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Portable Electronics

Product Reviews - Sorting Good Products from Bad

By , About.com Guide

A wise move before buying any type of portable electronics device is to seek out reviews by those who have already tested it out. Take a read below at some product reviews to help you get focused on whether or not that gadget is worth your hard earned dollars.
  1. Tablets & Slates
  2. E-Book Readers
  3. MP3 Player, Headphone & Speaker Reviews
  4. Portable DVD Player Reviews
  1. Portable Media Player Reviews
  2. Kids' Electronics
  3. Other Device Reviews

Tablets & Slates

Slate Tablets such as the iPad serve as multimedia devices that usually offer a touchscreen and a simplified, easy-on interface compared to a full-fledged laptop or PC. Consumer slates are typically used for Web browsing, watching video, or playing apps.

E-Book Readers

E-readers are devices used mainly for reading eBooks. Most typically offer a black-and-white E Ink display that emulates paper. Some versions, however, throw extra features such as a touchscreen or secondary LCD screen.

MP3 Player, Headphone & Speaker Reviews

MP3 players are the more basic of those devices which carry your digital entertainment with you. They are broadly defined as pocket devices you load only digital audio onto, unlike portable media players which can also carry digital video and pictures. MP3 players tend to cost less as well. A well designed MP3 player should, among other things, include enough memory to hold your favorite music, be not too bulky and produce quality audio you can hear and enjoy. We also take a look at headphone and speaker options for your music.

Portable DVD Player Reviews

Portable DVD players are those devices which let you take your favorite DVDs with you on the road. They aren't pocket size, but generally will fit into a small carry on bag, making them perfect for a plane ride. A good portable DVD player should, at the minimum, have a battery life of over three hours, provide quality audio and offer up a larger screen for easy video viewing.

Portable Media Player Reviews

The term "portable media player" is a catch all phrase for a portable device which offers storage and playback of more than just digital audio files (MP3s typically). Portable media players tend to offer more internal storage since they playback digital video and pictures as well as offering more features. A good portable media player should, at the minimum, offer five hours of video playback, a large enough screen to enjoy your digital video/pictures and an on-screen user interface which is easy to use.

Kids' Electronics

Gadgets aren't just about toys for grown-ups. Kids have a wide range of electronics devices to choose from as well. From cameras for little ones to high-tech robots and even learning tools, the kids' electronics landscape is wide and vast. These aren't your grandfathers' gadgets, that's for sure. Read on below for a sampling.

Other Device Reviews

There are a wide array of niche categories in the portable electronics world, including ebook readers, Internet tablets, personal communication devices and more. These products all offer special forms of digital entertainment or interaction but all should, at a minimum, offer a solid user experience, enough battery life to get plenty done and a user interface which makes them easy to work with and enjoy.

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