It appears that these videos (or the last 6 of them anyway) will be stuck on the device with no way to retrieve them. I am VERY unhappy and wish that I had just erred on the side of caution and not purchased this device. Needless to say, I'm returning it for a refund and will instead go with a "real" camcorder which will only be a few dollars more and hopefully will work as advertised...

I'm very disappointed and am definitely returning the camera for good. Its small size and ease of use were nice and convenient, but it gave me so much headache as I try to download the photos that it is just a huge disappointment. Last night it took me all night to try to save all the photos - what a waste of my time and a frustrating experience.

The device was returned today, but unfortunately, the issue remains: I can't move the videos from the device to my computers. Perhaps this is a lone instance, but I thought others ought to know. I'm returning the device to Amazon for a refund.

We sent it in to Flipvideo (oh, how I wish I had returned it to Amazon for a refund). 4 weeks later, we received (having missed any chance at holiday filming due to a defective camera)the camera. Well, you can probably guess what happened: the new camera also freezes during video uploads.

This is a great concept but after spending 2 days trying to load the software from the camcorder I finally gave up. I had help from my Geek son-in-law and still could not get it to load on a new laptop with Windows Vista, also tried loading it onto my desktop with Windows XP and got a different error message. It's going back for a return and until Flip Video fixes the software/compatibility issues I wouldn't recommend it.

I tried installing and uploading on 4 different computers: 1 Mac laptop, 2 Windows XP Pro desktops, and 1 Windows XP Pro laptop; all failed with "I/O error" or "Bad CRC" error messages, or just hung during the software installation. After each try I had to reboot the computer, and remove the batteries in the Flip to get it restart. I am returning the Flip as defective.

I tried working with flip's customer support, and was pretty unimpressed. In the end they asked me to ship it to them and they would try to fix it, but as I said, I'm just returning it. Overall, I can't say don't get this device, it's a great idea and I was thrilled with it at first, but if you do please make sure and take a good number of test videos before you use it to record anything you want to keep.

Trying to get customer service/support is nearly impossible, and I'm now up to almost 6 hours chasing after this, leaving voice mails (that is their support center...no live talk), messing around with it trying to get something to work. I guess I'll just throw the thing in the trash, and go get something else. Anyone have any suggestions for a cam that is Mac compatible?

I bought this but am now returning it for a few reasons. The main reason is the fact that it would not work on my computer. It does not tell you that you may have do download an update (found on flip.com) just to make the software work.

I later tried to burn all of the video to a DVD and it was then when I discovered the truly terrible device that is Flip Video. I discovered that Flip Video is strictly for tech geeks who spend the majority of their time YouTubing and video blogging, but if you want to capture a memory and convert it to a DVD like a normal human being then this device is not for you. The DVD's are extremely grainy and the pixelization is terrible.

The first flip I got was defective. Something was wrong with the screen and it stopped filming after 5 short videos. I also had a lot of trouble downloading the pictures, so I returned it, thinking it was just a bad apple.

Upon looking through the forum, this is a huge problem with this video camera. I feel certain I will be returning this product. I would avoid purchasing this video camera until it is improved upon but greatly upsets me that I spent so much money on something that doesn't work properly and even worse, was a gift!

Searched Flip's website but its support area is pretty lame and doesn't offer any real trouble shooting advice. Finally tried it on a third computer and It Worked (??) but its not the computer the software needs to be on...so back it goes. Not sure why it worked on one out three computers but the software was one of the selling points for getting it.

If you have no intention of recording anything longer, this may not be an issue for you, but since there's not set identifiable file size limit, you never really know when you'll bump up against the lockup issue. The worst part of it is that it seems to corrupt the file as far as your computer is concerned despite the fact that the Flip Video itself can play it back. I gave it 2 stars, because it does have good bang for the buck when it does work, but unfortunately for my use, it does me no good since I can't get the larger video files off of the camcorder.

