Father’s Day is just around the corner and rather than ties and the odd gift boxes offered at department stores we suggest you get dad one of these awesome Father’s Day gifts. These tech gifts for Father’s Day 2011 aren’t just for geeks. We have all types of consumer electronics, thumb drives, eBook readers, tablets, smartphones and more that are sure to impress.

21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad

If you order within the next week most of these gifts will arrive in time for Father’s Day 2011 which is on Sunday June 19th.

Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive – $10 and up

The Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive has become our go to drive for two reasons. It is tough and as you can guess, it is tiny. We have it attached to the our key ring and so it is always there. Because of its size we barely notice it. Because of how tough it is we don’t worry about breaking it. We tested this drive and really beat it up. Our data was safe despite dunking it in water, stomping on it, and plunging into dirt. The drives start at $22 for a 2GB model and range on up to $158 for the 32GB model. But you can find them cheaper on Amazon.

Mimobots – $22 and up

If you are looking for a thumbdrive that shows off dad’s love for comics or science fiction, then you need to check out the licensed Mimibot thumb drives. These incredibly detailed drives don’t just carry your documents, they show off your geeky side with licences from Star Wars, Marvel and more.

We’ve been using several of these drives over the past few weeks and everyone we show them to loves the fun look of the Mimobots. The drives look as good in person as they do on the Mimibot website and with a large collection of characters you have a good chance at finding dad’s favorite comic book hero. The backside of the drive is flat enough we could use it with the MacBook Air, which sits close to a table, but if you are trying to plug into the recessed ports on some desktops you may have trouble.

iPhone, Android & iPad Protection – $30 and up

Some of our favorite cases for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices come from Speck and OtterBox. These two companies offer a range of solutions for multiple Android devices and the every popular iPhone. Speck offers a collection of colorful and fun cases mainly focused on Apple products, offering all types of looks and protection.

OtterBox on the other hand is known for their incredible protection for devices including drop protection. For fathers who work in construction, like to go outdoors or are just rough with their phones, an OtterBox case is the perfect gift.

ScotteVest Travel Vests and Jackets – $25 and up

It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day gift guide without ScotteVest travel vests, jackets and shirts. We’ve been big fans of the ScotteVest gear for a while now because it allows dad to carry all of his gear from cameras to the iPad without looking like a dork. Seriously, the pockets in these devices will accommodate all types of gear for around town or heading off on an adventure.

ScotteVest is having a Father’s Day sale right now, that allows you to get jackets, hoodies and shirts at 30% off. The standard ScotteVest Travel vest isn’t on sale, but is well worth the $100 price tag.

LightScoop – $30

If Dad is a shutterbug, the Lightscoop is a great choice. This handy little DSLR accessory will snap on to his camera and bounce the flash off the ceiling or the wall for better photos. Rather than washing out the image or delivering a deer in the headlights look, the Lightscoop bounces the photos off your surroundings for better lighting.

The Lightscoop is probably a better fit for budding photographer dads, rather than a pro photographer who likely has a full lightbox and studio setup on hand.

Eye Fi – $49.99 and up

Another good Father’s Day gift is the Eye-Fi X2 SD card which connects to wireless networks and iPhone or Android devices to upload your photos to your computer and to the web without any wires.

We really like the ability to upload our photos automatically to our computer and to the Eye Fi Center which allows us to share them with family members on the iPad rather than the small screen of our camera. Dad can choose to selectively upload photos to Facebook and many other websites to automatically share. We like the control, which keeps unwanted photos from going public. Check out our Eye Fi Review.

WetCiruits 4 Outlet Water Resistant Rugged Power Strip – $70

This is not an ordinary power outlet. Sure it is a little expensive but how many power strips from WalMart will withstand pouring water into them or having Junior stick a pair of metal tweezers in one of the outlets and survive without even a shock? With the WetCircuits power strip pouring water on it while it is plugged in and in use has no effect. The water is kept out of the actual circuit. Putting a set of tweezers down into the outlet will not shock anyone. We know because we tested it. Check out the video below.

This thing is great for plugging in a number of things like a laptop, a video projector, and your cell phone while you are working at a table with people drinking coffee or while outdoors at a beach or park.

Razer Orochi Bluetooth Laser Mouse – $79.99

There might be a better mobile mouse out there, but after testing a bunch of Bluetooth mobile mice, we don’t think there is a better Bluetooth mobile mouse available. Designed primarily for gamers in mind, this mouse is also great as an everyday mouse. In fact, we use it that way with the notebooks we use most o the time. You can view our full review and video and decide for yourself. Dad will love this mouse whether he’s a gamer or not.

Cadence 4-bit Binary Watch – $90

This is less a tech gift and more a gift for a techie. If your dad is a geek he will love this binary watch. From a distance it looks like any casual analog watch. Up close you realize that instead of Latin or Roman numerals each hour is represented by a four digit binary number.

Fitbit – $99

If dad is a data geek, tracking and analyzing anything he can put into a number, he may like the fitbit. This small device clips onto his pocket or belt and tracks steps, miles walked, activity, calories burned and can even track his sleep habits. The fitbit is $99 and includes access to the fitbit website for tracking fitbit stats and can log eating habits(he’ll have to do this manually though). If he wants to go deeper into the data and gain comparisons to other people in his age group he can upgrade to the premium account for $49 a year.

We’ve been using a fitbit for the past few weeks and we really like that the fitbit can handle being worn day to day at the office, in the yard or out on a long walk without any worries of it falling off or breaking. The fitbit battery lasts a whole week and uploads data to the fitbit website whenever you get within 15 feet of the base station which is attached to your computer. The fitbit isn’t waterproof, but it can handle being washed off and reportedly can survive a drop into the toilet. Below you’ll see just a snippet of the data fitbit records.

One of our favorite uses has been to monitor our sleep habits. With the included armband dad can wear the fitbit while you sleep and it will monitor how often he wakes up and moves during the night.

