Review: Picture Porter digital photo backup

Server Management: The tried and true vendors vs. the new-idea startups Server Virtualization: From Planning to Deployment Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Free copy of Virtualization for Dummies. Click here for access to instant pdf download. Myth of the Million Dollar Database Case Study: AISO grows its "green" business Learn-Fast Guide: Get Up to Speed on Green IT SaaS Solutions for Remote Systems Management Learn-Fast Guide: Software as a Service is Growing Up Sign up to receive Hardware Resource Alerts

November 21, 2005 (Computerworld) -- If you're used to the sleek elegance of an iPod, the boxy look of Digital Foci's Picture Porter is likely to disappoint. Although one can technically use the device as an MP3 or video player on the go, you're not likely to want to take it with you on your morning run.
However, the Picture Porter has a couple of features that make it potentially more useful for a serious digital photographer away from home: long battery life and built-in memory-card readers. This is particularly handy if you're looking for a way to back up your vacation photos while you're still on vacation.
With the current generation of high-megapixel digital cameras, it doesn't take more than a couple of days of shooting for a serious photographer to fill up even a 1GB memory card. If you're on vacation for a week or more, that's a lot of cards to have to buy and tote around. And if you're on the paranoid side, as I am, the thought of all those priceless memories being stored on those easily losable little devices is a bit unnerving. But how best to back them up? Unless you have access to a computer where you can plug in your camera, download files and either burn a DVD or upload them to an online storage site, options can be limited.
Before heading to Switzerland this spring, I investigated portable backup options, and I didn't find anything I wanted to buy. As it turned out, I was staying with a friend and used her PC, card reader, CD burner and Internet connection, but that wouldn't have been possible had I been staying at a hotel. And the overseas public Internet cafes I've seen don't let you download files onto their systems.
There is a $29 connector for the newer generations of iPods that allows you to connect most camera cables to the device and back up that way. I haven't tried it -- I've got an older iPod that won't work with the connector, and Apple didn't have any newer iPods available for review just yet. However, from what I've read, the connection is somewhat slow and battery life is an issue. Some have complained that unless the iPod battery is completely fresh, it can all but give out before a 1GB card transfer is complete. Based on the battery life I get from my older iPod, as much as I love it, I'm not sure I'd want to count on it for a full gig download after a day of sightseeing.

Picture Porter by Digital FOCCI available from $399

I took the Picture Porter down to New York last month, and backup was quick and painless. I didn't need my camera cable (nor did I need to drain my camera battery), but simply popped the memory card into the reader. It took about a second per 2-plus meg picture file, completing a day's worth of backup in a minute or so. I did take the power cable with me but didn't need it during my six days away. And it was certainly simple enough to connect it to the computer and download. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a simple option to "back up everything on the card since my last backup," which would be handy -- sometimes I want to keep things on both the card and the Picture Porter for added backup security.
I used Picture Porter to listen to music while traveling to and from New York (i.e., sitting), even though I had no desire to drag it along with me while out for a stroll. Had I been traveling with someone, it has a nice feature of two audio jacks, so two people can listen to the music at the same time. Alas, I made the mistake of moving my iTunes music files directly to the Picture Porter and couldn't quite figure out how to make it "shuffle" randomly among different folders. There's newer firmware I didn't get a chance to download, though, and that might have fixed the problem.
Digital Foci touts Picture Porter as a good way to display your digital photos while traveling. It does indeed display, although the LCD isn't any bigger than my camera's, so I didn't see much point unless I was worried about saving my camera battery (I wasn't).
The Picture Porter might be appealing for a real digital camera enthusiast who travels a lot and doesn't want to lug around a laptop. However, at $399 for a 20GB version ($469 for 40GB), a more versatile alternative would be something like Dell's Axim X51 (on sale for $298) if you've got a camera that uses the same SD memory-card format as the Pocket PC. Even the new video iPod costs less for more storage: $299 for 30GB. Picture Porter is charging an awfully high premium in size, weight and price for built-in card readers.
"If it was $99, those things would go like hot cakes," a gadget-loving colleague said of the Picture Porter, adding that it could be useful for a traveling group where people had different memory formats. "$399 is too much."
Ultimately, the folks at Digital Foci need a better understanding that for a product in this class, people aren't simply searching for something practical. You also need to generate some technolust -- and sleek, industrial design is a critical part of that. People in the office were clustered around my colleague's new video iPod. The initial reaction to the Picture Porter's appearance was decidedly less enthusiastic.
If you could have a Picture Porter in an iPod-like form factor, with Picture Porter's battery life and an SD card-reader built in, at the iPod price point? Now that would be something to get excited about.