As best I can figure out, there are bunches of bad sectors in the memory of the device, as one video might come across but the next would freeze up the computer requiring a full reboot. We tried on many different machines to make it work, 2 macs and 4 different windows machines, all with the same results. I've tried to run diagnostics on it and fix problems or bad sectors, and that also freezes the computer.

My Flip stopped working after about an hours use and the batteries started to overheat. Unfortunately, I had some video of my newborn daughter in the camera that I had not yet had a chance to download to my computer. Flip Video said to return the camera and they would repair it and try to recover the videos.

Anyway, I was about ready to return the item, but my boyfriend tells me that I should wait till tomorrow for a reply to see what they say. If nothing new, then... return it will go.

Then I tried it on my son's brand new dual-core Pentium, figuring that would take care of it, and it blew up on his with the same error message. Flip Video solicited all of my information, but were completely unhelpful in determining what the problem could be. So I have to return it.

Then I was struck by another thought: why not bypass this "flip software" altogether and just do a copy from the USB drive? The copy started and then the very generic "Can not copy because of a IO error" appeared on the screen. My videos are ruined and this junk of a product is going back to the retailer first thing tomorrow and I will try this instead:

But then I took another video and when I tried uploading that it stalled again. I returned this iFlip to Walmart, hoping it was a defective unit. And then I ordered the 60 minute iFlip from Amazon.com.

I'm very disappointed and am definitely returning the camera for good. Its small size and ease of use were nice and convenient, but it gave me so much headache as I try to download the photos that it is just a huge disappointment. Last night it took me all night to try to save all the photos - what a waste of my time and a frustrating experience.

We sent it in to Flipvideo (oh, how I wish I had returned it to Amazon for a refund). 4 weeks later, we received (having missed any chance at holiday filming due to a defective camera)the camera. Well, you can probably guess what happened: the new camera also freezes during video uploads.

Upon looking through the forum, this is a huge problem with this video camera. I feel certain I will be returning this product. I would avoid purchasing this video camera until it is improved upon but greatly upsets me that I spent so much money on something that doesn't work properly and even worse, was a gift!

My Flip stopped working after about an hours use and the batteries started to overheat. Unfortunately, I had some video of my newborn daughter in the camera that I had not yet had a chance to download to my computer. Flip Video said to return the camera and they would repair it and try to recover the videos.

After that, I started receiving an I/O device error. I've been unable to get most of the short videos from the camera. I emailed Pure Digital(Flip) and they've requested that I send them the camcorder so they can "try" to save any of my videos and then try to repair the camcorder.

But, that might be too late to then get my Amazon refund if software still defective. Believe what you read about this camera not working.

What a waste of time and money. After being unable to record the event and becoming frustrated, I send the camera back to Amazon. I guess you get what you pay.

As another reviewer stated, the camera shows "Connected" after disconnecting from computer and you have to take out batteries to get it to restart. The start/stop button doesn't work consistently -- it often takes many presses to do either. Now I have the hassle of trying to get the footage off because it has some really great video of my kids and then returning the camera.

If these guys were smart (and I think they are given the camera), they would have an app like itunes the sits on your computer and not the camera and has auto updates which can figure out why the stupid thing is not compatible. This unfortunately ruins the whole experience and would seemingly be an easy fix. Unfortunately for flip, this software issue is probably causing a huge amount of returns.

I ended up returning my Flip Video Ultra as I am a technical user who wants to edit my video and would like better quality/control in my camcorder. That said, this camera is very well balanced for the price point and its direct competitors all have negatives that seem worse IMO. I would recommend getting this for someone who is a non-technical user or for a child who just wants to shoot video and share it on the web, dvd, or via direct connection to a TV without editing.

It appears that these videos (or the last 6 of them anyway) will be stuck on the device with no way to retrieve them. I am VERY unhappy and wish that I had just erred on the side of caution and not purchased this device. Needless to say, I'm returning it for a refund and will instead go with a "real" camcorder which will only be a few dollars more and hopefully will work as advertised...

