apps nobody wants. basic stuff like some facebook apps, email apps, are there, but other than that it is mostly junk.

But guess what? there is a light at the end of the tunnel! This device can easily be rooted, once it is rooted you can install some nice software to back it up, and once that is there you can side-load applications. Such as... THE GOOGLE APP MARKET! Yes! This is awesome! All 165,000 apps i want are now available!

The problem is you have to root the device (gets superuser permissions) install the backup software (which also enables application installation outside of the apps application itself and to keep a digital backup image of your device, very nice). And to do this you literally have to add a few lines of code(not nearly as scary as it sounds i promise! once of the easiest parts), you have to download several different files all of which seem to require you to sign up to various forum boards and stuff to get.

i did this. I am not a hacker by any means, in fact, im an idiot ask anybody, i dont understand most of what i was doing, other than the basic overall idea of what i wanted to accomplish. It took me several hours, mainly because of my ignorance on this kind of stuff. The key is to go one step at a time, if something is not working, search for an answer. There is a website that gives you step by step instructions, there are many posts on there of problems they ran into and solutions around them. Just google up the ULTIMATE KYROS 7015 and look for a website that is like XDA developers or something. it is a online forumboard where people figured out how to do this junk. It is on a forum thread, read through several pages, you will see what i mean, if you run into a problem, somebody else already has, and the answer will be in that thread somewhere.

Once this is done, and you have google apps, it absolutly transforms your entire experience with this marvelous dirt cheap tablet because they stuff you WANT is all there for you. I highly highly reccommend doing this (at your own risk) and trust me, if I can do it, anybody can, just take your time, when you get stuck read ahead, somebody else probably had the same problem and figured out how to correct it and explains how.. It does require an MicroSD card though. There IS a Possility you will turn your tablet into a brick. however, from what i have seen, this almost never happens, you almost have to have a flawed device from the get-go, or be overly careless.

=========OPERATING SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY=========

Not bad at all! Mine keeps waking itself up which is annoying, but it responds to my commands, has only frozen twice, which is more than i can say for most other devices.

Keyboard Not bad at all, works well, you get used to using two thumbs on it, you have to pace yourself and not get ahead of it, you can not type as fast as on a keyboard, but overall it seems pretty reliable. There is no vibration, so no haptic feedback which i enjoy on my samsung galaxy S phone.

Pic viewer As i said, slight bluish cast, it is slow loading up images too. I loaded a bunch of reduced sized images to my droid phone to display my photography to possible clients, i loaded them on the Kyros and it takes about 3-4 seconds for the pictures to really lock in onto full resolution. I was a bit disappointed by this because this thing has a great little processor in it. The Slideshow is about retarded because you can choose between 2-4 seconds on the intervals and the images never really crisp up, they stay the 1/2 resolution blurry versions because they change before the processor locks them in. stupid stupid stupid.

ALDIKO e-reader.... if you want an e-reader go get a kindle or nook. that is my opinion. I briefly looked at it, it uses a backit screen, which stinks for extended reading. But the size of the text and font is pretty nice, you wont be squinting to read, and it would probably suffice for an e-reader, but it is nowhere as comfortable to look at as a kindle or nook.

The Youtube video app I dunno, i had a hard time getting this to work properly, then i rooted my Kyros and got the google marketplace installed and it came with a much better youtube app.

Email I am sorry, i did not even try this untill after i rooted my tablet, once the google marketplace was installed as part of the process it synched with my email. it works just fine.

Widgets seem to work just fine. I have a Facebook widget, Weather channel widget, Google widget, and a battery widget, it does not seem to slow down with the use of any of them. You ccan use live wallpaper, it seems to run just fine with live wallpaper, i dont notice any lag.

Video playback is smooth and crisp, the 480P quality is very much there.

Wi-fi performance. The wi-fi on this runs as fast as my Dell Laptop, my Samsung Galaxy S Droid phone, or any other wireless device for that matter. It is not pant-leg-flapping insane fast, but certainly nothing to complain about. If this is NOT your experience, i suspect you have a faulty unit.

===============Random things i noticed==============

Twice now in 5 days it has crashed while i was typing. Not sure why.

it keeps waking itself up. Not sure why. i have heared other reports, this may get fixed in a firmware update later.

No volume control on the side, once again, what the hell? You have to set the volume BEFORE starting any videos.

Charges VIA power cord..... will NOT charge through USB. I was actually suprised by this, maybe because it looks like a massive cellphone. That would have been nice. Go on google and look up Kyros 7015 tablet charger, and prepare to realize you will only have one. lol

more than once i had to reset the wif-fi in the device if it has been asleep for a while... annoying, but not a huge inconvenience. maybe a firmware upgrade will address this.