Booq Bag Computer Backpack – Starting at $129.95

We think Booq makes some nice computer bags and backpacks. They have almost any style you prefer, but we like the backpack style the best. The Boa Squeeze is their least expensive backpack bag. They sell sizes that fit anything from a 13″ up to a 17″ computer. They offer great protection and will look cool doing it. Dad will be very happy with this bag or any of the other styles. Maybe he likes a something more like a messenger bag with a flap, a simple sleeve, or a briefcase style bag. They have them all. We also like the Cobra Courier which is a messenger style bag with a sleeve to protect your notebook. It comes it at $195.

Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 Bluetooth Headset – $199

Bluetooth headsets are for the most part poor performers when you actually start to use them, but not the Plantronics Voyager Por UC 2. This headset is the smartest Bluetooth headset we have ever used and the only one we have stuck with for more than a few weeks. It’s so good, we gave it an Editor’s Choice award at GottaBeMobile.com.

The reason we love this bluetooth headset so much is that it is smart enough to know when you want to use it and when you don’t. With a normal Bluetooth headset, audio will be sent to the headset even if it is in your bag or out in the car. The Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 knows when you have it on your ear and when you don’t, allowing it to route the audio to the right place. The headset will even auto answer calls when you put it on your ear. This model includes a Bluetooth adapter so that you can use it with your PC or Mac as well.

Android Phone – Various Prices

As popular as the iPhone is, we think an Android phone might be a nice way to reward dad this year. They are easy to use and have a lot of powerful features. Recommending just one is hard since not all phones are available with all carriers. So here are our recommendations for the carrier that old dad is using. These come from our sister site’s list of the top 5 phones for May 2011.

LG G2x – T-Mobile – $200

It has a fantastic 4-inch LCD display, HSPA+ 4G speeds and it has the ability to capture 1080p which is something most top of the line smartphones aren’t able to do.

HTC Droid Incredible 2 – Verizon – $80

We recently previewed the HTC Droid Incredible 2, the successor of the wildly popular Droid Incredible, and came away very impressed. The increase in display size from 3.7 to 4-inches works well and doesn’t add any additional bulk.

Its single-core 1GHz processor is quick and it comes with almost an identical form factor to the original Droid Incredible.  Add in all the other bells and whistles and you have yourself a fantastic 3G phone.

Motorola Atrix 4G – AT&T – $99

The Motorola Atrix is the flagship Android device on AT&T and like the G2x, it can be considered a superphone because of the fantastic specifications it has on board. It packs a high-resolution display, dual-core processor and a massive battery to boot.

HTC Thunderbolt – Verizon – $249

The ThunderBolt is essentially an HTC EVO with 4G LTE speeds, which as you’ll see in a second, isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. The hardware is solid, the software as well and with an upgrade to Gingerbread coming in the not-so-distant future, the ThunderBolt is worthy of this list.

Amazon Kindle eBook Reader – $114, $139, or $189

There are a number of good eBook readers available, but the best one for the simple task of reading books is still the Kindle. The iPad is the premium do-it-all device. The Nook Color wants to be. But if all you want is an eBook reader cheap, the ad-supported Kindle is the best option. It is only $114 and the ads are not that intrusive. It requires a Wi-Fi signal to shop, download books, and sync things like bookmarks, highlights or notes, but can be read anywhere.

HP dm1z Notebook Computer – $449

Not quite a netbook, the diminutive HP dm1z series of notebooks is a great choice for an ultra-portable budget notebook for the mobile dad who needs a business notebook that can handle almost any basic task you throw at it. More powerful than a little netbook, he will be more happy too. It is an 11.6″ system with a dual-core AMD Fusion processor. The AMD Radeon 6310 graphics makes this little system a lot more powerful than you would think. The 1366×768 display makes it 720p HD capable, great for watching HD videos downloaded from one of the various video buying or rental sites. For an extra $129 you can get dad an external Blu-ray drive too. HP promises 9.5 hours from the battery. If you only get the typical two-thirds of the promised battery life that it still around 6 hours. It has VGA and HDMI output for presentations or hooking up to a TV.

Apple iPad 2 – $499 – $829

This is likely one of the number one requested tech gifts this Father’s Day. It is still the standard for tablet devices despite all that people are trying to do to unseat it with Android-based devices. The huge app ecosystem and accessories market make it the number one device. It is dead simple to use and one of the most versatile computing devices ever made.

Our sister site did a very comprehensive iPad 2 review if you want to read up before taking this big a plunge. Just know that if you can afford it, dad will be extremely happy with you. We suggest a sweet spot of 32GB with 3G if you can afford it. That model is $729. Take one step back and go with the 32GB wi-fi only model for $599 if possible.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 – $1399

Not officially ready till May 24, this business class notebook is one of the nicest we’ve seen this year. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 was give the editor’s choice award by our editor, Josh Smith. He said:

The ThinkPad X1 shows a now look for Lenovo and includes a collection of features and design changes which exciting and new. Lenovo has been able to add to the ThinkPad features we love, like durability and an amazing keyboard, without compromising on why businesses choose to equip their employees with ThinkPads. The ThinkPad X1 shows that the company can adapt and bring consumer features like high-end audio and backlit keys to the traditional ThinkPad line. Lenovo may still need a bit more time to perfect the mousepad, but the ThinkPad X1 is without a doubt the best ThinkPad we have had a chance to use.

The ThinkPad X1 we looked at had a 2.5GHz 2nd generation Intel Core i5-520M processor. It also included 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The display is powered by Intel 3000 HD integrated graphics. The glossy 13.3″ screen is made with a gorilla glass wich makes it durable and particularly scratch resistant. The computer is 3.73 pounds and between .65″ and .84″ in thickness. The 6 cell battery gives you over four hours and the optional slice adds another four hours. Please read our comprehensive review for more detailed information.

Additional Reporting by Josh Smith

Father’s Day 2011: 21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

2011 is a big year for affordable ultraportable notebooks that don’t come with a collection of compromises typical of mini notebooks and netbooks of the past. Most of this is thanks to the introduction of the AMD Fusion APU which was announced at CES 2011 and earned our Best Innovation of CES award. This new processor from AMD delivers on processing, graphics, battery life and stays cool while it does all of this.