The device was returned today, but unfortunately, the issue remains: I can't move the videos from the device to my computers. Perhaps this is a lone instance, but I thought others ought to know. I'm returning the device to Amazon for a refund.

I tried working with flip's customer support, and was pretty unimpressed. In the end they asked me to ship it to them and they would try to fix it, but as I said, I'm just returning it. Overall, I can't say don't get this device, it's a great idea and I was thrilled with it at first, but if you do please make sure and take a good number of test videos before you use it to record anything you want to keep.

The first flip I got was defective. Something was wrong with the screen and it stopped filming after 5 short videos. I also had a lot of trouble downloading the pictures, so I returned it, thinking it was just a bad apple.

My Flip stopped working after about an hours use and the batteries started to overheat. Unfortunately, I had some video of my newborn daughter in the camera that I had not yet had a chance to download to my computer. Flip Video said to return the camera and they would repair it and try to recover the videos.

Then I was struck by another thought: why not bypass this "flip software" altogether and just do a copy from the USB drive? The copy started and then the very generic "Can not copy because of a IO error" appeared on the screen. My videos are ruined and this junk of a product is going back to the retailer first thing tomorrow and I will try this instead:

I received an error message shortly after connecting it to my computer. This is just too frustrating and I don't have the time (or patience at this point) and I don't want to send my sons' their Christmas present knowing that it won't work. I did write to Pure Digital and got a response back to send it back to them and they will repair it and retrieve my videos and send back.

After that, I started receiving an I/O device error. I've been unable to get most of the short videos from the camera. I emailed Pure Digital(Flip) and they've requested that I send them the camcorder so they can "try" to save any of my videos and then try to repair the camcorder.

It was easy to get still photos from the videos, although they are not very sharp. However, I wish I had checked what MAC processor speed and memory was needed-my work laptop does not have enough of either, and while it works, it does so very slowly, and despite creating folders with the software, each time I hook it up it says I have no folders (the folders are saved to the computer only). I also was disappointed that several of the features available for PC are not available in the MAC version.

It DOES allow me to pull the videos from the Flip to my computer, but once there, the playback is either very slow or does not work at all. I will hit the "play" button and it freezes. I took 3 videos today that I can not watch because it will freeze.

This is a great concept but after spending 2 days trying to load the software from the camcorder I finally gave up. I had help from my Geek son-in-law and still could not get it to load on a new laptop with Windows Vista, also tried loading it onto my desktop with Windows XP and got a different error message. It's going back for a return and until Flip Video fixes the software/compatibility issues I wouldn't recommend it.

I tried installing and uploading on 4 different computers: 1 Mac laptop, 2 Windows XP Pro desktops, and 1 Windows XP Pro laptop; all failed with "I/O error" or "Bad CRC" error messages, or just hung during the software installation. After each try I had to reboot the computer, and remove the batteries in the Flip to get it restart. I am returning the Flip as defective.

I bought this but am now returning it for a few reasons. The main reason is the fact that it would not work on my computer. It does not tell you that you may have do download an update (found on flip.com) just to make the software work.

Searched Flip's website but its support area is pretty lame and doesn't offer any real trouble shooting advice. Finally tried it on a third computer and It Worked (??) but its not the computer the software needs to be on...so back it goes. Not sure why it worked on one out three computers but the software was one of the selling points for getting it.

Then I was struck by another thought: why not bypass this "flip software" altogether and just do a copy from the USB drive? The copy started and then the very generic "Can not copy because of a IO error" appeared on the screen. My videos are ruined and this junk of a product is going back to the retailer first thing tomorrow and I will try this instead:

These things said, I really hope they get the glitches fixed because dollar for dollar you can't find anything close to the video and audio quality at twice the price and I have bought and returned 3 other kinds of cameras in the same price bracket since I returned the Ultra. I am now trying the Flip regular 30 min model and it has nowhere near the video quality of the ultra. Although the operating buttons are consistantly responsive, the same glitches in software and freeze-ups manifest in this model as well but not as often.

