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  UofMTiger Tech
UOFMTIGER'S DEN

The most advanced headphones in the world?

3/29/2015

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Design

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The Parrot Zik 2.0 bluetooth headphones are  beautifully designed by the well known French industrial designer Phillippe Starck .  They have a mix of metal and faux leather that I find appealing in basic black.  These headphones come in some unconventional colors, as well.    The orange pair reminds me of the earmuffs I used to wear when I worked at the Airport, but if you are looking to be noticed, I guess the orange or yellow are available for you.  They also come in beige, blue, and white for the less adventurous.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Compared to my regular (non-Bluetooth) headphones, these headphones are fairly light at 9.52oz.  Although they aren’t the lightest pair of Bluetooth headphones you can find, personally, I wouldn’t have minded a little more weight if the earphones could have more room for extending the ear cups.  They have 4 settings and I have them fully extended.  I would prefer the pads to be just a bit wider, as well.  However, trade offs have to be made for weight, and I am tall and probably have a larger head and ears than an average sized person.   However, I would suggest trying them on before buying, if possible.  Also, while the headphones are comfortable and there is cushioning in the headband, I did feel some pressure on the top of my head after an hour or so of listening.  However, I was able to adjust it to a different spot to take pressure off.

The App

Below is a comprehensive video about the app:
The magic of these headphones is how they work with the iOS (Android) app that you can download for free.  I have an iPhone 6 plus and an iPad Air 2.  There is not an iPad specific app, but you can download the iPhone app and enlarge it.  Pairing with either device is easy, but when you change devices, you need to make sure it is no longer paired to the prior device.  

Once I had it paired to my iPhone, I launched the Parrot Zik 2.0 app.  You have to sign in to use it, which I don’t like, but I wanted to use it, so I signed in with one of my accounts.   Once you are into the app, you have three main controls:  “Noise Control”, “Equalizer”, and “Concert Hall”.   Also, the battery percentage you have left is displayed.  

The “Noise control” feature is amazing.  You can set just how much of the outside world you want in or even turn it off.   They have a big circle on the screen and when you tap and drag it in (making the circle smaller), you get less outside noise and as you expand it you let more outside noise in.  The choices range from “noise cancelling (max)” to “street mode (max)”.  

The “Equalizer” has some presets that contain a range of settings in a circle.  You move a curser that looks like a round ball in the center of the circle toward your choices  (Pop, Vocal, Cristal, Club, Punchy and Deep) and it changes the sound accordingly.   You can also choose “Producer Mode” by clicking on an icon that resembles an analog soundboard in the bottom left corner of the screen.  It will allow you to tweak individual audio bands using the “5 bands full parametric equalizer”.

The “Concert Hall” setting allows you to direct the “speaker placement” and expand the sound stage.  Personally, I think the “Silent Room” and “Living Room” settings are the only settings I would use with music (although I usually keep this feature off).  However, the “Jazz Club” and “Concert Hall” settings may be useful for audio from movies or games. 

The app allows you to save any of your presets and you can also sample presets from other users.  They have a search function that makes it easy to type in an artist and see if anyone has put together a preset for them.  If not, you can also search by genre, popularity, etc.  There are “Premium” and “Connoisseur” sections that divide the artist suggestions from user suggestions.   I would actually prefer one section for all presets, but I guess they have to give the artists some exposure.  

There is also a  “flight mode” section that helps you save battery power.   Speaking of battery power, it has a pretty wide range depending on the settings you are using.  I have been listening for about an hour and a half this morning with the noise cancelling, EQ, and Concert Hall settings on and it still has 76 percent power.  I think their 6 hours in normal mode with noise control, Bluetooth, and Concert Hall enabled is accurate.   Of course, you can save battery power by turning off features.  They say that their Airplay mode with noise control on and listening to music from the jack will give you 18 hours.   Parrot also sells their proprietary battery for $29.99 if you need it.  Unfortunately, these headphones use Bluetooth 3 technology rather than the newer Bluetooth 4, which would have made them more energy efficient. 