We’ve rounded up a collection of the best AMD Fusion powered ultraportables available today from HP, Lenovo, MSI and Lenovo to show you some of the best choices for mini notebooks. After looking at these notebooks, you will probably pass on netbooks in favor of something with fewer compromises.

Why AMD Fusion?

All of these notebooks use the new AMD E 350 processor which AMD calls an APU due to the inclusion of a graphics processor right on the same piece of silicon. In these systems the included graphics chip is the AMD Radeon HD 6130 which delivers graphics that are on par with some discrete(standalone) graphics processors which means you can watch HD videos, play some mid-range games and more. All of these mini notebooks come with HDMI ports to connect to your big screen.

Top 4 AMD Fusion Mini Notebooks

Lenovo IdeaPad S205 - $499

The IdeaPad S205 was just released and is the only consumer AMD Fusion notebook in our roundup with an anti-glare display which will make it a bit more usable outdoors and in harsh lighting. The Lenovo S205 is a slim and attractive looking Fusion powered mini notebook that comes in midnight black, but should get some colorful options soon.

The IdeaPad S205 has 3GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive and comes with a 6 cell battery as well as wireless b/g/n. This systems comes with Windows 7 Home Premium. The IdeaPad S205 has an island style keyboard.

IdeaPad S205 Hands On

Perfect For: Anyone looking for a small notebook that will work as well indoors as outdoors. Top pick for Students and Campers

HP Pavilion dm1z - $449

The direct competitor to the Lenovo S205 is the HP Pavilion dm1z which delivers an amazing overall experience, which we will share in our upcoming review. The 11.6″ display has a 1366×768 resolution like the other 11.6″ models in this roundup. One unique feature is the HP Coolsense technology that keeps the dm1z from getting hot during extended use. We really like the look and design of the notebook including the open all the way hinge that allows you to get a good look at the display no matter where you are.

The HP Pavilion dm1z has 3GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive, Windows 7 Home premium and a full size island style keyboard. This notebook also has Dolby Advanced Audio and Altec Lansing speakers to deliver better sound while on the go.

HP dm1z Hands On

Perfect For: Consumers looking for a small portable notebook with great design and a no compromise feature set. Top pick for media lovers and anyone who likes a cool (temperature) notebook.

Lenovo ThinkPad x120e - $449 (as configured)

The ThinkPad x120e is an award winning notebook that starts at $399, but we opted to upgrade to the faster E350 processor for this roundup. Aimed at business users, the ThinkPad x120e has a collection of great business features and delivers a pointing nub which ThinkPad aficionados will love.

As a business notebook we see a design and build that takes inspiration from the larger ThinkPad lines.  Like the S205, the x120e has an 11.6″ anti-glare display. While this notebook has 2GB of Ram compared to the consumer models above, it does have a faster 7200RPM 320GB hard drive. This notebook includes a 6 cell battery.

Lenovo ThinkPad x120e Hands On

Perfect For: Business users on a budget who don’t want a netbook. Top Pick for pointing nub lovers and travelers.

MSI X370 - $599

The MSI X370 is bigger than the rest of this roundup at 13.4″ and brings with it a collection of higher end specs to back up with higher price tag. Rather than competing with netbooks, the MSI X370 is attractive for users who want a MacBook Air or Samsung 9 Series without the high prices. Even with a bigger screen, this notebook still weighs in at just over 3 pounds for a very portable and pretty powerful notebook.

The MSI X370 has 4GB RAM and a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive. The 13.4″ display has a 1366×768 resolution and the included 8 cell battery is rated for 10 hours. You can find the MSI X370 at Newegg and Amazon.

MSI X370 Hands On

Perfect For: Users looking for an ultraportable without the MacBook Air price tag. Perfect for students and people who can’t leave home without a 13″ notebook (you know who you are).

Ultraportable AMD Fusion Notebook Roundup: Lenovo, HP and MSI is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Notebook battery life can be a big deal, and while many models offer long life and the ability to swap out a battery there are a wide array of external notebook battery solutions that can extend your life even longer. Tom’s Hardware has rounded up and tested 15 external notebook batteries that will help your notebook last longer.

Many average consumers won’t find the need for a portable power solution like one of these external notebook batteries to go with a $500 notebook, but if you are traveling, an outdoor enthusiast or really do need to stay powered for hours more than your traditional notebook battery allows, then these 15 batteries offer a glimpse at everlasting battery life — or at least as close as you can come today.

Tom’s Hardware tested the following external notebook batteries:

• Amstar MedXP 140
• Amstar MedXP 300
• Brunton Sustain
• Brunton Impel
• Digipower Universal Laptop Battery
• Electrovaya PowerPad 95
• Electrovaya PowerPad 130
• Energizer XP8000
• Energizer XP18000
• Lenmar PPU916
• PowerTraveller MiniGorrila
• PowerTraveller PowerGorrila
• Tekkeon MP3750
• Tekkeon MP3450
• Tekkeon MP3450i

The nice thing about these external notebook batteries is that if you can find a notebook that meets all of your needs except battery life, you can fix that with a relatively small purchase. Because these are external options that work with a number of computers, you can use them with several notebooks and when the extra weight is a problem, leave the battery in your car or at home.

Personally, battery life is a ranked higher than high end performance so I am always drawn to notebooks that can deliver long batter life on their own, but the ability to double battery life with a slice battery or an external notebook battery, is always a plus. Just watch out, as Apple like’s to make it difficult for battery makers like HyperJuice who produce external MacBook battery packs.

Via LaptopThoughts

External Notebook Battery Review Roundup and Showdown is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Announced at CES 2011, the Asus Slider is a dual core tablet computer that can be used as a slate or users can slide it open to reveal a keyboard, addressing one of the complaints some users have with the iPad. The Asus Slider has a 10.1″ display and is powered by a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor which powers Android 3.0 HoneyComb.

