This week, I tested Asus’s (usa.asus.com) first entry into the all-in-one PC category: the Eee Top. All-in-one computers like Apple Inc.’s iMac save space by building in a computer’s guts, speakers and disk drive directly behind the monitor, and they’re typically more expensive than separate computer towers and monitors. But Asus’s Eee Top costs $600, half the cost of the least expensive iMac or Hewlett-Packard’s all-in-one HP TouchSmart.

Like the TouchSmart, the Eee Top has a touch screen and runs its own software to make its touch features more usable, like large icons and menus that get pulled onto the screen with swiping gestures. But it’s a lot smaller than the $1,200 HP TouchSmart — about a third of the HP’s size.

Users can navigate around the Eee Top using a finger for almost everything.

This computer would fit well in many kitchens and its small footprint — 1.67 inches deep — means it won’t take up valuable counter space and could easily be stored out of the way. But its touch-friendly software lacks tools for scheduling and isn’t customizable; instead, it uses preloaded icons that can’t be changed. And some of the Taiwanese company’s Asian influence shines through in menu titles that seem to have been lost in translation. Who knew you could find music and photos in a category called “Eee Cinema”? Still, as a secondary PC for the kitchen or a kid’s room, this all-in-one fits the bill.

Floating on Air

The Eee Top is head turner. Its 15.6-inch, resistive touch LCD screen, though small, appears to be hovering on the countertop thanks to a clear, plastic stand. It comes in black or white and has a wired mouse and keyboard. The keyboard tucks snugly into a holder behind the screen when not in use, and I kept it there for most of my time with it. A handle on the back of the Eee Top makes it easy to carry this 9.5-pound PC from room to room.

It has one gigabyte of memory and a 160-gigabyte hard disk. Also included are built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n), a memory-card reader and six USB ports, including one that stands alone for those annoyingly large plug-in devices (ahem, Flip camcorders). Two speakers below the screen pipe out surround sound that quickly fills up a room, and a built-in 1.3-megapixel Webcam captures videos and still photos.

As is the case with Asus’s low-priced netbooks, the bargain Eee Top has its tradeoffs. For starters, it runs Windows XP and uses Intel’s Atom N270 processor, which is used for most Asus netbooks. This processor consumes less power, but can give the PC a sometimes sluggish feeling. More than once, my Eee Top crashed when I had several programs opened at once.

The Eee Top’s touch software, called Easy Mode, lacks a calendar and an address book, two tools that are of utmost importance for families who will use this PC in their kitchen.

Another missing element in this all-in-one is a DVD drive, but thanks to downloadable software, music and videos, I don’t think most people will miss it. If so, Asus is selling $64 external drives that plug into the Eee Top via a USB cable.

I navigated around the Eee Top using my finger for almost everything and never used the optical mouse. A stylus that pops out from the side of the keyboard can be used to pinpoint hard-to-tap icons in Windows, but everything in Easy Mode is large enough to touch or swipe with a finger.

Easy Mode is divided into four categories that are labeled with tabs at the top of the screen: Communication, Fun, Work and Tools. Communication includes Skype, Email, Eee Memo (virtual Post-Its) and Internet, which opens 12 preset links to URLs that Asus chose. This last section could be filled with personalized favorites for sites like a school’s daily lunch menu or WSJ.com, but Asus really blew it by prohibiting changes here.

A Virtual Keyboard

When it’s time to enter text in Easy Mode, a virtual keyboard saves you from pulling out the physical keyboard. This virtual keyboard is surprisingly easy to type on because it can be resized to fit your fingers by dragging one corner. It was adequately comfortable for quick tasks like entering URLs and labeling photos, but vertical typing wasn’t conducive to lengthier tasks, like emails, so I used the physical keyboard instead.

But the virtual keyboard doesn’t automatically appear when you need it; instead, you must open it. And when you’re done typing, say after you’ve entered a URL, the keyboard isn’t smart enough to automatically disappear, and this gets frustrating.

Handwritten Text

A handwriting-recognition option can be used to enter text with either the stylus or a finger. Though this worked well, it was slower to use compared with the virtual and physical keyboards, and I opted not to use it.

I switched back and forth between the Easy Mode layer and regular Windows XP by hitting a house icon from either mode. Opera is the default browser in Easy Mode, and it has a slightly different setup than most people are used to in more popular browsers. But Internet Explorer is a click away, and opening it automatically returns users to the Windows XP side of things.

A useful pop-out menu In Easy Mode called the Eee Bar is accessible from any program. This thin, horizontal menu holds links to all programs in Easy Mode and is the only menu that can be customized by deleting or adding programs. But I think people will forget about this bar since it’s hidden most of the time.

Projects like documents, spreadsheets and slideshow presentations can be made on the Eee Top using Sun’s preloaded StarOffice/StarSuite rather than Microsoft Office. These programs are similar enough for newcomers to use StarOffice without too much trouble.

The Eee Top is a great-looking computer that brings the fun and accessibility of a touch-screen computer to people who might not otherwise afford it. If you can accept its shortcomings and sometimes slow speed, it could work well in your home as a secondary PC.

Edited By Walter S. Mossberg

• Email us at mossbergsolution@wsj.com. Find this and other columns and videos online free at the All Things Digital Web site: http://solution.allthingsd.com

Digital Cameras

Megapixels: This term describes the highest resolution photo a camera can take. Often mistaken as the most important factor in a digital camera, a high megapixel count — such as 10MP or more — isn’t necessary for the average user unless he or she plans on heavily editing or enlarging photos. Most new digicams offer between five and eight megapixels, which is usually more than enough.

Optical or Digital Zoom: Optical zoom, determined by the physical movement of a lens, matters much more than digital zoom, which digitally alters an image using the camera’s internal computer. Camera companies still try to confuse potential buyers by listing a camera’s total zoom, or the optical and digital zooms multiplied together. Ignore total zoom numbers and instead focus on optical, which now averages around 5x for many new cameras.

