This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Intel.
I don't go crazy over every tech toy that comes on the market but when I find something I love, I love it for life! I had heard about the Intel Viliv S5 so it was a kick to get a chance to try it out.
First some background. The Viliv S5 is a 4.8" touchscreen media-on-the go device using an Intel® Atom™ processor. With it you can take your music, HD movies, office documents, digital photos and more with you while you're around town, on vacation, at home or on campus. It's got 3G or WiFi connectivity options and a humongous 6 hour long battery life.
It's available at Amazon.com for $499+.
The Intel® Atom™ processor has been designed to be smaller and more
power efficient, enabling you to
get devices with full PC functionality
that can fit into your purse or pocket. The Viliv S5 is about the size of a paperback book and because of the battery, weighs about 3 pounds.
Because I'm used to a netbook, a Blackberry and a laptop, I had a mixed experiences with the Viliv S5. I loved the size and its portability. It's run with Windows XP so it had no trouble hooking up to my wireless network at home or to free WiFi on the go.
The device feels great in you hand, though the battery does start to get warm after a while.
Let's start with the video functionality. I watched a "House" episode with it on Hulu.com, I watched a "Daily Show" clip with it on YouTube, and I watched a pre-installed video with Windows Media Player.
The picture is gorgeous and the sound out of the two speakers is great. The "House" episode was a little jittery, but nothing that would keep me from watching something with it. The "Daily Show" was perfect as was the video I saw with the Windows Media Player.
The touch screen keyboard on the device takes some getting used to if your used to using a keyboard on your other devices, like I am. It came pre-installed with a trial of Windows Office, but this really is not the device to create documents on. It's simply too cumbersome for that because you have to use the keyboard with the touchscreen or use a guitar pick-like device that attaches to the wrist strap.
I tried hooking it up to my laptop and transferring files, but my laptop wouldn't recognize the Viliv S5 as a separate device so I gave up on that. Instead, I used a thumb drive to transfer photos from my laptop to the Viliv S5.
I played music on the pre-installed iTunes software and that worked great. And though there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary software and media players on the device, what I tried out worked well.
The device also has a pre-installed GPS and an optional car package that can turn the Viliv S5 into a fully functional GPS system like a Garmin. That, I didn't have a chance to try.
Finally, if you want something that checks email, has a keyboard, and makes phone calls, a more economical device than the Viliv S5 would be a Blackberry or a smartphone. If you want to create documents on the go, check email and have a keyboard in a lightweight package, once again, when it comes to economics, a netbook would be a better choice.
However, if you're a video and media junkie and want to download videos from a NetFlix account or from iTunes and watch them on the go, or if you want a GPS system for car, this is the device for you.
Now that you've heard all about my experiences with the Intel Viliv S5, here's your chance to win one of your own. All you need to do is tell me in the comments below what your favorite modern electronic gadget is.
You have until 12/30 5 PM PST to enter and here are the rules:
- No duplicate comments, however you can submit two additional entries by doing the following:
*Link to this post on Twitter and leave your Twitter link in the comments here.
*Blog about this post and contest and leave a link to your post in the comments here.
- Winners will be selected via random drawing and will notified by e-mail.
- This contest is open to US residents age 18 and over.
- Remember, you only have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
You can read all the official rules here:
See what the rest of the BlogHer reviewers had to say about the Intel Viliv S5 and if you leave a comment on each of their posts, you'll have 8 chances to win.
You can find out more about the Intel Atom at their official website.
Be sure the e-mail address you leave is correct because that's the only way I'll have to contact you if you win.
Good luck!
Megan of Megan's Minute