But, that might be too late to then get my Amazon refund if software still defective. Believe what you read about this camera not working.

It was easy to get still photos from the videos, although they are not very sharp. However, I wish I had checked what MAC processor speed and memory was needed-my work laptop does not have enough of either, and while it works, it does so very slowly, and despite creating folders with the software, each time I hook it up it says I have no folders (the folders are saved to the computer only). I also was disappointed that several of the features available for PC are not available in the MAC version.

Their QA department failed miserably releasing this too soon with such a lousy software interface. I am having all the same issues other reviewers have mentioned. I can't download videos to my computer; software freezes and have to end task; Flip Video still shows "Connected" after disconnecting from computer and have to take out batteries to get it to restart (a real pain in the you know what) and I have the same issue others stated about starting and stopping recording.

If these guys were smart (and I think they are given the camera), they would have an app like itunes the sits on your computer and not the camera and has auto updates which can figure out why the stupid thing is not compatible. This unfortunately ruins the whole experience and would seemingly be an easy fix. Unfortunately for flip, this software issue is probably causing a huge amount of returns.

I tried installing and uploading on 4 different computers: 1 Mac laptop, 2 Windows XP Pro desktops, and 1 Windows XP Pro laptop; all failed with "I/O error" or "Bad CRC" error messages, or just hung during the software installation. After each try I had to reboot the computer, and remove the batteries in the Flip to get it restart. I am returning the Flip as defective.

I bought this but am now returning it for a few reasons. The main reason is the fact that it would not work on my computer. It does not tell you that you may have do download an update (found on flip.com) just to make the software work.

Searched Flip's website but its support area is pretty lame and doesn't offer any real trouble shooting advice. Finally tried it on a third computer and It Worked (??) but its not the computer the software needs to be on...so back it goes. Not sure why it worked on one out three computers but the software was one of the selling points for getting it.

If you have no intention of recording anything longer, this may not be an issue for you, but since there's not set identifiable file size limit, you never really know when you'll bump up against the lockup issue. The worst part of it is that it seems to corrupt the file as far as your computer is concerned despite the fact that the Flip Video itself can play it back. I gave it 2 stars, because it does have good bang for the buck when it does work, but unfortunately for my use, it does me no good since I can't get the larger video files off of the camcorder.

As best I can figure out, there are bunches of bad sectors in the memory of the device, as one video might come across but the next would freeze up the computer requiring a full reboot. We tried on many different machines to make it work, 2 macs and 4 different windows machines, all with the same results. I've tried to run diagnostics on it and fix problems or bad sectors, and that also freezes the computer.

My Flip stopped working after about an hours use and the batteries started to overheat. Unfortunately, I had some video of my newborn daughter in the camera that I had not yet had a chance to download to my computer. Flip Video said to return the camera and they would repair it and try to recover the videos.

The recording was beautiful, however, when she finished, it took five hits on the button before it finally stopped the recording. This was frustrating and required editing that would not have been needed if the button had worked the first time I pressed it. When I connected the Flip to my computer it began to download the program only to be stopped at 34% with an error.

I received an error message shortly after connecting it to my computer. This is just too frustrating and I don't have the time (or patience at this point) and I don't want to send my sons' their Christmas present knowing that it won't work. I did write to Pure Digital and got a response back to send it back to them and they will repair it and retrieve my videos and send back.

It freezes my computer and I've taken it to have the footage put on a DVD with no success. Only the first couple of minutes will copy. The on/off button doesn't work well anymore (I've had it less than a month and stopped using it 2 weeks ago).

If you want to be working on your computer for hours buy this piece of junk. Personally, I'm going to try to return the thing. Hello,

These things said, I really hope they get the glitches fixed because dollar for dollar you can't find anything close to the video and audio quality at twice the price and I have bought and returned 3 other kinds of cameras in the same price bracket since I returned the Ultra. I am now trying the Flip regular 30 min model and it has nowhere near the video quality of the ultra. Although the operating buttons are consistantly responsive, the same glitches in software and freeze-ups manifest in this model as well but not as often.