Image Stabilization: When generously sized LCD viewing screens started replacing optical viewfinders, they also forced users to hold their cameras at arm’s length, making for plenty of blurry photographs. To remedy this, camera manufacturers have added image stabilization, tools once found only in high-end SLR models. Optical (also called “mechanical”) and digital image stabilization correct for unsteady hands and moving subjects, respectively. Cameras with both types advertise dual image stabilization, which corrects for both situations and costs more.

Mobile Devices

HSDPA and EVDO: HSDPA, or High Speed Downlink Packet Access, is the name for AT&T’s 3G, or third generation, mobile network that operates at roughly the speed of a slower DSL in a home. HSDPA is available in most major metropolitan areas and is seen as the competitor to Verizon and Sprint’s EVDO (Evolution Data Only) networks, though the popular iPhone runs on AT&T’s network using Wi-Fi and EDGE technology rather than HSDPA.

Multi-Touch Technology: Most popularly found on Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch, multi-touch is starting to show up in other products, such as in Microsoft’s Surface, a coffee-table-like computer. Rather than just responding to on-screen touches, this technology enables moving, resizing and zooming pictures and Web pages using one or more fingers simultaneously. Look for many more devices — mobile and otherwise — to incorporate multi-touch in the future.

GPS: Global Positioning Systems are most often found in cars — either built-in or on portable devices from companies like Garmin and TomTom. These gadgets use satellite technology to determine geographic location, and high-end models even display Web content like news and weather along with directions. GPS integration in mobile devices can be used to plot routes in cars, can help users find nearby businesses while on the go and can link friends by showing one where the other is located and what they’re doing.

Digital Music

DRM: Digital rights management is a set of standards that protect the intellectual property rights of online content like music and videos, preventing it from being illegally distributed across the Web. In the past year, Vivendi’s Universal Music Group, Apple and (most recently) Sony BMG said they will start selling DRM-free versions of songs, often for a higher price. In Apple’s iTunes store, these files are called “iTunes Plus” and aren’t restricted like other iTunes content.

MP3: MP3 files are open, without any DRM restrictions. Files that you rip (copy) from your own CDs are usually converted into MP3s, though iTunes users can automatically rip tracks into that program’s special format, called AAC. MP3 files can be uploaded to social-networking sites for sharing with friends and online communities.

These file types are protected by rights that tie them to specific players. Generally, AAC files make up the majority of tracks sold on Apple’s iTunes store and play only on Apple’s iPods; WMA files are Microsoft’s version of proprietary files.

Wi-Fi

The popularity of Wireless Fidelity, or Wi-Fi, brings this technology to more and more portable devices like the iPod Touch and Microsoft Zune and gives companies good reason to incorporate Wi-Fi receivers in new computers — laptops and desktops alike. While available in many flavors, different letters like b, g, a and n stand behind Wi-Fi’s more technical name, 802.11, to help discern one version from another according to characteristics like speed and compatibility. The latest version, “n,” offers the greatest range and speed, and “n” devices are usually compatible with earlier versions.

Televisions

HDTV: High-definition television has now become the standard, capable of displaying vastly better pictures, provided the source is also HD. Today’s more popular flat panel HD televisions are LCDs, or liquid crystal displays, though plasmas still hold their own. Recording HD content can’t be done with a regular digital video recorder; instead, a special HD recorder is required to capture this higher quality content.

480p vs. 1080i vs. 720p vs. 1080p: These numbers refer to the resolution, or sharpness, of a digital display, while “p” stands for progressive and “i” stands for interlaced. A resolution of 480p, known as EDTV or Enhanced Definition TV, is found most often in low-end plasmas or LCD screens. A TV with a resolution of 1080p is currently considered the Holy Grail, and costs the most. But 1080p pictures usually can’t be distinguished from less expensive 1080i or 720p pictures by average viewers at the typical distances from which most folks watch TV.

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: Blu-ray and HD DVD are incompatible high-definition disc formats that continue to fight a seemingly endless battle to replace the DVD. The Blu-ray camp is led by Sony and the HD DVD camp is led by Toshiba. The two formats aren’t so different, technically speaking, but their very existence is confusing to consumers. The recent decision made by Time Warner’s Warner Bros. to use Blu-ray gives Sony’s side a boost, and now Viacom’s Paramount is rumored to be switching to Blu-ray from HD DVD. Dual-format players from Samsung and LG offer some solace.

Email: mossbergsolution@wsj.com

One of the most visually defining features of the digicam is its LCD viewing screen, and camera makers have steadily increased the sizes of these screens; those that once measured about an inch diagonally now measure over three inches. The results are breathtaking: Crisp, bright displays offer a beautiful way to view photos.

Some of these screens are so large that they take over the entire back side of the camera, edging out useful features like optical viewfinders. Buttons, too, are seen as hogging precious real estate on these pocket-size devices. The solution? Replacing regular LCD screens with touch screens that work as viewing screens, viewfinders and buttons rolled into one.

Removing glare from pets’ eyes is possible on the HP Photosmart R937.

This week, I tested two $300 digital cameras from Hewlett-Packard Co. and Pentax Imaging Co. that use large touch screens: the HP Photosmart R937 and the Optio T30. Both took gorgeous photographs, but I focused on how touch screens changed the way I used each camera, and found it took me far less time to become acquainted with functions thanks to the more direct nature of on-screen buttons. For example, left and right arrows that appeared on-screen beside an image could be touched to move from one photo to the next, while a tiny on-screen trash bin icon deleted pics once pressed. In-camera editing was also made simpler with these screens.

But because these camera screens are multifunctional, they must be clearly visible at all times — even in bright light or sunshine — and I found myself squinting to see both screens in the sunlight. In situations like this, an optical viewfinder would at least let you clearly see the subject of photos. On both cameras, the review or playback buttons remained as physical buttons, rather than touch-screen buttons.