The other stuff in the box

While these are Bluetooth headphones, they do come with a cable to connect directly to your device if you want to save battery power.   The cable is around 4 feet long, but since they used standard 3.5mm plugs, it is easy to find longer or shorter cables for very little money.   There is a sound quality trade off by running directly from the jack with the headphone’s features off, but I still found the sound to be acceptable in this mode for non-audiophile needs.   

The package comes with the headphones, a charging cable, the audio cable, a transport bag, a battery, and instructions.  The charging cable uses micro USB, but there is not a power plug included.  I hate to go on a rant about this issue, but I still can’t understand why a wall charger isn’t included with devices that need to be charged.   That being said, it is the current trend in Bluetooth devices.   I also would have preferred a carrying case rather than a pouch.  These headphones don’t fold up like most portable headphones and just using a pouch doesn’t seem like enough protection.  Parrot sells a $39.99 case, but for the price of the headphones, I wish they had included it in the box.

The Controls

The controls on the headphones are unique and intuitive.   The only minor gripe in this area is the placement of the on/off switch.  It is placed in the spot that I would typically grab them for adjustment or to remove them to talk to someone for a second.  I have turned them off by accident a few times, but I have gotten used to the placement and have changed my normal habits.  The rest of the features are great.  You simply use the right earpiece to control everything from pausing audio (tap), volume adjustment (sliding finger up and down) and back tracking (slide back once to start song over and slide back twice to start prior song), and forwarding to the next track by sliding your finger forward.  By pushing down in the center of the headphone for a couple seconds, you can launch Siri and give her commands.  If you ask for a definition, Siri will ask if it can read it to you and  then it will actually read the page.  Pretty cool!

Another cool feature is the way the headphones will pause what you are playing when you remove them from your head.  When you are ready to listen again, you simply put them back on your head and the app will start playing automatically.  I also did a quick test of the mic. I made a phone call and the person on the other end said that I sounded fine.  I did have a bit of an issue hearing myself talking, but I didn’t find that it was a major issue.  

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Final Words

Finally, I agree with Parrot.  These are the most advanced headphones in the world (insert your favorite Dos Equis quote here).  Combined with their app, they are simply in a league of their own.  No, they aren’t perfect because they could sound better via the headphone jack when the headphones are turned off and they could update to the newest Bluetooth technology to extend battery life.  However, what is here is pretty darn cool and amazing.


Pros:
Customizable to the extreme
Noise Canceling
Works with standard 3.5mm audio cable when off
Battery can be changed out easily
Multiple Equalizer settings (with the ability to save presets)
Easy to find new presets for artists with search function
Good looking industrial design (in the basic black)
Easy setup
Headphone pauses music when removed
Intuitive Controls
Decent sounding microphone 
Access to Siri from headphones 

Negatives:
Price is around $400 (as of today)
Bluetooth 3 (newer Bluetooth would have given longer battery power)
Difficult to hear yourself on phone calls
Package did not contain hard carrying case or power plug
Big heads or ears might not work with design
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Best Standing Treadmill Desk

3/20/2015

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I have had a very cheap treadmill desk for quite a while and it never felt sturdy enough and it was too small to be used for real work.  The WalkTop Treadmill Desk on the other hand could be setup in an office and used on a daily basis. (Disclaimer: There are safety concerns with using a treadmill and a treadmill desk.  I would suggest reading the safety instructions in their manual before you decide if this is for you.)

SETUP

The desk comes in a box in once piece combined with the detailed instructions.  It is best to use a tape measurer to estimate how far your treadmill's handle bars are from each other and then you can simply slide the mounts to those positions (using thumbscrews) and you are ready to strap it on to your treadmill.  (Before ordering, I would suggest looking at their webpage which gives you all of the measurements you need to determine whether it will fit your treadmill:  http://www.walktop.com/pages/will-the-walktop-treadmill-desk-fit-my-treadmill ).

It took me less than 5 minutes to secure it to my treadmill.  At that point, I adjusted the height and the incline.  I am 6'5 and was pleasantly surprised that I could adjust the treadmill to a height that was perfect for typing on my 15 inch laptop.  The back of the desk can even be inclined if you are using it for reading a book.  I inclined the front and the back to get it to the perfect height.

