Gizmodo: comparison

Does Apple Want iPhone 3GS Buyers to Go Blind or Die of Boredom?

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EDT

You probably saw the iPhone 3GS vs iPhone 3G comparison chart, but did you notice this... block of gibberish at the end?

I'm sure you did. How to miss it? Does Apple really expect us to read all that to make a decision on one iPhone versus the other? Come on. By the time you finish reading the footnotes, the new iPhone 4G will be out already. [Apple]

How Big Is the New Enterprise Compared to the Old One?

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT

725.35 meters. A whoppumental 2,379.75 feet. That's how big the new super-sized Enterprise is. Here you can see it compared against the Galactica, the good old Enterprise, the Blockade Runner, and the ISS. UPDATED

Click on this image to see the full picture.

When JJ Abrams said that he wanted to put some Star Wars into Star Trek, apparently it also applied to the scale of spaceships (and matching viewscreens.) And while the new Enterprise doesn't even reach half of the 1,600 meters—that's a mile long—of an Imperial Star Destroyer, it's still amazingly big compared to the 288 meters of the old Enterprise. Maybe now you would be able to take down an Star Destroyer with a couple of these.

The battle I would really want to see now, however, is not the old Star Trek vs Star Wars (we already know who would win that one.) No, you know what I want to see.

Yes, Starbuck vs Uhura. In a chocolate pudding pit.

Maybe Galactica vs Enterprise too, but that's a distant second. [Thanks to David B. from Bad Robot Productions]

UPDATE: Since we did the original ISS comparison, the specifications for the new Battlestar Galactica have changed. After the end of the series, one of the visual effects guy shared information about the actual size of Adama's new ship. It measures 1,438.64 meters. Almost a mile, so it's bigger than the new Enterprise and less than 200 meters shy of an Imperial Star Destroyer. I changed the graphic to display the old Galactica, which has the correct size. [Thanks to the readers who pointed this out]

An Extensive, Obsessive Performance Test Of... USB Keys?

John Herrman — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:22:14 EST

Test Freaks wrangled as many flash drives as they could and ran them through an oddly intense testing regime, finding out that your choice in USB stick brand may actually matter.

The test is by no means exhaustive, as there are many hundreds—if not thousands—of USB drives on the market today. The test did include popular sticks from recognizable brands, as well as some budget and novelty pieces that you might be likely to pick up. The results were somewhat predictable: sticks from reputable companies like OCZ, Lexar and Sandisk offer greater read/write speeds, and sticks in the 4GB range perform consistently well.

There were some surprises, namely the standout performance from OCZ units and the plodding, about-as-fast-as-it-would-be-if-it-stored-data-on-actual-wood Brando Wood drive. And results aside, I've derived some comfort from the fact that out there somewhere, there exists a man named Kristofer Brozio who is willing to actually run a dozen time-consuming benchmarks on over 20 USB keys. Check out the full results at the source link. [Test Freaks via Engadget]

Lenovo X300 vs MacBook Air Mossberg Bitchfight

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:08:19 EST

After rediscovering the Lenovo X300, the Mighty Mossberg has analyzed it, inevitably pitting it against the Apple MacBook Air in a classic fight of blood, dead and more blood and dead. And you know exactly what the outcome is.

Here are the main points of the Lenovo X300, compared to the MacBook Air, according to Señor Don Walt Mossberg:

• Is thicker than MacBook Air. Winner: MacBook Air.
• Is heavier than MacBook Air. Winner: MacBook Air.
• Has less battery life in both tests and normal use (so much for SSD.) Winner: MacBook Air.
• Has way more ports. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has built-in DVD possibility. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has SSD drive built-in. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has WiMax connectivity. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has USB Wireless. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has GPS location-finding. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has higher screen resolution. Winner: Lenovo X300.
• Has a screen that stands up higher, leaving less viewing angle while travelling on plane. Winner: MacBook Air.
• Has slower processor. Winner: MacBook Air.
• Doesn't use Mac OS X Leopard. Winner: MacBook Air.
• Is more expensive at $2,476 with half battery and without DVD. It has SSD, but it doesn't add any advantage. More popular configuration is $3,000 with full battery and DVD drive. MacBook Air base model is $1,799. Winner: MacBook Air.