The touch technology in these camera screens isn’t as advanced as “multi-touch,” which is used in Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Microsoft Corp.’s Surface Computing. But it is incredibly useful and will change the way you use your digital camera.

While the HP Photosmart R937 turns heads with its giant 3.6-inch screen, this device is too big and heavy to be categorized as a pocket camera. The Pentax Optio T30’s generous three-inch screen is smaller than that of the HP, helping this camera retain the fashionably thin look sought after in the pocket camera category.

The technical specifications of the H-P and Pentax cameras are quite comparable. They offer 8 and 7.1 megapixels, respectively, with 3x optical zoom lenses and digital image stabilization technology to aid shaky hands. Pentax says its Optio T30 will last for 200 shots on a full battery, while H-P claims 190 shots.

A touch-screen menu on the Pentax Optio T30

The $300 (after a $50 rebate) Pentax Optio T30 shipped in April as a follow-up to its two touch-screen predecessors: the Optio T10 (brought out a little over a year ago) and the Optio T20 (last fall).

A series of menus appear when you tap the center of the Optio T30 screen. In capturing mode, for example, a screen tap pulls up four menus: Capture Palette, Flash Mode, Drive Mode and Focus Mode.

The Capture Palette menu displays 16 different icons, one for each mode in which the camera can be set prior to taking a photo. It was a relief to see these large, colorful icons rather than trying to decipher confusing text descriptions or unrelated icons representing each mode. Tapping on an icon brought up a one-line, large-print explanation of it and tapping the on-screen “OK” button set the camera in that mode. Portrait mode, for example, brightens skin tones, while Sport keeps the camera in focus until the shutter is released — ideal for fast-moving subjects.

Most people will likely opt to keep their Optio T30 in default automatic mode, and this requires no touch button adjustments whatsoever. But I was more inclined than usual to switch into different modes using this camera. Knowing that I could tap the screen a couple times to adjust for various situations was a lot more appealing than digging through a list of options in a hidden menu, then finding the right button to select that option.

The Pentax Optio T30’s touch screen also allows for on-screen editing, such as drawing on a photo with an included stylus (my fingernail worked, too). You can also use what Pentax calls “stamps” — little cartoon icons that can be added to a photo. I made my own stamp by drawing an on-screen circle around flowers in one of my photos, copying the flowers and using them as a stamp in other images. This could come in handy if you need to superimpose someone’s head into a photo for which he or she wasn’t present.

The HP Photosmart R937 will ship the first week in August, marking H-P’s foray into the touch-screen digital camera scene. It measures over twice the cubic volume of the Pentax, but strangely, its zoom lens doesn’t protrude when in use — a feature often found in slim fashion cameras that doesn’t make much sense on this bulky model.

The R937’s stunningly large screen makes room for instructional icons that appear around the perimeter of the screen, and each can be tapped for direct access to a menu. For example, a box in the top right of the screen tells you how many megapixels the next photo will capture, and tapping on this box drops you into an image quality screen where you can adjust megapixels. Another on-screen icon for the flash works similarly — one tap and you’re in the correct adjustment menu.

Like the Pentax, the R937 works in default automatic mode without any adjusting. But again, different shooting modes (12 to be exact) were easy to change using touch menus. I found the H-P’s in-camera editing to be the most interesting aspect of this gadget. While reviewing photos, I opened an on-screen Design Gallery menu and found options for removing red eyes, enhancing photos like making the people in my photos look slimmer, and applying any of 13 artistic effects, like turning an image into a cartoon or a kaleidoscope-like view. I tweaked many of my photos using only touch-screen buttons, then saved the edited versions in addition to my old versions.

Time and time again while using both of these cameras, I realized that when commands were right on the screen where I could touch them to select what I wanted to do, the camera’s overall usability was improved and once-buried menus were demystified.

Touch screens and digital cameras make a good pair. I only wish that the screen quality on these cameras was high enough to stand up to bright sunlight. The HP Photosmart R937 is a bit too bulky, though it feels sturdy in your hand and its 3.6-inch screen is a boon. The Pentax Optio T30’s size and simplified touch user interface make it a good buy.

Edited by Walter S. Mossberg

• Email: MossbergSolution@wsj.com

This week, I tested three such replacement options: two keyboard sets that operate wirelessly using Bluetooth — the replacement for wires running short distances — and a stand-alone wired ergonomic keyboard made for touch typists who value comfort during long hours in front of a computer screen.

Top left: $150 Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser. Top right: $65 Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. $150 Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000.

The two wireless sets I used are Microsoft Corp.’s Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000, which came out just a few months ago, and Logitech Inc.’s comparable but older Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser, which has been available for about a year and a half. Each costs $150. These keyboards have built-in shortcuts that make them handy to use on or off the desk when browsing through digital media like photos, videos and music.

I also tried Microsoft’s wired $65 Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. It incorporates some shortcut buttons of its own, but stands out more because of its appearance: its keys are split into two groupings for right and left hands and each side slants upward in the center around an arch, forcing your hands to rest more naturally as if positioned to shake. The keyboard comes with a detachable wrist rest that raises your wrists a third of an inch above the rest of the keyboard.

Each product brought something slightly different to the table: The ergo offers comfort and functionality; the wireless Logitech has a multifunctional mouse and a keyboard with a built-in LCD; the wireless Microsoft shows off a sleek look and 17 touch-sensitive buttons. As a touch typist, I preferred Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for its hand-relaxing setup and 13 shortcut buttons. I’m using it now to type this column, and my fingers have less distance to go before reaching a key than on a regular keyboard.

The basic functions of these keyboards/keyboard sets work out of the box on Mac and Windows operating systems, but their extra features work only after installing included or downloaded software, and neither the wireless Microsoft set nor the Logitech set will work on a Mac, period. Both companies claim that these products will work with Windows Vista, Microsoft’s newest operating system, but the ergonomic keyboard’s extra bells and whistles didn’t work properly on my Vista laptop.

