Kodak EasyShare Picture Viewer Available This Week

[Ben Stafford]

In a press release on their web site, Kodak has announced that the EasyShare Picture Viewer will be available in stores worldwide this week at an MSRP of $149.  We had a chance to see this at the CTIA show back in March.  It looks like Kodak is making it a point to have this on the market by Father's Day.

Press Release:

New KODAK EASYSHARE Picture Viewer an Ideal Gift for Dads, Grads or Yourself; Share Digital Pictures from the Palm of Your Hand

Available for the First Time: A Credit Card-Size Viewer with Big, Bright LCD Display

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 24 -- Are you searching for a trendy yet affordable gift for dads and new graduates, one that they'll actually use instead of tossing in a drawer after a week? Look no further than the new KODAK EASYSHARE Picture Viewer, which is available at retail stores worldwide beginning this week (US$149).

This credit card-sized "digital photo album" can be slipped into a pocket or purse, but is powerful enough to hold life's biggest memories. With the ability to internally store and show up to 150 digital pictures with its crystal-clear, 2.5-inch LCD screen, the EASYSHARE Picture Viewer is perfect for dads who want to show off snapshots of the kids, or the graduate who wants to keep pictures of hometown family and friends close at hand. To view even more pictures, simply insert a standard SD or MMC memory card.

Alternatively, as summer holiday plans take shape, buy a Picture Viewer for yourself. It's an ideal companion for sharing pictures with friends while away from home. This tiny marvel can even automatically update itself with your most recent favorite snapshots -- new pictures from the beach, amusement park or family barbeque, for instance -- simply by connecting it to a personal computer.

"The Picture Viewer makes picture sharing convenient and portable, not to mention incredibly easy," said Jeanine Thiemel, marketing manager for digital viewers at Kodak. "No longer will you be embarrassed when asked by a friend to share your latest pictures, only to pull out a handful of outdated prints from your purse or wallet."

The Picture Viewer lets people mark their favorites for printing or e-mail with the simple touch of the exclusive, red-jeweled Share button. By simply placing the viewer on a KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock Series 3, pictures can be printed in as little as 90 seconds at the touch of a button. The device can also be connected directly to other printers that are IMAGELINK Print System compatible or PICTBRIDGE technology enabled.

For more information, visit www.kodak.com/go/pictureviewer/

[Brian]

I had a chance to play with one of these for a while and thought it was cute. It's very small and offers a nice way to carry a ton of pictures on a device with a reasonably large display. The integration is important too with other Kodak services, making it easy to mark images for printing, etc. Not bad, certainly a fine gift idea.