That's seven wins each. Does this mean there's no winner? It may look like technical tie, but my feeling is that he prefers the MacBook Air. At the end, it's all about the software and Walter Mossberg preference for Leopard (which could be debatable, even while I agree with him) plus the price, physical specs and battery life, makes the MacBook Air come ahead.

Still, it seems that both computers are right and wrong. At the end, it all depends on your personal taste, priorities and pet peeves. Or as Caesar Mossberg politely puts it: if you have the money and "you're happy with Windows," the Lenovo X300 is a "notable engineering accomplishment." [All Things D]

HTC Touch vs iPhone: 25 Minute Head to Head Video

Sean Fallon — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:20:36 EST

If you have been on the fence about picking up an HTC Touch or an iPhone, you owe it to yourself to check out this 25 minute comparison from the guys at WM Experts. If your attention span is limited to 15 minutes and under, I can tell you that the verdict was mixed...sort of. In the end the battle was really between Windows Mobile and the iPhone. Not surprisingly, the reviewer felt that WM was a better choice for him personally because of its productivity features (WM Experts, go figure).

However, he conceded that the iPhone was far superior in its media capabilities and browser — so if that is what you are into, it is definitely the better choice. Not all that surprising, but the video does offer a good side by side visual perspective. [WM Experts via Mobile Magazine]

Flickr Camera Finder Helps Your Next Camera Purchase

Jason Chen — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:30:03 EST

If you're on the verge of deciding between two different, yet equally fine cameras, head over to Flickr's camera finder. After choosing the cameras you're picking between, Flickr will show you either the "most interesting" (or latest, portrait, macro, landscape, action, and recent) photos taken by that model. Of course, if you're a camera noob your shots won't turn out nearly as good as the pros whose shots are marked "most interesting", but it's a good comparison tool between devices. – Jason Chen

Flickr Camera Finder [Flickr via Consumerist]

Plasma vs. LCD: Moving Image Resolution

Charlie White — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 12:55:23 EST

Yeah, this YouTube video hardly does it justice, but Hitachi set up a comparison between LCD and plasma displays that showed how plasma has an easier time with motion video. The plasma display's images remained sharp while the LCD's looked rather blurry as the video scrolled by. However, with high-end LCD displays, this problem isn't nearly as noticable as it was here. Nice try, Hitachi. – Charlie White

DVD vs HD: There is a Difference

Jason Chen — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:09:14 EST

Whenever someone tells you that the only time you'll notice the difference between HD DVD/Blu-ray and standard DVDs is if you have two TVs side by side hasn't seen these comparisons.

As you mouse over the screencaps, you can see that colors are brighter, details are increased, and a lot of the fuzziness is gone. And that's with the HD images downsampled. Feel free to use this as a guide to convince your significant other to let you go HD. – Jason Chen

Fellowship of the Ring - HD vs DVD [Cornbread]

Zune vs. iPod: About the Same Size, Both Stuck in 4:3

Charlie White — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:15:24 EDT

Here's a couple of accurate comparisons that clear up any misconceptions you might have about the Zune compared to the iPod. In that first picture on the left, you can see that the Zune's half-inch larger screen is in the same aspect ratio as the iPod's: old-style 4:3. And even though the Zune's screen is depicted in press photos as being sharper than the iPod's, both have a resolution of 320x240.

The second comparison is of the physical size of the iPod and Zune, where their width is just about the same but the Zune is just a little bit taller. Seems like the general impression was that the Zune was much bigger than the iPod. Well, it is, but not by much. Anyway, guys, let's have a 16:9 screen next, mkay? – Charlie White

Zune vs iPod, a few interesting notes [Your Technology Slavior]

HD DVD and Blu-ray Compared Using Identical Source Material

Charlie White — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 10:02:05 EDT

Until earlier this week, there was no way to directly compare a Blu-ray disk to its competitor on HD DVD using identical source material. But then Warner Home Video released Training Day, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Rumor Has It... on Blu-ray, making them the first movies available on both formats, allowing a direct comparison of the quality of each. Surprisingly, there were noticeable differences.

Details after the jump.

