Final Thoughts
Pure Digital has taken what was already easy to take with you and made it even easier to take with you. The 40% reduction in size over the Flip Ultra has definitely made this device even more portable. The only area where the performance was impacted was in low light. The smaller lens just doesn’t seem as fast as the bigger lens found in the Flip Ultra. However, they did keep the size of the screen intact and the user interface seems just as snappy and easy to use as ever.
Speaking of user interface, the touch control seems to be more manageable once you are aware that it behaves the way it does, but it still frustrates me to have to look at it to be able to operate it. I realize that Pure Digital was trying to make the buttons usable in darkness, but having a touch control is clearly not the answer here. What they should have done is just improve on the buttons on the controls used on the Flip Ultra by separating out the directional pad a bit more so that the record button is more isolated. I know that touch sensitive controls are cool and all, but not cool when you hit every other button before you hit the right one.
Although the Flip Mino and it’s other siblings are meant for things like YouTube and MySpace, I’ve actually found it quite handy for keeping track of my notes during product reviews. I’m sure that anywhere in which a voice recorder could be used, this could be used to provide an even better record of events. The only downside I can see with this device long term is the serious lack of storage. With only 2GB of memory and a maximum recording time of 60 minutes, it kinda limits its range. Although this can limit its range, on the Flip side (pun intended), it forces people to make their shots count. But if they offered expandable storage in the future, who am I to say no to that?
The Flip Mino is not some revolutionary new technology. It’s not HD, it doesn’t take all that great video to be honest, and the feature set alone makes it somewhat overpriced. You can buy a really good quality name brand compact digital camera that can do better video and even take high quality stills, at around the same price. However, where it starts to justify its cost is in its execution. There are a lot of more advanced products out there, but thety are hard to operate, the software is cumbersome, and the manual sucks. Pure Digital has addressed all these concerns and even though it’s not cutting edge technology, it so easy to use that even this techno snob is willing to keep it around.
The Flip Mino sells for $179 at your usual suspects. It’s no replacement for your HD Camcorder or even your compact digital camera, but if you want something in your pocket at all times that is fun and easy to use, and ready to go, it’s hard to beat this product.
Pros
- Extremely easy to use and operate
- Software is also convenient and makes uploading on the fly quick and easy
- The convenient size makes carrying it with you a no brainer
Cons
- Touch sensitive controls are frustrating at times
- Low light performance not as good as its predecessor
- Where is my USB Extension Cable?
Overall Rating: 9.0 /10.0
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