USE

Once I had it at the right height, it did become more difficult to reach the controls on the treadmill, but I just put it on a slow speed and did not mess with the controls after that.  One of the smart things about the design is that you can see through the "lexan" top and I could see the display on the treadmill right through the desk.  My treadmill has an emergency cord that is below the handle bars and I had no problem stopping it without reaching over the desk to get to the controls.


Once I had the treadmill running, I did not notice any vibrations in the desk.  I also typed on a laptop without any stability problems.  Once I was done, I unbuckled 4 straps, removed the desk and I was ready to run on the treadmill in less than a few minutes.  With these type of desks, if you want to also use your treadmill for workouts, or your treadmill folds up into a closet (which is how my Spirit STS277 operates), it is extremely important that you can remove or install the desk quickly, otherwise, you might not use it very often.


Upsides:

1.  Very stabile...assuming it fits your treadmill

2.  Large (~42 inches wide) desk to get real work done (this may be a downside if you have a small space, though)

3.  Installation and removal were quick and easy for me (it weighs around 25 pounds)

4.  easy to fold down and store in a closet/under a bed, etc.

5.  Height adjustable with the option for an incline (even for tall folks)

6.  Clear desk to make it easy to see treadmill display

7.  Can stop the treadmill and use it as a standing desk


Downsides:

1. It isn't cheap ($439 at the time of this article)



In so many products, I can usually think of at least one thing I would like them to add or change.  For my needs, I can't think of a single thing I would change with the design of this desk.

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Small Bluetooth Speaker that Mounts to Bike

3/17/2015

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The NYNE Cruiser is a small Bluetooth speaker that can be mounted to handlebars. I have an older Raleigh mountain bike with fairly thick handlebars and I was able to get the clamps around them with a little pressure (it took less than 2 minutes to get it mounted and ready to go). Once the speaker was mounted to the handlebars, it seemed to be stable. I mainly use the mountain bike like a stationary bike since it is on a Kurt Kenetic trainer most of the time, but I wouldn't hesitate taking this speaker on a typical ride on cement (or an easy dirt track).

The upside is that I can now be on the bike and not have to worry about fiddling with my iPhone. I can take calls, turn up and down the volume, pause audio and play without taking the phone out of my pocket or a bag. While the speaker is not the last word in high volume or bass, I would not expect it to be. It is small and physics are still at work here. However, what I do expect is clear, undistorted audio and it accomplishes that goal with flying colors. I also want to mention that I had no problems connecting it via Bluetooth to my iPhone. It was immediately "discovered" and connected in seconds.

The Bluetooth speaker is also nice for just sitting on a desk. If you put it on its side, it has a very small footprint. Also, it has an aux input, so if you want to just plug an mp3 player into it via the headphone out on the player, you can play audio that way as well. It comes with a red 3.5mm cable to make that an easy process.


They also included a red USB cable for plugging it into your own USB power supply Typically, I would knock a star off of a review for not including a power plug, but in this case, I didn't. The main reason is that you can use the power supply that came with your phone to charge the speaker AND your phone. The speaker maker had enough foresight to supply an extra USB port on the speaker that you can plug your phone/mp3 player into to charge. This means you don't need two separate power sockets because one socket can effectively charge both devices.


The speaker also came with a pouch for storage which is a great idea. I plan to throw this thing in a suitcase when I go out of town and like the extra protection. All in all, this speaker performed every task I expected and threw in a couple "extras" (like the extra USB port and pouch) that made me happy about the device.

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Quick Post on Apple's new stuff

3/14/2015

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MacBook

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Apple came out with a new 12 inch, 2 pound MacBook that brought the MacBook closer to the iPad.  It has one USB-C port and one headphone port and is fanless.   I have seen a lot of complaints about it being overpriced, but I never really understand those types of complaints.  If you don't like the price, then don't buy it.  I don't like the price of Teslas, but it is what it is.  I just choose not to buy one.

Personally, I can see a purpose for this type of computer even if I don't think they are a practical choice.  They would be great for someone that rarely plugs stuff into their laptop and values light weight with a beautiful (small) screen over everything else.  I am personally a fan of the 15 inch MBP and prefer an iPad for ultra-portability, so I won't be getting one.  I do like that space grey, though.  Also, I am sure we will eventually see docks for USB-C that will make it easy to plug in one cable to get video out, power, USB inputs, etc.  