Asus has been showing off the sliding tablet at CeBIT in Germany this week and we are starting to see a collection of hands on reviews and accounts coming in from users who are now getting more time to play with the device and a more polished HoneyComb experience.

The first Asus Slider Hands on comes from Tablet-Blog.de who shares the following video of the Asus slider from CeBIT 2011.

Electric Pig also provides an account of the Hands on experience with the Asus Eee Pad Slider running HoneyComb at CeBIT with the following findings and plenty of pictures of the Slider.

“Sadly though, we’re not quite so keen on said QWERTY – it’s not just that using a keyboard without a wrist rest of any form is a weird sensation. The buttons on the Asus Eee Pad Slider are unnecessarily small, and mechanism now feels spindly and rickety – a step back from January, curiously.”

Via Electric Pig

It’s also worth looking back to CES 2011 where jkkmobile has a nice look at the Asus Slider, including a close up of the keyboard to show you might be typing on come May.

Asus Slider Price and Availability: Expect to see the Asus Eee Pad Slider arrive in May for $500 to $800.

Asus Slider Specs:

• 10.1″ 1280 x800 resolution display
• NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 5MP rear facing camera
• 1.3MP front facing camera
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Wireless N
• Mini HDMI
• MicroSD slot
• USB 2.o
• Android 3.0 HoneyComb
• full keyboard (slide out)
• Optional 3G

Asus Slider Hands On Roundup: Impressions of the EeePad Slider from CeBit is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

In case you missed the news this week Apple introduced two new MacBook Air notebooks and HP finally made the HP Slate Official.

At a Back to the Mac press event where the company introduced iLife ’11, OS X Lion and FaceTime for Mac Steve Jobs unveiled a new 11.6″ MacBook air and a 13.3″ MacBook air. Both of these notebooks come with a full size keyboard and touchpad, high resolution displays, solid state flash storage for instant on and start at $999.

You can see more MacBook Air details or check out our MacBook Air Hands on Roundup with tons of video. Additionally, check out how the new MacBook Airs stack up to the rest of the MacBooks.

In other news the HP Slate 500 was announced on thursday evening with a retail price of $799 and is aimed at professional users who want or need a full Windows 7 experience.

The HP Slate 500 comes with an Intel Atom Z540 1.86GHz processor, 2 cameras, WiFi, Bluetooth, a USB port and an SD card reader. The device sports an 8.9″ screen which works with your finger or with an included stylus for inking in Evernote. You can see the full HP Slate 500 specifications, check out a port tour of the HP slate and see our first impressions of the camera on the HP Slate 500.

Here is Xavier’s 15 minute long first impressions of the HP Slate 500.

Highlights from Notebooks.com:

• Dells XPS Refreshed with NVIDIA Optimus 3D Graphics and More
• Windows 7 Year in Review A Look Back after 240 Million Licenses Sold
• MacBook Pro Refreshed With New 2.8GHz Processor
• MSI FR700 and FX700 Notebooks Announced w/ Anti-Smudge Lids
• Samsung Galaxy Tab for $600 on November 11 from Verizon

Reviews and Guides from Notebooks.com:

• Samsung RF510 First Impressions: Power and Beauty Unite
• HP Mini 5103 Business Class Netbook First Impressions
• Targus Stylus for Apple iPad is Smoother than Pogo Sketch
• Ergotron WorkFit C Review: A Standup” Stand Up Desk
• Star Walk: iPad App of the Week

Highlights from GottaBeMobile.com:

• Chris says he doesn’t use his iPad, Warner is using it more than ever and Sumocat still doesn’t have one: A look at three iPad styles.
• External Battery and Charging Options for the iPhone 4: MiLi, Mophie, and Powermat
• Windows Phone 7 Review Roundup
• SCOTTEVEST Outback: A Killer Gadget Jacket (video)
• Warner reviews the Tega v2 slate and has his wife give the Tega v2 a review as well

Notebooks.com Week in Review – MacBook Air and the HP Slate – October 22 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The release of the new 3G version of Apple’s iPad happened yesterday. Those wanting more than just Wi-Fi net access patiently waited a month for their magical devices hearing about things like the great ABC or Netflix Apps and using Skype on the thing. Their expectations were high. But some of those were dashed when a dose of reality was included inside the typically stylish Apple packaging.

Image from TUAW

These are a few of the hopes that have been dashed by the 3G release.

1. Video Issues: The biggest story of the iPad 3G release is probably the video functionality, or lack thereof. While Wi-Fi only users have enjoyed the ABC TV app and high quality Netflix and YouTube streaming, the 3G iPad users will not. The ABC app will not work unless you hook up to Wi-Fi. YouTube videos will play with the included YouTube app, but they scaled down to a lower quality when viewed over 3G. TechCrunch reported that AT&T seems to be saying this is an Apple decision. Netflix is downgrading video quality over 3G as well. But the biggest surprise is that Apple’s own iTunes video streaming of previews are too, this according to Engadget.
2. No Skype over 3G: When users ran Skype to make calls via 3G they received a message saying, You need Wi-Fi to call over Skype.” Evidently it is a contractual” problem. This is not really new since there is no iPad specific version and the old version didn’t work via anything but Wi-Fi either. Skype claims this will happen at some point in the near future so some users hoped the time was now. All of this is according to TUAW.
3. Can’t Call the 3G iPad: Despite having a phone number assigned to the iPad 3G, you cannot make calls to the device’s number. Again, this is not a surprise, but there was some hope that you could at least send text messages or leave voice mail. Not possible officially. However there is a hack for sending text messages if you jailbreak your iPad, something the general public cannot do till the Dev Team releases a jailbreak publicly. See the video after the list below…
4. Sign Up Problems: The signup process has been less than simple. This might be due to the volume on release day. Some had issues with the AT&T web site and signing up via the iPad was hard for some.
5. Purchasing Without Pre-ordering: There are conflicting reports about the availability of the 3G at Best Buy stores. Some say you can get them while others reported they were out. I went to my local Best Buy and they had them.
6. Latency: Gizmodo did some speed tests with the iPad 3G and while it found that speeds were high enough, even better in most cases than other devices on Verizon’s network, it did have higher latency than the iPhone over 3G.
7. Slow GPS Lock: The iPad 3g has GPS capability. The signal lock was good, but was much slower to obtain a lock than the iPhone with the new beta version of the 4.0 OS.
8. Magazine Prices: Not a 3G specific problem, but all iPad magazine subscriptions will be higher than paper versions. This comes from a Fortune Magazine article via Gizmodo. The article bases this prediction on opinions from Popular Science and TIME Magazine publishers.