===========Good Bad Ugly=======================

Good -

Very responsive resistive touchscreen.

Excellent built

Solid performance

Expandable memory

Fast capable Wi-Fi

Under

Bad

Resistive screen. (i just preffer capacitive)

Slight bluish cast

No volume controls on side

MicroSD card.. really? Micro? Cant just use SD cards which we all have laying around?

Ugly

Applib. This just stinks. it requires rooting and such to get google market apps, and trust me google market apps is absolutly worth the effort, and it is not that difficult, and appslib just flat out sucks.

============Conclusion==============

I cant believe how much bang for your buck you get. This can be had for well under !!!! a handheld lightweight internet browser that potentioally has access (if rooted) to 165,000+ applications, games, etc. Anybody who complains that this device does NOT do enough for seriously needs to get thier heads examined. Im suprised this is not sold for closer to .

A few thoughts...

To address a few points, one person wrote a review and said the batterys dont last long enough, they popped it open, saw the batteries, then decided to return it. No mention if they actually USED it though. 5-6 hours of internet browsing is not enough? Really? Show me a droid phone that has that kind of battery life on wi-fi, it is right up there with the Ipad. To say that 5-6 hours of battery life is not enough is flat out stupid, because nothing really has much more battery life than this! its reviews like those that i just dont understand. jump to conclusions rather than try it out yourself.

Another person mention that it sucks because you have to root the device to get google apps and such. Well. True. Either do it or dont, Coby restricted the potential on this great tablet for some stupid reason that i could care less about, the fact is the option is there, take it or leave it. Those who are willing to do so will have a DRASTICALLY better experience than those who dont. If you dont want to root it and install google apps, then go spend on the Galaxy S tablet (which looks awesome) or the iPad. To be perfectly honest, i would only give this device a 3 star rating if the option to root was not there.

Others complain about the screen, yes, it is not the same as the Ipad. That is why it costs less. Not sure why you would expect to get a ferarri at a honda civic price tag.

If price was not considered in the rating at all, i would give this a 7 and the Ipad a 10.

if price IS considered in this rating, i give this a 10, and the ipad an 8.

Somebody mentioned non-child appropriate content on the apps market, i checked, i did not see any "porn" per se, but there ARE plenty of sexy wallpapers and stuff. This may or may not be a concern for you.

And then there are some stupid reviews, like the guy chiming in about how the processor, memory, ram, stuff like that are all not known, i disagree, they are clearly listed in every bit of literature, i think he must have been digging through thier grandfathers medicine cabinet again.

I see several reviews that give 1-2 star reviews that seem very contradictory to what my experience was. This leads me to believe one of a few things, unrealistic expectations(40%), ignorance on how to use the device(20%), or possible QC issues at COBY(40%). lets be honest, when you think of "quality" is COBY the first brand that comes to mind? Keep your reciept and check the return policy, apparently cobys customer service sucks, make sure the store will take it back.

That said, for bucks this cant be beat, im floored at how well this works (for $).

If you are not willing to root, this is a great internet browser while yer on the couch, but you are missing out, i suggest either root this device or find one that doesent have an idiot in charge of what can and can not be done with it.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Read Best Reviews of Coby Kyros MID7015-4G 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black Here

The problem most negative reviewers have here, is what so many others run into before buying something with hopes and expectations. Simply put, you have to do your homework before purchasing anything in order to keep from getting let down by false hopes. I have 3 of these coming in the mail for my kiddo's, and spent about 4 to 5 days researching all of the current Android tablets available in this price range before picking anything. Out of all devices under $200, this Kryos has the best performance, and hardware options available. There are a few that run right up there with it, but still cost $30 or more per unit.

I already know what to expect as the positives and negatives of these devices, primarily the resistive screens that are not as nice as our Moto Driod's Etc. But with facts in hand, the tons of functionality they offer, and the extremely low price tag, I was very comfortable purchasing three of these as Christmas gifts for my loved ones.

If you have considered an iPad, and are looking at one of these Android tablets as a cheap alternative, then you have already set yourself up for upset. These do not perform the same way. The screens are not the same technology meaning they do not recognize a soft swipe of the screen, or multi touch like most of their mobile phone brethren. They are resistive screens much like the older Windows mobile phones that react to pressure on the screen. A stylus is going to be more precise of course, but not always needed to operate the touch screen.

As for browsing, it is only as fast as your wireless connection will allow it to be. Many of the reviews others have made during test drives of the Colby show excellent response times loading web pages. But just like any device including your high performance notebooks, wireless signal strength, internet speeds, and many other factors come into play when you decide to hit a website.