Apple Watch

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Of course, the Apple Watch was also introduced.  I am in "wait and see" mode on this item.  I can see several ways I would use it, but I may wait for the 2nd gen version.  I have been burned with Apple 1st gen products in the past (my iPod Touch without a speaker and the Original iPad that stopped getting updates ages ago.).   The 2nd gen is usually miles ahead of version one.  Also, waiting will give the app developers some time to figure out what to do with the watch.

Needless to say, I could change my mind if there is a price drop that makes it easier to rationalize the purchase, but right now, I am going to sit it out.  If somehow the app developers come up with something so cool that the item moves up in my view from the slight interest scale to very interested scale, I will let you know.  I just can't see how that will happen in the near future.  As with the MacBook, the price is higher than I would want to pay for this type of product at this point.  I am not saying it is overpriced because Apple bases their prices on margins that make it worthwhile for them and based on what they think people will pay to satisfy their targeted units to be sold.  If it doesn't sell well at this price, I would not be surprised by a price drop.  However, to be honest, I think it will sell quite well....of course, the iPad sells quite well unless you compare to prior numbers, so if people think it will sell like an iPhone, I think they will be extremely disappointed (or happy if they are one of the many trolls that I see every time an Apple product is mentioned).

Apple TV

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Apple made a big deal about HBO's subscription service coming to the Apple TV and dropped the price by $30 (was $99 and can now be purchased for $69).  For those with iOS devices, I still recommend it, even if Apple comes out with a new Apple TV later.  You can always put it in another system (audio or video) if you decide you need the new Apple TV or what ever Apple comes out with next.  You can read my "Defense of Apple TV" article from 12/14 if you want to know why I am still a fan of this device.  (I write this as I am streaming music from iTunes match via an AppleTV via a Genius playlist.)

All in all, I think Apple is still making some very interesting products.  A whole lot of people wanted thinner with a better screen than you can get on an Air and now they have it.   Many iPhone users wanted a "smart" watch from Apple and they will have that now, too.   All in all, I think Apple still has a knack for creating great looking devices that people want.  I am just curious how much people are willing to pay for the privilege....

not that I am complaining. 

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Top 5 - Favorite Things

3/12/2015

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Over the years, I have put together gift suggestions on my site based mainly on equipment I own or, on occasion, I find "drool worthy".  I would usually post these suggestions on my site a couple weeks before Christmas.

However, it occurred to me that people buy gifts year around, so I put together a special "Favorite Things" page that has "Top 5" lists at different price points (Top 5 under $10 to Top 5 under $1000).  

A always, feel free to leave comments here or email me with any questions about those suggested products.  


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KelbyOne vs Lynda.com (updated)

3/1/2015

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If you haven't read my prior review, you may want to start there if you are curious about how far the services have come in less than a year.  In the last couple of weeks, I decided to partner up with both services so that I could get some credit for linking to their site and to be able to add their content for demonstration purposes to this review.  Lynda.com has made me a partner, but Kelbyone turned me down after reading my last article on the subject.  Maybe they didn't appreciate my prior review?  Not sure, but I have not received any money from Lynda.com at this point and it will not affect my review.  However, I wanted to mention it for full disclosure.

Both services have made some changes over the last year.  The biggest change to Kelbyone is that they lowered the monthly cost to 19.99 a month (or $199 for a full year).  They were charging $25, so that is a pretty decent price drop.  I understand that it still isn't free and if you search on YouTube you can find some great Photography workshops.  Personally, I would suggest B&H and Adorama's Youtube channels if you don't want to spend money on these type of services.  