Almost Identical

The most significant difference besides the 3G radio is the dark plastic across the top, apparently to help with radio signal strength. It makes me wonder if the 3G iPad will have the same problems with Wi-Fi signal strength that some of us have had with our Wi-Fi only iPads.

Image from Crunchgear

iPad 3G Release Has Hiccups is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

This week, the Apple iPad 3G editions will be arriving in some homes. One lucky buyer already has his. So for those just joining the fun, and some of you doing so wirelessly via AT&T, you may already be wondering something: can you actually get any work done on this toy?

I’ve been enjoying my iPad for nearly a month now. In that time, I have had plenty of time to test out the magical” new iPad as a productivity tool using Apple’s iWork Suite Pages, Keynote and Numbers along with the iWork.com sharing site. You can read all four of my hands-on reviews individually. But, here is a summary for those who are just now getting started. For the full review of each individual app, click the link at the beginning of each section below.

Before jumping into the individual apps, let me share with you the overall framework of the iWork suite.

Each one has a My Documents button or one like it. It is called My Spreadsheets in Numbers and My Presentations in Keynote. From there, you access the templates, open documents, manage documents already on your iPad, and either export or email them to others or upload them to the iWork web site. The method of importing documents from your computer into the iWork apps is ridiculous. You cannot wirelessly sync them as you could on a PocketPC from say 2002. You have to connect the device to the computer and import documents using a terrible interface in iTunes. I cannot speak strongly enough about how much I dislike this. This may be the single greatest weakness of the suite. As I said in one of my reviews, this is very Microsoftesque.

There is a workaround. You can use the SugarSync app and service, which syncs the Magic Briefcase folder on your computer with the iPad app. Save your document to that folder and it gets uploaded to SugarSync. The iPad app then allows you to open the documents in SugarSync and choose to view them in one of the three iWork apps. This is good for getting documents onto the device at least.

Aside from that, the document management interface of the apps is not bad. The templates seem home and student oriented. Numbers and Keynote have the most useful ones. I have not found a single Pages template that I would likely use.

Inserting things into your documents is done via a button that is on each of the apps. Below, you will see it in Numbers. You can insert pictures and other things depending on the app.

You will also find the formatting button for changing text, table or graphics. The tools button is for getting help, searching, etc. The button with two arrows is for going into and out of full screen mode. This brings me to a second complaint – the apps are a little inconsistent in full screen mode behavior. Pages in portrait mode behaves as you would expect. The toolbar is there until you hide it. But, in landscape mode. it disappears and there is no way to get it back. Keynote only works in landscape mode. And Numbers functions as it should with both modes showing the toolbar letting you control when it is hidden or revealed.

One final note, you cannot print from the iPad. This is probably the second biggest weakness of the iWork apps. If you are creating documents, why wouldn’t you make it possible to print them? There are a couple of workarounds. You can send them via email and print on a computer. You can upload to iWork or export via iTunes and again print them with a computer. You could take screen shots in full screen mode and then print them using one of the iPad printing apps. Or ,you can use one of the printing apps to open them on the iWork site. For this I am using PrintCentral. Read my review of iWork.com to see how it works.

Pages

Pages is the word processor of the iWork suite. The greatest weakness of the Pages app is really a weakness of the iPad. As a touch typist, it is hard to use the on screen keyboard to type for any length of time. I have the Apple Bluetooth keyboard and it works well. But, I missed my notebook computer when I tried to go a whole day only using Pages to write.

The layout of documents is easier than some word processors since you just move pictures around with your fingers. I like that, but I don’t create many documents with media. The included styles are limiting, but functional. Also, the another problem with all the apps, but primarily Pages and Keynote, is the limited fonts you have to work with. I would love to be able to either add my favorite computer fonts to the iPad or use the fonts on the iPad on my PC. This would make sharing documents between the device and my computer easier.

Below is a video overview of Pages so you can see how it works and looks for yourself:

Keynote

Keynote is the presentation app of the iWork suite. I was more positive in my review than I am now that I have used longer. I would hate to have to create very complicated presentations on it. But, that is true for all of the apps. I do like the look and feel of the presentations. Some say it corrupted their Keynote 09 for Mac presentations, so be careful. I use PowerPoint to create my presentations and then import them using the SugarSync method above.

Here is my overview video to give you a look at the app:

I have done multiple presentations now with Keynote. I like the way it works. The digital pointer is a nice touch even if it is a little slow to initially respond. What I do not like is that you cannot see a large version of your slide on the iPad while connected to a projector or TV. And, the small thumbnails down the left side keep going away. Trying to tap the button to bring them back often advances the slide because it is so small that I miss it. I also miss my PowerPoint speaker notes. Keynote on the iPad was not made with people who do presentations on an external display. It feels more like they tacked on those features at the last minute.

Numbers

Numbers is the spreadsheet of the iWork suite. It is simple to use and has some functional templates. The strength of Numbers is its simplicity. It is nice to be able to drag and drop to move cells, rows and columns. You can also drag and drop to add or remove them. It is easier to use than a desktop spreadsheet because of this feature alone.