I easily got the wireless Logitech and Microsoft keyboard sets communicating with their corresponding Bluetooth receivers on PCs and laptops. I pressed a Connect button on the base of each set’s mouse and keyboard before pressing the same button on the USB Bluetooth receiver and a few seconds later, I was in business.

The Microsoft and Logitech wireless desktops use USB plug-in Bluetooth receivers to connect the computer with the mouse and keyboard. Both mice operated on rechargeable batteries and must be docked occasionally for recharging, which is annoying — especially if you’re forgetful. But each will fully recharge in two hours, giving two and three weeks for the Logitech and Microsoft mice, respectively. Both mice get enough juice for a full day of usage after charging for 10 minutes.

Both keyboards use regular keys and a series of touch-sensitive buttons that work when you hover your finger over the intended button and touch it very slightly. Logitech’s touch-sensitive media buttons are relegated to the far left of its keyboard, including zoom and volume buttons that adjust with a finger flick up or down. Microsoft’s touch-sensitive keys line the entire top edge of its keypad.

Logitech’s wireless keyboard is about two inches wider than Microsoft’s, and for good reason: the Microsoft keyboard lacks a numeric keypad on its far right side, a feature that I missed. In place of the keypad are a set of directional buttons that mimic the basic functionality of a mouse. These let you push back from your desktop to browse digital photos while leaving your mouse on the desk yet still taking advantage of some of its functions.

The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser keyboard uses a built-in LCD at the center top of its keyboard. This screen reflected the keyboard’s synching with my computer: it displayed my name, the date and the time. When I played music, the artist and song title scrolled across the screen. This could come in handy if you planned to constantly use the keyboard away from the PC. But in most cases, the content on the LCD wasn’t that helpful, and seemed repetitive of what was on the computer screen.

The Logitech mouse is sculpted to fit a hand and it offered more buttons for scrolling and navigation than the Microsoft set’s mouse. To recharge, this mouse fits upright in a stand. Microsoft’s wireless mouse recharges by lying flat on a recharging strip.

I used Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 with my desktop computers at work and in place of a small laptop’s squished keyboard. Its arched center and split keys took a little getting used to, but I was soon hooked. A special feature in the center of the keyboard called the Zoom Slider lets you zoom in or out to adjust the view of a screen. This worked for me in Microsoft Word documents, but not in Outlook Express or within Firefox’s browser.

Five large, numbered buttons at the center top of this ergo keyboard are called My Favorites, and I programmed them with ease by pressing one and entering the desired destination, including folders, browsers, or specific Web sites.

But typing on this keyboard really won me over. Its split setup won’t work for everyone, but for touch typists, it’s truly more comfortable. I typed away with ease using my right and left fingers, and keys felt closer together due to their inward-tilting shape. I noticed that I made fewer mistakes typing on this keyboard than on a regular keyboard.

If you spend a lot of time at a computer each day, you may want to consider one of these keyboards or keyboard sets for better ergonomics and production. It takes a little while to get used to using keyboard shortcuts for things like music and photos, but these can be real time-savers. Whatever you choose, know that there are other options out there beyond what came with your computer, and that they’re usually worth the extra money.

Edited by Walter S. Mossberg

• Email me at MossbergSolution@wsj.com. Find these columns online for free at the new All Things Digital Web site: solution.allthingsd.com.

With the myriad of different features and options available on digital cameras, the camera section of your local electronics store is now almost as confusing as the TV aisle. It’s easy to understand how a potential buyer might feel intimidated.

It’s an exciting time for digital cameras, as many of them are adding more bells and whistles by the minute. You’ll have to grasp some new features this spring, like the wide adoption of image stabilization technologies to fight blurry pictures, in-camera editing, and new ways of playing back your photos right on the camera, for sharing with friends.

But try not to be wooed by superficial features. A digicam that can make a revving engine sound every time its shutter closes might gain cool points for a little while, but that feature will be quickly forgotten if your graduation pictures are washed out and blurry.

To help choose, here’s our annual digital camera buyer’s guide. We aren’t reviewing specific models here, but instead we’re explaining the important features that mainstream buyers — not serious hobbyists or professional photographers — should be familiar with when shopping. We’ll touch on both the basics, and the newest features.

• Pick a Size, Any Size. Thanks to improvements in technology, the newest digital cameras are thin and light enough to slip into a pocket or small purse. These hipsters are called pocket cameras, and are usually less than an inch thick and less than four inches long. They earn points for style and are often available in colors, making them fashion accessories. But, unlike the smallest cameras of the film era, these digital compacts are packed with features and take pictures that can be as good as those from larger models.

Email photos from the camera. The $400 Kodak EasyShare-One (top right) uses Wi-Fi to email images right from the camera. Larger LCD screens. The LCD screen on this $500 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30 (bottom left, available in May) is three inches.

If small isn’t your bag, and you’d rather have a camera that’s easier to hold without worrying about covering a tiny lens or flash with your thumb, point-and-shoot cameras will suit your needs. These cameras are generally bigger and heavier than pocket cameras, and they often are carried in a case or hung around your neck. They don’t necessarily have more features than the pocket models, or take better pictures, but they often cost less.

Considerably larger are those cameras most popular with hobbyists and professionals — often referred to as digital SLRs (single-lens reflex). The price tags for these models can reach the thousands of dollars, and they include many manual controls and add-on lenses. Though camera companies continue to market these types of cameras to average users, they are far more complex than the average pocket or point-and-shoot camera.

• Megapixels.The number of megapixels, a measure of the maximum resolution that a camera can capture, tends to grab a lot of attention in the store. But it’s important that you be wary of any camera that advertises a super high megapixel count — more than eight megapixels — with a low price tag, say, in the $200 to $300 range.