The website for Kelbyone is still glitchy.  I logged in yesterday to start research for my review and was greated with this:
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Also, they haven't fixed any of the iPad issues I described last year, like the basic feature that will pick up where you left off or the ability to put videos in a playlist.   Also , you still have to scroll through videos to get to the last one you watched.  The website will allow you to "heart" a video, which you still can't do on the iPad, but for some reason they don't always show up in the "heart" section on the iPad.  In fact, I went to the section on my iPad and the first video on the list wasn't something I "hearted".  I clicked on it to see if I could figure out what it was and got this:
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Despite the fact they they haven't really fixed any of those issues, they do have one great feature.  The ability to download a class for watching offline is included in the normal pricing.  Also, when a class has project files available (which is admittedly rare), Kelbyone supplies them without extra cost.  Lynda.com has a basic service $25 a month ($250 a year) and "Premium" membership for $37.50 ($375 a year).  The ability to download a video for offline viewing  and the ability to download project files are only included in the $37.50 service.  

The other improving area of Kelbyone is that they have a constantly growing database of discount offers from popular businesses (Adorama, Smugmug, Apple, and many more).   Before I did my review last year, I tried to click on their Apple discount page and it said it was coming soon.  However, in October, I actually used Kelbyone to save $12 on an iPad Air 2 and $10 on AppleCare for it.   That paid for over a month of Kelbyone.  I really wished I would think about the discounts more often because there are a lot of opportunities for the typical photographer.  Even if you are just buying a Mac, I would suggest signing up for Kelbyone just to see if you can get a discount.  I noticed that the iMac is not included in their current savings, but you can get great savings on a MBP.  I should mention that some of their "discounts" for certain websites don't work, though.   As an example, they have a discount code for a software website, but since they were running a special (which is not unusual for software), when I put in the code, it said that I couldn't use it.

As I mentioned last year, Kelbyone also gives you access to "Photoshop User Magazine" in pdf format.  While I mainly subscribe for the videos, this just adds more value to the service.  When you quit the service, you will still have access to the magazines you downloaded.  One other thing I noticed is that you can use your iPad to directly access the Kelbyone website and access videos that way.  While I generally prefer using apps because you can get to everything quicker, in this case, I would suggest using the website (just put a bookmark on your iPad's home screen) unless you need to download a video to watch later.  It is more up to date with your favorites and will also give you access to the websites extra features.  You can even download the Photoshop magazine to your iPad and save it to iBooks.  My only caveat here is that the layout of the magazine in iBooks shows two pages all the time which reads better in landscape mode, but then the font is a bit too small.  

As you can see Kelbyone gives you a lot for the money.  I joined their service last year around this time and I have stuck with them the entire time.  The service has gotten cheaper, while adding more features. 

Lynda.com still remained the less frustrating choice for those using the iPad (I found their website to be much less "glitchy", as well) and for those that want to watch a video and be able to easily pick up where they left off.  Also, their playlists actually work on the iPad.  Personally, I watch most of these videos by streaming to the AppleTV and the fact that Lynda has the Airplay controls built right into the app makes it easy to start a video and easily send it to the TV.  Kelbyone, on the other hand, doesn't have it built in.  You have to go into the iOS device's  Control Center and  use it to send the video to the AppleTV.  If you already started the video, it requires you to restart it.  Lynda.com also added "Google Casting" to their iOS interface.  For those those that don't want to spend $99 on an AppleTV, the Chromecast is a great ~$35 option to get the video to the TV.  Kelbyone does not have Google Casting built in.

Below is an example of the video screen from the Lynda iPad app:
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Notice that I have boxes around the Chromecast (Google Casting) and Airplay icons in the pic above.   You can also see the ability to save the video to your Playlists (next to the Casting box).    The list that pops up allows you to save the video to the playlist of your choice.  If you click "Go to playlists", you will be exported to your playlists where you can add a new playlist.  However, I did not see an easy way to get back to the video you are watching, so I would just put it in ""My playlist" and move it to a newly created playlist later.
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The other great feature is that when you click on the "Videos" box, it will show you every video in the lesson with an eyeball symbol next to the videos you have already watched.  
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Below is the Kelbyone screenshot.  Notice the lack of choices compared with Lynda.com   You have the "Class Info" and "Lessons" (which don't have any way to show you what has played) and the Options panel has downloading and video speed choices (playing the video at a faster speed is not something I would ever use.):
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Content

As I mentioned last year, Lynda.com has great photography courses, but it also has an unbelievable number of classes that cover everything from getting the best of your Mac to Pivot Tables in Excel to learning to think like a Songwriter and much, much, more.  I only have one complaint related to one of their changes.  They no longer have a category for "Instructor".  However, it does a good job of finding those courses if you simply use their search engine to type in the instructor's name.  They eliminated the handy list of classes in each category that made it easy to find a class for your needs, but it has been replaced by a way to "filter" and once you apply those "filters", everything usually fits on a page or two.  In addition to "Category" filters, you also have the option of filtering by release date or in alphabetical order.