The video below will give you an overview of the app:

I like Numbers, but of the apps it is the least popular. Its probably because people just don’t use Spreadsheets as much. It has the basic functions that I need and most people will never need much more than this.

iWork.com

iWork.com is the web site used by the iWork suite for uploading files for printing and sharing. It is technically still in beta, but has enough functionality that it is good for a couple of things. First, you can get documents off of your iPad easier through uploading them to iWork than you can using iTunes. I wish you didn’t have to send an email every single time though. Sometimes I just want to upload a document for my own use. I don’t need to share it with anyone. So, I just send myself the email to get past this ridiculous requirement. The other thing it is good for is sharing documents. When you do want others to have access to it, then can send them the email, and they can click the link and go view it and comment on it.

Below is the screen cast video I made of the site to give you a look at it:

Conclusion

The iWork suite of apps and the web site are functional. They get the job done if you have basic needs. I would not want to do any serious number crunching, word processing, or creating complicated presentations. But, they are great for doing simple documents and presentations. They are also good for doing quick edits of longer documents or reading and proofing longer documents. But the whole thing feels very much like a beta experience. There are some things missing that could have made the apps much better. Adding these features would not be hard, like the ability to change the built in styles in Pages or speaker notes in Keynote.

I think the apps will get better. I just hope the iWork development team is working as quickly as most iPhone/iPad app developers are. I have many iPad apps that have already been updated twice in a month. Lets hope the iWork app team will develop and improve these apps that quickly. And Apple, please give us wireless syncing of documents and printing.

Pros:

• Simple and easy to learn
• Good for doing quick documents and editing
• Makes the iPad more than just an entertainment device
• Templates are useful for home and student applications
• Touch interface makes manipulating graphics actually easier than moue based computing

Cons:

• No printing built in
• No easy way to get documents into and out of the apps
• No speaker notes in Keynote
• Creating or working long or complicated documents is not easy on the iPad
• Templates are not as useful to business users

As you can see, it is a bit of mixed bag. So back to our original question: can you actually get any work done on this toy? Yes with some significant reservations.

Can iWork Make You More Productive? is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

After all the hype, after all the showmanship and yes, after the one more thing; all that’s left is to actually use the Apple iPad to see how well the device works. It’s easy to be disappointed and even dismissive of the new gadget that Apple has introduced, but it is Apple and they are a bit of a market creator so until you get your hands on an iPad it’s hard to pass judgment. Since you, and me, weren’t able to get hands on with the new Apple iPad for of your own to test for ourselves we have roundup up all of the Apple iPad hands on experiences and Apple iPad first impressions to

Engadget: General First Impressions of the iPad Joshua Topolsky

• It’s not light. It feels pretty weighty in your hand.
• The screen is stunning, and it’s 1024 x 768. Feels just like a huge iPhone in your hands.
• There’s no multitasking at all. It’s a real disappointment. All this power and very little you can do with it at once. No multitasking means no streaming Pandora when you’re working in Pages… you can figure it out. It’s a real setback for this device.
• The keyboard is good, not great. Not quite as responsive as it looked in the demos.

All Things D: First Impressions of the iPad On the plus side, the device is handsome, feels comfortable and solid to hold, and has all that beautiful software built in. Oh, and it’s amazingly low-priced for an Apple product, with that modest $499 price tag for a base version with 16 gigabytes of memory and Wi-Fi, but no cell phone data connectivity.

…

But there are minuses. First, since it’s too big to go in a pocket, people might perceive it as just another thing to carry around, despite the fact that it’s only a half inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds. It also lacks a common and popular laptop feature a web cam. So, it can’t be used for video chats or for the creation of web videos.” – Walt Mossberg

Fox News: Hands On with Paid Apps -

Gizmodo: On the iPad’s Speed Apple didn’t really sell this point, but it’s the single biggest benefit of the iPad: speed. It feels at least a generation faster than the iPhone 3GS. Lags and waits are gone, and the OS and apps respond just as quickly as you’d hope. Rotating between portrait and landscape modes, especially, is where this new horsepower manifests in the OS.” Mark Wilson

Slide to Play: Hands on with iPad Games – We then dived into a few hardcore games—N.O.V.A. and Need for Speed Shift. Both of these were a little unwieldy, and neither were the iPad-optimized versions we saw in the stage demo. The default control scheme in N.O.V.A., where you look by swiping the center of the screen, was not as natural as a two-stick configuration. Clearly, developers are going to have to rethink iPad controls for shooters, since they now have much more real estate to work with.” Andrew Podolsky

The Seattle Times: Where the iPad fits in a Home After spending some time with the long-awaited Apple iPad, I see why it starts at $499.

At that price it seems like a very nice accessory for a wired home, where it would become a shared Web kiosk and media browsing device, tapping into the home’s wireless network.

Instead of waiting to use a shared computer to check e-mail, you could just grab the iPad. Especially one that’s docked with the $69 accessory keyboard, taking the place of iPods that a lot of people keep on the kitchen counter.” Brier Dudley

SlashGear: Hands on with iBooks on the Apple iPad The iBooks ebook reading application is fast and clean, and it feels a real advance on the Kindle’s monochrome.  Color alone is a nice addition, and when you start to throw in multimedia it’s a stark reminder of what the browser could be like if it only had Flash support.  We’ll have to spend a little longer with the iPad to see whether the LED-backlighting is as easy on the eyes as e-paper.”  - Vincent Nguyen

UberGizmo: Movie Playback on the iPad – “The animated movie “Up” from Pixar was available in the devices, so I was able to look at a short demo. You’ll see in the movie below that the playback quality is impeccable. Colors were vibrant, but these animated movies are super-saturated, so they are not so great to gauge color accuracy, which is probably quite good anyway. With a Dock connector, you can also output the 1024×768 video to a TV/monitor.” - Hubert Nguyen

Editor: You can view what HD movie playback looks like on the video below from UberGizmo. Overall the experience looks better than i was expecting given the movie resolution chart at TUAW.

