The New Flip VideoJill NockBoise, IdahoTwenty-one years ago I bought a camcorder from Sears. I had to charge it to my Sears card because it cost about $350 which was half a month's wages. It was bulky and somewhat awkward to use, but I sacrificed because I wanted to record my six-month old son and knew I had already missed several "firsts".Previous to the camcorder I had used a second-hand 8mm movie camera that was vintage 1965. My whole family had grown up being recorded by our father, but, oh, the things that were missed because there was no sound. Babies cooing, elderly grandparents, great aunts and great uncles telling stories; we'll never get those back. This was another reason I splurged on that camcorder. The other advantage was that the camcorder recorded to VHS tape. Woohoo, new technology! No more mailing off the 8mm film and waiting for it to get back. Instant replay and sound were a boon.Fast forward to 2009. I am now facing the prospect of grandparenthood. Long gone is that bulky camcorder. Come and gone, too, is a 1990s era mini-tape camcorder. The digital age is upon me and I have just come into possession of the MinoHD from Pure Digital. This is the coolest camcorder I've ever seen. One touch recording, true color viewing on the one-inch screen, plug and play functionality at about half what I paid for my first camcorder almost a quarter century ago. Woohoo! I love new technology!I've been playing with the MinoHD for a couple of days and recorded several different clips. Transferring to my computer is easy through the built-in USB that flips out for use and folds away for storage or recording. A built-in Lithium-ion battery provides sixty minutes' worth of recording at a time. Pure Digital provides FlipShare transferring software that is loaded onto your computer when you plug in the MinoHD for the first time. The software is easy to use and provides a snapshot capability so that you can take still photos from your camcorder. Don't worry about finding the exact second you want, click on the "Take a Snapshot" button and the software displays several frames for you to choose from. Likewise, emailing to friends and family or uploading the video clip to Facebook or to You Tube is a snap. MinoHD (120 Min)MinoHD (60 Min)UltraHDModel M2120M F460B U2120WMSRP$229.99$199.99$199.99Stability Price$215.20$179.90$179.99Dimensions3.94" x 1.97" x 0.66"3.94" x 1.97" x 0.63"4.25" x 2.19" x 1.17"Weight4.1 oz3.3 oz6.0 ozRecording Time120 minutes60 minutes120 minutesInternal Memory8GB4GB8GBColorsSilverSilver/BlackBlack/WhiteLCD Screen Size2.0" Diagonal1.5" Diagonal2.0" DiagonalResolution (Video)1280 x 7201280 x 7201280 x 720BatteryRechargeable Li-IonRechargeable Li-IonRechargeable AA battery pack (replacements only available through Flip Video Support)LifeUp to 2 hrs between chargesUp to 2 hrs between chargesUp to 2.5 hrs between chargesIncluded in boxWrist strap, soft protective case, Quickstart guideComposite TV cable, wrist strap, soft protective case, Quickstart guideFlip Video AA rechargeable battery pack, wrist strap, soft carrying case, Quickstart guide
