PC Magazine - 2009 04.pdf - Libertad Zero - Blog
PC Magazine - 2009 04.pdf - Libertad Zero - Blog
PC Magazine - 2009 04.pdf - Libertad Zero - Blog
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Panasonic Lumix<br />
DMC-G1<br />
$799.95 list<br />
l l l m m<br />
Pros uses new micro<br />
Four Thirds standard,<br />
which allows for a<br />
smaller body and lens<br />
than comparable entrylevel<br />
D-sLRs. solid image<br />
quality at iso 100-<br />
800. Large, articulating<br />
3-inch LcD. HDmi-out.<br />
Cons not much smaller<br />
than a D-sLR. no optical<br />
viewfinder. Excessive<br />
noise at higher isos.<br />
Longer shutter lag<br />
than traditional D-sLRs.<br />
no video-recording<br />
capability.<br />
Click here for more.<br />
Given the current state of the economy, not everyone<br />
has the budget to spring for a GPS device. Fortunately,<br />
the 265T, one of Garmin’s entry-level nüvis,<br />
offers an amazing amount of bang for the buck.<br />
The 265T measures 2.8 by 3.8 by 0.8 inches<br />
(HWD) and features a 3.5-inch, 320-by-240-pixel<br />
screen. For an additional $50, you can opt for the<br />
nüvi 265WT, which has a 4.3-inch, WQVGA 480-by-<br />
272-pixel screen.<br />
Both the 265T and 265WT feature Garmin’s<br />
familiar “Where to” and “View Map” user interface<br />
and have the same destination input options as on<br />
the midrange and even the premium 800 series.<br />
Input options include: Address; Go Home; Points of<br />
Interest (16 categories); Recently Found; Favorites;<br />
Intersections; Extras; Cities; Browse Map, and Coordinates.<br />
The 200 series doesn’t have Garmin Locate, a feature<br />
that remembers your last-known location when<br />
you remove the device from the bracket. The series<br />
also lacks players for MP3s and audiobooks, as well<br />
as an FM transmitter to send voice prompts to your<br />
car’s FM radio. Still, the 265T and its siblings do have<br />
the “Where Am I” feature, a picture viewer, a world<br />
first looks consumer electronics<br />
Panasonic Lumix Dmc-G1<br />
A Pioneer, but Not<br />
a Game Changer<br />
GaRmin nüvi 265T<br />
The Garmin Experience<br />
at a Bargain Price<br />
Dreaming of the day when you can have the performance<br />
of a D-SLR in the body of a compact camera?<br />
It may be closer than you think. The 12.1-megapixel<br />
DMC-G1 is the first camera to incorporate the Micro<br />
Four Thirds standard, which shrinks the lens diameter<br />
and forgoes the mirror box you’ll find in a traditional<br />
D-SLR, making it more compact. While<br />
the DMC-G1 delivers good image quality, the competitively<br />
priced Canon EOS Rebel XSi ($799.99 list)<br />
gives you sharper images with less noise for about<br />
the same price—and the G1 isn’t that much smaller.<br />
Panasonic says it didn’t shrink the body of the<br />
DMC-G1—at 13.6 ounces—as much as it could have,<br />
for fear of scaring off anyone shopping for an SLRquality<br />
camera. As a result, there’s a great deal of<br />
dead space inside. Still, the DMC-G1’s overall build is<br />
quite nice. It’s available in black or blue, but our test<br />
camera was a fiery red. It features ergonomic curves<br />
for a solid grip, and its dials have raised bumps for<br />
easy control. All of the camera’s controls are right at<br />
your fingertips, which allows for quick access to the<br />
many features.<br />
clock, a simple calculator, and a unit converter.A free<br />
upgrade called ecoRoute calculates your estimated<br />
fuel cost for each trip and provides you with fuel and<br />
mileage reports; it even adds a “Less Fuel” option to<br />
your Route Preference choices.<br />
Though it lacks some of the bells and whistles of<br />
Garmin’s top-shelf products, the 265T still delivers<br />
the Garmin navigation experience, with a complete<br />
set of maps, text-to-speech, free lifetime traffic, picture<br />
navigation, and ecoRoute to boot. And you just<br />
can’t beat the price.—Craig Ellison<br />
What D-SLR users will miss most on the DMC-<br />
G1—and other upcoming Micro Four Thirds cameras,<br />
for that matter—is a true optical viewfinder.<br />
Since the new standard loses the mirror box that<br />
reflects the image through the lens, it has to simulate<br />
one. The DMC-G1 achieves this with a tiny LCD<br />
where the viewfinder would normally be. It works<br />
okay for displaying photo information like ISO and<br />
shutter speed, but I found motion blur to be particularly<br />
distracting.<br />
Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-G1 is a solid first stab<br />
at a Micro Four Thirds camera, but you’ll probably<br />
want to wait for the second generation of products,<br />
or simply go with a traditional entry-level SLR like<br />
the Canon EOS Rebel XSi.—PJ Jacobowitz<br />
Garmin nüvi 265T<br />
$249.99 List<br />
l l l l m<br />
Pros includes<br />
maps for the<br />
u.s. and canada.<br />
Text-to-speech.<br />
Lifetime free<br />
traffic. ecoRoute feature<br />
can save you money on<br />
gasoline.<br />
Cons no multisegment<br />
routing or Lane assist.<br />
Bluetooth interface<br />
didn’t read contacts/call<br />
history.<br />
Click here for more.<br />
aPRiL <strong>2009</strong> <strong>PC</strong> MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 17