I ended up returning my Flip Video Ultra as I am a technical user who wants to edit my video and would like better quality/control in my camcorder. That said, this camera is very well balanced for the price point and its direct competitors all have negatives that seem worse IMO. I would recommend getting this for someone who is a non-technical user or for a child who just wants to shoot video and share it on the web, dvd, or via direct connection to a TV without editing.

Unfortunately, like the Flip Ultra they don't have image stabilization and camera shake should be even more noticeable on the HD footage they record (the footage isn't true HD because it is compressed in the camera anyway...) The biggest problem with the Aiptek cameras however, is the sound quality is very bad on these cameras. I was unable to do a direct comparison, but the clips on Youtube shot with Aiptek cameras has stunning video and terrible audio.

So I am disappointed in that. But I'm hoping that I'm just missing something and will figure out how to get better quality. -I have not transferred anything to dvd or tv yet, so I'm hoping that it'll look better there.

Playing the video on the computer is ok as long as you don't enhance the size from the little box that Flip Video wants to play in. The bigger you make the picture the worse the picture gets, which is a pretty standard rule for any camera, but it is much worse on Flip Video. Flip Video takes cutting edge technology and combines it with the video quality of 1987, if that is what you are looking for in a camcorder then Flip Video is for you.

Cons: The snap shots you can capture from the video are sort of washed out color wise, when you prepare the video for email or uploading to youtube it loses a lot of quality, but it would be too large to use in those places otherwise. I do wish someone would come up with a "hard case" for this so keeping it in a purse would be safer. It does come with a black velvet pouch to protect it from scratching, but a hard case would be nice.

I guess I thought that MACs are supposed to be known for great media. It works best for close ups, but I found the zoon is not too helpful with distance shots--the movies were a little unclear. I also am disappointed in the sound--the quality is good but even on my laptop it does not play back very loud--I guess a function of not good speakers on the laptop.

I called the flip people who were to busy and said that they would get back to me but I haven't heard from them. I tried to contact them by e-mail and phone. The picture quality was okay and I was willing to let that go for the convience but I will still be needing a new camcorder as the sluggish computer/download/stitching thing is a drag.

I tried to research how to encode the footage with different formats/bitrates for maximum quality in Youtube but unfortunately, no matter what I tried (MPEG4 H.264, .flv, etc) the quality was the same. Apparently, Youtube resizes/re-encodes the footage no matter what format it is in so I think the only way to get better quality on Youtube would be to start out with better quality clips.

I would of not made this purchase. If you are a stickler for quality in general (albeit enjoy higher resolution) and/or do not want to have to watch all your videos on a computer screen at a really small size - I suggest you chub up and buy a better camcorder from a reputable company. Oh, BTW their customer service is mediocre, prefers to handle everything via email even though there is 1-888 number, and is not quick in response.

The recording was beautiful, however, when she finished, it took five hits on the button before it finally stopped the recording. This was frustrating and required editing that would not have been needed if the button had worked the first time I pressed it. When I connected the Flip to my computer it began to download the program only to be stopped at 34% with an error.

It freezes my computer and I've taken it to have the footage put on a DVD with no success. Only the first couple of minutes will copy. The on/off button doesn't work well anymore (I've had it less than a month and stopped using it 2 weeks ago).

It DOES allow me to pull the videos from the Flip to my computer, but once there, the playback is either very slow or does not work at all. I will hit the "play" button and it freezes. I took 3 videos today that I can not watch because it will freeze.

I ordered the Flip for my wife for Xmas, but after reading the reviews, I decided to test it first. The record and stop button would not work consistently and the uploading to the computer was a real test of patience. I returned the product to Amazon and will pay the extra dollars to get a real camcorder.

As another reviewer stated, the camera shows "Connected" after disconnecting from computer and you have to take out batteries to get it to restart. The start/stop button doesn't work consistently -- it often takes many presses to do either. Now I have the hassle of trying to get the footage off because it has some really great video of my kids and then returning the camera.