Companies reach these lower prices by combining high megapixels with smaller image sensors, resulting in pixels that are smaller and thus contain less image information. Like a big house without any charm or character, the images produced by these cameras can be severely lacking.

Look for cameras with about six megapixels, which camera companies say is about the entry level now for a good digicam. This is more than enough for any mainstream user, as higher megapixel counts usually only come in handy if you’re blowing up a photo to a huge size or doing extensive editing, neither of which are things that average users usually do.

• Zoom — Optical Matters. When looking at a camera’s zoom, ignore the digital zoom and overall zoom; focus instead on optical zoom. Digital refers only to computer-generated magnification, a work-around which makes pictures grainier. Optical refers to zoom as it relates to the physical movement of the camera lens. Overall zoom is a sneaky industry trick — companies multiply digital and optical zoom to get a more impressive-sounding number (2x digital multiplied by 3x optical equals 6x overall zoom). Ignore this and concentrate only on optical zoom.
• Speed. Early digital cameras were notoriously slow. They were slow to start up, slow to actually capture a shot, slow to record it in memory, and slow to be ready for the next shot. That meant you might miss action shots like the baby’s first steps and the Little Leaguer’s home run.

Today, luckily, most consumer cameras have gotten much faster. But we advise you to pick up the camera in the store and try to fire off several shots as quickly as you can. Bring along a friend who can move around while you try to photograph him. If action shots are important to you, this should help you choose the right model, even if it costs more.

• Bigger and Better Screens. Since last year, many things about the digital camera have changed. Most notably — and most regrettably, in our opinion — is the loss of the optical viewfinder in most digital cameras. Instead of including a peep-hole and LCD screen for viewing the photo subject, most of these cameras now offer only LCD screens.

Without the optical viewfinder taking up space, these viewing screens have grown in size to measure about 2.5 inches diagonally — some are as large as three inches. But with only an LCD screen for viewing, you’ll have to frame pictures in glaring sun with a washed-out screen, and you’ll have to hold the camera at a shaky arm’s length, which could result in sloppier pictures.

Companies have made two improvements to balance out these problems: brighter, more glare-proof LCD screens and image stabilization technology, or anti-shake. Casio Inc.’s $300 EX-Z600, for example, offers an LCD screen that it claims is three times brighter than previous models. Sony Electronics Inc.’s $500 DSC-T9 includes built-in Super Steady-Shot optical image stabilization.

• Stable Images — Digital or Optical? If you have the option, choose optical rather than digital image stabilization in your camera. This means that the camera physically corrects shaking, while digital stabilization — like digital zoom — changes the image with a computer, not with a physical feature in the camera. Many companies are using the blanket term “image stabilization” to describe their camera’s anti-shake technology; be sure to get the full story.

Optical image stabilization usually costs more money, but if your camera lacks a viewfinder and you have a shaky hand, this might be a feature that’s worth the investment. Some people will find that holding their breath while snapping the shutter button is all it takes, but it’s good to have the option.

• New Ways of Viewing. Many digital camera companies have started to acknowledge that we share our pictures with friends or family by passing around the camera, often right after snapping hundreds of pictures. This instant gratification is one of the most satisfying features of digital, especially with larger viewing screens, yet it’s not uncommon for the camera owner to have to show each person how to skip ahead and back through photos.

To solve this problem, many cameras now offer slideshow or movie modes — some even include music — to make sharing easier. Without going near a computer, you can set your camera so that others can simply hold the camera and watch. This also prevents anyone from pressing buttons and accidentally deleting your images.

Casio’s $300 EX-Z600 (top) has an LCD screen that is three times as bright as screens on previous models (bottom).

• In-Camera Editing. Now that screens are larger, some cameras come with in-camera editing features, allowing you to edit out red eye, for instance, or stitch together multiple shots into a panorama. This avoids the need to edit on a computer, but it also can be cumbersome. If you think you might like in-camera editing, try it out in the store first.
• Storing and Transferring Images. Many types of memory cards are available for use with your digital camera. These are now available in very high capacities; one gigabyte of memory will only cost you about $60, providing more memory for photos and digital videos, which most cameras are now capable of capturing.

Transferring images from your camera to your computer has always been somewhat of a hassle, including finding the camera’s USB cord and attaching it to the computer and camera before transferring. Some cameras come with a dock, making the transfer process a little easier, but it’s still a little cumbersome.

Cameras are starting to take advantage of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (short-range wireless) technology to eliminate the extra step of wires or docks. The $400 Kodak EasyShare-One camera uses Wi-Fi to email images directly from the camera, using EasyShare Gallery, Kodak’s online photo sharing software. More products like this will continue to hit the market throughout this year.

• Battery Life. Be sure the camera can handle a typical day’s worth of shooting on a single charge. For some consumers, that might involve only 20-50 shots. For others, that might be 100-200 pictures, on vacation. Read the manufacturer’s claims for this, and reduce it by 20%, then compare it with your typical shooting volumes. If you do mostly indoor shots with flash, the battery capacity will be much less.

Whatever your situation, it’s a good idea to buy a spare battery. Most cameras use costly proprietary batteries, but some models allow you to substitute common drugstore batteries in a pinch.

So be sure to do your homework, be skeptical of extra features with extra cheap price tags, and look into some of the new technology that is being offered in digital cameras. As features grow and prices come down, the consumer will keep winning.

• Email: MossbergSolution@wsj.com

Cardiovascular exercise saves lives. But, for millions of people who need it the most — those who aren’t naturally drawn to physical activity — using a treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical machine has one huge drawback: it’s boring. The timers on those machines seem to move excruciatingly slowly while you grind out your daily fitness regimen.

To combat this boredom, the fitness industry has mainly relied on television in gyms, or encouraged people to use their iPods or other portable music players while on the machines. But, despite these distractions, basic exercise can still be mind-numbingly boring.