Notice in the picture below the numerous subjects that are covered at Lynda.com:
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In the picture below, you get a good idea how the filters work (click on picture for a larger image):
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Lynda.com Sample courses:

Since I can link to free videos on Lynda.com, I thought I would put a few example videos here to show you the wide range of subjects.  

iOS8 Health app

Excel Pivot Tables

Night Photography

As I mentioned in my previous article, Kelbyone is mainly concentrated toward photography and video production.  However, Kelbyone seems more aimed toward someone with a lot more experience.  For example, when you go to the Kelbyone "Video" section and search for iMovie (a very popular program for the amateur), you get about 10 minutes of video to watch.  If you do that same search on Lynda.com  you get hours of video (more than one entire course).  I should mention Lynda has a course date, so I can see that they have an iMovie course from December 2014.   I can't see anything related to the date of the course when I pull up the iMove class (or any other class for that matter) in Kelbyone.   

Below is a list of some of the categories on Kelbyone:
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Lynda.com allows you to search from the main page.  To search from Kelbyone's page, you have to go to a category first.  I assume (I could be wrong) that when you chose the category for new courses, you can search everything in their catalog, but it is unclear.  

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 Below is a quick positive and negative chart for each service:

Kelbyone

Positives:
1. Lower price (19.99  a month)
2.  Great Photography based videos by pros
3.  Ability to download video for offline viewing
4. Magazine
5. Discounts with some manufacturers

Negatiives:
1. Glitchy website
2. iPad app is lacking features
3.  Courses limited when compared to the competition

Lynda.com

Postives:
1. Website has more features (I didn't even mention their Matrix Center that shows stats related to subjects you have watched or their recommended classes based on videos you have watched in the past).
2.  Website is less glitchy
3.  iPad app has more features 
4.  Playlists in iPad app actually work
5. Classes cover a much wider range of courses.

Negatives:
1.  Not as many "extra" features
2. Pricier than Kelbyone (especially if you need offline downloads)

FINAL CONCLUSIONS

My feeling is that both services have a lot to offer.  I have had several months with both services over the years and I think it is best to jump back and forth depending on their current class offerings.  As I mentioned last year, and that feeling hasn't changed, if I had to choose one to use forever, it would be Lynda.com because their classes cover Photography/Videography from beginner to expert in a more thorough way (see my mention of iMovie above) and they have so many other courses in areas that I have an interest (Youtube, instagram, twitter, Flickr, Microsoft Office, marketing, etc.).  It is simply a much more complete service.  However, I don't have to decide the service I want to use forever, so if I know I am going to buy a product from one of KelbyOne's discount sponsors or want to learn about a new Lightroom feature from Scott Kelby, I can jump from one service and back to the other.  

As a side note, I realize that there are courses on Youtube and DVDs that you can own forever that are a less expensive way of learning some of these subjects.  I watch some of them as well.  However, you may have to wade through piles of trash (in the case of Youtube) to get to the real gems or in the case of DVDs, you won't keep up as easily with new updates in the field you are studying.  Right now, I would rather spend my time going straight to the gems, without watching extra commercial clips, and pay a bit of money for the time savings.  However, each person has to come to their own time vs money assessments.  

Let me know if you have any questions or if I missed something.  
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    About me:

    Dog loving, Big Green Egg worshiping, Tech enthusiast, residing in Memphis, TN.  Home of the Tigers, Grizzlies, Elvis, Al Green, Stax, Hi Records, Ardent Studios, Beale Street, Peabody Ducks, etc..  I have also added the Jeep Wrangler to the list of things I am enthusiastic about.

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