The camera's "Connected" screen stayed on, unresponsive to the on/off button, and I had to pull a battery out to get it to shut off. I restarted my PC to try again, and it happened consistently, another five times. I tried another few attempts where I tried to save only one video--the shortest one--and the application locked up once again, unable to save to my computer a video of 18 seconds.

I jabbed the start button (or run) several times, until finally , the Flip started working. Well, that seemed to be the way it worked. I would turn it on, hit the run button after "Ready" came up, but nothing would happen.

That freaking delete button should be placed far away from the rest of the buttons to avoid these types of catastrophes, and it should be the kind of button that has to be held down for several seconds before it takes effect. I have already lost TONS of videos, not to mention the heart to ever use the camera when I don't have my computer handy so that I can IMMEDIATELY transfer the videos to my hard drive before they get deleted. Okay, so that's the reason in a nutshell that I've taken three stars away from this disappointing product.

-Something is very strange about the software for Flip. When I open it and save my videos, or edit etc., and finish, it won't allow me to close the screen. I try to "x" out, and it won't let me, and I can't find any button that says "exit." So I am stuck there until I "control/alt/delete" out of it which is annoying and should be unnecessary.

If you can't get it to work, you may have to use just a fingernail, because if you press anywhere other than dead center of the red button it won't start or stop. Overall, this is a very good camcorder if used for the purpose for which it is intended. It isn't going to make you the next Stanley Kubrick, but it's a good start.

I tried working with flip's customer support, and was pretty unimpressed. In the end they asked me to ship it to them and they would try to fix it, but as I said, I'm just returning it. Overall, I can't say don't get this device, it's a great idea and I was thrilled with it at first, but if you do please make sure and take a good number of test videos before you use it to record anything you want to keep.

Trying to get customer service/support is nearly impossible, and I'm now up to almost 6 hours chasing after this, leaving voice mails (that is their support center...no live talk), messing around with it trying to get something to work. I guess I'll just throw the thing in the trash, and go get something else. Anyone have any suggestions for a cam that is Mac compatible?

Searched Flip's website but its support area is pretty lame and doesn't offer any real trouble shooting advice. Finally tried it on a third computer and It Worked (??) but its not the computer the software needs to be on...so back it goes. Not sure why it worked on one out three computers but the software was one of the selling points for getting it.

Customer support seems very accesssible by email/phone, 24/7 and at least they provided the firmware update (though I can't get it to download yet). Like everyone has commented, a good idea but a sad disappointment to those who got it for Christmas. I haven't returned mine yet.

After spending hours "upgrading" it on a PC to make it work on my Mac (as recommended by the Flip support team), I then had to "upgrade" again when I plugged it to the Mac. A lot of time spent to find out that the "upgrades" only allow me to watch the video on my mac- no editing, no uploading/downloading or using it with the imovie program. The Flip company assures me they are working on an upgrade for the Leopard- but no release date in sight...

The technical support has been very supportive and responsive but have not yet solved the problem. The unit has been returned and I've been promised that the problem would be corrected and the camcorder returned to me. The other issue is that I've been unable to upload to my computer and send as an attachment to a regular email.

It wouls attached to a USB port and the camera's screen would light up saying connected but the computer would not recognize it. I tried several ports and got the same result. I e-mailed support, got a response and followed the directions but still nothing.

The video does not play on my Microsoft video (latest edition). The e-mail did not play when sent. The support tech recommendation, to fix the problem, did not fix the problem.

I am personally capable on a PC, and could not get this thing to work properly using their materials. Sure, eventually SOME of the camera features work -- but we have lost several videos from our family Christmas, can't create or save the movies using their "built-in" software (which you still must try and somehow install on your computer -- deceptive!), and basically could get better functionality from one of the disposable video cameras that are on the market now! The support line will call you back and/or answer the phone, but they have no answers for compatability problems with their software and a PC.