The $4,995 Spark by Expresso Fitness Corp. attempts to make exercise more exciting with videogame-like simulation, bike handlebars that move and gear shifting.

Now, a Silicon Valley company has come up with a new idea to enliven cardiovascular workouts. It is turning exercise into a videogame, complete with opponents and scenery. Expresso Fitness Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., (www.expressofitness.com) has introduced the Spark — a stationary bike with a built-in computer and flat-panel monitor that allows you to race against virtual riders through a variety of simulated outdoor courses.

Unlike the typical exercise bike, the Spark has movable handlebars to steer you through the three-dimensional virtual trails on its screen, and a gearshift for tackling the many hills you encounter. When you climb a hill on the screen, the pedaling really feels like you’re climbing a hill.

The bike has a built-in TV and built-in music channels, but its key feature is its competitive virtual riding courses, which can be updated by the company over the bike’s built-in Internet connection.

The Spark’s $5,000 price tag plus $225 installation fee and shipping seems like a high price to fend off boredom. But even though the bike was originally designed for use in gyms, the company claims it has been attracting individual buyers as well.

We’ve been testing the Spark for about a week in a spare office near ours that we turned into a temporary gym. Our verdict: the Spark makes stationary bicycling more interesting and challenging, even for average users. But there’s a downside: Most of its courses would be far too difficult and strenuous, and highly discouraging, for the average, out-of-shape users who need it the most. The Spark seems to have been designed by and for athletic bicycling enthusiasts who we assume would rather be outside on real bikes most of the year.

At times we were plain exhausted by the Spark. We represent two age groups — one of us is in his 50s and the other in her 20s — and we both exercise regularly. Even so, most of the Spark’s 26 routes were daunting, leaving us comfortable only on a few of the easiest routes with sparse, low hills. It seemed to be geared toward hardened riders who wouldn’t be concerned that a 31%-grade hill is labeled as a “Basic” trail.

Physically, most parts of the Spark resemble a regular stationary bike, but a few features make it unique. A box housing an 80-gigabyte computer is positioned on the floor near the Spark’s front end, and a handsome 17-inch color LCD screen replaces what would normally be a bare-bones display on a regular exercise bike. A shifting lever on the Spark’s center column adjusts the bike’s resistance, making your workout more or less taxing in accordance with each trail’s terrain.

This bike connects to the Internet using an included wireless router, and Expresso Fitness uses the connection to help you troubleshoot directly with the company in case of problems, which is useful. It also allows the bike to automatically receive and start using new versions of Spark software. A few days into our testing, for example, Expresso introduced a new version of its software, and our bike was automatically updated with an improved interface.

Six channels of music, each with two or three hours of songs, are stored on your computer, including classic rock, oldies and Latin. The bike’s Internet connection comes in handy here, as well, allowing Expresso to change the collection of songs about every two months.

But the Spark’s always-online connection also sends logs of data from your bike back to Expresso Fitness, including the routes that you ride, your cadence numbers during workouts and other data. This left us feeling like our trainer was checking up on us, which might be motivation for some users. We just found it creepy.

We started out on a seemingly simple route named “Evening Bliss.” We admired the lovely scenery as we started pedaling — leafy trees hung down around the bike path, lush green grass spread out in all directions and a purplish-pink sunset stained the sky. But halfway through the route, we’d forgotten about our 3-D surroundings, concentrating more heavily on our cold bottle of water.

A pace rider in a yellow jersey set a difficult pace for us to match, and multiple bicyclists rode along the trail with us. You can get rid of the other riders by pressing a few buttons, but we found that they motivated us to go faster. Likewise, the pacer’s power can be adjusted so that he rides slower or faster; we slowed him down, as keeping up with his moderate pace was near impossible for us.

On another ride called Coastal Run, sheep and coastline make up most of the scenery. As the road wound around bends and turns, we moved our bike handles in the right direction to stay in the middle of the trail. Unlike videogames where your bike or car can veer off the road or take out other people, the Spark’s simulated routes will only slow you down if you near the roadside and other riders just disappear when you ride over them.

The display screen on the Spark was helpful, showing a horizontal scale of our power, heart rate (determined by hand sensors) and elevation throughout each route. Wireless Polar heart-rate monitors that strap around your chest are also compatible with the Spark, and their data show on-screen. Speed, calories and the pacer’s time in relation to yours are displayed as well.

But we were never asked to enter our weight or age, information required by many average fitness machines before you begin so as to more specifically determine your results.

Expresso says that your skill level will improve as you use the bike more, which we admit might have happened if we had more dutifully stuck to our biking regimen during the week. But we couldn’t help but think that the average person — not to mention a severely overweight person — would be intimidated by the Spark’s rather difficult “Basic” routes. Eighteen other trails make up the Moderate, Challenging and Extreme routes, with names like “Oh Mama” and “Gut Buster.” We couldn’t imagine anyone with a gut in need of busting trying the latter route.

Because the Spark is online, it can always be changed and improved, and Expresso Fitness says it listens carefully to user feedback. We hope it will listen to users who aren’t bicycling enthusiasts, as well, in order to make this technology-enhanced workout more approachable for all types of people.

• Email: MossbergSolution@wsj.com

Long after the Christmas trees have been taken down and the menorahs packed away, that television set you purchased as a holiday gift will still be around, looming over your family room for years. It’s likely to long outlast all those iPods and digital cameras and game consoles flying off the store shelves right now. So you want to get the right TV set this time around. Do-overs are expensive if you don’t.

Unfortunately, shopping for a television set is much, much harder than it used to be. The TV aisles in your local electronics store are like exotic galleries packed with confusing acronyms — LCD, HDTV, DLP — and staffed by clerks who often are either clueless, or so geeky, that they can’t help much. This is not a great situation when you’re spending thousands of dollars on a TV, not the hundreds people used to spend.

