REVIEW: Desktop Digital Photo Frame and Clock

REVIEW: Desktop Digital Photo Frame and Clock

I admit to being a bit sceptical about a 1.4" LCD display which I thought would be too small to be of any use. However this product makes for a nice combination of LCD digit clock, temperature display, alarm and calendar plus the LCD photo screen at the top.

Opening up the box reveals the unit with batteries already installed - no messing about required. There's three sample pictures already installed so you can see what it does straight away. To download your own photos you first need to install some (windows only) software. The software is relatively easy to use and does a good job of basically taking up to 70 photos you select from your hard disk or wherever, then scaling them automatically and downloading them to the unit. You can also delete and re-order photos.

I found the 2 minute auto LCD screen turnoff feature very annoying - although it will admittedly save your battery life. So if you just want a continuous slideshow, just leave it plugged into the USB port of your computer - while its connected to USB it gets power via the USB cable, and does not turn off automatically.

BUYER INFO
Supplier: DigiVista
Web Link: http://www.digivista.com.au/product_desktop_digital_photo_frame_and_clock.html
Price: AU$49

SPECIFICATIONS
LCD Size: 1.4 inch (3.6 cm)
Screen Ratio: 4:3
Pixel Resolution: 240x108
Package Contents: Frame, USB cable, Manual, Software on CD-ROM, Batteries (installed).
Photo Formats: JPEG, BMP,GIF,TIF,PNG

RATE CARD
Looks: 7 out of 10
User Interface: 7 out of 10
Features: 7 out of 10
Value: 8 out of 10

Summary
Great things come in small packages.
The Good
Good value. Adds instant bling appeal to your workspace.
The Bad
Auto-turnoff feature (see review). No software provided for Mac or Linux users.