But not just a software update, but a completely new installation. So, I had to manually uninstall the from-the-box original version of the Flip software and then download and install the new one from the site. That's bad product support, right from the start.

I'm very disappointed and am definitely returning the camera for good. Its small size and ease of use were nice and convenient, but it gave me so much headache as I try to download the photos that it is just a huge disappointment. Last night it took me all night to try to save all the photos - what a waste of my time and a frustrating experience.

I bought this but am now returning it for a few reasons. The main reason is the fact that it would not work on my computer. It does not tell you that you may have do download an update (found on flip.com) just to make the software work.

My Flip stopped working after about an hours use and the batteries started to overheat. Unfortunately, I had some video of my newborn daughter in the camera that I had not yet had a chance to download to my computer. Flip Video said to return the camera and they would repair it and try to recover the videos.

The recording was beautiful, however, when she finished, it took five hits on the button before it finally stopped the recording. This was frustrating and required editing that would not have been needed if the button had worked the first time I pressed it. When I connected the Flip to my computer it began to download the program only to be stopped at 34% with an error.

Customer support seems very accesssible by email/phone, 24/7 and at least they provided the firmware update (though I can't get it to download yet). Like everyone has commented, a good idea but a sad disappointment to those who got it for Christmas. I haven't returned mine yet.

Their QA department failed miserably releasing this too soon with such a lousy software interface. I am having all the same issues other reviewers have mentioned. I can't download videos to my computer; software freezes and have to end task; Flip Video still shows "Connected" after disconnecting from computer and have to take out batteries to get it to restart (a real pain in the you know what) and I have the same issue others stated about starting and stopping recording.

But not just a software update, but a completely new installation. So, I had to manually uninstall the from-the-box original version of the Flip software and then download and install the new one from the site. That's bad product support, right from the start.

I called the flip people who were to busy and said that they would get back to me but I haven't heard from them. I tried to contact them by e-mail and phone. The picture quality was okay and I was willing to let that go for the convience but I will still be needing a new camcorder as the sluggish computer/download/stitching thing is a drag.

Two things I would like to see is that it comes with a rather "cheesy" bag with a draw string, I would rather have a nice case with it. The other thing is there is no lens cover so you need to keep it in the "cheesy" bag to protect it. As for the poor speaker, that doesn't bother me as I download everything to the laptops and the pictures and sound are great from that point on.

The support response at Pure Digital took about 24 hours but by then I had my money back. They wanted me to send it back to the factory (if I wanted to save the videos already on it) or reformat, download and install new firmware, etc. This for a product that is marketed as something for a technophobe.

I tried working with flip's customer support, and was pretty unimpressed. In the end they asked me to ship it to them and they would try to fix it, but as I said, I'm just returning it. Overall, I can't say don't get this device, it's a great idea and I was thrilled with it at first, but if you do please make sure and take a good number of test videos before you use it to record anything you want to keep.

I bought this but am now returning it for a few reasons. The main reason is the fact that it would not work on my computer. It does not tell you that you may have do download an update (found on flip.com) just to make the software work.

As best I can figure out, there are bunches of bad sectors in the memory of the device, as one video might come across but the next would freeze up the computer requiring a full reboot. We tried on many different machines to make it work, 2 macs and 4 different windows machines, all with the same results. I've tried to run diagnostics on it and fix problems or bad sectors, and that also freezes the computer.

After spending hours "upgrading" it on a PC to make it work on my Mac (as recommended by the Flip support team), I then had to "upgrade" again when I plugged it to the Mac. A lot of time spent to find out that the "upgrades" only allow me to watch the video on my mac- no editing, no uploading/downloading or using it with the imovie program. The Flip company assures me they are working on an upgrade for the Leopard- but no release date in sight...

Playing the video on the computer is ok as long as you don't enhance the size from the little box that Flip Video wants to play in. The bigger you make the picture the worse the picture gets, which is a pretty standard rule for any camera, but it is much worse on Flip Video. Flip Video takes cutting edge technology and combines it with the video quality of 1987, if that is what you are looking for in a camcorder then Flip Video is for you.