Continued... 1 | 2 | 3 | NEXT   Print this Story Send Us Feedback E-mail this Story Digg this Story Slashdot this Story Cool Stuff 2006 Review: Mixed feelings for Brookstone's PictureBook Review: Picture Porter digital photo backup Sidebar: Cool Free Sites Sidebar: Cool Mac Software "Desktop Linux still has three serious problems to overcome before it can go mass-market...." Read more... "For the first time ever at LinuxWorld, a group of volunteers gathered en masse to help the ongoing Alameda County..." Read more... Read more Hardware posts or See all Blogs When the meteor and the 1PB database collide Former prosecutor: UFO hack looked like terrorist attack Russian hacker gang steals with impunity, says researcher Facebook stamps out malware attack Ohio official sues e-voting vendor for lost votes Politics 2.0 heats up traditional summer doldrums Researchers look to cloud computing to fight malware WAN optimization: Better than a 'real' upgrade? Judge rejects student visa injunction sought by H-1B opponents At LinuxWorld, problem-solvers hunt open-source solutions More top stories... Mozilla experiments push Firefox envelope Microsoft: We'll help other vendors find, fix their bugs Free Windows XP tuneup: Put new life into an old workhorse Olympics goes all-HD for the first time Microsoft promises 12 patches next week WAN acceleration smells good to Coty IBM launches three mobile software products and services Bet on it: Employee wagers help companies predict the future Search closing in on e-mail as most popular online activity, report says First responders get more emergency communications options How to configure and deploy the iPhone 3G for business, part 1 Before the iPhone will ever rival the BlackBerry in the workplace, IT admins need to know how to best activate and deploy it to their workers. Part 1 of a three-part series focuses on activation and configuration. All-screen clamshell concept phone: A glimpse of the future How do you make a phone with the smallest possible size, but the largest possible screen? Blogger Mike Elgan knows. How to build a free computer from spare parts Got a basement full of old components? Why not use them to build yourself a new PC? We show you how to do it. Narcissists at work: How to deal with arrogant, controlling, manipulative bullies Narcissistic employees — yes, IT has its fair share — can wreak havoc in the office and put your own job at risk. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland Security Apple's iPhone Ask a Premier 100 IT Leader Bill Gates steps down BlackBerry Legal Battle Data Security Breaches Electronic Voting Firefox H-1B Visas HP's Boardroom Scandal Handheld Devices Hurricane Katrina Aftermath Microsoft Legal Issues Microsoft's Vista Open Source RFID Technology SCO's Linux Fight Sarbanes-Oxley Act Spam Voice Over IP Wi-Fi Windows Meta File Vulnerability Windows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class 2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards 2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders 2006 Salary Survey 2007 Best Places to Work in IT 2007 IT Forecast 2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders 40 Years of Computerworld ASPs, Take Two Best Places to Work in IT 2003 Best Places to Work in IT 2004 Best Places to Work in IT 2005 Best Places to Work in IT 2006 Business Intelligence Home Runs Business Intelligence: Smarter BI Business Intelligence: The Future of BI CRM Goes Vertical CRM: Sober CRM Career Planning Guide 2005 Careers: IT Profession 2010 Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005 Data Management: Mining for Gems Data Management: Taming Data Chaos Development: Hard-Workin' Web Sites Development: New Tools New Choices Development: The New World of Application Development Development: The Web Services Tsunami Development: Web Services Hurdles Disaster Recovery: Preparing for the Worst E-commerce Grows Up E-mail/Groupware: Big Decisions Faces of Mobile IT Forecast 2006 Global Mobile Hardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple Challenges Hardware: On-Demand Un-Hyped Hardware: The Shape of Things to Come Horizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge Technologies IT Management: Guide to Managing Vendors IT Management: Navigating Global IT IT Management: Recovery Ahead IT Management: The Future of IT IT Management: The Resourceful Project Manager Innovative Technology Awards 2004 Management: Reinventing IT Microsoft in Transition Mobile/Wireless Leaders and Laggards Mobile/Wireless: The Untethered Worker Mobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge Costs Network Management: Taking Control Networking: Turbulence Ahead! Networking: VoIP Goes Mainstream Operating Systems: In the Slow Lane Operating Systems: Linux Goes Global Operating Systems: Should You Nix Unix? Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's Guide Outsourcing: Outsourcing Dangers Premier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in Class Premier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in Class ROI: Do the Math! Salary Survey 2003 Salary Survey 2004 Salary Survey 2005 Security Action Plan Security: Compliance Headaches Security: Proactive Security Security: Risk and Reward Security: Tips From Security Pros Souped-up Security Storage: Battling Complexity Storage: Cheap & Secure Data Stores Storage: Stretching Your Storage Dollars Storage: The Lean Storage Machine Storage: The New Rules of Storage Storage: The Ultimate Backup Guide Supply Chain: Missing Links Supply Chain: RFID Reality Check The Business of Security Web 2.0 Security Wireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone Data Center Management Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone The File Data Management Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone Identity & Security Management Zone See your link here Learn-Fast Guide: Get Up to Speed on Green IT (Source: Computerworld) Whether it's in the front office or the server room, green thinking can save energy, trees and money. From the Editorial Staff at Computerworld, here's the latest thinking on greening your operations. Download this executive briefing  Virtualization Everywhere Download this white paper, free, compliments of Citrix. (Source: Citrix) Adoption of virtualization is concentrated among large enterprises, while adoption by mid-sized companies has been much slower. For these companies, the cost and complexity of server virtualization solutions has been a barrier. In this paper, we'll discuss how Citrix XenServer" provides simple, economical server virtualization for any size company. Download now! Download this white paper  Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? Download this webcast, free, compliments of Sterling Commerce Go to the webcast  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. A Guide to Understanding Messaging Archiving Archiving Compliance with Sunbelt Exchange Archiver The Impact of Messaging and Web Threats View more whitepapers  Cool Stuff 2006 Sidebar: Cool Free Sites Review: Mixed feelings for Brookstone's PictureBook Sidebar: Cool Mac Software Review: Picture Porter digital photo backup When the meteor and the 1PB database collide Mozilla experiments push Firefox envelope Former prosecutor: UFO hack looked like terrorist attack More top stories  Google's Universal Search for Business As the volume of information inside enterprises explodes, most executives recognize the importance of a Google-like search solution for business content. To this end, Google has developed Universal Search for Business, powered by the Google Search Appliance, which searches all enterprise content through one secure box. Attend this webinar to learn how your business can benefit from universal search capabilities. Register for this live webcast now! See more Webcasts  Get Into Gear! Check out our new personal technology section -- TechGear -- for the latest on those cool gadgets that you just gotta have! Host Mike Elgan provides hands-on reviews and analysis of the stuff that makes IT fun. Head to TechGear  Free 802.11n Wireless Poster This wireless technical reference poster includes channel frequencies and appropriate worldwide channel selections for 802.11a/b/g, typical indoor WLAN coverage range with data rates, and more. 24" x 36" (61 x 91 cm). Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Get this poster.  Sponsored Links PAY UP TO 30% LESS FOR COLOR PRINTING WITH HP MFPS. Enhancing security through Quantum Cryptography - find out more Save up to 62% plus 2 FREE Gifts from Omaha Steaks. HP LaserJet P4014n printer Starting at $699 after $100 IS. Microsoft Forefront makes defending your systems easier. Learn how at easyeasier.com BigFix - Before all Hell breaks loose on your network! Go Green Without Sacrificing Server Performance Instant server virtualization. Free download! Quit using costly software.  Add to your bottom line. See how.