Laptop Mag: The iPad is Not a Netbook Killer – “First off, this is not a netbook killer. It’s really a new category of device, focused more on entertainment than productivity (although iWork brings some of that to the table). The iPad does a really nice job of surfing the Web, displaying photos, and playing videos, and we like that it taps into Apple’s ever-growing library of apps. After fiddling with Need for Speed on the iPad, I can say this is a killer gaming device, making the iPad the ultimate gadget for couch potatoes. And because of its extreme mobility and up to 10 hours of battery life, you can take this tablet anywhere. But is this really a substitute for a cheap mini laptop? Nope.” – Mark Spoonauer

Popular Science: Typing on the iPad – “Typing is done via a soft keyboard, or with the added accessory keyboard you can use on a desk with the iPad docked. The soft keyboard is good, but as many suspected, typing is not 100% natural. You can enter text in several different ways: in landscape or in portrait, holding the back with one hand and pecking with the other, trying to stretch two thumbs while holding with both hands, iPhone style, or resting it on your lap (the iPad’s case, sold seperately, folds out into a nice stand). It’s clear that the natural way to type is resting the iPad in your lap–one-handed pecking is pretty slow going, and unless you have largest of hands, typing with both thumbs while holding it in portrait mode is pretty awkward.

There will be an acclimation period, for sure, but don’t expect to write long-winded messages or War and Peace with the iPad while you’re standing up.” -  John Mahoney

Apple iPad Hands On from PopSci.com on Vimeo.

That’s all for now, we expect to see much more about the Apple iPad over the next 60 days and personally, I won’t make up my mind until I get to play with one myself.

The Definitive Apple iPad Hands On and First Impressions Roundup is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

In case you haven’t heard, Google launched their own Android powered smartphone yesterday called the Google Nexus One and it has been getting wide coverage, even being hailed as a super phone by some. While the inclusion of a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a shiny upgrade to Android 2.1 make it one of the most enviable Android powered phones on the market, even without a hardware keyboard, we went digging and found the best Google Nexus One reviews to help you make up your own mind about Google’s iPhone competitor.

Google Nexus Reviews:

To kick things off, here is a look at Engadget’s first impressions; from there we’ll dive into full on reviews of the Google Nexus One

Engadget: “Now, of course everyone seems to have one question about the device — is this the be-all-end-all Android phone / iPhone eviscerator? In two words: not really. The thing that’s struck us most (so far) about the Nexus One thus far is the fact that it’s really not very different than the Droid in any substantial way. Yes, we’d say the design and feel of the phone is better (much better, in fact), and it’s definitely noticeably faster than Motorola’s offering, but it’s not so much faster that we felt like the doors were being blown off.” – Joshua Topolsky

TechCrunch: “I’ve been using the Nexus One with TMobile since mid-December as my primary mobile phone. This is the best Android powered phone to date. It’s also the fastest and most elegant smartphone on the market today, solidly beating the iPhone in most ways. In this rapidly evolving market there is sure to be something better just around the corner. But if you are looking to buy a high end smartphone right now, this is the phone for you. The Nexus One is the Android signature device.” – Micheal Arrington

All Things D: “The Nexus One finally has the right combination of hardware and software to give Android a champion that might attract more people away from their iconic iPhones and BlackBerrys. It has a larger screen than Apple’s phone, and is a bit thinner, narrower and lighter—if a tad longer. And it boasts a better camera and longer talk time between battery charges.

Also, because it will be available on the large, well-regarded Verizon 3G network, the Nexus One could tempt American iPhone users, tired of problems with AT&T (T), to switch.” – Walter Mossberg

WIRED: “Probably the best feature in the Nexus One is the ubiquitous voice recognition. Just about every time a text field appears — in search, in maps and even in e-mail — you can press a microphone key on the virtual keyboard and just say what you want to put in the field. If you take it easy and enunciate your words as if speaking to a fairly dense child, a reasonably accurate transcription of your words will appear on the screen. There are the usual cosmic misunderstandings, but expanding voice recognition is a welcome step toward our eventual liberation from Lilliputian physical keyboards and unforgiving soft keyboards.” – Steven Levy

New York Times: “Finally, the Nexus just doesn’t attain the iPhone’s fit and finish. The buttons under the screen (Back, Menu, Home, Search) are balky, often ignoring your finger-presses completely. One of the animated wallpapers freezes the phone with a message that says: Sorry! The application Android Live Wallpapers has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again.” (Note to Google: I did. The same thing happened.)” … “But maybe it doesn’t matter if the Nexus One isn’t nirvana. Google says it’s only the first Google phone of many, with one store to sell them all.” – David Pogue

GigaOm: “Usability & Extensibility: Looks, they say, aren’t everything. And they’re right. If anyone has ambitions to beat the iPhone, then they need to bring their A-game, emphasizing ease-of-use and seamlessness when it comes to the user experience and from a software standpoint, simplicity. Here the Google Phone misses the mark.” – Om Malik

NexusOneBlog: “The display screen on this phone is simply incredible. There has yet to be any device out on the market to date that looks as crisp and clear as the Nexus One. The difference is like taking a look at a 30” television and trying to compare it with a brand new 46” Sony LCD. The Nexus One boasts a 3.7” (diagonal) widescreen, WVGA AMOLED screen, delivering at 720×480. Picture quality is very impressive. … Responsiveness to touch on the screen is definitely on par with the iPhone. There are no delays when touching apps and moving from screen to screen.” – N1

Engadget: “Industry politics aside, though, the Nexus One is at its core just another Android smartphone. It’s a particularly good one, don’t get us wrong — certainly up there with the best of its breed — but it’s not in any way the Earth-shattering, paradigm-skewing device the media and community cheerleaders have built it up to be. It’s a good Android phone, but not the last word — in fact, if we had to choose between this phone or the Droid right now, we would lean towards the latter.” – Joshua Topolsky

Even if the Google Nexus One isn’t the superphone Google is claiming it will be it certainly cements the company’s support for the Android platform, which some tech analysts were concerned about given the upcoming Google Chrome OS. As an Android user, I can’t wait to see the software refinements of Android 2.1 come to the Droid and the additional apps that will come as the Google Nexus One attracts more users to the Android OS.

