jancology.com

Just before I went to rome last weekend, I looked for photo storage devices as I thought I might get into problems getting all pictures on flash. I decided to have the Nikon CoolWalker. (Un)fortunately it was out of stock. As I have no trips planned in the near future I have a bit more time to think about this and what I would like to have. My shortlist is now:

• 
  Apple just released the new iPodPhoto. This is a real nice gadget. It is small and looks really good. It also has enough storage capacity — as it is available in 40Gb and 60Gb versions. The downside is that it has a rally small screen of 2inch and no embedded flash reader. You need to buy the separate Belkin Media Reader. It costs an additional $99. On the possitive side it might also be used as agenda — although I have no idea how to enter new appointments without separate computer. It seems that Adobe PhotoShop Album is supported instead of iPhoto. This looks nice as that is the categloging software I use — and I’m very happy with sofar.
• The Nikon Coolwalker has more positives. Although it only has a 30Gb drive, it has a big screen of 2.5inch, embedded media reader supporting compact flash. Other media is only supported by means of flash adapters. As I’m using nikon equipment, it will also support NEF (Nikon Raw) in the future.
• The best option now looks the Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer. This has a really big screen of 3.8inch, 40Gb drive and supports CompactFlash and SD memory cards. An added bonus is support for NEF. The screen size has of course its downside that the device is much bigger compared to the iPod.

So the choice is between features or usability in the field. The small iPod is really nice because you can also take it with you and can be used day-by-day for music. The Epson looks better for viewing. The Nikon is just target for photo storage and preview.

Hmmmmm, I’ll have another thought about it. In the mean time the devices might also get a bit cheaper…