So, here’s a rough, quick guide to buying a television this holiday season. Our aim is to provide a very basic cheat sheet so you can at least wade through the basics and talk to the salespeople intelligently. For greater detail, we suggest buying one of those glossy magazines that covers new TVs in depth. Even if you don’t actually purchase the set at a store and instead opt to buy it online, we suggest visiting the store to see the TV so that you can judge its performance in person.

There are two basic types of big-screen TVs — flat panels, where much of the technology that creates the image is actually embedded in the glass screen itself; and projection sets, also called microdisplay sets, where the front screen is just a sheet of plastic and the key technology that creates the image is in the back of the set.

42\” Samsung HP-R4252 Plasma TV. Price: $3,499.99. For more info: www.samsung.com.

Within these two broad categories, competing technologies are slugging it out. There are two main types of flat-panel sets — LCD and plasma — and three main types of projection sets. Most new TVs are “digital,” meaning they can deal directly with the computerlike signals produced by newer TV transmissions. Older sets are considered “analog,” and were designed for older TV transmissions. Digital sets can display analog TV signals, but not always very well. All U.S. TV transmissions are due to convert to digital signals in the next few years.

HDTV versus ED and SD

Many big-screen TVs are capable of receiving high-definition television signals, or HDTV — the most detailed, and best-looking, television available. But some cheaper digital models can only display lesser-quality pictures called Enhanced Definition, or ED. Others are stuck at standard definition, or SD, which is even worse.

So, just because you have a big-screen, digital TV, that doesn’t mean it’s an HDTV. Make sure any set you choose can handle HD signals. Also, many HD sets don’t actually contain an HD receiver, or tuner — the component that actually pulls in the HD programming. They are merely “HD-ready,” meaning they can display HDTV if you connect them to an HD receiver, like a cable or satellite set-top box that is able to receive HD signals. Others have an HD receiver built in, though it’s usually limited to over-the-air HD broadcasts, which require an antenna, and can’t pick up cable or satellite transmissions.

Flat Panel Screens — LCD and Plasma

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and plasma screens allow for large TVs that are very thin. If aesthetics are your biggest concern and you’re interested in buying a TV that can be attached to a wall, you should buy one of these two types of screens. They also offer some of the best-quality pictures available.

The actual technology in these two screens is quite different. LCD TVs are like the screens on laptops or flat-panel computer monitors. They work by passing current through tiny liquid crystals. Plasma TVs work by stimulating a captive gas with an electrical charge.

45\” Sharp AQUOS LCD TV, LC-GD7U. Price: $5,499.99. For more info: www.sharpusa.com

Both technologies are rapidly becoming cheaper, but they are still mainly distinguished by how much they cost at certain sizes. LCD TVs are a bit thinner and much lighter than plasmas, but, at large-screen sizes, they are prohibitively expensive. By contrast, plasmas aren’t efficient to make at small-screen sizes.

So, for people with typical budgets this holiday season, the only affordable flat-panel TVs today more than 40 inches in size will almost certainly be plasmas. Buyers of flat-panel TVs under 40 inches will very likely wind up with an LCD.

In general, both technologies deliver vivid, intense pictures. There are differences, but these have been narrowing, as the competition drives improvements in both camps. For instance, plasmas were long superior in viewing angle — the ability to see the picture well from the side — but some LCDs have caught up and even passed plasmas on this score.

Early plasmas had a risk of “burn-in,” a situation where a logo or fixed text might remain visible even after you change channels. But this has been almost eliminated in new sets. Early LCDs showed ghosting during fast-action shots, but, again, this has been greatly eased in newer sets.

TV geeks will see differences among the two technologies in areas such as contrast, color saturation and brightness. But these things vary among manufacturers and models, and most viewers won’t notice fine distinctions. The best way to choose is to go to a store and compare with your own eyes, without worrying about techie jargon.

These two types of TVs will definitely set you back; LCDs come in prices ranging from $450 for 13 inches to $5,500 for 46-inchers to $21,000 for a 65-inch set. Plasmas go for about $2,200 for a 42-inch set and $12,000 for a 63-inch plasma screen. Yes, we’re still just talking about televisions here.

Projection TVs

If you’re shocked by the prices of the LCD and plasma sets, you might find projection televisions a little more your speed. They tend to cost less than the flat-panel models, but still deliver a handsome picture.

These sets aren’t nearly as thin as the flat panels, because they need depth internally to project the image they create in the back of the set. But if you don’t mind sacrificing aesthetics, you’ll find some good options in this grouping.

Projection TVs can be divided into three main categories: CRT (cathode ray tube) rear projection; LCD rear projection; and DLP (Digital Light Projection) rear projection. The first two are also called “microdisplays,” because they use tiny display chips to create the image in the rear of the set.

50\” Samsung HL-R5087W DLP Rear Projection TV. Price: $3,699.99. For more info: www.samsung.com.

CRT sets use the oldest and least advanced of the projection technologies, though they still offer good color and sharp pictures. Their screens range from about 42 to 65 inches, but their cabinets are notably deeper than the other types of projection sets, taking up a lot of space. They are, however, the least expensive of the projection TVs, costing about $1,800 for a 51-inch CRT.

LCD rear projection uses a rather slim cabinet; for example, a 55-inch screen only has a 20-inch deep cabinet. They range in size from about 42 to 62 inches. These sets use tiny LCD screens and project the picture they create onto the large, front screen. A 55-inch LCD rear-projection set will run you about $3,000.

DLP rear projection comes in screens measuring 42 inches and up while still boasting relatively shallow cabinet sizes. For example, a 61-inch DLP can have a cabinet of 19 inches. This technology uses a chip packed with tiny mirrors to create and project a TV picture. It generally costs more than a CRT, but is still less expensive than a plasma or flat-panel LCD TV. The images produced on a DLP are noted for their sharp blacks and grayscales. We found a 50-inch DLP for $2,200.