Google Nexus One Review Roundup is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Android phones have finally hit Verizon Wireless. November 6th saw the launch of both the Motorola Droid ($199 after MIR) and the HTC Droid Eris ($99 after MIR) which brought an air of excitement to Verizon; not seen for quite some time. The Motorola Droid brings a huge screen, 5MP camera, Android 2.0, Google Nav and much more to the Verizon Network.

Check out our impression and Motorola Droid Review Roundup.

After spending a day with the Motorola Droid, I shared my initial impressions at WalletPop in regards to how the Motorola Droid will affect the cell phone industry –it’s already rumored that AT&T will be rolling out an 8GB iPhone 3GS to compete with the Droid!

“Yes, it has a keyboard; but it isn’t the greatest. Yes, it has an amazing screen, but there’s no dedicated place to buy TV shows and movies. And finally, yes, the Droid has a 5MP camera, but it won’t replace your point-and-shoot.

That said, the Droid has a great network, an app store free of Apple’s tight grip, turn-by-turn navigation with Google Nav, and the much-improved Android 2.0 operating system, which all combine for an enjoyable experience. … but the bottom line is, if you’re a Verizon customer, this is the droid you’ve been looking for!”

With that said; here are a collection of Motorola Droid reviews from across the web to help you decide if the Motorola Droid fits your needs.

PC Mag: “The Motorola Droid is the first truly lust-worthy smartphone from Verizon Wireless, and it puts all other Google Android phones to shame. Motorola may have stinted on a few of the basics in its quest for mind-blowing smartphone power. But the first Android 2.0 phone is definitely the most advanced and exciting device connecting to Verizon today.” – Sascha Segan

Engadget: “A physical keyboard can be a blessing or a curse, depending on just how well (or poorly) it performs. In the case of Android devices, QWERTYs have definitely been hit or miss. We think the closest case for comparison with the DROID’s version would be the G1; both have shallow, clicky keys, and both force your right hand into a bit of an awkward position. On the G1, it’s due to the placement of the “chin,” and with the DROID, it’s all down to the five-way rocker living next to the ‘board itself. We’re happy to report, however, that after a short adjustment period, typing on the DROID is a reasonable experience. It’s not as slick or comfortable as a nice, portrait-oriented Tour or (better yet) Bold layout, though it bests the CLIQ, and holds its own against other landscape contenders like the Moment.” – Joshua Topolsky

Boy Genius Report: “Design is always going to be subjective, but in a world of curves and tapered edges, it’s downright thrilling to see a handset that’s angular, retro-looking and extremely masculine. Sorry, ladies. You’ll always have Droid Eris… We just love the styling of the DROID. It’s minimalistic in a lot of ways, not cluttered with useless buttons and switches, and overall is solid as a rock. The slide mechanism is not spring-assisted, but the click is reassuring enough to warrant a comforting feeling when opening or closing the handset. One thing physically we’re not thrilled with is the looseness of the volume up and down key. It slides up, down, front and back and generally feels like it’s just going to fall off over time. Both the unit we received from Verizon as well as our older unit exhibit the same behaviors.” – Boy Genius

Gizmodo: “Droid’s 3.7-inch, 854×480 display with an eye-popping pixel density of 267ppi, is the kind of screen you ache for. An analogy: Do you remember how amazing you thought Nintendo 64 games looked, ten years ago? Have you looked at them lately? Do you remember the sinking feeling you got, realizing just how ugly they are now? That’s how’ll you’ll feel looking at every other phone with the now-standard 480×320 screens we thought were so gorgeous a couple of years ago. They’re lo-fi and lifeless by comparison.” – Matt Buchanan

SlashGear: “Call quality has been a pleasant surprise coming from the iPhone 3GS, and we’ve had nearly a 100-percent success ratio avoiding dropped calls. Verizon’s network has offered speedy EVDO Rev.A downloads and consistent coverage, and sound quality from both the earpiece and the speakerphone were top notch. You need to turn the DROID screen-down to get the very best out of the speakers which are mounted behind the narrow gold mesh strip along the back of the smartphone but once you do that there’s volume to spare.” – Vincent Nguyen

All Things Digital: “But this week, Verizon (VZ) is rolling out a device that finally gives it a more credible alternative. This new $200 phone is the Motorola Droid and it’s the first Verizon model to run Google’s (GOOG) Android smart-phone operating system. I’ve been testing the Droid, and while it has some significant drawbacks, I regard it as a success overall. It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola (MOT) phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android. I can recommend the Droid to Verizon loyalists who have lusted for a better smart phone, but don’t want to switch networks.” – Walter S. Mossberg

Phandroid: “I turned the phone on 100% brightness, set the screen to Never Sleep”, loading a bundle of MP3s on my SD Card and opened the media player to Play All” with Repeat All Songs”. I also used Google Navigation for an hour… WHILE the music was still playing and phone was on full brightness. Here are the results:

So there you have it… 7 hours and 1 minute. That is REALLY good.” – Rob Jackson – Also Full Motorola Droid Review on Phandroid

Chicago Sun Times: “Buy the Droid if you feel you must have a mechanical keyboard. Buy it if you prefer Verizon’s 3G coverage. Buy it if you prefer an open file system and an open app distribution scheme as a matter of principle. Don’t allow those two things to shape your thinking if you expect them to come with a great many practical advantages; they won’t.

Personally, I think the App Store tips the scale solidly in the iPhone’s favor. But the Droid and the iPhone are pretty damned close. If none of the above advantages sway you, you could buy either phone and be equally happy.” – Andy Ihnatko

NY Times: “In addition to great speed, great audio and great cell signal, the Droid offers Android 2.0′s new navigation software. It’s as close to a suction-cup GPS unit as you can get on a cellphone, with spoken street names, color coding to indicate traffic, map icons (for parking, gas and so on), satellite view and even street photos of any address. Buy the $30 windshield bracket, which fires up the GPS automatically when you insert the Droid, and nobody will know you’re not running some $500 GPS unit.” – David Pogue

The Motorola Droid Review Roundup – !DROID! is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.