The current market for digital cameras is easily one of the most confusing a potential buyer can enter into, especially if words like ‘aperture’ and ‘aspect ratio’ are as familiar to you as a foreign language. With many customers looking for a camera that will just point and shoot, manufacturers are faced with the challenge of producing models that are simple to use, yet still have enough features to satisfy the more experienced photographers looking to buy. One model which has succeeded in this requirement is the Canon IXUS 210 DSLR, available online from The Good Guys.

 

From a functionality perspective, the IXUS 210 is an absolute dream, featuring a vibrant 3.5 inch, LCD touchscreen that makes shooting, recording, and displaying each photograph as easy as it gets. With its simple 5x point and zoom feature, subjects are pulled in or out of focus with the easiest of motions, allowing the cameraman more opportunity to capture each moment with perfect accuracy. This ability is further enhanced by the speed at which this camera is able to switch between photo and video capabilities, making it next to impossible for the action to be missed.

Ease of use is definitely a heavy focus with the IXUS 210, but it hasn’t come at the expense of good old fashioned human creativity. Even the most discerning student of photography is provided with the freedom to alter and adjust almost every aspect of the image, using intuitive touchscreen controls designed specifically for improved usability over the earlier IXUS 200 model. What the 210 really manages to do well is balance the complicated nature of traditional photography with a user interface that makes everything seem childishly simple to use.

 

Aside from its incredible usability, Canon’s IXUS 210 is also a very smart camera in terms of design. Sporting a slim-lined frame, the 210 is constructed from durable metals and plastic, and weighs in at a measly 160g including battery. Stylish in its minimalism, this camera’s smooth surface is broken only by the detailing that surrounds the lens, giving the IXUS 210 a very slick look and feel overall.

 

In a word, the Canon IXUS 210 is sharp. It’s easy to use, comes packed with features, and most importantly it shoots beautifully. Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or a first-time buyer the IXUS 210 has got you covered. And at just $358, the price of the Canon IXUS 210 Digital Camera is far from its least impressive feature.

$798 dollars is a small price to pay for a notebook computer, especially one that boasts the sort of specs offered by the ASUS K%@F-SX166V 15.6″ Notebook. With their latest addition, ASUS have achieved something many manufacturers have failed to in the past – they’ve created a powerful, reliable small computer that demonstrates a strong and successful focus towards user comfort in its design. The result is a device that’s very, very sharp, both in terms of its processing capabilities, and its overall usability.

 

Under the hood, the K52F is powered by a 2.26Ghz Intel Core i5-430M processor, which makes for a very fluid driving experience indeed. This snappy processor is backed up with 2GB RAM memory, ensuring that responses are almost never compromised, even with Windows 7 Home Premium running full tilt. Add to that a 320GB hard drive, and you’ve got a very powerful device that’s capable of running just about anything while you’re on the move.

 

In terms of screen quality, the ASUS K52F comes standard with a 15.6 inch widescreen display which, although fairly modest in terms of size, helps greatly to enhance the overall mobility of the machine. Plus, the inclusion of an embedded Intel GMA HD graphics performance chip helps you forget all about the size of the screen, with the K52F producing crisp, vibrant images that would impress even the most seasoned of gamers.

 

What makes this model really impressive however is less to do with its processing capabilities, and more about the thought processes that have gone into its usability. From a design perspective especially, the ASUS K52F isn’t your average open and shut laptop. With a sunken hinge design, and a concaved Chiclet keyboard, the user is able to view the screen from more comfortable angles than most notebooks will allow. In terms of usability, the intuitive multi-touch mouse pad gives the user a world of diversity, including the ability to zoom in and out with ease. Combined with a sleek, slim design for added mobility, the K52F is quite simply a joy to handle.

 

When you get down to it, the ASUS K52F-SX166V 15.6 notebook really is a beautiful machine, especially when you consider the strong focus towards usability that’s been built into its design. The speed at which the K52F runs is definitely impressive, but the power associated with this device is almost downplayed by the general enjoyment that you experience when using it. So, if you’re in the market for a really stunning notebook computer, take the ASUS K52F for a test drive and experience the quality of this device for yourself.

Touchpad computers are easily the most exciting products to hit the shelves this year, because they have the potential to change the way we use computers in our everyday life. However, this potential may be limited by the fact that very few of these devices have been designed to run on the familiar Windows-based operating system, and for many of us the idea of transferring to a foreign OS is likely to cause some hesitation. Fortunately, the Windows faithful have not been forgotten completely, because Microsoft has teamed up with the good people at Hanvon to produce the stunning Hanvon BC10C Touchpad.

 

One of the first things you notice about the BC10C is that, unlike its non-Windows counterparts, Hanvon has developed this tablet with a look and feel more similar to that of a traditional Windows-based system. For starters, although the BC10C can be rotated 360° for portrait display, its design shows a clear favouritism towards landscape mode, with the preferred base being slightly more pronounced than the remaining three sides. Presumably, this bias towards landscape functionality is due to the traditional layout of the Windows 7 display, which Hanvon seems to have embraced with wide open arms.

 

The second thing Windows users will rejoice over is the addition of an optical mouse – a familiar feature that many other tablets have chosen to exclude entirely. This addition allows the device to be operated in a number of different ways, either via the exceptional multi-touch panel display, or through the use of the traditional mouse. This feature is especially useful for anyone who is unfamiliar with touchscreen functionality, as they’re able to familiarise themselves with the new technology, while the optical mouse serves as a full-time back up should they get stuck.

 

In terms of performance, the Hanvon BC10C is an impressive machine. Driven by a 1.3GHz Celeron processor, the BC10C is actually more powerful than the Apple iPad, which has only been provided with 1GHz. Not only that, but even the most advanced Apple tablet is nowhere close to matching Hanvon’s inclusion of a 320GB hard drive, with the closest Apple competitor falling short by a massive 256 Gigs. That’s similar to the difference between an mp3 player and a high performance desktop computer, a feature that puts the BC10C in a totally different weight class in terms of its capabilities as a computer.

 

Of course all of this power has to be housed, so in terms of size the BC10C is slightly larger, and heavier than its competitors, but at the end of the day that’s the price you pay for this level of performance. Hanvon’s BC10C Touchpad is a serious machine with some seriously powerful capabilities, and at $898.00, offers incredible value for money to boot.

 

The Hanvon BC10C Touchpad is available in Australia from officeworks.com.au