I was disappointed to see that Cisco are considering closing their division that produces the Flip Video Camera. I have been a satisfied Flip customer and user for a couple of years, in fact the vast majority of videos I have taken for the TechHead site have been on my trusty Flip Video Camera. Sure, many people would say with the quality of video found on Smartphones such a the Apple iPhone surpass that found on the Flip though I personally have found the weight and feel of the Flip pleasant to use and features such as anti-shake make it a winner in my opinion.
My only ever gripe with the Cisco Flip has been its lack of an external mic jack socket though in the majority of situations the inbuilt microphone has been just fine.
Click Open Folder to View Files (Windows) or skip to the next step if you’re using a Mac. Double-click the Setup FlipShare icon (Windows; proceed to Step 4) or the Start FlipShare installer icon (Mac, skip to Step 5). The User Account Control dialog box appears (Windows). Click the Continue button.
I do understand the pressure that the Cisco Flip would be under from the Smartphone market though it is a shame that this great little cost effective camera is seeing the end of the line.
The closing of the Flip division of the company may not be the end of similar consumer level products being dropped from Cisco’s portfolio with company spokeswoman Karen Tillman informing that 'We will be substantially reducing our investment in the consumer market as a stand-alone business and will invest in it only in partnership with enterprise and service providers customers'.
Here’s hoping that they don’t touch the entry level Linksys range of switches that are extremely popular in many business and home IT lab environments.
For more information on the Cisco Flip’s demise:
San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/12/BUC31IV1Q4.DTL
Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e7b6bb0e-652d-11e0-b150-00144feab49a.html
The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/12/cisco-flip-camera-smartphones
Editors Liked
- Audioout at last
- Large screen is viewable in direct sunlight
- Brightly lit video quality
- Long battery life
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Simple to use
- Flip Share software supports Windows and Mac OS
- 3' screen
- Records 4 hours 720p (1280 X 720) at 30 fps
- Familiar Flip design
- On board software is easy to use
- Shoots good quality video
- Shoots up to 4 hours of HD video
- That is double the time the other Flip models can handle
Editors Didn't Like
- Thick around the waist
- Expensive
- No charger or HDMI cable
- Clunky interface
- Bulky and heavy
- Finicky resistive touchscreen
- Low-resolution display
- Doesn’t support 1080p
- No optical zoom
- Walking while recording can produce very jerky images
- Battery not user replaceable
Expert reviews and ratings
By G4tv.com on 100 Video Review: The Flip Slide HD pocket camcorder offers HD video recording and a 3' widescreen with stereo speakers to watch the footage you shot on the go! Kevin Pereira and Candace Bailey review the pocket camera that can record 720p video for up to...
By 5FWD on 40 While the SlideHD is easy to use, and offers one-touch recording, it’s very bulky for a pocket-sized model. The 2x zoom isn’t smooth or long enough and we’d expect a pocket-cam to be more versatile and offer photo recording.Flip Slide...
By Maximum PC on 70 Flip's first touch-screen video camera Flip’s SlideHD reminds us of Rocky Balboa. Unfortunately, not the Rocky Balboa of the original Rocky or even Rocky II. Instead, we’re thinking of Rocky III, where The Champ comes in out of shape and...
By LaptopMag on 40 An awkward design and limited touchscreen capabilities overshadow this camcorder’s high-quality video and generous memory...
By Electronista on 80 The Flip Slide HD is a solid product and, while certainly an evolutionary step, is one in the right direction. Nothing about the Slide HD is revolutionary, but we would definitely recommend it if you need high capacity or want a large screen to watch...
By PCWorld on 70 The Flip SlideHD is great for video playback, but its touchscreen is extremely frustrating to use when you're shooting video....
By cnet on 70 The Flip Video SlideHD is a tough sell unless you really want a larger screen for viewing and sharing videos on the...
By Good Gear Guide on 80
The Flip SlideHD brings new video-watching and recording features that are a step above other handheld video cameras such as Creative Technology’s Vado and Kodak’s Zi line. Hopefully, like other Flips, this device will shrink over time to...
By Digital Trends on 60 Cisco has boosted both the price and size of an already middling camcorder with this bloated attempt at a pocket...
By PC Mag on 70 The Cisco Flip SlideHD features an easy-to-use, touch-screen interface and a nifty tilting display for video watching, but if you're looking for recording versatility, you won't find it in this pricey pocket...
By About.com on 90 The Flip SlideHD is the newest incarnation of the Flip pocket camcorder. It borrows heavily from the Flip UltraHD as far as its core specifications but it features an all new design, including a 3-inch touch screen LCD that slides out for easy...
By SmallNetBuilder on Cisco's top-of-the line Shoot and Show camcorder featuring a 3.0' screen, simple operation, and up to 4 hours of recording...
By Gear Diary on Flip Video Slide HD – Review Posted on 06 May 2010 by Dan Cohen I like Flip’s products a great deal. I bought the original Flip and loved it. I loved the on-board software that let you edit and share videos as soon as you plugged it into a...
By eWeek on Cisco's Flip SlideHD video camera fails to deliver viewing capabilities on par with its simple recording experience.Cisco Systems differentiates the Flip SlideHD video camera from its predecessors by promising a great on-device viewing experience,...