Main drawbacks are the instruction book--it was so lacking that I used the Amazon reviews rather than the booklet for troubleshooting and usage. The instructions are worthless. Also, I found out through Amazon reviews that if you have a Mac, you cannot use the "make a video" feature, which even on the PC only allows you to link your short films together, not to edit them.

I write this because others may think the computer is hanging but it isn't, it sometimes takes alot of time to convert regular avi format to wma format for uploading to email. So your camera is not broken, you may have slow computer or BIG file to convert. As others say zoom is not that good, but for quick shots and face shots it can't be beat, because I have camcorders but never used them because I had to make sure the special battery was charged, and it was a lot bigger, and I couldn't put in pocket, and I had to have special tapes, and special software, and it was a pain to take spur of moment shots.

Pure Digital has only delivered issues, not solutions. No kidding -- this product was launched with an IMMEDIATE NEED for a software "patch" to fix the issues with the camera. We have lost several videos, spent hours trying to make the "upgraded" software from the FLIP site work (which it still doesn't).

If you can't get it to work, you may have to use just a fingernail, because if you press anywhere other than dead center of the red button it won't start or stop. Overall, this is a very good camcorder if used for the purpose for which it is intended. It isn't going to make you the next Stanley Kubrick, but it's a good start.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1ODL883RFJZYI Hi :) I just received a new camcorder as a gift. Truth to be told, I'm not very good with anything that has to do with technology, but I was able to learn to use this beauty in 5 minutes, and wanted to try to make my first video review immediately, just to find out whether I could do it. I'm pretty sure I'll learn to use it better with time, but the important thing is that it is so easy to use that even I can manage to do it without the help of my more technologically savvy friends.

I tried working with flip's customer support, and was pretty unimpressed. In the end they asked me to ship it to them and they would try to fix it, but as I said, I'm just returning it. Overall, I can't say don't get this device, it's a great idea and I was thrilled with it at first, but if you do please make sure and take a good number of test videos before you use it to record anything you want to keep.

I ordered the Flip for my wife for Xmas, but after reading the reviews, I decided to test it first. The record and stop button would not work consistently and the uploading to the computer was a real test of patience. I returned the product to Amazon and will pay the extra dollars to get a real camcorder.

What a waste of time and money. After being unable to record the event and becoming frustrated, I send the camera back to Amazon. I guess you get what you pay.

Unfortunately, like the Flip Ultra they don't have image stabilization and camera shake should be even more noticeable on the HD footage they record (the footage isn't true HD because it is compressed in the camera anyway...) The biggest problem with the Aiptek cameras however, is the sound quality is very bad on these cameras. I was unable to do a direct comparison, but the clips on Youtube shot with Aiptek cameras has stunning video and terrible audio.

One silver lining that we have discovered -- it is possible to work with some of the material that you record using Windows Movie Maker. But it is a more complex package than what the manufacturer claims to have developed in their camera. Don't waste your money.

I'm going to update the Flip's firmware today, and see if that does it. Regardless of how cute and portable it is, if it's not reliable, it's just useless to me. I feel like I'm out $130, and we've missed many family moments that we thought we'd be able to easily record.

The zoom stinks, but obviously no one is buying this to record professional quality video. The problem is when you try to get the videos off the machine. 1) the software download stalls and never completes.

I was not expecting miracles with this product... I simply wanted an inexpensive way to record short videos mainly for use on my computer or YouTube. I have a Sony digital camera which does an average job with videos, but after reading all the 5-star reviews on Amazon, I decided to purchase the Flip Ultra.

It would stick and record for a split second and then stop again. Mildly annoying. The USB arm is a cool flippy thing, but it seems fragile and I was concerned that it would snap off easily.

The only problem I have had was that initially I had to push the record button a few times to get it to start or stop. This seems to be working better now. Perhaps it was the update that they sent.