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January 02 Column: Portable DVDs

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Portable DVDs
(338 words)
By Jana Barberio


On our travels through Minneapolis/St. Paul’s airport earlier this year, John and I rented a portable DVD (see column “Multimedia Technology: Introducing the DVD” in the April/May 2000 Detroit Newswire).

The player only cost us $10 to rent one-way and the movie, it happened to be Miss Congeniality, was $5.  In fact, the woman gave us a coupon for our next rental because none of the movies we requested were available.  And she threw in another free movie, which we did not have time to see.

While waiting for our flight at the airport, we drank margaritas and ate tacos, wearing earphones and thoroughly transported by the movie player, which looks like a tiny laptop, only with fewer buttons.  We were creating our favorite date: dinner and a movie….In, of all places, the airport.

We pressed pause and boarded the airplane.  On the plane, we un-paused the movie and continued watching while enjoying John’s frequent flyer upgrade to first class and the complimentary drinks.  What a way to relax during a stressful trip!

It’s a good thing we can rent portable players because right now the Internet reports that they cost about $1000.  John says Best Buy is selling them for $500.  You can buy units for your desktop that cost $200, but then you might as well buy a couch to put in front of your computer screen.

For more information on portable DVDs:

http://www.inmotionpictures.com/
Rent in major cities’ airports from Alaska to Florida; Cleveland and Detroit locations opening soon.  Note: If your destination city does not have an office, you will need to pay for the DVD’s return shipping (packing materials are provided with rental).

http://www.squishedfrog.com/access/2000-10-29-dvdplayers.html
Eric Griffith reviews portable DVD players

http://www.louisvillescene.com/movies/features/f20010804dvdrental.html
Vince Staten discusses ordering movies by mail; DVD movie mail companies

http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Farchive%2Fl0701%2F13l01%2F13l01%2Easp
Charles Self explains DVD in detail; you can do a search for “Charles Self Portable DVD” on www.smartcomputing.com if you don’t want to type this long address

http://www.sfbaytraveler.com/sv/stories/x23dvd_20000421.htm
San Jose airport brags about having DVD players to rent
 
 

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Jana Barberio is a freelance writer and a former paralegal. She and her husband, John, co-founded the Holly Computer User Group in Holly, Michigan and the Twin Beach Computer User Group in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.

 She can be reached by email at jana@barberio.com

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