[Graphic courtesy Sci Fi Tech]

High Def Digest reviewer Peter M. Bracke gave the definitive nod to the HD DVD:

"In our first head-to-head comparison, we found the HD DVD to be superior. The unfortunate cropping of the Blu-ray image, coupled with more noticeable compression artifacts and an overall darker cast, can't compete with the more consistently pleasing presentation of the HD DVD ... I must say, our first Blu-ray versus HD DVD comparisons continue to yield surprises. I wasn't expecting to see much difference in video quality between the two formats with 'Rumor Has It...', yet the two discs did bear noticeable differences, with the HD DVD boasting better detail and a more film-like look."

Bracke used the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player and a Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD player for the comparison, and said the Blu-ray version had more compression artifacts in the single-layer Training Day disc, was less bright, and was cropped on the sides, giving HD DVD the nod for superior picture quality. In the dual-layer Kiss Kiss Bang Bang disc, it was harder to tell the difference between the two formats, although the reviewer still gave a nod to HD DVD quality, as he did with the third title, Rumor Has It. So, round 1 goes to HD DVD. – Charlie White

Blu-ray versus HD DVD: First Head-to-Head Comparisons

Creative Zen Neeon 2 Introduced

Charlie White — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:02:21 EDT

Everybody's gunning for the iPod nano, and now Creative weighs in with its Zen Neeon 2, to ship in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities. The telltale indication that Creative had an eye on the nano when designing this Neeon 2 is its thickness, measuring 12.5mm compared to the nano's 12.7mm.

The Neeon 2 also plays back video, although that's of limited usefulness on its puny 1.5 inch screen, but it also adds an FM radio and a built-in mic for voice recording. You can also record directly onto the player using its line-in recording function.

Available this month in five kooky colors, the 1GB unit will be ~~$199~~ $125.95 ($149 for the nano), the 2GB will be ~~$269~~ $170.26 (nano is $199), and the 4GB unit, available only in black or silver, will be ~~$309~~ $195.58 (compared to the nano's $249), shipping on an as-yet-unannounced date. – Charlie White

Update: Oops, those were Singapore dollars for the Neeon. Thanks to all who set us straight! -CW

Product Page [Creative]
Press Release [Creative Worldwide]

Logitech Noise-Canceling Headphones Enter the Fray

Charlie White — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 12:58:37 EDT

Logitech enters its phones into the battle royale between noise-canceling headphones, competing against Bose Quiet Comfort 3 and Solitude headphones for the title of King of Quietude. It's using the same principle as its competitors, with active and passive noise elimination aiming to cancel out constant background noise such as that encountered on an airplane. Also like its competitors, the Logitech headphones include a plush carrying case, a double-jack adapter and a detachable headphone cable.

Three of your humble editors here at Gizmodo have auditioned the Logitech headphones' competitors, the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 and Solitude headphones with mixed results, voting two-to-one in favor of the noise cancellation concept. I've compared the Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones directly to the Solitude headphones at 35,000 feet, and it was hard to tell any difference between the two.

It's hard to say how these Logitech noise-canceling headphones will stack up, but one thing's for sure, their $150 price certainly undercuts the cost of those $350 Bose Quiet Comfort and $200 Solitude headphones. – Charlie White

Logitech Noise Canceling Headphones [iLounge]

iPod and iBook Cost Comparison Around The World

Jason Chen — Thu, 18 May 2006 19:32:39 EDT

If you're in Buenos Aires and you want to buy an iPod, don't head down to your local store. Instead, find someone in New York to buy one for you and mail it.

BusinessWeek's did a comparison on various costs in various countries. You may have thought that Apple's iPod Nano costs the same around the world as it does here in the US. Actually, the $249 player would cost you $592 in Argentina, $286 in London, $248 in Tokyo, $299 in Shanghai and $299 in Moscow.

The iBook is similar, with NYC still coming in cheapest at $999 and Buenos Aires topping the charts for a whopping $1480.

So don't just shop around your local stores. Shop around the internet and discover what other countries are paying for your tech goodies. Then make a friend (or buy one on Craigslist) and have them purchase it for you.

Apple 4GB iPod Nano [BusinessWeek]