I can honestly say, that these are by far the funnest little gadgets you can pick up for this low of a price, that offer so much features and functionality. They will and should never be a comparison to a high dollar iPad with a ton more hardware resources available. But at a third of the price, I am much happier playing my HD movies and MP3's, surfing the web, checking email, etc on an Android then paying the price of an Apple.

And I must correct all those out there bashing the lack of Android's mighty marketplace. This is not missing due to not having mobile connectivity, or even funnier, "an obscure legal loophole" LOL! This is due to the fact that Google requires high cost licensing from manufactures against their devices to allow access to their Market. The Android Tablet arena is still very new, and has not reached the sales yet needed to take on the cost of this licensing, and still produce a profit worth production. Once these devices are welcomed into the community, and sales become profitable, most manufacturers will have the leverage they need.

For most, the offerings of these tablets will provide allot of satisfaction as a media and internet device in your home. For those with little patience, you can't save money and be happy at the same time. Whip out that wallet and go get yourself something more expensive so we don't have to hear your whimpers of an another poorly researched purchase. And for those who are driven heavily on performance, and not scared by technical challenges, get out there and upgrade this Kryos and you will open up tons of limitations and performance from the hardware and OS.

Hope this helps some out there. Good luck, and happy smart shopping for the holidays!

Some of the great resources I used: (remove spaces in URL)

-Colby Kyros MID7015 Hands on Review (Unbiased)-Competing Android Tablets Test Drive Comparison Data-Colby Kyros MID7005/MID7015 Resource Page (Contains bugs, apps, and mods)-Manufacturers Site (Contains Manual and Firmware Update)-Excellent video on Home Shopping Network showcasing what it offers (if you can get past HSN's cheesy sales guys)(very biased of course)

Want Coby Kyros MID7015-4G 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black Discount?

I have been using this tablet for almost a week now. Here are my first impressions:

It is quite thin and light. Ignore other reviews as they are talking about the model 7005.

It comes with a protective case, USB cable and USB mini-to female connector. The latter is very useful to mount USB drives. Be warned the tablet mounts it as the 'scsi' drive.

The battery life is quite decent (capacity is 3600mAh).

It has only 256 MB memory and the available memory is usually vey small. So you need to kill the backgroud apps from time to time.

It plays Angry Birds (with some font problems) and other 3D games quite well. Looks like there is a support for 2D and 3D acceleration. However, the Quadrant Benchmark marks around 300. Compare it with Galaxy Tab around 900 and Viewsonic gTablet around 1800.

No problem with any book readers. Actually can be a decent book reader considering the size and weight.

No Google Market as it has no Phone support. Not a big deal as I was able to install apps/games from various web sites.

Wi-fi support is good and Wi-fi stays on without any problems.

The is a manufacturer's support web site (cobyusa). It has the latest update zip package and installation video alongside with the online user guide. So you are not alone when it comes to update this tablet.

The screen response is OK if you know how to deal with a resistive screen. You should not use your finger , but the tip of your finger nail or the stylus provided.

Overall a decent tablet, very compact and light (again this is 7015 not 7005) and performs well within the price range.

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I got this Coby Kyros Android Tablet for $139.99 at Kmart during the Black Friday Deals that went on. Everything with this tablet works good, I especially love this Pad compared to Apple's iPad which has limited functionality and is priced at several of hundreds of dollars compared to the Android Pads because I only need something like the iPad for the internet, checking email, reading books, and playing movies but was surprised that it can do a whole lot more than just that!

This Pad uses Android v2.1 OS, it has AppsLib which is a marketplace for apps to install specifically on Android Pads and not Android Phones. The reason why Android Marketplace is not on this Pad is because it does not have Phone capabilities, the Android Marketplace has apps that are for every feature for the Android OS. Other than that, the AppsLib is for Android devices that would not have phone capabilities, hence, Android Tablets. I assume they weeded through the apps that would work on Android Tablets and just created AppsLib. The HDMI output for the device works great! I bought a 16GB microSD card for this and works good. I played a couple of movies with HDMI out in DVD and 720p Quality to an LCD TV and it looked great, sound was great, and there was no delay, lag, or anything wrong with the video! The Pad seemed to play every video format I have thrown at it. I've also used the USB port on this Pad and it recognized my 4GB PNY, 8GB Kingston, & 16GB Patriot Xport flash for additional storage which is a big plus!

The only issues I have had with this Android Pad though is that most games I have played on it so far, the G-Sensors (Accelerometer) are reversed on it. When I play a racing game such as Asphalt or Raging Thunder, you're suppose to twist the Pad to the right or left to turn right or left and it's reversed. This is a big disappointment for me and I hope a fix is released for this. Another problem also is every application I install on this Pad, only about 75% of them will work, and this goes for games and apps.

Overall... the Pad satisfies what I basically need it to do so far and everything else is just a plus for me.

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