More Confusion

Like computers and cellphones, digital TVs are improving rapidly, so that a cheap model on sale may use last year’s technology. Also, some regular old analog TV sets are being touted as “flat screen,” because they use a flat piece of glass to encase old technology. But they are not “flat-panel.”

The connectors on all these TVs can be horribly confusing. But you may want to get two new types of connectors — HDMI, which supposedly simplifies connecting components without any loss of quality; and CableCard, which allows you to get some, but not all, cable networks without a bulky set-top box.

Our best advice is to shop around, and to buy the set that matches your budget and looks good to you in the store. All the jargon and expert opinions in the world matter less than your own taste.

• Email: MossbergSolution@wsj.com

So, most digital photos never get printed, and many of those that do are produced at kiosks in retail stores, and ordered from online photo services like Shutterfly and Kodak’s EasyShare Gallery. That’s bad news for Hewlett-Packard Co., the leader in home printers, which makes a lot of money selling ink and paper to consumers. Now, H-P has come up with a new printer design for homes that it hopes will entice consumers to do more of their own printing.

This week, my assistant Katie Boehret and I reviewed H-P’s speedy new $199 Photosmart 8250 Photo Printer, a product that the company hopes will change the way you think about printing photos at home. In its fastest mode, the company boasts, the 8250 can churn out a snapshot-sized 4×6 photo in just 14 seconds and all-black-print text pages at 32 per minute — much faster than its 20 color or black-print page-per-minute claims for older home inkjets. Our tests showed the new model to be very fast, but not quite as speedy as H-P’s claims imply.

In addition to its speed, the Photosmart 8250 also boasts a new type of water-fast ink and a new ink-cartridge system for home printers. Instead of lumping all of the printer’s colors together in one large cartridge, this printer stores each of its six inks in a separate cartridge. That way, if you use a lot of one color — say lots of green, taking pictures of baseball games — you only need to replace one color when you run out, not all of the others, which still may be in good supply.

These new cartridges cost about $10 for each of the five colors, and $18 for the solo black cartridge, which holds about twice as much ink as any one color. By contrast, on H-P’s older printers, the single color cartridge can cost as much as $35, and the black cartridge about $30.

The longevity of these new individual tanks varies per color and depending on what is being printed. H-P estimates that with typical pages of mixed text and graphics, the new black cartridge will print 480 pages, and color cartridges range between 350 and 490 pages. The cartridges in the old system last for 450 color and 450 black pages.

This idea of individual ink tanks is nothing new. Some H-P rivals, such as Epson and Canon, have relied on that type of design for years, and H-P itself has sold inkjets for business with individual ink tanks. But the company claims its new home system is engineered to use more of the ink inside each tank before it requires replacement, cutting down on waste.

To give us some perspective on H-P’s more traditional printer cartridges and speeds, we also tested the 8250’s year-old predecessor — the $149.99 Photosmart 8150 Photo Printer. The 8150 works with the old cartridge system — using just two larger cartridges at a time.

These two silver printers are similar in appearance — each is designed with a useful four-card media-card reader and a 2.5-inch color LCD screen centered on its top side. This combination of features makes both printers useable without attaching to a Mac or Windows PC; the LCD serves as a preview panel for images on your memory card, thus allowing you to zoom, lighten, or remove red eye in photos before printing.

But as we easily set up these two printers, we took note of how, under the hood, they appear rather different from one another. The older 8150’s two large cartridges have built-in printheads that slide from side to side during printing, then over to the right side for reloading and resting.

Under the 8250’s lid, we took a bit more time to snap each of its six cartridges into place. This rainbow of yellow, light and regular magenta, light and regular cyan and black cartridges fit smack in the center of the printer’s guts.

These cartridges differ from the older type in that they are separate from the printhead, the device that moves left to right while spitting color onto a page. Each container of color stays in place, and is connected to the moving printhead through its own tube. H-P says this system enables faster printing while also making it possible to replace just one color at a time.

Katie and I tested the 8250 for speed and quality by printing full-page color photos, 4×6 color photos, color Microsoft Word documents and black text-only Word documents. We sent documents to each printer from its corresponding computer, as well as directly from an inserted memory card. We ran the same tests on the 8150, just to get an understanding of how much faster the 8250 was, and how — if at all — the quality differed. Our results showed the 8250 to be much faster, but we couldn’t detect any quality difference. Both the old and new models produced very good, but unexceptional, prints.

Unsurprisingly, the 8250’s fastest results came from printing the color and black Word documents, each of which was finished in just 10 seconds, about 13 seconds faster than the 8150. Printing 4×6 color photos took 32 seconds on the 8250, about a minute less than on the 8150. And it took about eight more seconds to print a full-page photo on the 8250. The full-page photo on the 8150 took around four minutes.

H-P is selling new “Advanced” photo paper to use with its new ink. The company claims that the combination of paper and ink will lead to water-fast prints that dry faster, and that the new paper also contributes to faster print times, which we found to be true. We used a sheet of HP Premium Plus Photo Paper instead of the HP Advanced Photo Paper to print a 4×6 on the 8250, and it took 70 seconds, over twice as long.

H-P’s fastest result — the 14 second 4×6 photo — is achieved by printing on Advanced Photo Paper, in fast-draft mode with borders, and H-P times the print according to the second page out, after the printheads are already in place for printing. By contrast, our tests attempt to approximate real life. We start timing when the print button is pressed and count the first page out.

Occasionally, the 8250 performed some noisy “device maintenance,” according to the message on the LCD screen. H-P explained that this is the printer’s way of recycling the ink it uses to clean its printhead, whereas many printers clean printheads using ink, but never re-use that ink.

The individual ink cartridges might be enough to sway you into buying the 8250, especially if you print items with certain colors regularly — like documents with your company’s all-red logo. You might also be drawn to its speed, which had us hooked, but its quality, while good, wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

With reporting by Katherine Boehret

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com